Ultra X Connect-> First Hand Experiences Only

[ScHpAnKy]

I love mine, stable rails and plenty of power, plus, for $80 I can't complain

 

[fubar569]

Well, i too was won over by the supply's looks and modular cables, so i figured i'd do more research. i had already toasted one powmax 500w power supply, but i had to look up some size specs for it to make sure something similar would fit in my lanboy (the powmax was a relatively large ps)...popped up powmax's site and saw a whole page dedicated to the x-connect...umm...if one failed me in this dually what's to think that another won't follow suit. the first time it took out my board and both hard drives...

ultra = powmax
powmax = evil
therefore ultra = evil

 

[Deity]

here is my experience: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=845754
voted thumbs down, dont risk it, buy an Antec and save yourself the headache.

 

[LoneWolf]

I love mine, stable rails and plenty of power, plus, for $80 I can't complain

Have you tested it for AC ripple by any chance?

 

[computerpro3]

rolf of course he hasn't.

Burningrave, this time I am fully behind you. Keep up the crusade against shitty supplies.

I may even join in this thread and throw a few ultra/antec/pcp&c side by side pics in there for fun oif people keep calling this high quality

Oh, for those of you that think ultra manufactured it; they don't manufacture psu's, and go to

www.powmax.com

click on power. IT is a powmax branded psu, which means Leadman makes them. I also believe they manufacture for deer, bar none the worst psu manufacturer.

Draw your own conclusions

 

[computerpro3]

THIS is how your ultra's are made

 

[Ice Czar]

its been brought to my attention that some still consider Ultra Products to be a manufacturer
and that POWmax is the reseller

consider the following
1. POWmax isnt a retailer, you need to be a reseller or authorized dealer to purchase from them, they are just a brand as well, Leadman Electronics is the manufacturer

2. If you where a PSU manufacturer, would you allow a different manufacturer with a known history for shoddy products resell your supplies?

3. Look at Ultra's product line, they are an obvious rebrander, unless they are making everything from Cold Cathodes to Video Cards

4. look at Ultra's Product History
March 2003 is when they first appear on the net

3. Ultraproducts.com registration service is provided by tiger-direct-domains.com
and is likely a cloaked domain (run a whois)
the intial presence on the web also mentions TigerDirect and refers people to that site

on their website they refer to "Partners"
this is a marketing and fullfillment organization
they very well may contribute design concepts and even direct features development
they do not however fabricate power supplies, or likely anything else

 

[Elios]

flawless rails at or just above spec at all times
with 2 opical drives a 120GB sata HDD and a 6800GT OCed to Ultra 12v is rock solde at load ~12.01 with 100% load i dont see way ppl thing there crap >.> just cuz there made the same place as enermax there are TONS of reviews saying its as good as the neo-power or better and at a better price its no PCP&C but its damn good and looks great

 

[ralfyboy]

i have a 6800GT OC, Athlon 64 3400+ ClawHammer, Sound Blaster 2 ZS, K8N NeoFSR, 160GB SATA HDD, and CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive

not exactly a power hungry system, but my ultra powers it all no problem. i bought it for the fully modularness of it. the shiny and uv cables were just a bonus for me.

anyway, i plan to replace it as i'm afraid it might ruin my stuff in a couple of months if everything everyone says is true.

 

[operaman]

I will put it like this having used SEVERAL power supplies. The Ultra-X Connect will work well for non-ocer's. Personally though, if I am going to drop 80 or more I am going Antec, Fortron, or Sparkle. Just my opinion. Right now I got an OCZ Powerstream 600 that ROCKS. Highly recommended if you got the dough. Some would say it is a lot of money, but MY COMPONENTS are worth having a high end psu to PROTECT MY INVESTMENT. Ultra is questionable at best, but if you enjoy it good luck. Just don't oc.

 

[jiminnyjellickerz]

I will put it like this having used SEVERAL power supplies. The Ultra-X Connect will work well for non-ocer's. Personally though, if I am going to drop 80 or more I am going Antec, Fortron, or Sparkle. Just my opinion. Right now I got an OCZ Powerstream 600 that ROCKS. Highly recommended if you got the dough. Some would say it is a lot of money, but MY COMPONENTS are worth having a high end psu to PROTECT MY INVESTMENT. Ultra is questionable at best, but if you enjoy it good luck. Just don't oc.

Here here Sir! A voice of reason in a sea full of madness, it's a mod boi psu - nothing more.

