Tagan BZ 1300W PSU @ [H]

Markistehnamezor said:
I guess I won't be using my Tagan BZ700 when I build a core i7 next month. any recommendations? pm, me. Jeez just the working condition doesn't look comfortable. They are like making PSUs on a kindergartens desk.
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THe BZ700 is a different platform than the BZ1300.

The PSU factory pictures are not Topower or Tagan and are just to explain a point about hand soldering still being used.
 
Markistehnamezor said:
I guess I won't be using my Tagan BZ700 when I build a core i7 next month. any recommendations? pm, me. Jeez just the working condition doesn't look comfortable. They are like making PSUs on a kindergartens desk.
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I work for a contract manufacturing company that has a factory in China.
Many factories there look exactly the same as this. In fact, those pictures almost look like they could have been taken at our factory.
 
Markistehnamezor said:
I guess I won't be using my Tagan BZ700 when I build a core i7 next month. any recommendations? pm, me. Jeez just the working condition doesn't look comfortable. They are like making PSUs on a kindergartens desk.
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Corsair HX1000W
 
LibertySyclone said:
Well then................

I am going to own up and admit that I own the 1100watt version of the BZ line. this makes me pretty ill to see that kind of craftsmanship....

Paul/Kyle want to do a review on the 1100 watt version?? I have a couple spare supplies that I can use if you want to test mine.

.
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I don't have any spares, but I have a BZ 1100 also...and after reading this review I'm a bit nervous....

So...would a test be in order here?
 
Paul_Johnson said:
It is ROHS compliant.
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Just like this unit is somehow UL certified as well?:p I'm sure the logos were downloaded off the net, printed on stickers and slapped on everything that comes out of that factory.

I was trying to make a joke about lead solder and lead poisoning....the way that solder was put on it looks like the builder may have the condition. Lead Poisoning does affect the strength of muscles in the hand and causes neural damage. And with all the lead showing up in toys made in China, I wouldn't be surprised if some factories are skimping when it comes to ROHS certification for electronics.

The joke was a stretch, so heres a better one. The soldering on that circuit would have looked better if it had been done by an epileptic ragdoll.:p
 
I agree on the Corsair power supply recommendation. I have one of their units and the quality for the price is excellent. I also have had excellent experience with GSkill memory. They make some great memory with fast timings and don't try to soak you on the cost.
 
Great review Paul. I especially liked the "cake frosting" comment.

pgaster said:
I work for a contract manufacturing company that has a factory in China.
Many factories there look exactly the same as this. In fact, those pictures almost look like they could have been taken at our factory.
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I used to work for a company that did rack UPSes and power supplies for telco equipment. They did much of the work by hand as well. I've literally seen 50 year old Vietnamese grandmothers solder better than what I saw in those pictures of the review unit.

pc299 said:
Corsair HX1000W
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That is a damn good unit. As is the Thermaltake ToughPower 1200watt. Mine has done quite well despite the fact that I've been pushing harder than most people would have ever done for more than a year now. Still going strong.
 
Wow, simply what a work of art. That fire extinguisher that some think is just a prop will certainly come into use with extended usage of this power supply. Please, at least tell me that this unit did not come stamped with CSA on it... and I bet the UL label is fake (or their UL built unit for test was not like this) because that shouldn't have made it to the shelf with those two ratings. I really wonder how well isolated that power supply would measure if I threw a megger on it... bet you it would fail with the sloppy soldering as some of those joints are too close together, nevermind about the jumper wires which eventually could fail (which tells you obviously this PCB was jumped and hacked up to do more than it was designed for).

For consumer safety, considering you got three units and all turned out like this, I would strongly recommend you fire off a well sternly written letter with the pictures to Underwriter Labs on this (and if the unit has CSA on it, write a letter to them as this shit certainly would not have passed); if they do not listen write up to Consumer Reports (yeah they suck but this would flog UL to the masses which I think they need). A recall I bet will be coming.....

For the review itself, well written and I applaud the fact that knowning those units were built like Cuban pieces of shit that you still risked your lab and yourselves reviewing these things for your valued readers (hey fellow readers, click through those NEWEGG ads now to show some appreciation).

HAHA, I guess the below picture means a zero out of ten.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1225401770r0ZtFsfumt_9_3.jpg
 
Well the thing about the UL is all their approval means is that WHEN it catches fire it isn't supposed to spread. Not that it won't catch fire.
 
Paul, I know they aren't part of topower or tagan like you said in your previous post. I was just saying it doesn't look good. But yea I will check out the corsair, I just got off work. Thanks.
 
When I bought mine, it had the best reviews on newegg in its power range for a modular supply. it still looks cool.

HX1000 is too much. What I have in my rig with intel 920, X58 MSI platinum, Corsair 3x2gb DDR3 1600.
 
THANK YOU [H]

This site alone has caused me to spend a lot of money, but now you are saving me money because I don't buy crap like this.

I'm not really sure what to say on the 'build quality'.
I mean, WOW.
 
pgaster said:
I work for a contract manufacturing company that has a factory in China.
Many factories there look exactly the same as this. In fact, those pictures almost look like they could have been taken at our factory.
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Many factories do. But not all. Not even most. The picture Paul posted is from a factory known for the worst quality PSU's on the market. I can tell you first hand that most factories in China are VERY different than that one. Of course... you still don't get paid crap and will probably have to live in a dormatory environment... but at least they're safe (safer than being a mechanic, that's for sure.) ;)
 
When I make hobby PCB's at home...I only get 1/2 oz boards because they etch easy. If I want to carry high currents, I do exactly what they did by laying wire down and soldering over the top. However...that is for HOME use and not consumers/commercial use. I can even see them doing it for their labs...but NEVER to be sold.
 
gathagan said:
In addition to the abysmal build quality, I find their "modular" connectors hilarious.
They look like the type of connectors used in the '60's and '70's for electronic gear, especially in the military and medical fields.
So retro!!
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Those connectors are every bit as good (if not better) than most of the modular supplies I've seen.
 
