Final words and conclusion

What we did like:

There are quite a few and basic things to like about the X-Finity units; they are reliable, strong and stable. The X-Finity DR 500W is also exceptionally silent. Surprisingly the X-Finity DR 500W appears as if it was given a greater amount of attention than the X-Finity 2G 600W. It looka sleeker, is tidier, silent, performs well, has two 12V lines and is cheaper. That doesn’t make the nickel plated X-Finity 2G 600W a bad choice, but should place the 500W version higher up your shortlist.  

What we did not like:

We found only one weakness for each unit. First, the X-Finity 2G 600W unit: Besides minor problems, such as the scratch prone nickel plating, the true problem of this unit is the two 80mm fans. The unit is unable to work entirely silent even with no load at all and it gets worse once it receives a heavy load. We do not mean that the noise is actually annoying, but we wouldn’t recommend it to a silence addict. The X-Finity DR 500W will appeal to this class of end user as it is much quieter. That said, the X-Finity DR 500W is not flawless either. Although it is very cool and silent running, the voltages on all lines seem to vary substantially when changing loads. This may not sound bad, but the load of a computer is never stable. The load may vary up to 150% between the idle and load states, which means that the voltage of the unit will vary as the computer changes states.

Who we would recommend them to:

The X-Finity 2G 600W may not be an entirely silent power supply unit, but it is very good looking and brutally strong. A single 12V line able to push 37A of power out is enough to feed most modern systems, if not all. It will be a choice for gamers and hardcore enthusiasts who desire a good looking and strong unit, but do not worry themselves with the noise it generates.

The X-Finity 2G 600W receives our DriverHeaven Shortlist Award.

What do these awards mean?

The X-Finity DR 500W is an entirely different story. It is very cool, quiet and good looking. It also performs well enough and can provide every last watt out of its power rating, although the voltage fluctuations are far from reference. It is most recommended to people who like a quality power supply unit while being reliable, strong and silent. The X-Finity DR 500W will last them quite some time. We believe that the X-Finity DR 500W unit is worthy of our Driver Heaven Editor’s Choice Award.

What do these awards mean?