Introduction

A couple of times a month, a friend, or a friend of a friend, or whoever, will send me a list of components for their new build. They ask me to look it over, make suggestions, correct any incompatibilities and just generally make sure that what they are buying will work together in a solid build. The components will come in all varieties, from basic IGP AMD systems to Core i7 Extreme with a Crossfire/SLI setup. One common thread in all of these potential builds is a poor choice of power supplies, which almost invariably falls into something of the '$19.95 - 600 watt' variety. Why so many people don't understand the necessity of a high quality power supply...well, that remains a mystery to me.

Ultra Products is a relatively newer player in the world of power supplies. This, however, has not stopped them from making a name for themselves. Their X-Connect Power Supply is credited as being the first retail modular power supply. They have also largely been noted for living up to their company mission, “Innovation, Value & Quality,” backing it up with a lifetime warranty on all power supplies and cases simply by registering the product, and still giving three years without registering.

The Ultra X-4 500W is more than enough for a mainstream build. A low noise 135mm fan and silicone gasket ensure that the X-4 500W will be as quiet as it is powerful. Combine this with a solid 32 amps on the 12v rail, with 24 amps each at 3.3 and 5v, and the Ultra X-4 500 looks like a very formidable power supply.