WHY is Everyone Buying This Power Supply?? - Thermaltake Smart 600W
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
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The Thermaltake Smart 600W is the most popular power supply on Amazon... but that doesn't mean it is good.
Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com/topic/15187...
Buy an EVGA 450 BR PSU: geni.us/qAuje2
Buy a Seasonic Prime GX-1000 PSU: geni.us/vrtx
Buy a Thermaltake Smart 600W PSU: geni.us/ODPQMM
Buy a Corsair SF450 PSU: geni.us/ompP
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CHAPTERS
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0:00 - Intro
1:04 - iFixIt!
1:09 - PSU Tester Update
3:46 - What we can learn from the box
5:27 - Efficency Test
5:57 - Short Circuit Test
7:00 - Over Current and Over Power Protections
9:10 - Power Factor Correction
11:55 - What else we can test
13:45 - iFixIt!
14:29 - Outro - Věda a technologie
Corrections:
0:45 - The LTT Forum PSU tier list has the Thermaltake PSU that we tested ranked in F tier, not C tier, as we said in the video. We tested the Thermaltake Smart 80+, not the Thermaltake Smart BM2.
5:37 - The location of the 80 Plus Certification Levels that are shown on the Efficiency Sweep 115V graph actually corresponds to the 230V 80 Plus Certification numbers.
Additionally, since our setup isn’t finalized, the numbers in this video should be considered in a bubble and shouldn’t be interpreted to confirm or refute 80 Plus or any other specification (Labs will get there Soon™).
Kiss me Linus ❤
While you're doing corrections, might I advise removing the link below the video to "Buy a Thermaltake Smart 600W PSU" since I don't think you want to endorse viewers buying that PSU (at all lol).
you forgot also Segotep GP650G v2, it is at 50 buck range and is tier B 80+ gold :D
how about adding the part to the video where the psu is bad lol, that would be a good correction 🤣🤣🤣
technially, i would be included in that title and i a'int buying sh!t, liena5s! :)
Worth noting that the regular Thermaltake Smart you tested is in the F-tier of the PSU tier list, not in the C-tier like the Smart BM2 or 450BR, so it is at least rated properly according to its performance on that tier list.
i use the 700ish watt version
Yeah, I hate that they tried to "discredit" the PSU tier list in the intro when, in reality, the placements of all the PSUs talked about in this video are correct.
ive used thermal take smart psus for 4 years, never had a problem
@@Garcia98 He didn't "discredit" them; he pointed them out as a better option than just buying whatever has a lot of reviews on Amazon. But obviously, having professional testing equipment like this will always result in more trustworthy data because it's not just based on experience or hearsay.
@@Garcia98funny how it’s their own forum’s tier list lol. It’s pretty good tbh, got a high quality psu and it’s working perfectly for ages
LTT has finally found their footing. Ever since they moved into the warehouse I’ve felt that their mission statement was kind of up in the air. They weren’t working for NCIX anymore, and this is a lot for some youtube reviews, whats the point?
But this answers all that. LTT being a fully equipped independent testing house AND an entertainment media company with a large audience is a big deal. This isn’t just a couple CZcams channels anymore, this is the main topic of the next urgent executive meeting in this industry.
Independent testing has existed forever, but this is different. This isn’t testing for inside industry and technical enthusiasts, it’s for the average viewer.
That matters because now everyone will be able to understand and care about a lot of important things you can’t advertise on the box. I’m sure a lot of decision making up to this point has been “this small thing costs X amount to make our product Y amount better, but our specifications sheet will be the same as our competitor that’s cheaper on the shelf next to us.” Now, it’s not going to be “no one will care/notice anyways is it really worth it”, it’s going to be “wholly s@&# we need to make sure our product isn’t cutting any corners before we get flamed in front of MILLIONS of viewers!”
uh ok
@@blueshky Nah, they got a point. Sure, you've got channels like GN and HWU, but those cater primarily to gamers and enthusiasts, people who tend to already go in with a bit of know-how. LTT tends to focus on "casual" users, who may not know the finer points of selecting hardware or how to wrangle Windows problems.
Edit : because I was already tired at that time, watching CZcams for short breaks, don't judge people that fast.
Original reply: I can't read that long CZcams comment but after reading the first para I guess rest is good too
@@I_killed_that_beard_guynice short way of saying you don’t have an attention span.
Not sure why this generation is so lazy to read, yet takes the time to type out the reply. Use your time more effectively
@@htko89 I knew it someone would say this, it's because I spend majority of my time learning and reading (programs).
I just needed a break, scrolling comments for something funny, found this comment, appreciated it
What's your problem? Who are you to lecture a person without knowing literally anything?
i really appreciate the direction this channel is going in. from chill review vids to epic real time tests of equipments to verify what companies usually say and mark on their products, LMG is on the right track!
You´re wrong, it turns out that linus made some mistakes.
@@Inuitman damn shit turned fr
This aged well..
so what? it happens , they are still doing well despite all@@Inuitman
@@plopolip01 wrong
I had the exact same psu in an older build I had(FX8350+RX570+16gb ram) and had no complaints. Sold it to a friend and hes still using it today with no issue.
I should note - LTT forums are filled with some of the most useful cool people on earth. Moderator there helped me diagnose my 7900 XTX having a vapor chamber issue. They also helped me get a X670E-Pro to post. Legit awesome forums
It's a shame the website STILL shows a mobile view on my PC
@Notorious544d what extensions do you use?
@@Notorious544dSounds like a problem on your end - possibly an extension.
@@Notorious544d sort it out mate
i can also attest to this. ive had this problem with my pc where it would freeze 3-5 times daily for exactly 1 minute each freeze. it took years to fix but it was all thanks to the forum :)
A PSU test I'd like to see: UPS switchover handling.
Most affordable UPSes are line interactive -- the computer is fed from AC, and only at power failure a relay switches to the battery. This means there is a time during which the computer is without any power, but this is expected to work due to the PSU's capacitors providing power during the interruption.
I've had in the past a computer that would often reboot when the power failed and the UPS switched to battery. It would be interesting to see how PSUs for current high end computers with power hungry video cards fare in this scenario.
That's part of ATX PSU spec, called hold-up time (minimum of 17ms at full load after complete power loss is required), so they more than likely to test test already.
I second the focus on this. My UPS makes me feel grateful all the time, lots of surges and dropouts and weirdness where I live, as well as outages a few times a year. Maybe there is some testing to be done on various UPS themselves too?
Also they should revisit the myth that only pure sinewave UPSes should be uses with modern PSUs due to active PFC
They would probably die instantly as the power requirement is huge while gaming with a high end setup.
I would love to see this research too!
I recently purchased a in-line ups and had a power cut. Pc didn’t reboot , but what was interesting is that my monitor seemed to have a very slight flicker.
I love this video. Coming back to it after watching it for the first time when it came out and I'm really appreciating the thoroughness and attention to detail now that I'm actually looking to buy a PSU for myself
Man, Linus really is trying to bring EVGA back from the brink of death, and I love it
For what purpose? EVGA CEO cashed out and left.
@@griffin1366buyout/investment
@@ilovefunnyamv2nd I don't know who Logan Paul is but EVGA CEO cashed out. 10 years of sales within a year of the crypto boom.
@@griffin1366 really? thats sad to hear, i have always trusted EVGA even tho i havent bought anything in a long time
@@xDamage69 Just a reminder then that companies aren't your friend :)
Glad to see you're equipped to evaluate PSUs now. It's something so critical, yet so hard to objectively compare beyond wattage and efficiency. I've heard horror stories about PSU failures and its hard to discern what is a fluke and what is a result of poor quality
also hard drives, we're basically just working off of community driven counts of personal experience. it's all very prone to all types of statistical bias.
@@JackPorter what about them? hard drives set on fire?
@@kaimojepaslti mean loosing your precious data is also horrible
I have personally lost 2 graphics cards to a dead PSU...
TF is your pfp
Just came here to watch this video after seeing Linus talk about how EVGA PSUs are out of stock as they might be winding down their business. 😅😅
Pardon? I literally just bought one.
@@Deadboy90return that bad boy 😂 sorry for your loss, this is just speculation though
Speculation says EVGA will be gone in 2026
@@Deadboy90You’re fine, enjoy your power supply. Everyone is just speculating that EVGA is slowly winding down over the next few years. Doesn’t mean anything for you, your warranty is still valid. Everything everyone is saying is just speculation, not fact. EVGA hasn’t said they are shutting down or doing anything
@@TheCompyshopSHUSH BROKEY, NOBODY WANTS TO TALK WITH YOU
I’m glad I saw this video. I recently put together a build for my son‘s birthday and decided to opt for the more expensive EVGA power supply because I had issues with a thermal take the power supply on my own personal build years ago. I wanted to make sure that I built a system that would last for my son and I’m glad that I went with the EVGA PSU
Absolutely love videos like these, one suggestion I have is make sure your power supply tester and the psu your testing are on a ups. If they aren’t the are susceptible to voltage drop from the grid. You’ll notice the voltage coming from the wall goes up and down as the day goes on depending on the load on the grid (this affects commercial service aswell). Anyway this was great can’t belive that evga was so bad, been using evga psu’s for years and will continue to pick between them and seasonic.
Considering just how much influence LTT has on shoppers, I have a real feeling we're about to see a lot of brands really up their PSU game.
While I would love this to be the case, I highly doubt it.
Most PSU are OEM, only a tiny fraction are directly sold to consumers
@@petermuller608 the "consumer" market is a pretty large segment especially nowadays
And up the cost.
@@petermuller608 Do You know the actual "fractions" of "OEMs vs Consumers",
or is this just Your assumption ?
Best regards
I am just hoping that the apparent power numbers also listed as VA on UPS units for the PSUs. The why is to get the correct UPS unit instead of assuming that the PSU used and everything else has a power factor of 1. Nothing has a power factor of 1 in the real world.
