The Basics:
Removing the power supply from the packaging, it is time to look it over. The finish on the ArrowMax PSF-500SP is shiny and flawless, however it does not have a mirror finish. If you tend to show off your power supply, then a mirror finish might be important to you.
First, we have the top of the power supply, which unless you have an acrylic case, you will most likely never see this area again (at least not until it's time to change cases, or power supplies). This area is plain and again it has a flawless finish. This really is not an exciting area.
Moving to the bottom of the power supply, you can see the 120mm fan, positioned behind a plain chrome fan grill. This is easy to remove and replace should you want a more flashy fan grill. However, unless you open the power supply to hold the fan into place, take care on doing this as the fan could move and make it more difficult to install a different grill.
This image shows off the typical sticker panel found on any power supply, which details the basic specifications, approvals, and so on. If you look closely at the sticker, you will see the 3.3V+ and 5V+ has a combined power output of 140W, which is pretty low for a high end power supply, however this is not designed to be a high end power supply. This is a sufficient amount of power to operate these rails properly. This panel also acts as a tattle-tale if you open your power supply, as it is located over a area where the two parts of the chassis join.
Here you can see the rear of the PSU, where the honey-comb openings allow for nearly unrestricted airflow. Instead of the common hex pattern, this power supply uses circular holes for the vents. A hex pattern would allow for a little more air flow, however if the components stay cool, this is not a big deal. I did like the small power switch, keeps the back of the power supply clean, while still providing a hard power switch, it could be a little difficult to flip if you need to reach behind your system to turn off. The last item to notice is a little LED near the switch, that will glow either yellow or green depending on the status of the power supply.
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