The Verdict
The Verdict
Let's get the single negative out of the way first. BeQuiet's distribution and reach towards consumers is quite miniscule in comparison with the OCZ, Enermax & Antec's of this world. Their PSUs are only available in mainland/eastern Europe. From Germany, the Netherlands, through to Poland, Romania, Estonia. They are not available in the UK as far as I'm aware and if you're in the US then you're also out of luck.
**Update** It has come to my attention that you can now purchase BeQuiet PSUs from a couple of places in the UK. The first place is Tekheads who I have personally ordered from a number of times without any problems at all. And the other place is Web-Systems Online who I cannot vouch for personally and they also do not stock the StraightPower like Tekheads.
I suppose you could say the above isn't exactly a negative as there are plenty of good manufacturers around, but this is a worldwide site and I thought it was worth mentioning as one of you may be reading this, wanting to purchase this product but struggling to find a supplier.
Apart from that (slight) negative, that's really all I can think of, and that's not even about the PSU itself.
This PSU performed very well. Whilst we could not test it to it's limits, Hilbert managed to run high-end systems with SLI/Quad SLI enabled on the Dark Power Pro 600w version from BeQuiet and I'm certain this PSU would surpass the performance of that model due to it's higher ratings.
The StraightPower 700w PSU from BeQuiet looks the part and whilst you shouldn't judge a PSU on looks as performance is obviously what counts, aesthetics are a huge selling point in this day and age. It doesn't feature bling it simply looks refined and classy. It could also function as a mirror to do your hair in the morning given the reflective finish!
Another big selling point is low noise levels. The name gives it away really. The 120mm fan really did be quiet and is only rated at 20dba. Noise levels are subjective but to me 20dba is extremely quiet. Though, this is coming from someone who used to have 50dba fans cooling his Athlon XP 24/7.
There is no modular cable system but I personally am old fashioned and see modular cabling as a marketing gimmick in all honesty. I want my PSUs to be PSUs and not fashion accessories, so this PSU fits the bill for me. It's also worth knowing that a modular interface adds a little resistance and thus reduces the performance of the power supply because the voltages drop. It isn't much at all but it is something to bear in mind. Constant plugging and unplugging of cables could also cause problems over time due to loose connections, obviously any connection point is a potential point of failure.
Anyway, overall... yeah, I really like this PSU, and I fully intend to continue using it for my personal system.
It seems logical to give this PSU an editors choice award as I'm one of the editors here at Guru3D.com and I have chosen to use this PSU. :-)
My closing remark is essentially this: If you live in a country where BeQuiet PSUs are available, seriously take a good look and do not hesitate to purchase a model that fits your needs. If you want modular cables you've got the Dark Power Pro models, and if you want a PSU from this StraightPower series but don't need a big 700w version, then there are a load of smaller models too. There is one for your every need. These are quality PSUs and they come highly recommended.
Many thanks to Dorothee for making this review possible.
Written by Dave Crewe.
BeQuiet StraightPower 700w PSU
Manufacturer: Listan
Price: 150 USD/EUR
Info: website