Would love to see consistency tests : testing different units of the same models, to check if they all test the same or if there is a lot of variation
That probably won’t happen, that one factor would literally x3-x5 the budget for each PSU
@@dbagdi1998But power supplies are piss-ant money
@@Malc180s But when your testing every PSU on the market, it’s not cheap anymore. Most half good PSUs are like £150. So testing that PSU would cost £750 then with the 100s of PSUs on the market. You looking at about 100k for just PSUs when it could have cost you 20k
@@dbagdi1998 True, though they can make the consistency tests to some of the select PSUs after creating the database
Oh my god this is probably the most important test for budget powersupplies.
This is incredible! I am excited to no end by these precise technical overviews of stats THAT ACTUALLY MATTER in everyday use. While manufacturers will make a product page look good, you prove to us that a product is good, or bad. Can't wait for more content like this.
After years of trying different recommended power supplies, I've settled on Seasonic as my 'go-to' brand. It may be more expensive than some of the others, but they are solid and dependable. Many other brands with a good reputation are produced by Seasonic as well. Currently using a Seasonic Prime 650W Platinum
just stay away from their bronze. it lasts two years. that's it.
I would be interested in seeing LTT test multiple of each model of Power Supply to quantify the deviation you can expect between your unit and what is being advertised!
This. The EVGA 400 N1 unit might have been defective causing the low power factor. Who knows what criteria the QC procedure of a manufacturer does and not include? An independent test should look at least several units from different production batches.
@@Noah-lj2sg Nah, I get what youre saying, but not all QC is the same for every manufacturer, much less every product line, and knowing the tolerances of each model can be very informative when trying to diagnose an issue with your unit that might be slightly underperforming. Of course, I also want a wider breadth of tests :)
I agree. I hope that once they have automated everything, they could re-buy all products every 6-12 months and re-test everything. Would be really interesting I think. Not just to test for QC or variance, but manufacturers have massively changed products without notice in the past. (See SSDs where they changed both the controller and the flash.)
Yeah I was thinking about that, buying and testing like 3 psu from each model from each brand would be very expensive tho but I hope they do it !!?
@@GalaxyXYZ888 would it even be *that* expensive compared to the cost of the testing equipment? xD
I would love to see the noise level of the power supplies at specific loads as well. I bought a Seasonic 1300W and ended up with a be quiet because the seasonic was the loudest component in my computer.
I agree!
Even expensive PSUs can be loud af even if they cost 100 bucks and i even had one for 200 bucks that was louder than any of my other components.
dude I upgraded from the only psu I ever had and I didnt realize I had a super quiet one the whole time..this new one sounds like an xbox 360 playing gta 4
I've bought "silent" PSUs that sounded exactly the same as the generics they replaced.
Same with my EVGA 1600w
This is a really good point. It is actually really difficult to make a quiet power supply and it is a relevant measurement for enthusiasts
It makes me happy to see actual genuine testing that can make people confident in purchasing. Hopefully it means manufacturers step up their game too. Thank you!
it wasn´t a genuine test.
I really love this new aspect of LMG. Really interested in future results (particularly in the 'cheap' segment.. Which could possibly be the segment with the most interesting results.. "How are they keeping the prices low, and what does that mean in practise?"
"And how do 'inferior' parts / omitted failsafes influence real-world performance and reliability?"
And curious what else you might be testing next (besides power supplies). But for now - PSUs. Build thine database (and please - if possible - have it accessible to us mere mortals)
It's awful nice to have you folks performing third party tests who are committed to quality. This info is invaluable. Thanks a lot.
Yeah man cool
It got me to subscribe.
I have been trying to find Corsair rm 550 watt everywhere. Ryzen dont need 650 watt.
Only thing that still concerns me is they may not be doing redundant testing. By that i mean running the same PSU but from say 3 different sources to see if the results differ. It's entirely possible to get a bad one which could skew the results, and without redundant testing you'd never know. Would also go a long way to ensuring they have similar build quality across the series.
oof
Holy crap, what an eye opener to the power of the labs. Linus and team delivering a major W for consumers
Game changer...
I'm pretty Amped
Not really anything Cybenetics wasn't already doing
JonnyGuru was doing this a decade ago before going to work for Corsair (big part of why they're now basically one of the only trustworthy names in PSUs).
@@superslash7254 Good joke, even Corsair had trash PSUs while he was working there. There is no "trustworthy brand" when it comes to PSUs
This is the content I want and need. Tom’s hardware has this kind of test data for SSDs but who publishes this data for power supplies. Love it.
Likely to be most beneficial in the mid tier price points.
I am so excited to see each part of Labs start paying off. As many PCs as I've built, some aspects, like PSUs, have always felt like rolling the dice. It's literally a black box, that I have to trust with my components, my power bill, and the safety of my house, yet it has always been hard to get reliable information about their performance and reliability. Linus' work to change that is VERY much appreciated!
