PCP&C or Ultra X3

[jchahn]

My tentative system build:

Case LIAN LI PC-V1200Bplus II
CASE FAN Scythe KAMA BAY SCKB-1000BK 120mm
HSF Tuniq Tower 120
CPU Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield (possibly a Q6700)
RAM mushkin 4GB(2 x 2GB) 5-4-4-12
GPU1 EVGA 768-P2-N885-AR GeForce 8800Ultra
GPU2 EVGA 768-P2-N885-AR GeForce 8800Ultra
MB EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1
Optical1 Pioneer Black 18X SATA
Optical2 Pioneer Black 18X SATA
HDD1 Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB
HDD2 Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB


Initially, I was thinking of getting the PCP&C 750w silencer. I've heard good things about it. Then, after looking at the specs of my system, I'm not sure if I want to get a 750w or if I should maybe bump up to a 1kw PSU. So I read the review of the Ultra X3 1000w PSU on this site and on the hardocp site. I love the connection style of the ultras. I like their 100% modular design and the performance is great. The lifetime warranty (upon registration) is an outstanding bonus too.

I'm now in a quandary as far as which power supply to get. This is probably one of the harder decisions I've had to make regarding this build. Would the 750w silencer get the job done and have room to spare, or would I be better off getting a 1kw for longevity purposes? Who knows how many watts the G92 cards will need when they come out 6 months from now...

I've also considered the Enermax Galaxy, and TT ToughPower 1000w, and all of the other 1kw units.

If you were building a system like mine, what would you get?

[MrWicked1968]

does the performance of an 8800 Ultra over a GTX justify the premium price? It's your money, of course, but spending an additional 600 dollars for a few additional fps just seems a waste.

that said, I'd get the Ultra X3.

[jchahn]

does the performance of an 8800 Ultra over a GTX justify the premium price? It's your money, of course, but spending an additional 600 dollars for a few additional fps just seems a waste.

that said, I'd get the Ultra X3.

The cost difference is not as big as it was. The gtx is now $540 and the ultra is $630. So for 2 cards it's $180 difference. But you are absolutely right, back when the ultras were 2x the price, they definitely weren't worth it, and they still might not be in some people's eyes. But an additional $90 per card isn't quite so hard to justify, if it prevents you from having to upgrade a few months longer (and I'm not saying it will, but it might).

[MrWicked1968]

with any luck, nvidia will release drivers that actually put those cards' horsepower to use in pure DX10 environments.

I know this is about PSU's but your monitor choice is going to be important. You must be looking at something big, at least 22".

[jchahn]

with any luck, nvidia will release drivers that actually put those cards' horsepower to use in pure DX10 environments.

I know this is about PSU's but your monitor choice is going to be important. You must be looking at something big, at least 22".

I already have a Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP-HC (1920x1200). I am thinking of buying a second one at some point down the road. This is going to be a personal workstation/gaming rig.

I am a computer science major and an aspiring game developer, so I will be using this rig for software developing and modeling (I'm not a great graphic artist at the moment, but I would like to make my own models for game demos to expand my portfolio, etc). In any case, the point I am getting at is that it's alot easier to multi-task and get work done with 2 monitors, so at some point I may be driving 2 high res monitors with this bad boy. (If I get a wild hair and can find a good sale I may even spring for the 30inch dell and have 1 2560x1600 and 1 1920x1200 display).

In any case, to answer you question, I will have monitor(s) to justify the SLI.

[signmeuptoo]

SLI only works with one monitor I thought.

[jchahn]

SLI only works with one monitor I thought.

Yes, that's another thing that kinda sucks about my whole idea that I'm kinda in a quandary about. From what I understand you can set the nvidia drivers so that it will enable SLI mode anytime a game starts (thus turning off the secondary monitor), and then disable SLI when you stop the game (which turns the monitor back on).

So I could do the dual monitor workstation thing when I'm not gaming and then take advantage of SLI when I game. The only thing that sucks about it that I wouldn't be able to take advantage of games that have multi-monitor support, unless I wanted to run it w/out SLI (which defeats the purpose of buying an extra $600 card).

All we can hope for at this point is that nvidia will add some of the features to their geforce SLI drivers that already exist on the quadro SLI drivers. For instance, from what I understand, Quadro cards support multi-monitor SLI. It makes sense because content creators who do modeling, animation, etc would need the power of SLI but they would need the ability to multi-task w/ 2 monitors. Then again, maybe that's one of the reasons they charge $1500+ per Quadro card. If the Geforce cards had all the same features, there wouldn't be a reason for the price descrepancy.

Edit: So anyways, back to the orginal topic of the post. I'm guessing the general concensus is that, in my case, the Ultra X3 is the better option.

