Enermax Liberty ECO 500w ATX PSU
Packaging & Appearance
Published: 18th March 2009 | Source: Enermax | Price: £85.47 |
There's no better way to say 'Eco' than by use of the colour green and therefore it's no surprise that Enermax have chosen this to be the primary colour of the packaging used on the Liberty ECO. The front of the box keeps things plain and simple with a two-tone colour scheme and a picture of the unit, while the back of the box carries most of the information including the power distribution chart and graph showing the efficiency of the unit through the various load levels.
The sides of the box are also packed out with information too, with printed diagrams detailing how many connectors are included with each of the Liberty ECO models (400w, 500w & 600w), and a larger version of the power distribution chart for those who didn't happen to have their glasses handy to read the one on the rear of the box.
Taking a look inside we can see that Enermax has placed the Liberty ECO inside a bubblewrap bag to protect it from scratches and minor damage. This is what I'd consider to be the 'bare minimum' protection for a PSU in transit, but considering that the Liberty ECO is aimed more at the mid-range market any elaborate packaging such as large styrofoam blocks and velor drawstring bags would just unneccesarily bump up costs.
As you'd expect for a 500w unit, the Liberty ECO is quite compact. Measuring in at 150x85x140mm there should be no issues fitting it in any smaller ATX cases and some HTPCs. The finish on the unit is a matte black powder coat with a rough textured surface. While this feels quite scratch resistant, it doesn't carry the same aesthetic appeal as the gloss black and metallic gold flake finish of the original Liberty Series.
As a result of its compact size Enermax have been restricted to using a 120mm fan inside the unit. Had the unit have been a few mm longer Enermax could have pottentially shoe horned in a 135mm fan to help increase cooling performance much like on the Infiniti series. Of course, size isn't everything so we'll take a closer look at the make, model and specifications of the fan in a while.
One thing that certainly hasn't changed throughout the entire Enermax PSU range is the use of gold fan grills. This seems to be somewhat of a tradition for Enermax, and although the 'fake' yellow gold look is something that is often classed as 'tacky' in recent years, it does give the Liberty ECO a sense of uniqueness.
One thing that certainly hasn't changed throughout the entire Enermax PSU range is the use of gold fan grills. This seems to be somewhat of a tradition for Enermax, and although the 'fake' yellow gold look is something that is often classed as 'tacky' in recent years, it does give the Liberty ECO a sense of uniqueness.
Of course, as the saying goes "beauty is skin deep" so let's move on to the next page where I whip out the screwdriver and attempt to get beneath the skin of this modest looking unit.
Most Recent Comments
Nice review mate
. 12v rail looks especially good.
. 12v rail looks especially good.I don't necessarily see anything wrong with the packaging and appearance.
Yay, another OC3D psu review 
Odd though, looks like someone just forgot to include that fifth cable in the bundle. Maybe a packaging error? I bet Enermax could explain somehow.
The psu isn't listed on dutch stores either, so can't give a clue about that. If it's priced around €60-80 this should make a good psu for midrange gaming.
Oh and two suggestions:
- Could you include a 'sound' s... nvm. Already remember the psu tester was too noisy to do so.
- Could you make the review immediately go to a page when you select it with the dropdown menu? I always get annoyed when the page doesn't load until I remember to click the 'go' button.
This must be the weirdest post I've made in quite some time :/
Odd though, looks like someone just forgot to include that fifth cable in the bundle. Maybe a packaging error? I bet Enermax could explain somehow.
The psu isn't listed on dutch stores either, so can't give a clue about that. If it's priced around €60-80 this should make a good psu for midrange gaming.
Oh and two suggestions:
- Could you include a 'sound' s... nvm. Already remember the psu tester was too noisy to do so.
- Could you make the review immediately go to a page when you select it with the dropdown menu? I always get annoyed when the page doesn't load until I remember to click the 'go' button.
This must be the weirdest post I've made in quite some time :/
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Originally Posted by name='zak4994'
I don't necessarily see anything wrong with the packaging and appearance.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='monkey7'
Yay, another OC3D psu review
Odd though, looks like someone just forgot to include that fifth cable in the bundle. Maybe a packaging error? I bet Enermax could explain somehow. |
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='monkey7'
The psu isn't listed on dutch stores either, so can't give a clue about that. If it's priced around €60-80 this should make a good psu for midrange gaming. |
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='monkey7'
Oh and two suggestions: - Could you include a 'sound' s... nvm. Already remember the psu tester was too noisy to do so. - Could you make the review immediately go to a page when you select it with the dropdown menu? I always get annoyed when the page doesn't load until I remember to click the 'go' button. This must be the weirdest post I've made in quite some time :/ |
As for the Javascript redirect, ye I've been meaning to put that in. It was an overhang from the very first revision of the OC3D website that worked in every browser back to Netscape 4
Hmm hard one.
Fan speed would sure need an indication, especially if you can tell how the fan itself is at full load by putting it at 12v without the load tester buzzing away. Inside layout of the psu influences sound though, so it would be just an indication.
Fan speed would sure need an indication, especially if you can tell how the fan itself is at full load by putting it at 12v without the load tester buzzing away. Inside layout of the psu influences sound though, so it would be just an indication.
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Originally Posted by name='monkey7'
Hmm hard one.
Fan speed would sure need an indication, especially if you can tell how the fan itself is at full load by putting it at 12v without the load tester buzzing away. Inside layout of the psu influences sound though, so it would be just an indication. |
The sound levels would obviously be elevated due to ambient noise, but if I could sound proof the hot box (to an extent) then I could at least produce some semi-accurate dbA readings for relative comparison?
Excuse me??
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Originally Posted by name='monkey7'
Hmm hard one.
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I've been so spoilt by the larger numbers such as 700W, 1000W, and 1200W that I seem to look down or often just ignore 500W psu these days. Damn these capitalistic marketing schemes!
Enermax has always been pretty decent with their PSU's, but would it kill them to offer their PSU's via their expensive casings?
-HypoG
Enermax has always been pretty decent with their PSU's, but would it kill them to offer their PSU's via their expensive casings?
-HypoG
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Originally Posted by name='Bungral'
Excuse me??
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Not everything has a filthy meaning A sound meter would give at least an indication of the noise. Of course it takes a while before this indication has any meaning because the results have to be compared with other psu's tested with the same equipment.
Could be an idea to make a PHP page with a graph of the results. POST message with a psu ID (review no.) would highlight that particular PSU.
These reviews are picking up attention : http://pchardwareblips.dailyradar.com/story/enermax_liberty_ec_500w_atx_psu/
I'll go out on a limb and guess a £70 or so price tag. Being as the wattage up from this in the states is something like $138, ish.
I'm glad to see all the lovely connections on the unit, it's performance is great, the price is probably gonna be a little over what I'd prefer - but hey it's got some quality behind it and it should be a solid investment.
I'll go out on a limb and guess a £70 or so price tag. Being as the wattage up from this in the states is something like $138, ish.
I'm glad to see all the lovely connections on the unit, it's performance is great, the price is probably gonna be a little over what I'd prefer - but hey it's got some quality behind it and it should be a solid investment.
Very well, we need that attention, should make OC3D more of name
I've got to say google gets us the best publicity though. I got here by googling for reviews of specific components and oc3d regularly turned up on page 1.
I've got to say google gets us the best publicity though. I got here by googling for reviews of specific components and oc3d regularly turned up on page 1.
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Enermax Liberty EC 500w ATX PSU