You know what really makes that power supply testing rig REALLY worth it?
It could potentially save lives.
And thats worth it.
@@inqizzo lol
in more way than you imagine, a reliable PSU would be worth millions in military and medical applications where 12v stability is a must. If an off the shelf PSU proves to be more reliable than a 25k usd custom made in a dudes garage with an NSN sticker, guess who just saved hours of work and who is now paying 40k because the old one is discontinued with no chance of the contract being renewed.
Had a cheap power supply melt the solder, short circuit the 12V rail into the 5V rail, and fry every single other component in my nephew's system. I will never buy a cheap power supply again. This stuff will help.
Problem that most that watch this are probably aware to some extend to avoid death
@@thunderfire741tbh not all. When linus makes his list, we'll be able to reffer to that. Otherwise i personally have just known about the 80 bronze etc stuff and the wattage rating. How else to know what you're looking at? Now we'll know.
It's actually incredible what Linus and his team have been accomplishing with the labs. I don't know that tech journalism has ever seen anything quite like this, and they could have a pretty big impact on hardware manufacturers taking accountability for their products as they move forward.
Creating a database like this is a crazy cool idea. I'm happy that its linus of all, who took this challenge as i can usually expect transparent and accurate data.
As a measurement engineer I love how you’re pushing in the field of test design and hardware ❤
People should not trust engineers after all sone of the "best engineers" endangered many lives
What does a measurement engineer do?
@@skydivenext what are you referring to?...
@@ubacow7109 Measurement engineers measure engineers.
@@skydivenext we should never trust any other person blindly. People either make honest mistakes, all the way to the opposite side of the spectrum and make stuff knowing some consumers will die. Thus third party testing.
Gotta love honest folks trying to do the right thing.
Please do 220-240V tests too! Would be really nice to see how they differ
Linus, 240V, what could go wrong?
Did you even watch the video?
I think I saw at least one 230V test graph in there. I think they've got you covered!
@@Cleath78 what about the amps draw in 230V?
@@blobhead7in general it's gonna be a lot less. If a psu is using 600w on a 230v line it's gonna be drawing 2.6 amp give or take a few decimals but on a 120v line it's gonna be around 5 amps of current draw.
Great video and looking forward to upcoming testing! Pls also test sound levels from the PSU fans/coil whine. And test using both 110 and 220/240V in.
Love to see it, can't wait for further developments with this testing setup!
Would be awesome to eventually get a list of reccomended PSUs for different scenarios. Like best budget, best high end pc, best for NAS (stable 5V rail), best for efficiency etc
Psu cultist list
It is AMAZING that you provide not only North American voltage tests, but also European voltages. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
I'm rocking a Thermaltake Tough Power 750w from 2015. It started with a i7 4790K and 980 Ti and now it is powering a 7800X3D and 3080.
I've used the Thermaltake Smart 700 White for dozens of builds and all of them have been rock solid for years.
You think i’d be good with Ryzen 5600x and 3070?
@@thouxanbandzae 700 watt is enough for 3070 using the same psu with no issues nut mine one is black 80 plus
Same bro
I'm pretty excited to see the lab coming into action, hope it'll pay off the investment.
As for stuff to test, I'm sure you've already thought of this, but I'd be pretty interested in seeing how older, well-used power supplies compare to new, unused ones. I.e. degradation over time.
I have the 700w Thermaltake Smart one in my build.
It works fine, and I got it on Newegg for a steal from a 3rd-party seller for ~$28. Been working excellently ever since I got it, no complaints from me.
Mind you that my system has decent power draw with a R5 5600g and 1070 ti combo (may upgrade gpu soon).
@@gavinsutton9560 Same. I got the 600w one for ~$25 after shipping and tax. It's running a R5 5600X and RX 5700 XT.
@@gavinsutton9560how long have you had the build, and is it still running?
I used the Smart 600 to replace a broken one in an old build I use to watch YT while using my sport equipment. And I used two of them to build pc´s for some acquaintance of mine. Their rigs run fine for almost two years. I have a Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W 80 Plus Platinum PSU in my main Rig btw. Never had problems with this either.
Great video I hope labs will be able to also test European brands like Endorfy, and not just American only brands. Also in case of power supplies I hope they will be tested at both 230V and 120V.
It's really great to see the psu lab coming together. As for my opinions and suggestions for methodology:
Some of the graphs are not very easy to understand, power factor corrections as an example having the beer analogy was a great way to digest the concept, so maybe having more analogies would be great.
Voltage ripple is a must have
As a solid foundation the clear information of pass or fail on the atx standard is easy to understand, so including as many standards tests as possible. One option to make the results digestible is determining weight to each results and creating a general score as the tier list. I personally like a mad genius tester in Brazil that gives the score "bomb" or "explosion hazard" to the worst offenders and them going a more traditional F to S tier.
Include 220-240v results, as a international spectator in my country we have 110-220v on city by city, so this would be an interesting info for people with similar situations.