[Super Nade]

X3 is better value for the money and will probably out-regulate the Silencer across the board.

[ww2717]

Ultra X-3 all the way. I love pc power and cooling the X-3 is just a more versatile power supply. They were selling them for $249 in the hot deals section too. Thats way less than the 1kw PC power and Cooling unit.

[jchahn]

Well, I took everyone's advice. I ordered an Ultra X3 1000w a few hours ago. $262 on www.buy.com (http://www.buy.com)... I think that should do the trick.

[Kvar]

Warranty is better in my opinion on PCP&C.

PCP&C's warranty follows the product.

Ultra's warranty follows you, the second the ownership changes, the warranty is null and void. It doesn't mention on their website, but the enclosed registration card stated registration is required on mine at least.



Ultra warranty:
http://www.ultraproducts.com/PDFs/Ultra_Products_Lifetime_Warranty.pdf
http://www.ultraproducts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1246

As their conditional statement doesn't grant exceptions for family and friends, any change of ownership = warranty void.

PCP&C warranty:
"Silencer 750 Quad (Crossfire Edition) (S75CF)
This PC Power & Cooling, Inc. product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of three (3) years from the date of purchase. PC Power & Cooling, Inc. agrees to repair or replace the product, at our option, at no charge, if, during the warranty period, it is returned to our factory with shipping charges prepaid, and if our inspection reveals that the product is defective. Charges for removing or installing the product are excluded under the terms of this warranty agreement. Products returned without an authorization number will not be accepted.

This warranty shall not apply to any product which has been subject to connection to a faulty power source, alteration, negligence, or accident, or to any product which has been installed other than in accordance with the instructions.

THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. IN NO EVENT SHALL PC POWER & COOLING, INC. BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES FOR A BREACH OF WARRANTY IN AN AMOUNT EXCEEDING THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THIS PRODUCT. "

[jonnyGURU]

Where does the PCP&C warranty say it's transferrable?

Because the warranty doesn't make mention of it means that it is? I don't think that's the case.

[Kvar]

Where does the PCP&C warranty say it's transferrable?

Because the warranty doesn't make mention of it means that it is? I don't think that's the case.

Because of your question, I obtained an official statement from PC Power & Cooling and what I said stays.



Buy a Ultra X3 you're given a protection coverage as long as you own it. If you buy it, sell it to a friend and two weeks later it fails, written statements by Ultra basically says he's got himself a very very expensive paper weight.
"Warranty for Ultra Products are NOT transferrable from one owner to the next." (http://www.ultraproducts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1246)
http://www.ultraproducts.com/PDFs/Ultra_Products_Lifetime_Warranty.pdf
*Note: Registration required. Product must be registered within 30 days from the date of purchase.(http://www.ultraproducts.com/warranty_info.php)

Buy a PCP&C PSU with 5 year warranty, it is warranted for five years. Regardless of transfer of ownership.

Question:
I would like to get an official word on PC Power & Cooling policy on warranty transferability. The warranty terms and conditions stated on http://www.pcpower.com/support/5_year.htm?show=VPC2 doesn't make any conditions on transferability of ownership.

Assuming the original purchase record is kept, is the warranty transferable?

Answer:
"We go by the serial number of the unit regardless of who owns it.

Bob Roark
Vice President Power Management
PC Power & Cooling
Part of the OCZ Technology Group
5995 Avenida Encinas
Carlsbad, CA 92008
P-760.931.5700
F-760.931.6988
broark@pcpower.com
www.pcpower.com "

[jonnyGURU]

Thank you for looking into that. That's a good warranty.

I never expect anything I buy to have a warranty, so it doesn't necessarily pertain to me. But it is good for people to know if they have a tendency to buy and sell through their components quickly.

I know a good deal of folks are not happy with eVGA because they're warranty only applies to the original owner of the product.

[jchahn]

That's good to know, just to know... but I'm not too worried about it. I'm not the type to build a new computer and then start selling off parts on ebay 6 months later to build something newer. I upgrade my main rig roughly every 3 years, and once I build a new one, the old one gets relegated to file serving duties, becomes a linux router, etc. So I'm not to worried about transferrability.

If it ever gets transferred to anybody, it'll be my parents several years from now, in which case, I do all of their repair work. In other words, if it dies, I'll be the one sending it in for replacement. The loophole of the non-transferrable warranties is if you give it (or sell it) to a friend or family member. If it breaks, my parents can call me up and I can send it in for replacement under my name. Ultra would have absolutely no way of knowing whose computer it was currently installed in, or who currently was in possession of it as long as it gets sent in by the original owner.

The non-trasferrable warranty really only becomes an issue if you are selling/giving to someone you don't know.