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Enermax Modu82+ 625 Review

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:35 pm
by derekva
Enermax Modu82+ 625 Review

Wow.

Enermax finally builds a PSU that isn't a noisy piece of crap. I am duly impressed. Although I still think even this version looks 'pimpy'. :D

-D

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:13 pm
by Erssa
Excellent review as always and very impressive results. Hats off for Enermax.

They seem to have 425W modu82+ model, which should have even better efficiency curve with half the price of the 625W model. Enermax also has new Pro82+ line up, which looks exactly the same, except it's not modular. The Pro82+ 385W might be a real sweet deal considering it's sold here for only 65€. That's cheaper then Corsair VX450.

Re: Modu82+ 625 Power Supply: Enermax to the Forefront

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:56 pm
by merlin
Color me very impressed. I was hopeful seeing the low rpm fan specs on the website originally, but this proves how well that works. I guess the really high efficiency and well designed fan controller really help. Now as long as there's some good signs of a solid long lasting psu(which unfortunately has not been the enermax reputation so far), this should be an unqualified buy for any new silent psu shopper.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:18 am
by ntavlas
I had the impression that enermax psu's were fairly reliable.
Of course opinions change from forum to forum but I`m curious where the bad reputation comes from.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:52 am
by Sooty
ntavlas wrote:I had the impression that enermax psu's were fairly reliable.
Of course opinions change from forum to forum but I`m curious where the bad reputation comes from.
My impression too. The only reliability reputation Enermax has ever had, is up there with the very best.
derekva wrote:Enermax finally builds a PSU that isn't a noisy piece of crap.
The Enermax NoiseTaker series was the reference round here until Seasonic pipped them.


Thanks SPCR for the review. I’ve not got time to read everything, is the Pro series exactly the same as the Modu series, apart from the modular connectors? Fancy a Pro82+ 385w, as long as it performs exactly to the standard of SPCR’s test sample.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:57 am
by AuraAllan
Another great review.

Thanks :)

Im looking forward to these PSU's. Might have to buy myself a 425W one.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:37 am
by elpibe10
Wanted to purchase the 425W version after reading Mike's review but can't seem to find it anywhere on the net.

Newegg has the 625W but they're charging above MSRP !

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:10 am
by Tzupy
Wow, my jaw dropped and I'm drooling! :lol: Forget about Seasonic or BeQuiet, this Modu 82+ (actually better efficiency in Europe) is my next PSU.
Many thanks to SPCR! I believe the noise difference is even greater than the review listed, because of the difficulty in measuring noise at ~500rpm.
My Seasonic runs the fan at ~800 rpm, and I can hear it, but 500 rpm would be silent to me, no need for a fan swap.
I suppose the Modu 82+ sample had no buzz, because it would have been louder than the fan.
The Modu 82+ and Pro 82+ are *in stock* at Scan computers: http://www.scan.co.uk/search/search.asp ... &p=4&t=Yes
To be fair to Enermax, their Infinity series was a departure from noisy PSUs, as reviewed by Xbitlabs.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:16 am
by Spare Tire
Would like to see if the 385W pro82+ performs the same.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:34 am
by MikeC
Tzupy wrote:I suppose the Modu 82+ sample had no buzz, because it would have been louder than the fan.
Actually, there's always a buzz from every PSU, and this one is no exception. It's a question of how audible, from what distance. I wrote in the review...
From about six inches away, the acoustic signature was primarily a mild electrical buzz, audible over a very soft touch of broadband noise from the fan.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:01 am
by Tzupy
Sorry, missed that! :oops:
I should have read more thoroughly, but...
I was immediately looking for availability!

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:14 am
by Lawrence Lee
It is indeed very quiet. It's possibly the first power supply I would not feel the need to fan-mod. :D

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:54 am
by NeilBlanchard
Hello,
elpibe10 wrote:Wanted to purchase the 425W version after reading Mike's review but can't seem to find it anywhere on the net.

Newegg has the 625W but they're charging above MSRP !
DITTO! I want the 425 watt version, and hopefully SPCR can review it, along with the Pro385 version?

NewEgg is charging $199 for the 625watt version -- and they have removed their product suggestion link... :roll: Does anybody know how to make such a request these days?

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:20 am
by MikeC
NeilBlanchard wrote:DITTO! I want the 425 watt version, and hopefully SPCR can review it, along with the Pro385 version?

NewEgg is charging $199 for the 625watt version -- and they have removed their product suggestion link... :roll: Does anybody know how to make such a request these days?
Hey don't sweat availability, guys. I've been told new shipments will be going out to all the major dealers this week, and they should have them in hand within 2 weeks or so.

As for the lower power models, yes, we'll probably end up having a look at them, too, to see how the noise/power curve changes. And to confirm that the performance of this sample is not a fluke.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:23 am
by Erssa
199$ is quite expensive. Modu82+ 625W is sold here for 150€, just for reference Corsair HX620W is sold for 147€. Modu82+ 525W is 113€, Modu82+ 425W is priced at 87€.

Pro82+ 625W is 122€, Pro82+ 525W is 93€, Pro82+ 425W is 72€ and like I said Pro82+ 385W is 65€. For reference Seasonic S12II-380 is 69€.

Availability is listed 10-15 days and the importer is listing them on stock. I'd be surprised, if they weren't readily available in the States then as well.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:23 pm
by psiu
Very nice.

