Introduction, Features & Specifications

Ultra X2-Connect 550w Power Supply

Introduction

Info: ultraproducts.com

Today we're looking at another PSU, the X2-Connect 550 Watt ATX PSU from Ultra. Ultra's headquarters are located in Ohio, USA and the company offers a wide range of technological items from cases and PSUs to memory and mp3 players. This PSU is available in both titanium and titanium w/ UV blue. Needless to say we plucked for the UV blue version as we know how much you Guru's love something that looks cool.

As Hilbert mentioned in the recently released Silverstone PSU review, manufacturers are indeed pushing PSUs at the moment. The reason for that is simply more and more people each day are equipping their systems with dual core processors and dual GPU setups. These consume more power than anything before, thus making your choice of power supply even more important than it was previously.

This PSU is the successor to the original X-Connect and Ultra is hoping it's going to be just as successful. This PSU will appeal to all the majority of the modding freaks out there as it has a flashy look to it, windows, blue illumination and a modular cable system. There aren't too many PSUs out there that can boast such features.

Now, what's this modular cable system thing? Well what this means is that you only need to plug in the cables that you need. For example, say you're like me and have no SATA drives, yet your PSU has plenty of SATA power connectors that simply get in the way. With a modular PSU you can remove these. You do not need to even plug them in. It's a useful feature and it's caught on very well. It's all about the aesthetics. The modular cables give a cleaner and tidier look to the interior of your case as there aren't cables cluttering the place up and a reduced number of cables means less airflow blockage.

Speaking of aesthetics, a few years ago who'd have thought of PSUs with windows and illuminations? What basically happened was people got tired of beige cases and manufacturers realized this. Computers were now a part of most households and people wanted something that wasn't hideous to look at. So, in came the better looking cases. Next up people realised that the PSUs were still dull grey affairs. They'd look in the window of their new pre-modded case and see a boring PSU, which ruined the whole effect. So then guess what happened? Yep, manufacturers started coming out with aesthetically pleasing PSUs as well. Firstly were simple touches such as gold fan grills and sleeving, but then came more exotic stuff such as LEDs and now we have windows in PSUs so you're able to see the interior as well as modular cabling. Some people go crazy for these things, others may prefer a more simple or subtle look. It's purely a matter of taste.

Right then, so the PSU may look nice, but how does it perform? A PSU isn't about looks, it's all about how it performs. Good looks are a bonus. It's no good having something pretty if it's as unstable as a chair with one leg. I may not have access to a pair of X1900's like a certain Dutchman has, but I have a fairly high end gaming rig that will expose any obvious weakness for sure.

Features & Specifications

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