 

[burningrave101]

flawless rails at or just above spec at all times
with 2 opical drives a 120GB sata HDD and a 6800GT OCed to Ultra 12v is rock solde at load ~12.01 with 100% load i dont see way ppl thing there crap >.> just cuz there made the same place as enermax there are TONS of reviews saying its as good as the neo-power or better and at a better price its no PCP&C but its damn good and looks great

First off i doubt your system is capable of pushing the PSU to more then 60% - 70% load at the most depending on how much wattage the Ultra X-Connect is actually capable of putting out. I'm sure its not rated at 40C - 50C. Its probably rated at around 25C. I doubt the X-connect can handle running at full load because it couldn't do it in the MaximumPC article and their system was fairly average to what some of us here on HardOCP are running.

And who said they are made the same place as Enermax? They are re-branded POWmax supplies. Enermax is a top quality brand like Antec.

90% of reviews dont put the power supply under more then 60% - 70% load at best and they check the voltages through software utilities which are not accurate because of the motherboard regulating voltages as well.

 

[=lks= ka druma]

I have an ultra. It works.

I don't care whether you like it or don't. What makes me mad and chaps my ass is when you @#$#@#$$@# hijack a thread. Thanks for the public service announcement! However this thread was not addressed to you. If you want to flame Ultra or Powmax or leadman, start a damn thread and talk about the kind of idiots we are for buying something just for the " bling". If I remember correctly i can buy what ever the hell i want to, so thanks and butt the fuck out!

Shoulda bought an enermax...so I wouldn't have to read crap threads like this.


LKS

 

[computerpro3]

Not to be mean or anything, but perhaps it is why you have the lowest overclock I have ever seen on a 2.4c? I mean we all get bum chips, but that one sucks. Or are you just keeping it there for the 1/1 memory ratio?

 

[=lks= ka druma]

Well since you didnt ask.. That is the highest i can go prime 95 stable with no added vcore. So i figured i would just be happy there. I did boot windows stably @ 260 but i backed it down since 250 wouldnt run stable for more than 5 minutes. If thats psu related.... so be it ( have yet to try higher than 260).

No the pdp actually runs @ 250 (3.4.4.8) with no probs as per memtest. Its at 2.5.4.4.7 right now.


LKS

 

[computerpro3]

wow my guess would either be mobo or psu.

my 2.4c's:

1. 3.5gz prime stable
2. 3.36ghz prime stable.
3. 3.6ghz prime stable
4. 3.8ghz 3d stable, 3.7 prime.

Yup, 3.8ghz, on air. If you want a screenshot just ask. Somethings wrong with only 2.7xx. I bet you can hit 3.2 if you figure it out easy

 

[Ice Czar]

I have an ultra. It works.

I don't care whether you like it or don't. What makes me mad and chaps my ass is when you @#$#@#$$@# hijack a thread. Thanks for the public service announcement! However this thread was not addressed to you. If you want to flame Ultra or Powmax or leadman, start a damn thread and talk about the kind of idiots we are for buying something just for the " bling". If I remember correctly i can buy what ever the hell i want to, so thanks and butt the fuck out!

Shoulda bought an enermax...so I wouldn't have to read crap threads like this.


LKS

strike one
read the rules
specifically

(1) Absolutely NO FLAMING OR NAME CALLING. Mutual respect and civilized conversation is the required norm.

if you unable to comply you will not be long for these forums
commentary and opinions are open in all threads regarding a given supply
I dont really care if your powering your computer with a crack driven gerbil
do that again and your burnt bread

 

[=lks= ka druma]

I'm gonna agree with you on the mobo.. psu bit. MSI has lousy bios's. As for the Ultra....LOL!! Yeah I'm gonna buy a new psu soon. Not because it doesn't work now, but for a number of reasons. It is suspect #1 or 2 on the oc. My wiring is even messier with it compared to the old psu that wasn't even sleeved ( easier to hide them for whatever reason).Start with it because it too easy to just replace it compared to the mobo (so much time). Oh well...need a psu? LOL!


LKS

 

[=lks= ka druma]

I'm glad you posted Czar. However.

The [H]ard|FORUM Rules

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The [H]ard|Forum Rules:

(1) Absolutely NO FLAMING OR NAME CALLING. Mutual respect and civilized conversation is the required norm.

You got me there, sorry dudes.

(2) No OFF-TOPIC posting will be allowed with the exception of the PREMIUM FORUM area. If general conversation is what you seek, you have found a new home http://www.hardforum.com/subscriptions.php?


Not me.

(3) No THREAD HIJACKING. Start another thread if you have a different topic.



Not me either.



(4) No THREAD Crapping



Not sure what this is exactly, but doesn't look like me.



