NESTEQ ASM XZERO PSU (English Version)

[Linos801442169065]

REVIEW : NesteQ ASM XZERO PSU 500W

REVIEWERS : Throttler. Photos by Lowbss.

PROVIDED BY: NesteQ

INTRO

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NesteQ is known to the readers of pctechnology from the recent reviews. This time take a look at the long awaited product which from the reports in NesteQ's site, it will shake the waters. A... noiseless semi passive stack cooled cable modular power supply unit…

The German company therefore manufactured a line semi-passive silent modular PSUs in which they incorporated a lot of fresh and usefull innovations. The ASM Xzero line.

The company has a history with silent PSUs with Nova and ASM lines.

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Beyond the high level of manufacture and all the standard characteristics that we find in good PSUs, this line has given accent to the flexibility, appearance and development. Nesteq manufactured four PSUs, 400, 500, 600 and 700 watt, with small differences from each other. Nesteq sent us the 500W one.

More about the packing follows.

PACKAGE

The first impression you get is that it has something more, it has something reverse, it has something new.

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Starting from the front of the box, and on each side, the box presents each technology.

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In the back side, the technologies are analyzed more. We will elaborate below.

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In each side additional information on the content is given, the model and the remaining innovations.

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Order prevails In the interior of box.

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PSU, handbook with directives and purse. The purse with the cables holds a lot of surprises.

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The purse that we received contained…

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A mains power supply cable

4 screws

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Two 39cm extention cables.

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Two 50cm PCI Express 6 or 8pin cables.

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Three 44cm SATA power supply cables

Three 44cm ATA power supply cables

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Two 5cm floppy power supply cables

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Two 62cm fan power supply cables

Ten cable ties

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Four 6 plug-covers

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An one PS-On ATX adaptor:

The PS-On ATX adaptor is for operation check. You may check the PSU by looking at the four green LED lights. Those indicate proper functionality. If one from the four green leds does not turn on, we have problem.

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The only thing missing that we could mark it is the rubber insulating noise against vibrations, that would propably be useless in semi-passive PSU.

THE PSU

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We can see the PSU,

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The Xzero logo,

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The side with the placement directions

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The power supply side,

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The ventilation side,

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The bottom side with the tech specs,

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The top side with the 120mm fan.

The PSU has the following cables attached:

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ATX 20+4 pin

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CPU 8+4 pin

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Fan rotation indicator.

On the next page we can see the tech specs

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The technical specifications:

Dimensions (width x length x height): 150 x 160 x 86 mm

Automatic input voltage selection: 110 ~ 240VAC / 50 ~ 60Hz

Fan dimensions (width x length x height): 120 x 120 x 25 mm

Fan bearing: Sleeve bearing

Highly efficient heat pipe cooling

Color: Matt black housing

Active PFC (Power Factor Correction)

Up to 89% Efficiency

ATX12V Version 2.2

EPS12V Version 2.91

BTX Version 1.0a

Advanced Silent Mode Technology

+12V Power - Plus Technology

Stack Effect Cooling Solution

Power Monitoring Panel

Enhanced Easy Connecting System

OVP (Over-Voltage-Protection)

OCP (Over-Current-Protection)

OTP (Over-Temperature-Protection)

OPP (Over-Power-Protection)

SCP (Short-Circuit-Protection)

UVP (Under-Voltage Protection)

WHAT'S ENHANCED EASY CONNECTING SYSTEM

ENHANCED EASY CONNECTING SYSTEM

Here we will explain one from the possibilities of this PSU. The EECS “Enhanced Easy Connecting System”. This system gives the possibility of linking the power supply cables… with each other…

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So, on the cable that supplies your SATA hard disks, you can link with the available female adaptor the next cable that can be an ATA, or anything other you may need. No just a modular PSU, but also modular cables... The only warning they give is not to exceed four linked cables together. What does this patent offer? Single cable routing for all our computer parts, minimum cable use, minimum space use, and consequently, better air flow and better appearance.

On the floppy and fans extensions no other cable extension can be added. For the free extensions, four plug-covers are provided for further protection.

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ADVANCED SILENT MODE

ADVANCED SILENT MODE

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The safety fan is a 120*120*25mm 6 blades sleeve bearing of the known ADDA brand. The AD1212MS-A73GL has been used by many PSU manufactors. In the highest speed it reaches the 2050RPM where it gives 80,5 CFM and 38,5dB and consumes roughly 4,08 watt. The design of fins is not parallel with the grill rotation, something which decreases the turbulences of air.

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NesteQ uses a system which calls ASM “Advanced Silent Mode”, where the fan control starts the fan when the temperature sensor reaches upon the 65 degrees of Celsius, regulating the speed respectively with the temperature, and stops it when it goes down the 65 limit.

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In the ASM operation the blue led turns on.

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Alternative, we are given the possibility to push the rotation button, and switching the operation in manual and turning the button to select the rotation speed of our choice. A red indicative lamp notifies us when the fan is in use.

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At the same time via a cable we are given the possibility of connecting the fan speed indication on our motherboard and reading the fan rotation via bios or a uility of our choice.

INSIDE

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In the interior we can see the power supply parts and we observe better the cooling system that gives zero dB. The materials that have been used are top quality and overlap the power supply needs.

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Two large heat-pipes lead to the back side of the box where two independent lines with fins of aluminum stand, the ones responsible for the rapid cooling. The fins, are parallel with ventilation grills on the back side, which constitutes also the only fan exhaust, thus optimizing airflow.

At the same time we meet another feature, the +12V Power-Plus.

+12V POWER-PLUS

+12V POWER-PLUS

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As this is a modular PSU, it has multiple outputs for devices. Apart from the +3.3V and the +5V which give 20A to 24A, depending on the model, four to six +12V power supplies are provided that using the +12V Power-Plus technology, each can supply up to 28A depending on the model. So instead of dividing the load with the outputs, NesteQ found a more "resilient" way to share the load, and as a result, larger amounts of instant power where and when the user needs it.

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INSTALLATION - STACK EFFECT

STACK EFFECT

On installation, the reverese fan mystery will go away, and we'll explain one more innovation.

NesteQ therefore, put the fan instead of under, above. With this way the PSU can be installed with the fan pointing up, in the lower or in the higher part of the case, if ventilation exists, and as a result because of a natural phenomenon called Stack Effect, the heat comes out rapidly and it's cooled by the cool air intake.

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NesteQ measured that in this way it enhances the passive cooling effect up to 42%. For those who they cannot install it upside down and observe that the safety fan functions perpetually, or a lot heat is created in the case, the company proposes that we place it classically, with the fan below, and of course we maintain the choice to switch to the manually-operated function.

Other than that, the placement becomes classically with the 4 screws and no problem with the lengths of cables exists, since with Enhanced Easy Connecting System, for example, you can supply a CD-ROM in the 1,71 meters from the PSU

MEASUREMENTS

MEASUREMENTS

The purpose of the PSU however, is to give current. The PSU was measured with 3 different ways. In our lab, via motherboard, and via software utilities. The voltage astonished us with the stability even in complete charge with the processor overclocked.

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NesteQ in the ASM Xzero gives at least 80% efficiency and reaches even 89%. That means that for each 100 watt it consumes, it uses from 80 to 89 and the remainder 11 to 20 respectively becomes heat, something that helps in better cooling and economy.

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The temperatures were very low in the entire spectrum. Actually, the case fans managed the PSU cooling.

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Acoustically there's not much to say. In the upside down placement with temperature of room of 25 degrees of Celsius the fan never started. Indicatively, we turned the operation in manual and recorded the fan in 900 RPM where it begins rotation.

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CONCLUSIONS

Entering NesteQ's site you see the company mote. "Leading in innovation". With this PSU they prove factually that they really cope with this moto and I personally don't see any reason for changing it.

Let's not compare this one with a 1500 watt PSU. They did not have in their mind to make a bulldozer PSU in order to it light up a city. They had a noiseless PSU, that you can cover almost any pc since the 700 watt model is capable of any gamer pc. Let's not forget the multiple PCI Express 8 PIN outputs. It's a PSU full of pleasant surprises and constitutes a very smart buy.

Either for HTPC or for multimedia station use where noise is critical, or for the atmospheric gamer that wants to be devoted to the game play, or for the modder that wants not a single cable to be on sight, or for the demanding buyer that wants a quality PSU, or for all of the above, this power supply is the answer to their prayers.

After all, can a PSU become something better than a chaos of cables, another source of heat and noise? NesteQ says yes.

0dB (A) Noiseless power supply? Nesteq again says yes, the thermic safety system makes us feel secure. Nothing will go wrong if the temperature rises. The security fan will begin the cooling process.

This PSU will be soon released on the market and pctechnology.gr had the first close look and the opportunit to present it to the pctechnology community. Prices have not been announced yet. However, given the fact that NesteQ has good marketing and sales policy, and with all the features this PSU offers, this product is a most excellent buy.