I have been running a OCZ Gamexstream 1010W for 4 years now. I recently upgraded my system with two GTX 580's. Having voltage drops from 11.98V to 11.48V when both cards and cpu are running full tilt.  I've been looking at a few and was wondering if anyone here has run a Ultra 1200W Model ULT40323. And are running the GTX 500 Series on it and how it handles. I like the size of this psu and the modular design compared to others. Just want to know if its a good brand to buy into. Thanks
 
Other models i am considering as well are:
Thermaltake Toughpower TP-1350M 1350W 
EVGA Classified SR-2 100-PS-1200-GR 1200W
CORSAIR Professional Series AX1200 1200W
 
 

well the psu use to handle it but i think its aged a bit. I did use software at first to see voltages and then used a multimeter and i am dropping volts. And its causing freezing issues. If i unplug my my second gtx 580 the freezing and volt dropping goes away. The gamexstream is a quad rail and and the way its set up is 20 amps for each rail. so one card is pulling off one 20 amp rail and the other one is pulling off another 20amp rail and its just not enough.  i could use a molex connector to 6 pin pci-e to get a third rail to power the cards but it wouldn`t look that nice.
 
 

Ax1200, but for me it's scary to have just one rail, so I got the enermax galaxy evo 1250w, it's awesome and also has 6 rails

Ultra has life time warrenty on theirs. Anyone using the thermaltake 1350? The only thing is the size is a little big for my case... I would get the AX1000 but corsair screwed me over on some dominator ram... and their warranty is bs. 

+1 for the CoolerMaster 1200W SilentPro Gold

I used a Thermaltake 1200W for a year and a half, it never gave me issues and was a good PSU. I couldnt handle my 3x580 and 980X tho with all the other stuff i run. Always got shut downs when a big load got put on it.
 
I use the Antec HCP1200W now and its a beast. Running 980X at 4.45, my 3 580's and everything else in my system (see sig) plus some that isnt mentioned. I swear its VERY underrated at 1200W.

I have the AX1200.   Get it, don't look back.

Well mine was running my 2xGTX480's and an I7 overclocked to 4.6, 5 hard drives and a bunch of fans until the chance to upgrade for very little.  You will be fine as it is on Nvidias list of recommended PSU's for 2xSLI.

Got the AX1200. Due to single rail design. The thermal take 1350 with the design of it you would be pulling power from just one rail which is only 60 amps so you have 30 amps each for each video card. Which is plenty enough but if i want to buy a third card and new I7 i would be screwed. The evga and antec 1200 are nice psus but worried that they would have the same issue that my ocz has, too many rails and not enough juice to power one card off one rail(for future upgrades).

shaynerennie

Got the AX1200. Due to single rail design. The thermal take 1350 with the design of it you would be pulling power from just one rail which is only 60 amps so you have 30 amps each for each video card. Which is plenty enough but if i want to buy a third card and new I7 i would be screwed. The evga and antec 1200 are nice psus but worried that they would have the same issue that my ocz has, too many rails and not enough juice to power one card off one rail(for future upgrades).

Bro, if had the supply I'd go with the antec HCP-1200, no question on that one! Here's a link which has been proven that it has enough juice to power quad gtx580s http://www.kitguru.net/co...x-580s-ocd-2200-watts/

I know it may not last long but with your requirement it should be more than enough. Well, that said I had to go with the hcp-1200 but the ax1200 is good as well. With the single rail being scary, am sure corsair has used some high quality parts in there. Also you dont have to worry which rail is being used and they very good so far!!!! Both recommended!!

The HCP 1200 is not a very good choice due to it being an "eight" rail. Which its not really an "eight" but a single rail with eight limited 12V wires. Which are limited to only Max on each rail 30 amps and a Total Max amps of 100 of the 12v rails. Which it is sitting in the same boat as the thermaltake 1350. So if you were using all your rails equally it would only be like 12.5 Amps for each rail. So you would have to double up the rails leaving you for enough power for only 3 gtx 580s at max with a high end motherboard and processor. The AX1200 is single rail with no limiters so your total rail amps are 100amps so you never have unused wasted amps on a rail. So you can run 4gtx 580's and a high end cpu and motherboard no problem.
 
 
Whats so scary about single rail psus? what ever a single rail can do a multi rail can do....

shaynerennie

The HCP 1200 is not a very good choice due to it being an "eight" rail. Which its not really an "eight" but a single rail with eight limited 12V wires. Which are limited to only Max on each rail 30 amps and a Total Max amps of 100 of the 12v rails. Which it is sitting in the same boat as the thermaltake 1350. So if you were using all your rails equally it would only be like 12.5 Amps for each rail. So you would have to double up the rails leaving you for enough power for only 3 gtx 580s at max with a high end motherboard and processor. The AX1200 is single rail with no limiters so your total rail amps are 100amps so you never have unused wasted amps on a rail. So you can run 4gtx 580's and a high end cpu and motherboard no problem.


Whats so scary about single rail psus? what ever a single rail can do a multi rail can do....