(5) No SPAMMING. Any such messages will be removed at the discretion of either a forum moderator or administrator.

(6) No Web based EMAIL ACCOUNTS (i.e Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc) allowed for forum registration or for use in For Sale/Trade Forum. You must have a valid e-mail account where you can be reached by a forum moderator or administrator. Email accounts must be updated in your account when a change is required.



(7) No CUSSING in the thread title. It is permitted in the thread body, but please refrain from using excessive profanity dammit.



Wow doesn't say absolutely no use of colorful language. Hmm... not me either.


(8) No BOMBING forums or threads with pointless posts.


Not me here to.


So if you're going to slather me with butter or jelly have at it, but don't accuse me of not reading the rules. I read em and they obviously hold little weight around here.

LKS, bye guys. I'll update my oc in the after life. pbmf

 

[FrgMstr]

i love mine so far and haven't had any issues. but like burningrave says, i am worried about how it will be when i get my nforce4 board, fx-55, and geforce 6 card. only time will tell. i just hate the fact that i was so mesmerized by its beauty (as nearly everyone is at first) that i didn't do any research on it before i bought it. if i had a chance to do it over again, i probably wouldn't buy it, but like i said, with my current hardware (p4 northwood, geforce 3, 3 hard drives, dvd reader, dvd burner) it has been just fine.

I use one myself in my personal daily usage box with a FX-53, overclocked 6800 Ultra, and I water cool CPU and GPU. FX is OCed to 55. Been running 24/7 for months now.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. 2 optic drives, 5 hard drives (3 10K Raptors), and the cooling is a Koolance self contained system...

 

[Ice Czar]

(3) No THREAD HIJACKING. Start another thread if you have a different topic.

corrections of factual errors isnt a hijack
and I at least havent voted in this poll

in addition you are not the original poster
all replys have been "on topic" some within the original parameters
others addressing points raised in relation to the original parameters

starting a discussion regarding Abit motherboards would be a hijack
with a "hot topic" like this one invariably points will be raised outside of the original parameters or in addition to them,
they are then fair game to be addressed
the OP made a nice try at limiting discussion, but it was doomed to fail

 

[dreamreality]

Compared to my previous experiences with antec and thermaltake, the PSU is OK. Meaning it powers everything and the voltage and rails are stable. The only thing that downs me about this PSU is the ability to provide enough juice when i OC. With my thermaltake, i could easily hit my old OC of 2.3ghz without a hiccup. Now with the X-connect, i cannot reach the 2.3ghz OC. It cannot handle the extra voltage i try to send to the vcore. That is probably the only downside about the PSU. But other than that, i have no complaints.

 

[FrgMstr]

Well that's just showing off ;-)

I was in Micro-Center today and I believe they were running these PS' on special at $66... YMMV though.

6800U is running at 480 too.

 

[thelostrican]

i am lost for words, how can some people buy the best of the best of any hardware available, and then buy an 80 bucks psu is beyond me....

to each its own of course.
as with anything in life, if its to good to be true then it is...

just my 2 cents.

 

[crossphyr]

I'm still debating whether or not to dignify your post with a response but i suppose i will for the benefit of the rest of the viewers lol.

First off, no offense but thats not really what i would call a truly power hungry system.

Antecs are NOT kown to be POS. They are known to be some of the best and the Antec NeoPower 480w is at the very top.

The Ultra X-Conenct PSU is most definitely NOT made by Ultra. It is manufactured by Powmax. Ultra doesn't make PSU's, they only sell them.

And your right on one thing, the X-Connect is a good looking generic PSU that fails heavy load tests as was shown in the MaximumPC article.

You shouldn't believe everything you read on a box .

just cuz i love bish smacking people when they are completely wrong.. from an actual ultra mod.. here you go


Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.


thanks have a nice day.. stop with your heresay.. and also just for reference.. make sure u check out a temperature review on the ultra x connect agaginst other psu i believe it only gave about 2 degrees higher than the ocz.. and was dead tied with all others.. thanks

 

[crossphyr]

No its made by Leadman Electronics
the same people that make the POWmax, the RAIDmax and the now defunct Robatron lines
they make crap supplies and pass them off as high quality
the components and filtering are marginal, under normal circumstances its merely an adequate supply, your spending the money on its looks, not on the quality of its components or actual performance

Fool me once shame on you
Fool me twice shame on me

btw go try to find any ultra product on the leadman website.. GOODLUCK just scanned the whole thing and cant find anything.. so if u would think before just talking from ur rear u would realize ultra more than likely sold their psu to powmax to sell.. just like peopl eon ebay get wholesale shit... and resell it for profit.. just incase u cant read Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.


Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

It is Ultra engineered, built, and supported.

 

[crossphyr]

THIS is how your ultra's are made

btw love how your pics didnt show one ultra x connect.. nor a name of any ultra product.. so what did ur pics show ur love for chinese ugly women.. good POINT.. ha

 

[crossphyr]

They sell the X-Connect to POWmax? lol

Why would POWmax buy a PSU from Ultra when Leadman Electronics manufactures the POWmax brand PSU's?

Ultra doesn't engineer, build, or support anything. They re-brand products manufactured by other companies.

Like their actually going to admit to it being a re-branded POWmax PSU.

How about you go do me a favor and find out for me what temp the X-Connect is rated at .

The reason you dont see the X-connect listed on Leadman Electronics is because the X-Connect is a re-brand. Go try and find the OCZ PowerStream on Topower's website. You wont find it and yet Topower is the company that manufactures them. And OCZ admits to this.

However Ultra is a nobody company that sells cheap ass hardware so of course their going to lie to sell products.



*hides his head in shame*

Our great leader has fallen to PSU nOObhood and installed a POWmax re-brand lol.

I would of thought you'd have a PC Power and Cooling model PSU Kyle.

if that defended what u were trying to prove i guess i missed it.. haha.. but anyway runs my 3200 at 2.6 my 6 fans my cd/dvd my 6800gt quite fine.. so either way... but let me know one thing.. u say it rebrands.. where is ur proof???? thats all i want.. something to defend ur side of the story.. btw its not my job to defend the temps i already read a review.. u read a review where it says that those "TINY LIL POS HEATSINKS" on it are actually affecting it.. atleast have hard evidence while u rant about nothing.. u dont even own one do u man?

 

[burningrave101]

if that defended what u were trying to prove i guess i missed it.. haha.. but anyway runs my 3200 at 2.6 my 6 fans my cd/dvd my 6800gt quite fine.. so either way... but let me know one thing.. u say it rebrands.. where is ur proof???? thats all i want.. something to defend ur side of the story.. btw its not my job to defend the temps i already read a review.. u read a review where it says that those "TINY LIL POS HEATSINKS" on it are actually affecting it.. atleast have hard evidence while u rant about nothing.. u dont even own one do u man?

Read these posts. Then read them again till it soaks in.

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027091244&postcount=39

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027094413&postcount=47

And why would i waste $80 on a halfassed power supply? I'm not a power supply nOOb so i wouldn't be foolish enough to buy something that powers every component in my system based solely on the fact that it looks cool until one day it blows up and kills a couple thousand dollars worth of hardware.

Have you seen how long Ultra has even been around? They just popped up on the net in 2003. They have no reputation for quality products whatsoever.

And would someone please link me to a single competentreview that put this power supply under heavy stress?

 

[crossphyr]

Read these posts. Then read them again till it soaks in.

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027091244&postcount=39

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027094413&postcount=47

And why would i waste $80 on a halfassed power supply? I'm not a power supply nOOb so i wouldn't be foolish enough to buy something that powers every component in my system based solely on the fact that it looks cool until one day it blows up and kills a couple thousand dollars worth of hardware.

Have you seen how long Ultra has even been around? They just popped up on the net in 2003. They have no reputation for quality products whatsoever.

And would someone please link me to a single competentreview that put this power supply under heavy stress?

dude are u really supporting ur story with the guy that started all this stupid stuff.? i dont care what other places do as a competent test i want u to prove two things.. one that everything u have said isnt here say.. and that u have one and also that u have PROOF that its rebranded... besides that dont bother.. because i can say over and over and over about how the neo platinum sucks because thousands of people cant get there onboard audio or had to rma.. every product has its problems.. from the best companies to the worst.. its how it works.. read reviews from people on 6800gts im sure u will find ppl with problems.. so that means they are shit? come on dude.. all i want is real HARD facts that arent based by ice czar who says the same stuff with no proof.. just like u ...


Notice the intake/exhaust temps of the Zalman, and then the Ultra. The Zalman is 41/49, the Ultra is 42/51. Although it would be nice if the Ultra had bigger heatsinks, it's not hindering it's performance. In certain cases, the Zalman only having a single low RPM fan does hurt it's performance. I've had both running an Athlon XP 3200+ in a Lian-Li PC-50, which unfortunatealy is a case that relies a great deal on the power supply for case ventilation (which is a bad idea, but I liked the smallness of the case.) Due to the lack of air-flow from the Zalman, my intake/exhaust temperatures were more like 50/80! Dead serious, read that.. maybe tomorrow when im not so tired ill look up the other review that had it only 2 degres higher than the ocz powerstream 520... odd how those small heatsinks hurt it so much... NOT.