A recommendation of use would also be very interesting. Even a 30 dolar suspicious psu from wish can maybe be used for a low power home theater PC.
And speaking of wish, also include aliexpess and other alternative options just so we can see how big of a fireball you can make it with them.
Use the thermal camera not only from an efficiency POV but also on the hazard and thermal effects on the system.
Does the PSU sold in canada is the same as the one in a a low importance market? Does a psu in Europe that has more restrictions and standards is better? Obviously this is not something that you guys can do for all samples, but it would be a nice extra.
Are there practical differences from a new psu to an old one?
Does the psu operate differently on lower or higher temperatures? (is the psu tester close to the ambient chamber? 😅)
Destructive testing. Can the psu survive and/or protect the rest of the system after a lightning strike hit and the rest of the electrical system did not go off in time?
How reliable are those 5 dollar psu testers? Are there better brands or models so we can test a psu at the wild?
You guys are doing a service to the whole community, thank you for your efforts in making companies more accountable for the products they but in the market. I wish I could buy more LTT merch, but between the exchange rate and import fees, getting a back pack for example would cost me a whole minimum wage salary for a month plus some change.
who is the Brazilian tester you talked about?
When I've researched PSU's in the past, the tricky part turned out to be that the name on the outside isn't as important as the OEM. Unfortunately, most PSU's, regardless of brand, are made by a small handful of manufacturers, and varying models with the same brand on the outside may come from completely different OEM's. Something really obscure may be from a solid OEM, while some top-tier name brand may be stamped on a total pile of flaming garbage (possibly literally). As a rule-of-thumb, reputable brands are a good start, and that obscure PSU with a solid OEM may or may not have questionable features tacked on or skimped, but research, research, research!
I believe that is some of the most unacceptable BS in the PC world. How can a component so important and so essential for an entire PC to function be so obscure, so mysterious, and so hard to find information on? That is why I think this is probably the most valuable and important thing LTT has ever done. This sort of things is long overdue and I couldn’t be more thankful that they’re finally stepping in to change things.
@@TH3C001 100% agree. Once LTT and GN both get fully rolling on PSU testing, the DIY PC community will have an invaluable set of resources we've been sorely lacking
@@TH3C001 i have had to explain to more then a few people that SuperFlower, FSP and GreatWall are all name brands, infact, often their higher tier models are better then what 3rd parties have them produce for re-badge, as the OEM's are known to omit or add features to save money and boost sales, like an oem removing part of the PFC in favor of having RGB installed and still meet the profit targets...
i have had some great and horrible psu's from top names, as well as no-names... "sparkle" wasnt well known by most, but i was using them in the 90's because they were FSP builds and 30-50% cheaper then antec for better quality, no joke, never had one of hundreds we used fail.. not without it being a power surge/lightning strike that took it out.. even then only the psu died the rest of the system was protected.. just really great units.. more so for the price..
i always tell people to research and for psu, over spec, when asked why.. longevity, both of the psu itself but also, overhead for upgrades later, part of why i bought this evga 1300watt when i did was because it was overkill and would last me a while, i dont plan to pull 1300watts, but..running it below nominal max load... means its more efficient and wont age so quickly... i dont tend to run low power rigs.. 9370, x5675/w3680@4.7ghz, 7980xe@4.6, but even for very low power rigs, i tend to over spec the psu as a matter of course... nothing worse then finding out you gotta replace the psu to upgrade the cpu/gpu because it was "just enough" ... ask my buddy with his kids ryzen 1600 rig.. LOL..uses a non-standard psu you cant just swap.. not and mount a normal or sff psu in the case anyway... he regrets not listening to me before buying the kid a system on the cheap.. heh..
Yeah i use LTT powersupply list to buy my own and man good i did. I had no idea when I was trying to buy one what is is good and bad, thanks for the help people.
I wish this video was out before i got my current psu. Until i saw this is was having issues with my pc and it turned out it was this exact psu but the 500w variety. I hope these reviews keep coming
What were your specs.
I'd suggest making the baseline in diagrams to zero and not other values (like 0.3 in the PFC diagram). It tends to mislead on a quick glance and makes things look wrong in comparison
You are correct and yet I disagree with your example because there's nothing wrong with making bad PFC look as terrible as possible...
Totally agree.
@@hammerth1421That's the only correct way to do it.
I totally agree, but since Linus wants a solution that works for everyone, LTT should either add a small explanation on the split axis for those who have no experience in reading lots of diagrams and just rely on the visual impression, or use the full axis range.
But when all of your results are bunched up in one area, you just end up with a lot of blank space on your chart and lower resolution for the useful data.
I am glad to see you brought out something like the N1 for testing. Many average consumers while they may know to trust certain brands over others don't know that those same brands can still produce total crap
blame your Government for their regulations not being fit for purpose....
