RaidMax, LP-6100E, 500W Power Supply

Provided by: RaidMax
Retail: $65.00
Review Date: June 10th, 2003

A few weeks ago we took a look at a 400W power supply from RaidMax. I was very impressed by this PSU. It has been running in my computer ever since. Today we will look at the 500W version, the LP-6100E. The LP-6100E was sent to us by RaidMax. I apologize if this review feels like the 400W, LP-6100D review but the power supplies are very similar.

Click on image for larger picture

Colorful is the first thought that comes to mind when looking at the RaidMax LP-6100E. A black aluminum casing surrounds the power supply unit and the PSU is packaged in a brownish orange box with multi-colored lettering all over the box. To touch it off, two clear 80mm fans that are attached to the PSU highlighted with gold fan grills. As with the LP-6100D the marketing department of RaidMax did a great job with this power supply because it certainly catches your eye.

Click on image for larger picture

Features:

• 500 Watts of Power
• ATX Power Supply Supports Pentium 4
• Auto Temperature Control
• Dual Double Ball Bearing Fans
• Supports RPM Signal
• Monitors AC Outlet
• Over Current Protection
• Over Voltage Protection
• Recommended by AMD

Click on image for larger picture

The 20 line motherboard connection cable is wrapped in sleeving to increase airflow in your case. There are six AT four pin power connections and two four pin floppy drive power connections. I was hoping for more AT connectors on a higher wattage power supply for it would reduce my use of Y cables. An ATX power cable is included so that a motherboard or fan controller can control the speed of the PSU's fans. A Pentium 4 power connection also exists.

As mentioned before the RaidMax LP-6100E contains two double ball bearing clear fans. The fans are not LED fans which was one disappointment. They are standard 80mm fans so if an LED fan is desired, one can easily be swapped in.

Like the LP-6100D, an exhaust fan is inside the PSU while the intake fan is attached to the back. The air flows through the power supply cleanly, blowing through the heatsinks inside. Other dual fan power supplies have the circuit board blocking the fans while using an "L" shape airflow design. The "L" shape design is one fan in the back of the power supply and one fan on the bottom. The "L" shape design and objects in front of the fans obstruct the flow of air; thus, causing poorer cooling performance. The RaidMax's design could possibly replace a blow hole in the top of a case because this PSU unit is accomplishing the same goal as the blow hole.

Click on image for larger picture

Internal quality is always the most important part of a power supply. RaidMax has a great design in their cooling system. Air easily flows through the PSU, over the heatsinks, high voltage converter, and coils; thus, ensuring that the internal components are kept cool.

The RaidMax LP-6100E includes multiple safety features such as voltage over protection, AC outlet monitoring, and over current protection. These features will help prevent against components in the computer becoming damaged due to spikes in the power lines or shorts from other components.

The variable speed fans plug into the circuit board via a two pin connector. This feature makes it easier to swap out the fans when they fail because many industrial fans come with the same type of connector.

<next page>