PC-Outfitters.com

Hey there

Just picked up a Golden Field 550W PSU today, have had it in the system running for between 1 and 2 hours. Obviously that isn't enough time to judge long term reliability or stability, but I can definitely whip up a quick review based on the time I have had it.

The unit it replaced is an unbranded "Model: LPJ2-20" 350W "Made in Taiwan" unit.

Pros:
-Sleek design...I do not have a case window, but if I did, I'd be happy about this PSU's appearance.
-Bottom-mounted 120mm fan (temperature-controlled, according to the box).
-Full shut-off switch on rear.
-Good wire length to connectors and protective shielding on 20/24 pin mb connector.
-Good quality connectors (might sound silly, but it's nice when it only takes one attempt to connect a molex connector)
-Super quiet operation, compared to most units I've worked with (consider though that this is my first "brand name" PSU**).
-Seemingly reputable brand, and PCO stands behind their reliability according to what I heard in-store today.

Cons:
-Rather low number and poor arrangement of connectors (Molex/SATA/floppy). In my setup, I've had to use a molex splitter and a short extension cable (I will explain a bit further down).
-No documentation in box...would like to see a warranty explanation, quick install guide, or even just an advertisement for their website...I wouldn't need or use these but they make the company look more trustworthy and professional in my eyes.
-Screw threads in one mounting hole were cross-threaded which caused difficult insertion of the screw, and probably means that screw hole is now slightly stripped.

My hardware:
-ECS 755-A2 motherboard (20-pin + separate 4-pin ATX)
-AMD Sempron 2800+ 1.6GHz (AMD64) Skt754
-1GB (2x 512MB) DDR400 RAM
-XFX GeForce 7600GS 512MB AGP8x (this card needs a molex for power supply!)
-Western Digital WD1600JB 160GB/8mb cache HDD, ATA
-Memorex 52x CD-RW/DVD-ROM, ATA
-Sony DRU-820A 16x DVD-RAM, ATA
-Standard 3.5" 1.44MB floppy disk drive
-From time to time, also a 5.25" 1.2MB floppy disk drive

-How it's set up with the new PSU:
Unfortunately, I'd call the connector layout on this PSU "absolutely terrible".
"Wire 1": 2 molex connectors + FDD connector on one wire strand
"Wire 2": 2 SATA connectors + 1 molex connector on the other

Wire 1: One molex connector goes to a 2-connector splitter. Both outputs of the splitter go to my optical drives.
The FDD connector goes to the floppy drive.
The second built in molex connector goes to my video card, but it does not reach. For this, I had to use a 3-4" molex extension cable.

Wire 2: SATA connectors are unused, as I have no SATA drives.
Single molex connector goes to HDD.

Now, as you can see, for "wire 1" I had to use 2 of my own (rather uncommon) parts to make this work as needed. This doesn't even begin to address the fact that I do sometimes put in a 5.25" floppy drive, which requires a molex connector. I'll probably have to disconnect an optical drive since I don't like the idea of using another splitter.

My situation is probably a bit unusual, since most people now have a SATA HDD (freeing up a molex connector). On top of that, I'm probably the only person using a 5.25" floppy drive in a modern computer.

My unit was built in April of 2009 according to the sticker on the side, which means it hasn't been sitting around long ( = just that much of a longer life on the capacitors). I plan to run this unit until it dies because this computer shouldn't need another new PSU in its lifetime (I have a habit of running my computers far into obsolescence).


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Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase, and the three PCO representatives I have spoken with have been courteous, professional, and knowledgeable (Dylan, Jason, and one other whose name I thought I knew but actually did not).

Since PCO will honour the 1 year warranty on this PSU, I can't see any reason NOT to get it if you don't have too many drives and don't need an 8-pin PCI-E connector (I didn't mark this as a con because I don't think it's something a PSU needs, it is a "feature" instead of a "requirement").

Thank you PCO for a pleasant customer experience. You'll have my business again if I'm in the market for something new (this rarely happens, though...my heart is with my 286).

Cheers



** : I know it's not "brand name" like the big names, but at least it isn't generic.