Yeah in eu this wouldn't pass
Two of my friends built custom PCs this and last year and came to me for review of the parts they were recommended by the shops they were buying the parts from. Both of them recommended this PSU to them and a RGB-filled case with no fans. It was easy to convince them to use the money they would spend between those two items to get a better power supply by asking them how much they valued the money they were putting into the build.
I had a Thermaltake Smart 80+ 700w in my system for about 2.5 years. If I remember right I got it for $55 Canadian dollars off of Amazon. Still works perfectly but when I upgraded my PC I swapped it out for a Corsair RM850
A thing I would really like to see tested is PSU aging. How much worse does regulation gets with time? Does frequent use make it worse or better? In short: do old PSUs need to be replaced?
The efficiency graph could use the 80 Plus Rating legend flipped to make it easier to decipher. Maybe have the colors a bit more distinct as well.
This is a nice start to PSU testing though, can't wait to see how some A/B tier units stack up.
I've got a Thermaltake Smart 500W in my current computer and it's served me well. My computer is virtually always on. I get my new computer next week though so it'll finally get a rest
Can't wait for this to reach many more units. It will make so easier to research and make decisions and recommendations. Hopefully the data is free to use for final users. If not, at least this type of video on recommendations would help. But they should be on the same power category, not price. Because price varies a LOT from country to country.
It's amazing that we get this sort of info and even more coming with Labs team, for free. Well done to the entire LTT team!
It's not "for free". It's funded by merch sales, ad revenue, sponsors, floatplane, etc. Ultimately Linus is paying for it using revenue from other sections of his company and penultimately we are paying for it through all of the above.
I'd love for LTT to start sharing this data on their website in the form of Web API's.
Think of the amount of tools developers can create for consumers to help avoid bad or unsafe purchases. Just two examples: PCPartPicker could connect to the API's for these power supply data and provide a warning for unsafe power supplies. Or someone to could create an app that compares their GPU benchmarks to prices on ebay or Amazon to give a New or Used Gaming Value.
They've spoken on that subject on WAN, the potential problem might be LLMs like ChatGPT that might take that info and LTT loses the value of the data. Which isnt to say they wont do it, if I recall they didnt make a decision either way yet
Very much looking forward to your future data base. There won't be a different place that you'd have to look for to check which component to get when you're doing an upgrade. Will save a lot of time and I'm sure ppl would pay a couple bucks just for that saved time
This is excellent. Something like this has been needed for so long. I have had a few power supplies die over the years. I wonder how my current Corsair AX1000 would do?
I also feel that it still needs to be said that the Power Supply is the most important part of the computer. There are still people who don't realise this. It is the one component that directly affects all others. Often power supply issues are blamed on the components that are failing when often it is that component that is struggling with power. I wonder how many good components have been thrown out for bad power supply issues.
I've had the 700w for years and it works like beauty
Just bought it a month ago.
same, i have it with a 3080/I5-11400 combo, and no issues so far
I know it's probably a bit more complicated to pull offf but it would be great if you could also test those PSUs with 230V (for those like us European plebs) because the efficiency changes with the input voltage.
Also, apparently the tier lists are less useful for us, because at least the list referenced in this video will automatically C-tier a PSU if it only delivers full capacity at 230v. So devices built for the European market, that are otherwise A/B-tier will fly under the radar in that list.
I still have my (2) 600w and (1) 700w thermaltake smart. It's been years since I bought it and still working. So I don't care what everyone say. If it works, it works.
I'm using the same Seasonic S12 500W PSU since the P4 Northwood days. Right now it's powering a Ryzen 5600 & GTX 1060. Total power draw is 150W while gaming according to software, and about 200 W from the wall using a watt meter. Not that efficient, but not bad either. And the HDB Fan is still quiet after 18 years!
I'm excited to see what the labs have in store for PSU reviews! With all the data on other components of computers, there isn't as much across the board for PSUs and it will be good to know that we'll have reliable information down the pipeline when it comes to making decisions on buying a PSU.
It is really annoying whenever power supplies don't tell you the full picture right out of the gate. That's why everybody always recommends going a step above what you think you'll end up being at. If you think you could reach 600 watts, you go with 700 watts. That's usually the best thought process to make sure you don't get boned by your purchase of a brand new power supply.
That's also to factor in the slight loss in ability to supply power by your PSU over time as the Capacitors degrade
@@HerbaMachina that's a good point, which would also be why you go one up what's needed
Actually not so good advice. PSU's are most efficient when driven at around 50% of their rated wattage.
On the other hand, just knowing your average power draw is harder than you'd think, because all components list their max power draw, which is almost never what they actually draw.
Massive respect for finally bringing in the true equipment needed to properly test manufacturer statements.
Actually makes me really excited! Far too long I've neglected power efficiency on these types of components, despite my PC being one of the most power hungry and expensive devices to run in my house. This will actually give you an easy and legitimate way to decide whether forking over that extra 50 bucks is worth it over the course of the next few years!
Also it will just show what is simply objectively better for the environment in the long run.
