Often I see that people have bought PSUs that they think look good, but don't really perform well and aren't reliable. The PSU is the single most important component in your system as it powers everything else. It's not something you skimp on. Thankfully, this offering from Ultra both performs well and looks good.

The modular cables on this PSU are excellent. They have been implemented well and reduce cable clutter which also means you don't have to spend ages trying to hide the cables around your case. Speaking of the cables, I would've liked to have seen "easy grip" connectors used. Since this is a modded PSU, I thought they might have used these instead of regular connectors but they did not. It's not a problem really, but it would've been a nice addition, since honestly, when I was removing a molex from a DVD drive it would not budge and I had to use an extreme amount of force to get it out. Quite frustrating! The easy grips are easier to use and you don't have the fairly sharp edges associated with normal molex connectors, so removing molex's wouldn't be quite as hard as it sometimes can be. The FlexForce cables are a new idea, they weren't on the original X-Connect, but I'm not really convinced that they help airflow as yes they are narrow but they are also wide, and unless they're laid flat (which isn't always possible) they're going to obstruct airflow more than help. The cables themselves are very long so you would have no trouble using this PSU in a full tower case.

Aesthetics then, and this product will appeal to a lot of users but it's sooo not my sort of component. Don't get me wrong, I can certainly see why these PSUs are popular, it's just not my cup of tea. It's entirely subjective and of course each to their own. If you are into the modding scene though, the titanium finish, the windows, the blue glow and chrome grill/logo will look excellent in your case, and as previously mentioned you've the comfort of knowing that this unit is able to power your rig reliably rather than taking a gamble on a good looking but poor quality PSU. In the unlikely event that the unit should fail, you've the lifetime warranty to fall back upon. The product has a single 120mm fan and is very very quiet to my ears. The grill at the back vents the hot air and that was certainly needed as it did indeed run hot, but remained perfectly stable whilst powering a reasonably high-end and overclocked gaming system. However if you had something that consumed more power, you'd likely need to look elsewhere as judging from the test results this PSU would start to struggle under a heavier load.

This product really is quite complete. I may be dwelling on the connectors and cables a little, but perhaps thats because I can't really think of much else wrong with this power supply. The lack of Active PFC could be considered a drawback, but it's not a major one.

Overall, if you're looking for a modded PSU for your system, the Ultra X2-Connect 550w Power Supply should be a very high priority on your shopping list as not only does it look good but it also performs very well.

Many thanks to Ultra for sending us this product for review.

Info: ultraproducts.com

This review was written by Dave "WildStyle" Crewe.

Hilbert: Who ?