Inspection (continued):
On the back of the power supply, there is not much to look at. There is the standard power connection and a hard power switch. This isn't a necessity any more, as most modern systems use the motherboard connection to turn the power supply on and off, but I do like having a hard power switch when I'm working on the inside of the case. Finally, you will notice there is not a fan blowing out the back of the power supply. Instead, the back section of the power supply has been stamped with honeycomb holes. This reduces the amount of metal, but still allows it to be solid and allow plenty of hot air to escape.
On the front of the power supply, where the connectors usually go, you find that the unit is modular. The difference is that where there are usually many plugs, we instead find that there are only three plugs for the modular cables: two 6-pin PCI Express power connectors, and the 8-pin Power Station connector. There are two attached cables, which are neatly wrapped in a mesh sleeve. These cables make up the main power cables for the motherboard; a 20/24 pin main power and a 4-pin +12v motherboard power.
As I just said, the attached cables are wrapped in a mesh sleeve. They are of sufficient length to reach any location in any case. In the Thermaltake Tai-Chi case, there was more than enough cable to reach the bottom of the case (had that been necessary). Thankfully they are flexible enough to route where you need them to go. The main power connector is designed for either 20 pin or 24 pin motherboards. This plug has a little 4-pin snap on connector that turns the 20-pin plug into a 24 pin plug.
Opening the unit (which will void any warranty), you can see the top of the 120mm intake fan. The installed fan has blue LEDs. If you do not want blue LEDs you can change the fan. This is a little tricky as all the cables are tied back. Just be careful doing it, since you've already voided your warranty.
The inside of the power supply includes two large heat sinks, the fan controller, and several large capacitors.
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