 

[burningrave101]

dude are u really supporting ur story with the guy that started all this stupid stuff.? i dont care what other places do as a competent test i want u to prove two things.. one that everything u have said isnt here say.. and that u have one and also that u have PROOF that its rebranded... besides that dont bother.. because i can say over and over and over about how the neo platinum sucks because thousands of people cant get there onboard audio or had to rma.. every product has its problems.. from the best companies to the worst.. its how it works.. read reviews from people on 6800gts im sure u will find ppl with problems.. so that means they are shit? come on dude.. all i want is real HARD facts that arent based by ice czar who says the same stuff with no proof.. just like u ...

Go pick up the January 2005 issue of MaximumPC. They tested the Ultra X-Conenct and it failed their tests.

Now link me to a review where the reviewer actually knew what the hell they were doing and had the equipment to test the power supply.

Show me SOMETHING that shows this power supply is any better than any other generic brand 500w PSU on the market.

And you keep ignoring my question as to why Ultra would sell X-Connects to POWmax when POWmax is well known to be one of the worst power supply brands on the market. That in itself would drive down prices and hurt sales. Please explain that to me.

http://www.iocombo.com/product/showmfg.php?mid=377&rid=&storeid=

Powmax is the registered trademark of Leadman Electronics, Inc., which were established in 1983, All Powmax products are in compliance of many world class safety standards such as CB, CE, UL, TUV, N, S, F, D and FCC in order to achieve and maintain the high level of competitiveness and customer satisfaciton.

 

[Ice Czar]

Just to let EVERYONE know, Ultra Products manufactures this power supply, we sell the X-Connect to Powmax.

and I sell freezers to eskimos
(oops politically incorrect... make that Inuit)


to begin with your argumentative skills leave much to be desired
first redundancy merely damages your credibility
2nd your "moderator" is infact in the Public Relations department of Ultra Products
and enjoys horseback riding, cooking, reading, and fashion


Ultra may license production to Leadman
but fabricating and then turning around and selling finished products is ludicrous, they would be underwriting their competition in addition to paying a premium for labor they already have

Leadman Electronic Co., LTD, founded in 1984, is one of the major manufacturers of multimedia devices for personal computing in Taiwan. With its US (Keycom Enterprise, Inc.) and Germany (Leadman Electronic GmbH) branch offices, we have expanded our international market share steadily over the past decade

Currently, Our product line includes mass storage, communications, networking, multimedia, and input devices. Also, we have a separate division (www.powmax.com) specializing in power supply and uninterrupted power supply (UPS).

btw go try to find any ultra product on the leadman website.. GOODLUCK just scanned the whole thing and cant find anything.. so if u would think before just talking from ur rear u would realize ultra more than likely sold their psu to powmax to sell.. just like peopl eon ebay get wholesale shit... and resell it for profit.. just incase u cant read Gene wrote:
I too feel your pain. I had one for 2 months and the smell never went away however you will eventually get used to it.Now I upgraded to the one with the lighted side window and it does not smell like my old one.I really enjoy my X-connect but if I would have known they are made by Powmax I never would have bought it.

somehow I doubt you where even at the right site
http://www.leadman.com.tw/
but as burninggrave101 points out
you wont see a Powerstream listed at Topower either
however you do see the X-Connect at POWmax
more telling its not an "Ultra Products" X-Connect
or an Ultra X-Connect, just an X-Connect, the Ultra fan Guard remains but no accreditation to Ultra Products

if the case described by you is in fact true
then Ultra Products is the stupidest company in the history of the world
and somehow...I doubt that

http://www.ultraproducts.com/companyprofile.php

Company Profile
Ultra Products is a global, technology-solutions provider headquartered in Fletcher, Ohio. The company offers a wide range of solutions, products, and services to resellers and end users worldwide. Ultra’s expansive product line provides business partners with the time-saving convenience of one-stop-shopping, along with quality products at exceptional price points.

It is Ultra's mission to be the best provider of technology-solutions in the global market. By offering superior products and complete technological solutions, the company seeks to create new and profitable ways for business partners to grow and for their revenues to increase. Employees professionally handle every step in the order process - from monitoring calls to ensuring a high level of customer service. By constantly training employees, Ultra guarantees business partners receive fair and exceptional service, no matter what size their order is.