 
The HCP 1200 is easily the best choice and one of the reasons for this is its multi-rail OCP.  Eight +12v circuits means that your components get your own power, and because of the smart rail distribution overloading probably won't be a problem.  Peripheral cables get their own rails, CPU connectors get their own rails, PCI-E connectors get a bunch of rails. 
 
What's so scary about single rail PSUs?  A single +12v rail design is used to cut costs and because of PC Power & Cooling's marketing, people actually think it's beneficial.  The only actual benefit it has is that it is more fool proof - you don't have to think when connecting everything.  Rail distribution is not something that would cross your mind.  However, if the PSU fails but not in a direct short, all of the current would destroy your system since there is no multi-rail OCP to limit the power.  
 
So a single +12v rail is worse for this "what if" scenario, otherwise it doesn't matter.  The Antec HCP 1200 is also built more solid than the AX1200 (two more primary capacitors for cleaner power output and longer lifespan, and multi-rail OCP) and it performs better in every aspect save for efficiency and noise which are the same.
 

shaynerennie 
 
The AX1200 is single rail with no limiters so your total rail amps are 100amps so you never have unused wasted amps on a rail. So you can run 4gtx 580's and a high end cpu and motherboard no problem. 

 
 
Hmm... GTX 580 has a 244W TDP... load them all up and you're looking at nearly 1000W of power, combined with an overclocked i7 quad core CPU and that's about 1200W without factoring in drives and fans.  No problem, eh?  Go try this configuration out and report back after a month.

boredgunner

shaynerennie

The HCP 1200 is not a very good choice due to it being an "eight" rail. Which its not really an "eight" but a single rail with eight limited 12V wires. Which are limited to only Max on each rail 30 amps and a Total Max amps of 100 of the 12v rails. Which it is sitting in the same boat as the thermaltake 1350. So if you were using all your rails equally it would only be like 12.5 Amps for each rail. So you would have to double up the rails leaving you for enough power for only 3 gtx 580s at max with a high end motherboard and processor. The AX1200 is single rail with no limiters so your total rail amps are 100amps so you never have unused wasted amps on a rail. So you can run 4gtx 580's and a high end cpu and motherboard no problem.


Whats so scary about single rail psus? what ever a single rail can do a multi rail can do....

The HCP 1200 is easily the best choice and one of the reasons for this is its multi-rail OCP.  Eight +12v circuits means that your components get your own power, and because of the smart rail distribution overloading probably won't be a problem.  Peripheral cables get their own rails, CPU connectors get their own rails, PCI-E connectors get a bunch of rails. 

What's so scary about single rail PSUs?  A single +12v rail design is used to cut costs and because of PC Power & Cooling's marketing, people actually think it's beneficial.  The only actual benefit it has is that it is more fool proof - you don't have to think when connecting everything.  Rail distribution is not something that would cross your mind.  However, if the PSU fails but not in a direct short, all of the current would destroy your system since there is no multi-rail OCP to limit the power.  

So a single +12v rail is worse for this "what if" scenario, otherwise it doesn't matter.  The Antec HCP 1200 is also built more solid than the AX1200 (two more primary capacitors for cleaner power output and longer lifespan, and multi-rail OCP) and it performs better in every aspect save for efficiency and noise which are the same.

shaynerennie 

The AX1200 is single rail with no limiters so your total rail amps are 100amps so you never have unused wasted amps on a rail. So you can run 4gtx 580's and a high end cpu and motherboard no problem. 

 

Hmm... GTX 580 has a 244W TDP... load them all up and you're looking at nearly 1000W of power, combined with an overclocked i7 quad core CPU and that's about 1200W without factoring in drives and fans.  No problem, eh?  Go try this configuration out and report back after a month.

Nicely said boredgunner. Couldn't have said it better myself. +1 on the Antec HCP 1200w.

shaynerennie

The HCP 1200 is not a very good choice due to it being an "eight" rail. Which its not really an "eight" but a single rail with eight limited 12V wires. Which are limited to only Max on each rail 30 amps and a Total Max amps of 100 of the 12v rails. Which it is sitting in the same boat as the thermaltake 1350. So if you were using all your rails equally it would only be like 12.5 Amps for each rail. So you would have to double up the rails leaving you for enough power for only 3 gtx 580s at max with a high end motherboard and processor. The AX1200 is single rail with no limiters so your total rail amps are 100amps so you never have unused wasted amps on a rail. So you can run 4gtx 580's and a high end cpu and motherboard no problem.


Whats so scary about single rail psus? what ever a single rail can do a multi rail can do....

 
JFYI, all multi rail PSU uses a Single rail and regulator that creates multi rail not actual multi-rails. Likewise, even HCP-1200 uses single rail regulated to create 8 rails.
 
@boredgunners:
 
Nicely put!! +1. sadly i had to go for the ax1200 (an overall good PSU don't mistake my judgement) as the HCp series had no eta of supplies down here in the APAC region!!

I vote for the ax1200 and its single rail