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1 2 3 4 5 NextNov 2, 2005 by Devon
Cooke
No More Limits! So says the marketing material for the
Enermax Liberty, as though computer users everywhere are held in bondage by
their power supply. The Liberty is the company's first power supply with
a 120mm fan, and their first offering with modular cables.
Modular cables are still somewhat of a novelty. We have seen a number of modular cable power supplies in the
past, but none has seemed so complete as the Liberty. This isn't just a basic
model whose cables happen to come off; there are lots of small touches — even
a storage case for spare cables — that suggest serious thought about its design.
There are three models in the Liberty lineup, which differ mainly in output
capacity and the number of cables included. We received samples from both of the distributors in the U.S. The 500W
model came from Maxpoint,
and the 620W model came from Coolergiant.
There is also a third model rated for 400W.
Just in case any readers are unaware of the brand, here's a quick recap from an earlier Enermax review:
Enermax is one of the very first names that comes to mind when you think of computer power supplies. They were the first to merchandise the power supply as more than a mysterious gray box that hums in the back of the PC. With their signature metallic paint, shiny wire grills, and classy sleeving for cables, they have long been among the most visible of PSU brands.
Of course, with the surge in retail power supply mechandizing over the past couple of years, none of the above mentioned traits are outstanding any more. As you will see, with the Liberty, they've upped the ante without resorting to non-functional bling. The Liberty is definitely targeted at the high end, with a focus on functionality. In addition to screws,
cables and the power supply, our samples came with a soft carrying case
for spare cables, a thick, multilingual manual, a pair of Enermax branded stickers,
and an Enermax branded keychain.
A huge retail box...
...holds lots of goodies. Highlights include a cable pouch and a keychain.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
|
Feature Highlights of the Enermax Liberty (from Enermax'
web site)
|
| FEATURE & BRIEF |
COMMENT |
|
Full compliance with the highest standard to desktop power requirements.
Split 12V rails provide most stable current to CPU, GPU, MB and
drives.
|
What
split rails actually mean. |
| Full support of Dual
Core systems (incl. Pentium D EE and Athlon 64 X2) & Dual CPU systems. |
I would hope so... there's
no electrical difference between a single core and a dual core CPU. |
|
Convertible design to power up ATX/BTX systems and support dual
CPU entry-level server/workstation.
|
20 and 24-pin main connectors
are supported, as are 4 and 8-pin AUX connectors. |
|
PF value up to 0.99 to provide stable and clean power under 100-240VAC
by auto switching.
|
A power factor this high
can only be achieved with active power factor correction. |
|
High efficiency of about 80% under wide load range (30-100%) minimizes
your electricity bill.
|
80% is a good target. |
| Special design 12cm fan
combines silence and cooling by intelligent speed control. |
Enermax' first 120mm
fan power supply. |
|
Protected by OCP, OVP, UVP, OLP, SCP, OTP for maximum safety.
Full rated power under 0-40°C/32-104°F ambient temp.
|
OCP: Over Current Protection
OVP: Over Voltage Protection
UVP: Under Voltage Protection
OLP: Over Load Protection
SCP: Short Circuit Protection
OTP: Over Temperature Protection
The 40°C spec is a sign of realistic power ratings.
|
| Smarter cable choice
and better cable routing for a neat and tidy case. |
No More Limits, remember? |
| Unique 4-pin Molex +
SATA connectors in pairs give you free choice on using either PATA or
SATA devices. |
Cables sets reflect the
way they are actually used. |
| Support of Dual
PCI-E graphics cards, SLI or CrossFire. |
Two PCIe
connectors, and enough power for both. |
| Toughest EMI shielding
protects your system and near-by appliances. |
EMI shielding is required
to pass international certification tests. |
OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS
|
Enermax Liberty EL500AWT (500W)
|
|
AC Input
|
100-240VAC / 50-60Hz / 7.5 - 3.5A
|
|
Maximum AC Current
|
10A @ 120V / 6A @ 240V
|
|
DC Output
|
+3.3V
|
+5V
|
+12V1
|
+12V2
|
-12V
|
+5VSB
|
|
Maximum Output Current
|
28A
|
30A
|
22A
|
22A
|
0.6A
|
3.0A
|
|
Maximum Combined
|
160W
|
384W (32A)
|
7.2W
|
15W
|
|
477.8W
|
22.2W
|
|
500W
|
|
Enermax Liberty EL620AWT (620W)
|
|
AC Input
|
100-240VAC / 50-60Hz / 9.5 - 4.0A
|
|
Maximum AC Current
|
10A @ 120V / 6A @ 240V
|
|
DC Output
|
+3.3V
|
+5V
|
+12V1
|
+12V2
|
-12V
|
+5VSB
|
|
Maximum Output Current
|
28A
|
32A
|
22A
|
22A
|
0.6A
|
3.0A
|
|
Maximum Combined
|
170W
|
432W (36A)
|
7.2W
|
15W
|
|
597.8W
|
22.2W
|
|
620W
|
The output ratings for our two samples are quite similar. On the
individual rails, only the +5V rail has changed,
by a paltry 10W. So where does the extra power in the 620W model come from?
Some of it comes from a 48W increase in the combined rating for the +12V rails,
but most of it is in the combined 3.3V + 5V + 12V1 + 12V2 rating. This means that the extra power is distributed fairly evenly through the main voltage lines.
One nice thing about both models is the strong +5VSB (standby) rail. Not enough current capacity here can be an issue for those who like to use lots of peripherals; this rails
supplies power even when the computer is "off" and is often used to
power external USB devices.
One oddity is the 22A rating of the +12V rails: Intel's main justification (in ATX12V v.2xx PS Design Guide)
for two 12V rails is to keep the current on any individual
rail below 240VA. It seems odd that the 12V lines should be rated above
20A (20A x 12V = 240VA). In real usage, neither rail is ever likely to approach its rated maximum,
so the point is mostly moot, but it does make the "separate" rails
kind of pointless.
| Help support this site, buy the ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT 500W Power Supply from one of our affiliate retailers! |
|