Innovative and Quality Products
Ultra Products is constantly monitoring industry developments to guarantee the product lines are up-to-date with the latest innovations; products are manufactured and engineered to exceed customer application requirements. Ultra currently offers: case fans and lights, CPU designer cases, DVD products, hard drive coolers, media drives, complete memory solutions, memory coolers and power supplies.

use common sense and ignore the statements of a self akcnowledged spin doctor
this is obviously a fullfillment organization with strategic business alliances
one of which is with Leadman\Powermax, just as they have others for RAM or Fans ect.

and watch out when accusing any other moderator on the board of talking out his ass
many might not have my sense of humor

 

[crossphyr]

and I sell freezers to eskimos
(oops politically incorrect... make that Inuit)


to begin with your argumentative skills leave much to be desired
first redundancy merely damages your credibility
2nd your "moderator" is infact in the Public Relations department of Ultra Products
and enjoys horseback riding, cooking, reading, and fashion


Ultra may license production to Leadman
but fabricating and then turning around and selling finished products is ludicrous, they would be underwriting their competition in addition to paying a premium for labor they already have


btw my credibility? u act like i own the business.. i have said nothing about the product being the best or even being better than ocz.. im completely challenging ur questions about heat.. the heatsinks.. the rebadging.. and u still in my opinion havent proven anything because you YOURSELF doesnt even know as u said "if they did this ' if they were doing this ' if they used this ' bla bla.. if =u dont know.. just like IF they didnt or IF ultra really did.. so actually prove something.. and this isnt an argument.. i know u strive for the attention




somehow I doubt you where even at the right site
http://www.leadman.com.tw/
but as burninggrave101 points out
you wont see a Powerstream listed at Topower either
however you do see the X-Connect at POWmax
more telling its not an "Ultra Products" X-Connect
or an Ultra X-Connect, just an X-Connect, the Ultra fan Guard remains but no accreditation to Ultra Products

if the case described by you is in fact true
then Ultra Products is the stupidest company in the history of the world
and somehow...I doubt that

http://www.ultraproducts.com/companyprofile.php



use common sense and ignore the statements of a self akcnowledged spin doctor

and watch out when accusing any other mod on the board of talking out his ass
many might not have my sense of humor

i myself could really care a less. i told u what i found and what i have read.. if any of it is true or if all of it is false.. doesnt amtter to me.. psu is working fine.. it blows up and fries my cpu they buy me a new one.. it lasts the 3 years like it suppose to and gives me np's i get my new cpu and get another psu if all this ends up being true.. but still find actual proof they are rebadged.. showing them on a website tells me nothing..and at this point doesnt matter cuz my cpu runs stable...

 

[crossphyr]

just one last question.. i notice how they are on some sites selling them as powmax .... RESELLING.. but why in every single review.. and i mean every single review was it an ultra.. just seems odd to me.. seems like if it was powmax as a reviewer they would give credit.. but idk ur the bright one that sits on forums for 4 years.. you tell me???? . but none the less idk its 245 im going to bed.



and for the extra 70 bucks or 130 im saving from buying a ocz or a pcp ill take my gf out to dinner or something.. and if it braeks i get it replaced and still save the 70... u act like theres 40 stories about ppl's computer blowing up or something.. or no one being able to oc there computer anymore.. a few ppl have had slight voltage problems.. and a couple have gotten duds... OH WELL? if they didnt offer a warranty.. i would completely agree with u because u would beable to tell they are trying to pull something.. but usually someone that offers a 3 year warranty... they do it for a reason.. :/

 

[Ice Czar]

POWmax hasnt farmed out supplies for review in forever
Ultra does pimp them out it was a key component of their marketing plan

and most the reviews predate POWmax listing the supply

here is a competent review of the Ultra X-Connect just before the POWmax listing
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article193-page1.html

as a "performance" PSU
it has a limited AC range (103-132 & 206-264 VAC) for its rating
had only fairly good load regulation, and a consistently high +12V baseline voltage
that would put it outside the high performance category, but it doesnt put it in the crap category
the Leadman\POWmax however is known for making some of the worse power supplies out there, the deer Company being the only comapn that is consistently worse
what does that have to do with this supply?

1. the manufacturer often handles rating the supply
2. the veracity of a manufacturer is a key component in attempting to determine the true performance of a PSU for an end consumer
(as we dont get to see true engineering specs)


cut and paste 101

POWER SHMOWER by Mike Chin

or How PSU Power Ratings Mean Almost Nothing

A frustrating fact about PSUs is that there does not appear to be a stringent or regulated standard for reporting, advertising and labeling rated power. This is despite the existence of standards like ATX2.03 or Intel ATX12V.

