The Very Best Power Supply For The Money

PohTayToez

PohTayToez

Active Member
HEC Orion Power 585watt

The best $30.00 I ever spent. I've been recommending this power supply ever since I ordered one 9 months ago. It may not be the fanciest looking power supply, but I promise it is the best for the money. I've used the same one in a couple of different computers with absolutely no problems ever. It's as stable and quiet as can be, and plenty of power. It doesn't have the most connectors of any I've seen, and only one SATA, but adapters and splitters hardly cost a thing. Seriously. Buy one. Now.
 
I've got no complaints about the higher-end HEC units, but the Orion's, frankly, are junk. Take a look at an internal pic of the Orion 485:
orion33im.jpg


There's no choke coil on the AC side, no EMI filtering, insufficient 470uF primary caps, and it looks as if all the rails are on the same plane.

I'd trust it about as much as a Powmax :)

Don't let tigerdirect's promise of a huge discount fool you - this PSU can be found for even cheaper elsewhere. mWave have it for ~$20. I'd pay the extra $8 for an XClio 450BL anyday, or pickup a 350-400W Enhance/Hipro/FSP/SPI, any of which I have no doubt will put out more power than the Orion.
 
Ok, I did a little research, and the HEC 585 has a lot of bad publicity. From people that have never tried it. I read a few reviews and forum posts, and it is unanimous that the Orion series is crap, because the 400w and 485w and others are famous for dieing and even frying other parts. However, every single thing that I saw written by someone that had actually bought the 585 and tested it was positive. I have seen nowhere where people have had any trouble with it what so ever.

Also, if it helps, I found a post with pictures of the inside:
PC270104.jpg


I don't know what that tells you, but I know that I've never had a bit of trouble with the Orion 585w and, so far as I can see, neither has anyone else who has actually taken the trouble to try it.

I stand by my recommendation until directly proven wrong.
 
to be honest.. I doubt that psu would run my pc very well. dont get me wrong.. it could be an ok PSU for a lower power consuming pc.. but i think it will run unstable when you load it up. (how much ampére can it deliver over the 12v rail? )
 
PohTayToez said:
However, every single thing that I saw written by someone that had actually bought the 585 and tested it was positive. I have seen nowhere where people have had any trouble with it what so ever.
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I have, but then again I've heard complaints about virtually every PSU manufacturer there is, including PC Power and Cooling and other high-end manufacturers. This is part of the reason why I distrust user reviews. If you take a look at reviews of lowend units like Powmax Assassins, you'll see a high percentage of overwhelmingly positive reviews, despite the fact these units are proven to blow at approximately half their rated wattage.

Until I can see a decent review of any unit, I have to base my opinion of it on the unit specs, knowledge of the brand/OEM and an analysis of the internals. In any case I have no way of testing it myself, to the best of my knowledge, these units are not available in Australia.

Do realize that:
  1. HECs self proclaimed aim is to release units that are cheaper than the ones they sell to their retail partners.
  2. The lack of a 6pin PCI-E connector is usually an acknowledgment on the part of the manufacturer that the unit is not capable of reliably handling a video card requiring external power.
  3. The maximum rated operating temperature of the unit is only 35C.
 
ceewi1 said:
I have, but then again I've heard complaints about virtually every PSU manufacturer there is, including PC Power and Cooling and other high-end manufacturers. This is part of the reason why I distrust user reviews. If you take a look at reviews of lowend units like Powmax Assassins, you'll see a high percentage of overwhelmingly positive reviews, despite the fact these units are proven to blow at approximately half their rated wattage.


[/LIST]
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I agree with you. I too dont totally rely on product review. I look more for....


1)Quality : The way its constructed, how good the internals are installed

2) Warranty: (something people seldomly look overr). How long and what it covers will dictate how long it wil last

3) Compatibilty: Like ceewi1 said, if it has a lack of connections (i.e the 6 pin PCI-e connectors, lack of SATA power cables



I like PSU that has attached cables in the back. Rather then trying to hide a lump of unused PSU cables, you can plug in what you need.
 
Thermaltaken said:
I agree with you. I too dont totally rely on product review. I look more for....


1)Quality : The way its constructed, how good the internals are installed

2) Warranty: (something people seldomly look overr). How long and what it covers will dictate how long it wil last

3) Compatibilty: Like ceewi1 said, if it has a lack of connections (i.e the 6 pin PCI-e connectors, lack of SATA power cables



I like PSU that has attached cables in the back. Rather then trying to hide a lump of unused PSU cables, you can plug in what you need.
Click to expand...

It comes with a Molex to PCIe converter and has a SATA connection.
 
one should note that the shipping on the orion 585 watt is $14 for ground....it's cheaper to just go to a hardware store.
 
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