Enermax Liberty 500W Modular Power Supply
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Conclusion:
Enermax may not have been the first to market with a modular power supply, but the impression made by the 500W Liberty has me thinking of the old expression "good things come to those who wait." The Liberty line combines the convenience and style features of a modular power supply with the quality and performance that has come to be expected of Enermax products.
The voltage rails were extremely stable between idle and load conditions, and I had to wait several minutes just to see one 0.01V fluctuation occur on one of the three rails being monitored. If rock solid voltage rails weren't enough, the Liberty's 120mm fan generates almost no noise and the unit has a classic style that I find far more attractive than so many of the units with "extreme" appearances.
The Liberty's cables are well made, of adequate length, and the mesh sleeving looks good (although I would have prefered all segments to have been covered). The Eternity Connectors found on most cables are a convenient way to make sure a system has enough connectors for any kind of drive, and they easily address a short-coming of many units (too few SATA connectors). One issue with the Eternity Connectors is that they make cable management a bit more tricky, as you will always have that extra connector (and length of cable) to deal with at every drive, case fan, etc.
A search of PriceGrabber shows a few familiar online stores carrying the 500W Enermax Liberty for around $113 and up (US). Although this quite a fair price for some the high quality, high end power supplies on the market today, it may be slightly higher than many other units that may be in direct competition with the Liberty line. For those interested in a bit less or more power, the Liberty can also be had in 400W and 620W models for around $90 and $190, respectively.
Given the 500W Enermax Liberty's solid voltage rails, low noise output, classic styling, and high quality modular cables, it earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and a final rating of "Highly Recommended".
Final Rating (4.5 out of 5 stars):
Pros:
• High quality modular cables and connectors
• Extremely quiet operation
• Rock solid voltage rails
• Dual 12V rails
• Dual PCIe connectors for SLI / Crossfire
• Eternity connectors are very convenient
• High efficiency (80%) and high PF rating (98%)
• Looks sharp without being flashy/gaudy
Cons:
• Eternity connectors make cable management messy
• Higher price
Special thanks to Cooler Giant for providing the Enermax Liberty 500W Modular Power Supply to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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