There are well-established standards for measuring and rating HDD capacity, an engine's horsepower, or the heat generated by a furnace... but not one for how much power a PSU can deliver. There are so many cases of people with "450W" PSUs having power stability issues running a system that can't possoibly draw more than 150W. And "300W" units that keep running where the "450W" units are faltering.

It's not just about bad PSUs vs better ones. It's a dumb situation caused by uncontrolled marketing competition. Real regulation would bring PSUs out of snake oil territory and into a more sensible consumer-friendly terrain.

There are many ways PSU makers fudge to make their units seem more powerful.

1) Out and out lying. You add up the power on all the lines in many PSUs and they fall short of the rated power by 10, 20 30W or even more.

There are more sophisticated ways:

2) Limit the AC input voltage to a very narrow tolerance. The best PSUs are able to deliver their rated power given a decent range of AC input power, say 90~130V for a 120V unit. It's much more demanding to produce 300W w/90VAC input than with 120VAC, so what some PSU makers will detail in their tech specs (usually not in their consumer brochures) is to specify 115-120VAC for input power. A PSU specified this way will not deliver full power if the AC voltage sags, if there is a brown-out. Surely it causes instability more often than a PSU rated to deliver full power with 90-130VAC.

3) Specify a low operating temperature for rated output. This is quite common, but again not often seen in consumer brochures, but rather tech spec sheets provided usually only on demand by engineers or corp buyers. A typical PSU operating temp statement is somthing like this:

0ºC ~25ºC for full rating of load, decrease to zero Watts O/P at 70ºC

Examine what that says. Full power (let's say 400W) is available when the unit is at 0ºC ~25ºC. Hmmm. Think about this.

Have you ever felt air blown out of a PSU in a PC running absolutely full tilt (which it would have to do to get anywhere near 400W output) that felt cool to the fingers? 25ºC airflow would feel exactly that: Cool, given that normal body temperature is 37 °C.

So this PSU cannot deliver full rated power when its temperature goes over 25ºC. OK, what happens to the max power output capacity above that temp? It decreases gradually so that by the time the PSU temp reaches 70ºC, the PSU cannot deliver any power at all. So if you assume that this power drop as temp rises is linear, then max power capacity will drop by ~9W for every degree over 25ºC.

Now having examined as many PSUs as I have over the last 2~3 years, I have to say there's not a single PSU in ANY PC I have ever used or examined that would not measure at least 30~35ºC almost anywhere inside the PSU under almost any kind of load. And if/when it is pushed, 45ºC is nothing at all, especially for or near hot running components like voltage regulators.

So let's say 40ºC is a fairly typical temp inside a PSU. This 400W rated unit would actually be able to deliver a max of just 220W at that temp. Hmmm. Interesting, isn't it? At 50ºC, the available power would drop to just 130W. No wonder some PSUs have 3 fans each capable of 50 cfm!!

Here's a simple fact: Really high quality PSUs are actually rated for full power output at as high as 40ºC. The trick is get a hold of the spec sheets that tell such information so you can compare apples to apples. Or ask.

or

from dansdata

Unethical PSU Marketing 101.

Here's how to make overly optimistic power supply specifications. It's really simple.

First, power the thing up. You can make an ATX power supply that isn't connected to a motherboard turn on by grounding pin number 14 on the big motherboard power connector. It's easy to spot that pin, because it's the only one with a green wire going to it.

Use any handy bit of wire - like the paper clip in this picture - to connect pin 14 to any ground contact. The ground contacts are the ones with the black wires going to them. Presto, the PSU will turn on.

Now, break out your brick-sized power resistors and load the heck out of one of the output rails - the +5V rail, for instance. Measure the current as you increase the load, until the voltage sags unacceptably far below the rated voltage.

How do you tell what an unacceptable voltage sag is? Well, you could choose a nice conservative small permitted sag - say, 0.1 volts - so that your results are genuinely useful to your customers. Or you could just ignore the voltage and say that when a fuse (or some other component...) blows, that must have been the limit, right there.

OK. Now you've made a big fat amperage number for the +5V rail. If you blew up the PSU in the process, get another one, and repeat the process for +12V and +3.3V, and for the low current rails as well.

On no account, though, should you test more than one rail at a time. This is the key to the whole scam.

A big beefy PSU may be able to deliver 50 amps (say) on the 5V rail when nothing else is under load, and 25 amps (say) on the 12V rail when it's similarly all alone. But the 12V and 5V rails together may only be able to deliver, say, 350 watts between them, when they're both under load. Watts equals amps times volts.

In a real PC, all of the power rails will always be under load together.

But you're not testing what the PSU can really do - you're making pretty numbers for the sales brochure!