Would love to see you open op the ones that failed to see if there is any clue as to what failed and if it's the same component that failed. And also to see if the PCB perhaps is made at the same factory, and/or with the same components.
Im gonna be that guyand point out just after 4:20 Linus says Closlier instead of closer, and I love it and want everyone to enjoy this with me. Thanks for all the handwork Linus! cant wait to see mor labs stuff and lists and testing and so on :)
Amazing work Linus and his team is doing with the Labs project! I'll not be surprised if one day they do design and manufacture their own tech product!
Im really looking forward to a LTT Labs page where we can filter the data and pick our hardware not only according to price and specs but also to how it ACTUALLY performs. This will be a huge change for the PC Industry and will put a lot of pressure on manufacturers. Finally!
These videos are so helpful in putting brands on the spot. I really hope an industry overhaul happens based on the data that the lab will be putting out
or, some companies will be forced to do underhanded a-hole maneuvers
like putting NDAs in their terms and conditions.
or outright trying to pursue legal action by exploiting defamation laws.
or in the case of nintendo, apple and john deere, abusing copyright and patent laws.
Journalism always pisses people off if people in question are the ones being put in a bad light.
I know in my country, a youtube doctor got harassed by a quack for exposing her quacking
and harrassed him by hiring a stalker in his country.
Love seeing these labs update. Appreciate all the hardwork you guys put into making sure consumers know whats going on with their hardware!
we need those power factor numbers for WAY MORE devices. i learned about it in a generator tech class i took. it's wild that they don't have to disclose those numbers alongside their stated specs.
Awesome to see stuff coming together with the lab. Let's look closelier!
It might be a good idea to test multiple samples of the same PSU. If you look at when Gamer's Nexus tested the exploding Gigabyte units, I think he said that like half of the units passed the tests.
To help offset the cost, you could sell the good test PSUs for a discount. I'd like to have a store to buy the reputable new parts as well. If you did start selling parts, you could also look closer at a particular part if you're getting a lot of RMAs.
Not sure if it's possible, but it would also really help if you could test motherboards too because it's hard to really trust any of the brands. I just have to go by the reviews individually which really sucks, especially when you get something well reviewed because people plug it in and it works fine, but then fries your CPU over time with excessive voltage or something.
For the efficiency graphs it might be nice to see something more like what cybenetics does with their powersupply reports. They show a bit more of a complete picture of efficiency, showing how things change depending on how much power is coming from each rail. I also find the graphs to be much more compelling since you can easily visualize how efficient particular units are based on the size of each colour shown in the graphs. They also do a similar thing with power supply load vs noise which are great to know if you are planning a quiet build.
Cybenetics also duplicates testing to show 120v and 240v results which might be appreciated by our european friends.
Either way I highly recommend checking out their reports for inspiration (though I imagine you have already) since they do a phenomenal job of it
I have great confidence in the Rohde & Schwarz Oszilloscope in the background. I work with one and its the best I have used so far.
Ohhh boy I cannot WAIT to see the genuine effect this will have on PSU manufacturers, the amount of reach in this space LTT has is not to be underestimated. Even some of my friends who are anything BUT power users go to LTT videos from time to time.
I really hope they get Electroboom in here to help evaluate their testing methodologies. And blow things up.
Nah, if there's one guy to ask about this it's jonnyGURU. He's still alive and working for Corsair atm. GamersNexus did a video with him last year.
@@Steamrickhe’s not fun though electroboom is the way
I wonder if they should do testing on both 120 and 230V. I have no knowledge about this, but i reckon they would differ even on the same power supply model
I have a Prime TX-1600 connected from a power conditioner which is connected from a UPS. My power is cleeeeaaaaan. Would love to see my power supply model get deep dive tested in the future.
This is so valuable. Finally someone with a big audience is shining light on this topic. I think I’ve been screwed over from now and then in the past with my power supply choices.
Very interesting. I hope that this automatic testing will lead to a large database of results that users can consult. I know that LTT is all about the videos, and I certainly expect to see videos about this, but it would be incredibly helpful when buying a PSU to have a place where one can just look up how well specific units work in the real world.
Glad seeing you guys pushing forward with this. Shocking what little knowledge people have about their PSUs.
I see what you did there.
Hope the database gets up and running soon because it'll be nice to have a comprehensive list based on actual data instead of relying on a bunch of forums "experts" who claim that if any non-Corsair/Seasonic/EVGA PSU is so much as plugged into your motherboard your computer is as good as dead.
Most of the people I see posting lists of good/bad PSU brands give off that audiophile stink.
Y'all are about the change the ethos of what the sales industry. Once you start testing enough of the market, people will have to "risk" being found out for gray marketing and losing market share because of it. Keep up the great work LTT!
Uh oh, I've had this exact unit since 2020. It's held up pretty well with a 3600XT and 5700 XT.
