FSP Blue Storm 500W Power Supply Review - PAGE 1

Introduction

Last month, after a long lapse in power supply reviews, Zalman surprised us by shipping us their ZM400B-APS power supply. Not having ever heard of Zalman making power supplies, I was eager to put it to the test and see whether it would stand up to the Zalman name of reliability and noise level. The answer, of course, was a resounding yes. I was glad to see that a company which was not Antec or Enermax produced a power supply that performed equally, if not better, than the corresponding Antec/Enermax products.

Today on the review bench is FSP Group's AX500-A "Blue Storm" 500-watt power supply. FSP Group is better known as Fortron, and is no stranger to the powersupply scene. From my initial inspection of the box, it seems that FSP Group has put together a power supply that should be of interest to enthusiasts. Advertised is its relatively low noise level (<23 dBA up to a load of 50%), a snazzy color scheme, sheathed cabling and the presence of Power Factor Correction (PFC).

Read on to find out how this new-comer to our lab stands up to the established performers!