So test all of your rails alone, get an amperage figure for all of them, multiply that figure by the voltage of the rail it came from (the nominal voltage, not whatever the voltage had sagged to as the PSU pumped electrons through the dessert spoon you'd soldered to the circuit board), then take all of the resulting wattage figures and add 'em up. That's a wrap, folks. Ship it!

Power Supplies are all about the worse case senerio
too high a draw, too high a temperature, too unstable a source AC Power
and supplys that under normal circumstances are adequate, blowup and often kill stuff
(this can happen to even quality supplies, but they should shutdown safely withoput killing components)
so we are a pretty conservative lot in here, considering the power supply has the potential to fry components worth exponentially more that it is.

To make matters worse there are very very few reviewers able to review a supply, the best that can be said for most of them is that it didnt blow up their config that day, because the power from their outlet happend to be stable that day, the didnt overload it and it wasnt too hot.

exceptions are rare
http://www.leesspace.com/Published_reviews.htm
http://www.silentpcreview.com/section4.html

so get as good a UPS, Thermal Solution, and PSU that will actually power your connfig with room to spare as you can afford

 

[burningrave101]

just one last question.. i notice how they are on some sites selling them as powmax .... RESELLING.. but why in every single review.. and i mean every single review was it an ultra.. just seems odd to me.. seems like if it was powmax as a reviewer they would give credit.. but idk ur the bright one that sits on forums for 4 years.. you tell me???? . but none the less idk its 245 im going to bed.

Because Ultra is the one sending the X-Connects out for review, not POWmax. The X-Connect may of been Ultra's idea and they contracted out to POWmax/Leadman to manufacture them.

 

[lopoetve]

i myself could really care a less. i told u what i found and what i have read.. if any of it is true or if all of it is false.. doesnt amtter to me.. psu is working fine.. it blows up and fries my cpu they buy me a new one.. it lasts the 3 years like it suppose to and gives me np's i get my new cpu and get another psu if all this ends up being true.. but still find actual proof they are rebadged.. showing them on a website tells me nothing..and at this point doesnt matter cuz my cpu runs stable...

Yeah, I'd like to see you get them to replace the PSU. Good luck to that!

EDIT: *CPU

 

[category_five]

Whew, a post from Kyle himself and Ice Czar putting the smack down on some noobage. This thread has everything! Oh yah and, um, i agree with everything Czar said!

 

[computerpro3]

just one last question.. i notice how they are on some sites selling them as powmax .... RESELLING.. but why in every single review.. and i mean every single review was it an ultra.. just seems odd to me.. seems like if it was powmax as a reviewer they would give credit.. but idk ur the bright one that sits on forums for 4 years.. you tell me???? . but none the less idk its 245 im going to bed.



and for the extra 70 bucks or 130 im saving from buying a ocz or a pcp ill take my gf out to dinner or something.. and if it braeks i get it replaced and still save the 70... u act like theres 40 stories about ppl's computer blowing up or something.. or no one being able to oc there computer anymore.. a few ppl have had slight voltage problems.. and a couple have gotten duds... OH WELL? if they didnt offer a warranty.. i would completely agree with u because u would beable to tell they are trying to pull something.. but usually someone that offers a 3 year warranty... they do it for a reason.. :/

There are a lot more than 40. What I did recently with the OCZ powerstream 520 I would be more than happy to do for this thread; as I'm sure there are a lot more Ultra's failing than OCZ's.

 

[jterrell]

Just to add a few things.
1. Here is the link to the psu which is a powmax. Notice the nice ultra grills they slapped on there and pretty finish so the girls can check their makeup.
http://www.powmax.com/mainpower.htm

2. Ultra doesn't manufacture products, they rebadge. Consider them the same as Rosewill except they are to Tiget Direct what Rosewill is to Newegg. Ultra has memory too. Feel free to head on over to tiger direct and buy some.

3. Anyone who buys a psu that is not from an established maker is probably going to end up in tears at some point.

This is a pretty psu, it is modular and l33t. It is also probably going to fry some mobo's before its work is done.

If a psu isn't run on servers I wouldn't run it on my personal box.
If you can't afford to replace the mobo/cpu/vid card at whim then you can't afford to take chances with psu's like this ultra crap.

I haven't seen any rigs on here that a 350 watt Zippy can't handle, so I doubt this 500 watt Ultra will fry it.

BTW, reading back it seems Ultra is complaining that maximum pc used an engineering sample. Ok but where did Maxpc get the sample? How many of those glowing reviews used the same engineering samples? Do you actually engineer the prettiness and then later work on the supplying power is? Good lord, I would never buy from them based merely on this information alone.