Intro

With the increasing popularity of non-traditional computer cases, more and more manufactures are striving to distance themselves from the black & beige of the OEM set. Today we examine the flashy 500W Glacier power supply from Logisys. Does this PSU meet the aesthetic demands of the LAN Party crowd, and more importantly, does it provide reliable power for the enthusiast/overclocker?

First Impressions

The PSU arrived at my door in a standard brown cardboard box that appeared to be no worse for wear. Apparently the parcel stompers are on strike at this time. Opening the carton revealed the Logisys retail package surrounded by copious pink packing peanuts.

The attractive retail package lists some product specifications and features, but is by no means comprehensive. Opening the retail carton showed the PSU (wrapped in plastic), and a standard power cord. I was quite surprised by the absence of any documentation or user manual.

The PSU

The Logisys PS500CLA is billed as a "500Watt Aluminum and Acrylic Modded Gaming Power Supply", quite a mouthful isn't it? Let us see what this unit has to offer:

• Supports Intel ATX 12V Ver 1.1 & 2.03
• Compatible with AMD Athlon K7
• Complies with all FCC requirements
• Dual LED fans for improved cooling efficiency
• Fans equipped with finger guards
• Chromed knob to adjust the fan speed
• 500 Watt Max.
• Clear top and aluminum bottom chassis
• Sleeved ATX cable
• High energy power with low ripple
• Short circuit and overload protection on all outputs
  

The PSU features a black aluminum casing with an acrylic cover. Overall, it is quite nice looking. The rear of the PSU has a chrome knob for adjusting fan speed and LED brightness (more on that later), a green power switch, a green female power connection, and an 80 mm LED fan. A peel away plastic film protected the acrylic top during transport, you can see me peeling it off:

The bottom of the unit has a small sticker with technical specs. Examining the wires, we find an ATX connector sleeved in black mesh. None of the other wires are sleeved. There are in total:

• 6 molex connectors (3 each on two leads)
• 2 floppy connectors (one at the end of each molex lead)
• A single SATA connector
• ATX main (sleeved)
• Auxiliary"P4" connector
• 6 pin AUX connector

I question the inclusion of only one SATA connector. Most motherboards with SATA functions include two headers and a RAID controller. Why put a single connector on the PSU? One final comment on wires; these felt somewhat light in gauge and "tinny" compared to other quality PSUs that I have owned.

The PSU itself is quite rugged and sturdy. It weighs in at approximately 3lbs on my bathroom scale, which (considering the acrylic and aluminum casing) is quite heavy. For reference, my all steel 470Watt Enermax Noisetaker weighs 4.5lbs. There was no "open this at your own peril" sticker on the PSU, but there was a small yellow quality control sticker over one of the screw holes. The internal components of the unit are strikingly neat and well organized. Blue components on an orange PCB with two large aluminum heatsinks.

When the power supply is active, the two 80mm LED fans spring to life in bright blue. These fans are meant to be controlled by the rear rheostat knob. Turning the knob varies the speed of the fans, and the intensity of the LEDs. The power switch is also lit. Here are some pics in a dim room with flash on: