Contents
Ultrix 450UF
At 155mm long, this one is physically the largest unit in this round up. It also has the best cable configuration of any unit in this round up – it’s the only one with two SATA power connectors and 4 peripheral connectors. However, it doesn’t feel as heavy as the Xsonic unit I just blew up.
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The corrosion on the vents tells us two things. First, whoever owned this unit before I got my hands on it probably lived near the ocean. It also tells us that it was galvanised before the vents were punched out, not after. It makes me wonder what other Ultrix the manufacturer has been up to in order to cut costs. Cue the load tester.
Load Testing
Test 1 (121.75W Load – Cold)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 4.93A | 12.32V | 14.0mV |
| 5V | 5.14A | 5.14V | 9.8mV |
| 3.3V | 10.24A | 3.38V | 28.4mV |
| −12V | 0A | −12.41V | 8.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 0A | 5.11V | 13.4mV |
| AC Power | 153.16W | ||
| Efficiency | 79.49% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.6 | ||
Test 2 (206.24W Load – Cold)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 9.86A | 12.32V | 24.4mV |
| 5V | 10.12A | 5.06V | 14.2mV |
| 3.3V | 10.09A | 3.33V | 29.6mV |
| −12V | 0.1A | −12.53V | 27.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 1.01A | 5.06V | 14.0mV |
| AC Power | 267.80W | ||
| Efficiency | 77.01% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.58 | ||
Test 3 (264.7W Laod – Cold)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 14.68A | 12.23V | 30.0mV |
| 5V | 10.14A | 5.07V | 17.4mV |
| 3.3V | 10.12A | 3.34V | 29.6mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −12.86V | 35.4mV |
| 5Vsb | 1.01A | 5.07V | 14.2mV |
| AC Power | 350.20W | ||
| Efficiency | 75.59% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.58% | ||
As I suspected, this isn’t a 450 Watter. The unit exploded almost immediately after I increased the load to about 320W for Test 4. I didn’t even get to read any of the parameters, which is why there is no table for Test 4. Before the explosion, though, it wasn’t doing too bad in terms of voltage regulation and ripple suppression, but the efficiency was very poor. It started out at about 79.49% during Test 1 and went downhill from there. This is probably because this unit can really only deliver about 260W, and Test 1 was about 120W, which is almost half that, where the efficiency usually peaks. Remember, it couldn’t even achieve 80% efficiency in Australia. A similar unit in the US with a lower input voltage would present even lower efficiency.
| Rail | Test 2 (206.24W) | Test 3 (264.7W) |
| 12V |  |
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| 5V |  |
 |
| 3.3V |  |
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| −12V |  |
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| 5Vsb |  |
 |
A Look Inside
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Now that would explain why it’s not so heavy. It’s the most gutless looking of all of the power supplies in this round up so far. The PCB doesn’t even extend to the front of the case! Starting at the input filter, we have two X capacitors, two coils and three ceramic capacitors (including the one after the rectifier), but there’s not an MOV to be seen. We also have the el-cheapo 2A 4-diode treatment in place of a bridge rectifier, and only 470μF primary capacitors. The switching transistors used are Treasure Star TSE13007s. Just as I suspected, they have been up to more cost cutting measures.
And we see they’ve been up to even more cost-cutting on the secondary side. Removing the secondary heat sink shows that two of the secondary rectifiers are not good enough to deliver the amount of current promised by the label. The 12V rectifier is a MOSPEC F12C20 fast recovery rectifier. It is rated for a pathetic 12A, barely enough to power even a basic system nowadays. The 5V and 3.3V rails both use an SB2040CT Schottky rectifier rated at 20A. It’s enough for the 3.3V rail’s 18A, but not for the 5V rail’s 30A. The capacitors used throughout the unit are from Fulltec. They aren’t as well known as some of the other really unreliable brands like Fuhjyyu, but they are just as bad.
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The fan used is a Sanly 120mm sleeve bearing part. This unit lacks a fan controller, but it wasn’t very loud, so this is probably a low speed model. I must say, the heat sinks look tiny when viewed from above. Keen-eyed observers may note the burn marks and shattered glass on the fuse. It has obviously exploded.
Before I move on, I should perhaps add that I was able to find the OEM of this unit. A bit of searching for other similar units found me some internal shots of a ColorsIT branded power supply, with similar markings on the transformers and the same Fulltec capacitors. It actually had a UL number on it, which, according to the owner, lead to a company called Unitek Electric Co. However, I can’t find them at the UL database. Perhaps they have since gone out of business, or are now operating under a different name.
Actual specifications
| Real Wattage | 260W |
| OEM | Unitek Electronic Co. |
| PFC | None |
| Price | Unknown |
| ATX Connector type | 20+4 pin |
| Worst-case voltage regulation (12v, 5v, 3.3v) | 2.7%, 2.8%, 2.4% |
| Worst-case ripple (12v, 5v, 3.3v) | 30.0mV, 17.4mV, 29.6mV |
| Worst-case efficiency | 75.59% |
| Input filtering | Inadequate |
| CPU Connector | ATX12v (4 pin) |
| PCIe Connectors | None |
| Molex (Peripheral) Connectors | 4 |
| FDD Power connectors | 1 |
| SATA Power connectors | 2 |
Conclusions
Pros: Good voltage regulation, good ripple suppression
Cons: Can’t deliver 450W, low quality capacitors and fan, pathetic efficiency, small heat sinks.
Bottom Line: The voltages and ripple are OK, but it’s very inefficient, the capacitors raise some serious concerns for long term reliability and it’s not a 450 Watter.
Score: 4/10
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