Performance (40% of the final score) - Real Power PowerReal... rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately, this unit doesn't exactly perform RealWell with the voltage regulation being RealUninspired for the most part. Really. And the unit isn't RealEfficient at what it does, with the electrical utility only seeing a non-PFC unit at work. But it did hold up to crossloading better than most group designs I've looked at. So, I'm going to hand out a RealRealistic 6 here.
Functionality (20% of the final score) - I'm going to have to reel the PowerReal in a bit here too, for you see them there cables are a straight up mess. It's like Stanley Spadowski sneezed while he had multicolored spaghetti up his nose, or something. Back on topic, the cabling really is a nightmare, the sleeving looks like something that came off the hose of grandma's old vacuum cleaner, and it's... well, RealUnpleasant. 5.
Value (30% of the final score) - I found exactly one price on this unit, and it was over at Newegg. $129.99. Really? For a non-PFC, old underwhelming 700W design? When you can get an independently regulated RealAwesome 750W Corsair with more 12V capacity for... gulp... cheaper? That's... RealRidiculous. 5.
Aesthetics (10% of the final score) - well, there's some good news here. I think it looks better than it performs. But only up until you turn it around and see the rat's nest of cabling coming out of the unit. 7. RealUnpretty.
Performance
6
Functionality
5
Value
5
Aesthetics
7
Total Score
5.5
Summary
While it is true that this unit was in the review closet for a bit longer than perhaps it should have been, I will remind you that I do remember when it came in and the truth of the matter is that the unit still would have underwhelmed at that time as well. Corsair had already been offering their HX series for months by that point, Enermax was offering the Liberty, and the engineers at CWT were already laughing their way to the bank based on the PSH platform which can be found everywhere now. And the Xion PowerReal 700W was supposed to compete with these? Not happening. It's an old platform that does pretty well for what it is, but... that's the problem, isn't it? We don't need power supplies capable of theoretical 80A maximums on the 5V, do we? We need all of that beef on the 12V, so video card makers can sell us ever more watt hungry cards, don't we?
The Xion Real Power PowerReal 700W needs to be RealRetired, I'd say.
The Good:
ripple and noise was well in control
looks pretty cool
The Bad:
no fan control switch like the manual promised
no PFC
not so efficient design
currently overpriced
cabling like me trying to do macrame out on the trampoline loaded up on several cups of coffee, Red Bull, and Jolt cola
The Mediocre:
an old design modernized by a double forward converter is still an old design - cue relevant only in late 2008 "lipstick on pig" joke
voltage regulation went on a good old country hoedown with the DMM readings
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