Blue Storm II 500W & Booster X3 300W (English)

Hemispasm1442169066 · Δεκέμβριος 17, 2006

REVIEW : BLUE STORM II 500W & BOOSTER X3 300W

REVIEWER : Linos80

PROVIDED BY: FORTRON/SOURCE EUROPA GMBH

Sugg. Price for Blue Storm II : 77€<o></o>

Sugg. Price for Booster X3: 69€

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When we recieved a small presentation in powerpoint of the new Fortron/Source 's PSUs, we realized that we were about to write a review of a 500Watt PSU. So we were skeptic about it. The nowadays demands in power consumption are rising and the 500W seem too little.

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How does it perform and what kind of system do you suggest? If you rush to reject it, first think of its low price, which allows the user IF his needs in power are requiring it, due to the demands of the latest graphic cards, to add a brand new Booster X3, a module PSU made exclusively for the Fortron/Source's PSU

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Meanwhile the brand name of Fortron/Source is identical with “serious” and rock solid PSUs. So our task was to verify that those high standards are kept in their new models.

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The facelift begins from the package, which is beautifully design, as we can see below.

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On the side of the package, a user can read the basic features. In the other side we have detailed report of the voltages that it can provide.

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Opening the package, we come along – beside the PSU itself – a power cord, 2 velcro tapes, 4 screws, the manual and a sticker with the name-brand for your PC case.

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On the other hand, the wide package of Booster X3 doesn't look like a PSU. So does the module. But the reading “300W PLUS” is there to remind it to us.

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On the back, images demostrate us the easy installation in 7 steps.

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Let's move on to the PSUs themselves.

The PSUs

<o></o>Despite the fact that most PSUs manufacturers present cable-free products, FORTRON/SOURCE insists in the “classic” cable construction and the losses that it causes. <o></o>

The main PSU of the review belongs to the new refreshed product line Bluestorm II and is the most powerfull of the series, which consists PSUs of 350,400 and 500 Watts.

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For the one we had for review, the volts that it can ouput, are shown in the image below.

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Total cables that the PSU gives are: 1x24pin, 1x8pin, 1x4pin, 1x6pin (PCI Express), 7x4pin molex, 4xSata molex, 2xfloppy connectors.

We supprised from their length when they were fully unfolded.

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Blue color is found in every inch of the PSU. From the mat outside case, even in the internal 12'' fan which controls the right and most of all cool fuction of the PSU. A blue led lights the power button on the back. A golden logo of the company on the fan's grill interrupts the blue dominancy of the PSU.

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The cables are sleeved in purple color, apart from the 2 pci-express which are in red to differ from the rest.

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On a first glance they seem UV Reactive, while the black molexes have some practical “ears” which make the installation extremelly easy. The sleeving keeps the cables tied in place and the airflow in the case is much better.

The 24pin cable for the motherboard, can be split, just like in most modern PSUs, to support both old 20pin and new generation 24pin motherboards.

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The last product of FORTRON/SOURCE, BOOSTER X3 is nothing more than a 300W psu ready to “feed” with power, the graphic card(s) of your PC with its 2 PCI-Express (6-pin) outputs.

It supports both SLI for Nvidia as Crossfire for ATI.

The package consists of the PSU, all the necessary cables and screws, and also a manual for the easy and fast installation.

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What supprises us in a positive manner, is its design. which makes it possible to fit in a <st1:metricconverter w:st="on" productid="5.25”">5.25”</st1:metricconverter> drive bay, just like any optical DVD drive, without taking up any important space in the PC case and keeping tide the inside of it.<o></o>

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On the front, it has blue leds that nicely light up the logo of FORTRON/SOURCE. Behind the logo are placed two small fans that move cool air inside the PSU to keep it cool.<o></o>

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On the back of the PSU, starting from left to right we can see:

The Y-cable input that we use to powerup the graphic cards.
The input for a molex (4-pin) of our main PSU which is responsible for the power on of the Booster X3, when we turn on the PC. So no other activity is required from the user, to power up his system than pressing the single power button of his PC case.
The input for the internal power cable (2-pin), which ends up on a connector placed on a regular ëáìÜêé, ready to be connected on a usual power cord.

