We’ve already tested the 450 W version from power supply series from 3R System, and it proved to be a product with an excellent cost/benefit ratio. Now let’s see if the 500 W version is also a good buy.

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Figure 1: 3R System iCEAGE IA500HP80 power supply.

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Figure 2: 3R System iCEAGE IA500HP80 power supply.

3R System iCEAGE IA500HP80 is 6 1/8” (15.5 cm) deep, using a 140 mm fan on its bottom. This unit does not feature a PFC circuit, as you can see by the presence of a 115 V/230 V switch in Figure 1. This power supply is also available as a 230 V only product. Although it does not have PFC, internally the unit uses a design that is more modern than the one used by low-cost power supplies, as we will explain later.

No modular cabling system is provided and all cables have nylon protections, that come from inside the power supply housing. The cables included are:

• Main motherboard cable with a 20/24-pin connector, 20 7/8” (53 cm) long.
• One cable with two ATX12V connectors that together form one EPS12V connector, 22 7/8” (58 cm) long.
• Two cables with one six/eight-pin connector for video cards each, 15 ¾” (40 cm) long.
• Two cables with three SATA power connectors each, 15 ¾” (40 cm) to the first connector, 5 7/8” (15 cm) between connectors).
• One cable with two standard peripheral power connectors, 15 ¾” (40 cm) to the first connector, 5 7/8” (15 cm) between connectors).
• One cable with two standard peripheral power connectors and one floppy disk drive power connector, 15 ¾” (40 cm) to the first connector, 5 7/8” (15 cm) between connectors).

This configuration is exactly the same cable configuration used on the 450 W model from this series, and we think it is good enough for an entry-level 500 W power supply. All cables use 18 AWG wires, which is the minimum recommended.

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Figure 3: Cables.

Now let’s take an in-depth look inside this power supply.