Seasonic power supplies have been favorites amongst APH Networks editors for quite a while now. Every Seasonic power supply is made to deliver absolutely flawless power in a reliable manner to every component in the system, designed with near-flawless engineering implementation, has unsurpassed quality in almost every component used, and with a level of refinement that's simply unmatched by any other manufacturer. Not only that -- Seasonic also designs power supplies that are also one of the most efficient and quietest around. For these reasons and beyond, it's definitely no surprise why so many enthusiasts -- us included -- embrace Seasonic as their power supply of choice. However, they have always had one problem: Seasonic PSUs in the past have always been relatively modest in terms of power output rating. While the Seasonic M12II 500W we wrote about in mid-2008 is beyond capable of powering my overclocked Core 2 Extreme QX9650 machine back in the days, and an average computer uses no more than 300W under full load (No joke), there are always those people with a series of extremely power hungry components who require power output beyond that of an average user. If you are in that situation and want Tier-1 Seasonic units, you're pretty much out of luck. But times have changed. With the release of the Seasonic M12D 750W and 850W power supplies late last year, the company promises to deliver higher power output products, while retaining the traits that defined their presence in so many enthusiast's hearts. Earlier this year, the M/D-series power supplies were complimented by the release of the S/D-series -- the non-modular version of its M/D-series counterpart at a reduced cost. Will the S12D continue the tradition of Seasonic's excellent products? We cracked open the 850W model today to find out for you. |