The thing with budget power supplies is if you know “exactly” what load you’re putting on it, they’re fine for most uses. There’s always going to be some that have “horrible” voltage variations of course. The safety features of this one passed for example. The problem people have with them is when their expected load changes dramatically outside of the specifications of the power supply, they usually fail once and are done, as shown in the video. Sometimes this happens in spectacular fashion, and sometimes some components on the power supply just blow. I’m a little disappointed the labs didn’t specify what happened downstream when they tripped the overpower protection, as far as I know, it’s usually a fuse gets blown. Some people don’t like that. I have a friend who had the evga white series for example. Ran just fine for 7 years, he put in a new graphics card and the thing died in a day, probably tripping overpower protection as it did in this video. TLDR: People really need to do research for power supplies AND the load of the components they are using. When you spec a system just take the 15 minutes to load up a power supply calculator, answer truthfully and see what you need.
@@gundoxcrit1652 I have been using a Litepower series unit for 5 years now. If I ever change gpus, I will most def change the PSU. I always thought about having a new gpu means a new PSU
Loving what this lab is doing. Wish this had been around when I built my last PC.
Bad power factor kicks garbage out on the incoming line too. Causes weird interference problems. Buzzing in audio equipment that isn't well filtered. Flickering in lights. Especially cheap LED lights.
[H]ardOCP used to have AWESOME power supply tests. Seasonic was always at the top of the heap. That's what I've bought since and have never been disappointed.
I bought a brand new 550 watt EVGA about 5 years ago... it turned on, then off and never ran again. Still sitting in the box on a shelf. It would cost more to ship it to them for rma than it cost me to buy. I've had about 6 Thermaltake units and not one has ever failed.
I'm back. I commented around 6 months ago saying I like the Thermaltake Smart power supplies. Also said I had a Smart 700w PSU in my PC and bought a Smart 600w PSU for my brother's PC. Well I'm happy to say they both are still working great. I use my PC daily and I have had absolutely zero problems out of them.
thanks, im planning on getting the 700w. How is the noise btw?
also what are your pc specs?
@@FlimzyYT The noise is not a problem at least for me. I don't ever hear it. Also my specs for the PC is ASRock A520M-HDV Ryzen 5 5600G with 32GB RAM 3200MHz clocked up to 3600MHz 1TB nvme and ASRock RX 6600 8Gb oh yeah and the Thermaltake Smart 700W PSU.
@@mikiehill67 Thanks for the reply, sounds great because im planning on building a pc with similar specs
May I ask what specs you are planning on? I'm just curious that's all. Oh and is this your first build?
Really cool to see the labs being able to test out things that might explode (or if you’re talking about Gigabyte, “will” explode)
In the meanwhile I’m sticking to buying discounted PSUs on EVGA’s b-stock
what Gigabyte PSU model are you talking about that explodes?
@@mike-tq5eslook up gamers nexus exploding power supply video
Thermaltake Smart 650 here. 😊
I always look at gamer and/or ratings before buying anything.
Yano, in ALL my years (a LOT) of building computers, I only shorted out a PSU one time. Even some cheapo PSU's, still no issues.
These "tests" are a bit out there.
It's great to see Linus make this psu reviews I could not stop remember.. Of Jhony Guru's PSU reviews..
I'm so hyped for the lab. I've been waiting a decade for this to exist. Thanks a lot Linus for starting this endeavor, I hope that soon the consumer electronics purchase experience is forever changed and manufacturers are punished for putting garbage out to the market.
Finally a video about PSUs that normal non engineer PC enthusiasts can understand! Kudos LTT! Looking forward to more such reviews..
This is pretty cool, if I had to suggest something, I'd add fan noise charts as well (at 10-20% load, 50%, 100%, etc.) since I know some PSUs are known for loud or quiet fans
I need to replace my power supply how do I go about figuring out what is the best option how much power do I need and all that thank you for all these great amazing videos I don't know what I would have been doing without this channel
Honestly… the PSU Tester is one of the most exciting stations in LTT Labs that I know so far!
Can’t wait for all the tests you’ll do!
I'm glad that the labs are getting use, there isn't anyone else doing these kinds of tests and it'd be sad to waste all that money. I wonder if LMG will ever issue a buyer's guide, like the Michelin guide but for tech. I also wonder why they don't absolutely plaster their roofs with solar panels to save or even make money, they could also build a solar awning between their buildings to generate power while protecting their cars from the weather.
There are multiple other companies doing this
Ok, so I was going to buy this power supply (here in uk) because it was the best value for money, for a friend whos psu blew up/shorted... But decided to get an evga 600w for £7 more because I prefer EVGA psu's and I know it'll be fine... at 4:35 I am SOOO glad I decided to stump up the extra for the EVGA.
I really like the fact that the first PSU I've ever bought for a build was a EVGA 450 BR (which was actually what powered my gaming PC up until 2 weeks ago since 2019!)
It powered a Ryzen 5 2600 (stock speeds) with a 1660Ti, and even while gaming on the highest settings my hardware could support I've never had a single problem with it. It's now retired from being my main gaming PC to the status of racing sim PC, which I use much less often, but it's still chugging along perfectly!