Once I am moved next month and try to get my computer working this summer my first purchase is a new psu. Looks like there is another candidate then.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:45 pm
by Reachable
I'd like to know more about the fuzzy logic fan control. Also that contoured air inlet.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:28 am
by HueyCobra
"It also somes with one less SATA cable."

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:00 am
by lm
Argh, using this thread for discussion is impossible, since it is flooded by name/email for the giveaway.

That being said, blah, I thought my PC parts list was already pretty good, but now I need to change it to include this PSU :p

Not wanting to put my realname and email to this thread :( I wonder if PM to vendor is an option.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:29 am
by MikeC
FYI, the giveaway thread and this discussion thread have now been separated. lm is right, the former was swamping the latter, which is now here.

Reachable -- That "fuzzylogic" reference is one of the weirdest I've ever come across in a PSU. The only thing I can think of is that it could be referring to a fairly high level of hysteresis to ensure the fan does not instantly change speed in response to changes in temperature.

lm -- I guess your system is dead silent except for the psu?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:43 am
by jaganath
That "fuzzylogic" reference is one of the weirdest I've ever come across in a PSU. The only thing I can think of is that it could be referring to a fairly high level of hysteresis to ensure the fan does not instantly change speed in response to changes in temperature.
here's a (simplified) example of how it might work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuzzy_logi ... is_applied
Rules are usually expressed in the form:
IF variable IS set THEN action

For example, an extremely simple temperature regulator that uses a fan might look like this:
IF temperature IS very cold THEN stop fan
IF temperature IS cold THEN turn down fan
IF temperature IS normal THEN maintain level
IF temperature IS hot THEN speed up fan

Notice there is no "ELSE". All of the rules are evaluated, because the temperature might be "cold" and "normal" at the same time to differing degrees.
also see fuzzy control system

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:11 pm
by lm
MikeC wrote:lm -- I guess your system is dead silent except for the psu?
Yeah, it's going to be, at least I hope so. I'm building one from scratch, because I am a programmer and will work from home only, so because the system doubles as both the system that brings me my income and the system I use at leisure time too, I want it to be good.

Details in my System Advice thread from a month or so back:

viewtopic.php?t=46000

However I'm still waiting for some parts that were hard to get.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:54 pm
by MikeC
I discovered a problem with the SATA cables supplied with this Modu82+ sample. It's reported as a PS on the last page.

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:28 am
by lm
So the spcr reviewed one is an engineering sample.

You should get one from an independent vendor to recheck if it's really that good, then.

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:59 am
by MikeC
lm wrote:So the spcr reviewed one is an engineering sample.

You should get one from an independent vendor to recheck if it's really that good, then.
No, it's not an engineering sample. It looks nothing like an engineering sample, of which I seen many over the years. It's just that the final package did not come through a QA the way it would have if the thing was on a production line where the box, accessories and all would be the final "assembly". They didn't have a box.

Anyway, there are retail packaged samples on their way (one 625). I'll certainly check on those report if there any variances between this one and those.

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:01 am
by lm
Do I assume correctly that the Pro82+ series only differs in Modu82+ series by not being modular?

I tend to choose non-modular PSU's because of one less point of failure.

Btw, is there any benefit in choosing a smaller capacity model, besides the obviously lower price, in these series?

I don't think a smaller capacity model is going to be any quieter than this top model, especially up to so high output levels.

But is it going to be more efficient at some points of the curve? It would be great to have the smallest capacity model's efficiency and noise curve for comparison, and maybe even the middle models.

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:08 am
by MikeC
lm wrote:Do I assume correctly that the Pro82+ series only differs in Modu82+ series by not being modular?
s'watisaid in the first few paragraphs of the review.
lm wrote:But is it going to be more efficient at some points of the curve? It would be great to have the smallest capacity model's efficiency and noise curve for comparison, and maybe even the middle models.
The other models will be reviewed, probably together.

Not as impressed as everyone else

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:42 pm
by mg1394
Nice supply. I'd purchase 10 of the 425's in a minute if they had a reasonable cable system. Only 3 sata just doesn't make for a useful system for us. Since a modern system with one video card and 4 drives (that needs a max of 200w) is not uncommon, why do they lock themselves out of the market???

Re: Not as impressed as everyone else

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:10 pm
by MikeC
mg1394 wrote:Nice supply. I'd purchase 10 of the 425's in a minute if they had a reasonable cable system. Only 3 sata just doesn't make for a useful system for us. Since a modern system with one video card and 4 drives (that needs a max of 200w) is not uncommon, why do they lock themselves out of the market???
The PROD82+ 385/425 have 4 SATA connectors each, and I'm sure you could easily obtain extra detachable SATA cables for the Modu82+ series. That's the whole point of modular cables, right? (IRRC, Antec even had a PSU a while ago which came with extra DIY connectors and cable so you could make more custom ones of your own.)

I don't know who "us" is, but I'd say a system with 4 HDDs is not modern at all; it's downright primitive. With the drive capacities we have now and so many options for external storage, why in the world would you load up so many noisemakers and heaters in one PC?

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:00 am
by Scrooge
I have a question, MikeC, if you're talking to an Enermax representative (or if one reads this discussion, which I am supposing they might).

Why only one 3xSATA power cord on the 425w version? 425 will power a great deal more than a super-barebones PC with three drives, but in order to get more connectors we are shunted over to the 525w version, which is completely excessive.

This, combined with the 85c instead of 105c main capacitors, is likely going to make me select the M12II-430 for my mother's new desktop over this. However, that fan performance is exceptional! I'm just not going to get another 100w of power just to have more than on drive's worth of additional connectors.