I'm interested in how these PSUs in the review failed.... was there any physical damage? Did they start up again after letting them cool down for a bit or they did they go to the place where bad PSUs go when they die?

Oh, and if there was physical damage, pics? :D
 
Elledan said:
I'm interested in how these PSUs in the review failed.... was there any physical damage? Did they start up again after letting them cool down for a bit or they did they go to the place where bad PSUs go when they die?

Oh, and if there was physical damage, pics? :D
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If there had been visible damage don't you think I would have pointed it out on the units when I gutted them?
 
what, no tagan representative available for comment? :D

like some of the others here, i really like the style of connectors these use.
 
Paul_Johnson said:
If there had been visible damage don't you think I would have pointed it out on the units when I gutted them?
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Yeah, I was thinking that, but there was no comment or guesses in the review on why the units failed, so I was left kind of wondering. No offence intended.

So in other words these units just dropped dead like that and never revived? That's scary...
 
Elledan said:
Yeah, I was thinking that, but there was no comment or guesses in the review on why the units failed, so I was left kind of wondering. No offence intended.

So in other words these units just dropped dead like that and never revived? That's scary...
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Internal component failures are common death modes. I don't really have the time to sit here and test each diode, rectifier, transistor, etc for failure so if there is no obvious death reason I move on as for the readers needs a death is a death.
 
Paul_Johnson said:
Internal component failures are common death modes. I don't really have the time to sit here and test each diode, rectifier, transistor, etc for failure so if there is no obvious death reason I move on as for the readers needs a death is a death.
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Some of us like the gory details, but hey, it's okay :)

I still think that HardOCP's PSU reviews are the only ones worth reading :)
 
Adisharr said:
Those connectors are every bit as good (if not better) than most of the modular supplies I've seen.
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The connectors I like. Like I said I have a BZ1100 (praying it's build quality isn't like the BZ1300...) and the connectors seem neat. "retro" but neat, and quite secure.

The one odd thing the BZ1100 has is a ground wire...they suggest that it be bolted to something like a hard drive cage in the manual if I recall. Forgive me if I missed this, but did the BZ1300 come with such? At the risk of possibly sounding n00bish, never seen a PSU with a ground wire like that before.
 
Arvig said:
The connectors I like. Like I said I have a BZ1100 (praying it's build quality isn't like the BZ1300...) and the connectors seem neat. "retro" but neat, and quite secure.

The one odd thing the BZ1100 has is a ground wire...they suggest that it be bolted to something like a hard drive cage in the manual if I recall. Forgive me if I missed this, but did the BZ1300 come with such? At the risk of possibly sounding n00bish, never seen a PSU with a ground wire like that before.
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Yes they do come with ground wires, and yes the unit was grounded during testing and ungrounded with the same results.
 
I was visiting the tagen site and wow....seems you all are the only ones who do a complete review....
I was flabergasted to see all the reviews that recommend this same PSU....
Gideon Tech, Phoronix.com,PC Perspective, Big Bruin,,,,Bjorn3d,,,,Extremeoutervision,,

http://www.tagan.com/forums/

As usual you guys are real good at reviews!!
 
Paul_Johnson said:
Yes they do come with ground wires, and yes the unit was grounded during testing and ungrounded with the same results.
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I'm sure you did test it both ways, main reasons why I asked were 1) curiosity, again having never seen a ground wire on a PSU I was wondering if the BZ1300 followed the same design and 2) I was hoping that if the BZ1300 didn't have one, that mine was built different internally and thus might be of a bit better build quality. But, my BZ1100 does have one..so oh well. Guess all I can do is live with it for now. I'm not running TOO power hungry of a system so hopefully mine won't be overtaxed.
 
The connectors on the bottom we added afterward to fuse the two 12V transformers for a single output to which the board was not designed. Certainly makes for a mess under there. BTW, the Topower 1100 and 900 have the same "feature".
 
HeavyH20 said:
The connectors on the bottom we added afterward to fuse the two 12V transformers for a single output to which the board was not designed. Certainly makes for a mess under there. BTW, the Topower 1100 and 900 have the same "feature".
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Makes for a mess? Not exactly, it is simply a shitty job of craftsmanship and is the lazy way to do it.
 
That is the worst looking soldering job I have ever seen. I can't believe these units are actually being sold.
 
Has there been any redux on this? I saw the banner ad for 20% off these power supplies at the Egg and I always liked the bling on these things and the unique modular connectors. Then I saw this review and cringed.
 
soekev said:
Has there been any redux on this? I saw the banner ad for 20% off these power supplies at the Egg and I always liked the bling on these things and the unique modular connectors. Then I saw this review and cringed.
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Sorry no there hasn't. But I would suggest at the $304-499 I am seeing them for that there are better choices out there.
 
flamex said:
That is the worst looking soldering job I have ever seen. I can't believe these units are actually being sold.
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That "soldering" is actually quite funny!

It is truly the worst job I have ever seen & I started in ham radio, before the pilots for Star Trek & Lost in Space!

Dave:p:p:p
 
Thanks [H], I was thinking of getting a 680 W Tagan but after seeing the soldering on this it has totally put me off the brand. Close one. I really need to spend more and get a quality unit like a Corsair HX 620 made my Seasonic.
 
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