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Looking into the PSUs

We know that most of you don't have the ability to open up your PSU to see their internal as it will cause the loss of any warranty.

So we did that for you, to fulfill your curiosity and to demostrate you the carefully construction from the company.

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Looking a Bluestorm II in the inside, we cann't miss a huge ðõêíùôÞò 330ìF-400V. The hole image, leaves a feeling of a well designed construction. The airflow is excellent and the psu remains cool.

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Let's move further inside the Booster X3.

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Opening the silver case we come up a firm construction. At the same time we can see from close the cooling system responsible for the problem-free operation of this original PSU.

<o></o>It is rather logical that it would be full o metal, to keep the temperature low in the inside, so as the PC case doesn't heat up.

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<o></o>After examining the inside and outside of our PSUs, it's time to see them in action on the next page.

Testing

<o></o>Our test system consists of the following: <o></o>

AMD X2 3800+ @ 2700 w/c 1.55 vcore<o></o>
DFI SLI-DR Expert<o></o>
1Gb TwinMos BH-5<o></o>
Albatron 7800GTX 430/1200 (o/c 515/1360)<o></o>
Maxtor 60Gb IDE<o></o>
WD 80Gb Sata<o></o>
Seagate 160Gb Sata<o></o>
WD 250Gb Sata<o></o>
Plextor 755A<o></o>
Nec 3540A
Audigy 2ZS
3x12cm fans

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It is a rather “load up” system with its CPU and GFX overclocked. So lets see the results of the polymeter on our system

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BLUESTORM II<o></o>

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Default Κατάσταση<o></o>

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</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Idle

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</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Load

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</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12v+1

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.44

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.41

</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12v+2

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.43

</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">3.3v+

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">3.37

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">3.36

</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">5v+

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">5.05

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">5.07

</td></tr></tbody></table><o></o>

O/C Κατάσταση<o></o>

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Idle

<o></o>

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Load

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</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12v+1

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.41

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.34

</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12v+2

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.42

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.40

</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">3.3v+

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">3.37

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">3.36

</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">5v+

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">5.05

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">5.01

</td></tr></tbody></table><o></o>

BOOSTER X3<o></o>

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Default Κατάσταση<o></o>

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</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Idle

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</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Load

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</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12v

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.06

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.04

</td></tr></tbody></table><o></o>

O/C Κατάσταση<o></o>

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Idle

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</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt; width: 60pt;" width="80">

Load

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</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12v

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.06

</td><td style="padding: 0.75pt;">12.03

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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As you can see from the tables above, all the voltages for the Blue Storm II and for the Booster X3 can be described more than very good.

What you cann't see from the numbers above, but from the days of our testing is their stability.

The reading in the polymeter was stable, appart from one time that it changed by 0.01 without an obvious reason, but it soon changed back to the numbers shown on the tables above.

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No matter on a default or overclocked system, the PSUs never reached their limits.

We have to say that we are completely satisfied from their stable AND noiseless operation for a number of days without any unwanted reboot, shutdown or any other problem.

Conclusion

It is obvious that Bluestorm II isn't he choise for a hardcore overclocker, for whom 700Watt seems too little for his pushed up to limit system with not only one but two 8800 GTX.

But we don't believe that this PSU reffers to this limited users. It is an excellent, cheap, reliable and honest solution for systems with high demands for stable power without spending a small fortune.

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If you combine it with Booster X3 which is modular to the main PSU relieving it from the power need(s) of your graphic card(s), then you have a trully powerfull couple, ready to fulfill the needs of most users.

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Sadly on the day of this review, we were unable to test it with SLU, but we promise that soon we will test it on the same system but this time with two 7800GTX.

We suspect that the PSUs will have no problems, so we hope to see them with a latest Core 2 Duo system with 2GB RAM and a couple of the latest 8800.

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Blue Storm II 500W & Booster X3 300W (English)

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