Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
The MEGA TI series is FSP's flagship lineup, and the MEGA TI 1650W I am reviewing today is the latest and greatest from the company. The MEGA TI series has one other wattage models at 1350W. The coarse black matte surface is subtle but not generic, and it features a pair of 45-degree angle edges on the fan side. From our view above, the same design is implemented on both the left and right side, where you can spot the FSP MEGA branding printed directly on along with an indented ramp for extra visual flair. To make sure you will see the text right side up at all times, the orientation of it is different on both sides, so whatever side facing the user after installation will always be correct. The FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W uses standard SECC construction. The rest of the MEGA TI 1650W uses standard SECC construction.
The 1650W variant I am reviewing today has a depth of 18.0cm, which, while not absolutely short, is relatively short for its lofty wattage and maximum efficiency grade. Most modular power supplies are longer than non-modular units by a centimeter or two, as the extra length is needed to accommodate its connector board at the back. We will take a look inside the PSU on the next page. For most ATX or eATX chassis, this length should not be too much of a problem. However, if you have a mATX or mITX case that takes standard power supplies, you should make sure this longer unit can fit in your enclosure and does not cause other incompatibilities.
At the top, a silver removable diagonal slits fan grille guards the primary and only cooling fan installed. FSP's MEGA branding is located on the side, with the grille itself located in the middle of this side of the enclosure. The air resistance should be reasonable. The 135mm fan generates airflow by drawing air from the bottom of the power supply over its internal components to keep the temperatures in check. Exhaust heat is allowed to leave at the back of the power supply through the secondary honeycomb mesh opening. Meanwhile, four hex screws secure the power supply case together. One screw has a warranty seal over it, so you cannot open the FSP MEGA TI 1650W without potentially voiding its 10-year warranty.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the same familiar honeycomb mesh design as most PSUs with a bottom mounted fan. What you will find here is a horizontally aligned C20 male connector for power input near the bottom edge along with a large on/off switch next to it on the left. The C20 plug is used to ensure a high current certified power cable is used. The included AC power cable is a fat 14 AWG unit, but unless you have a stack of these kicking around, be sure not to lose it. Some space to the right of the C20 connector is reserved for the slogan, "Power Never Ends", even though there is nothing using the space behind it on the other side. A tiny rocker switch to toggle the semi-fanless Eco Mode is above the large on/off switch. I find having the semi-fanless toggle switch here to be convenient, since some older power supplies have it on the inside rather than the outside. However, I do not see a reason why you will not leave Eco Mode on. Eco Mode keeps the fan off until it exceeds about 40% of the load threshold. Disabling Eco Mode ensures the fan stays on at all times, but the FSP MEGA TI is intelligently designed to keep it from overheating regardless of what the active setting is.
The low resistance honeycomb mesh design is implemented to maximize airflow and minimize air resistance. This is done as heat needs to leave the power supply as easily and efficiently as possible, because the FSP MEGA TI 1650W incorporates only one 135mm fan at the bottom. The rear ventilation opening could be implemented in a more efficient manner in my opinion, as about a third of the back is not ventilated. As with all active PFC power supplies, the FSP MEGA TI 1650W has an automatic full range 100V to 240V AC line voltage selection, so the user does not have to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
Like many power supplies we cover here at APH Networks, the MEGA TI 1650W is a fully modular power supply. This means all cables are completely detachable from the main unit. While it is somewhat questionable with regards to why this is necessary, since cables such as the ATX 24-pin and ATX 4-pin/EPS 8-pin have practically an 100% chance of being always connected, it may prove to be beneficial to an extent when building your computer initially.
The rear cable connection panel is done nicely. FSP has made the labels correct side up in standard orientation. Similar connectors are grouped together and are laid out in a very logical manner. To ensure you know what is going on, they are all grouped and clearly labeled for minimal ambiguity. Starting from the left, we have the CPU section for ATX/EPS 4+4 pin cables. A group of six connectors are present for PCI Express 6+2 pin cables. Two 16-pin 600W 12V-2x6 PCIe 5.1 headers are next. In the Peripherals section, four outputs support Molex and SATA peripherals. Lastly, the Motherboard section that supports an ATX 24-pin connector by two separate blocks next to each other. Incompatible outputs will not physically fit into each other, so FSP has done a great job in this regard. This generous array of available connectors should be more than sufficient for casual users and power enthusiasts alike.
The external build quality of FSP's MEGA TI 1650W power supply is excellent as always; a good indication the company is serious about the product they are selling. We will take it apart in just a moment. Fit is done well with minimal panel gaps, and all edges are nicely finished off. The level of refinement with regards to the external build quality is right up there with all the other high-quality PSUs I have used in the past. As aforementioned, we will crack open the power supply to see what components are inside in the following section.
The voltage specification label is located on the top of the FSP MEGA TI 1650W. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 20A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 66W, while the 20A on the +5V rail brings the output to 100W in this area. The total combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 120W. In other words, your power allocation combination must fall within the limits of the listed specifications. Meanwhile, a single powerful +12V rail delivers up to 137.5A -- 1650W -- to maximize power delivery flexibility compared to multiple rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole FSP MEGA TI 1650W is 1650W, as its name suggests. It does sound a bit confusing to understand how this works at first, but generally speaking, this configuration allows sufficiently flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. The power outputs in the +3.3V and 5V rails are within the norm, as most PSUs in this wattage range released in the last few years usually have them between 20A and 22A. This is because modern systems do not have a lot of need in this area.
Overall, the combined power output for the whole FSP MEGA TI 1650W is 1650W, as its name suggests. It does sound a bit confusing to understand how this works at first, but generally speaking, this configuration allows sufficiently flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. The power outputs in the +3.3V and 5V rails are within the norm, as most PSUs in this wattage range released in the last few years usually have them between 20A and 22A. This is because modern systems do not have a lot of need in this area.
The FSP MEGA TI 1650W is 80 Plus Titanium and Cybenetics ETA Titanium certified. The 80 Plus Titanium certification means that it is at least 90%, 92%, 94%, 90% efficient at 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. Cybenetics ETA Titanium means at 115V input, it is certified to be between 91% and 93% overall efficiency, power factor above 0.980, greater than 77% 5VSB efficiency, and less than 0.13W vampire power. There is no higher 80 Plus certification for power supplies of this type at press time, but Cybenetics ETA Diamond is available.
A total of fifteen modular power cables is included out of the box. All modular cables have separate wires and are easy to bend, making them extremely easy to work with. 16 AWG wires are found on the ATX 20+4-pin, ATX 4+4 pin, EPS 8 pin, PCIe 6+2 pin, and 12VHPWR PCIe 12+4 pin bundles. Everything else is 18 AWG, which is standard and to be expected.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 60.0cm
- 2x ATX 4+4 pin, 70.0cm
- 2x 12V-2x6 PCIe 12+4 pin, 70.0cm
- 6x PCIe 6+2 pin, 60.0cm
- 2x SATA, 4 connectors each, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.5cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex, 4 connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.5cm spacing thereafter
- 1x SATA/Molex, 4 connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.5cm spacing thereafter
These figures are provided by the manufacturer. Most users should have no problems with FSP MEGA TI 1650W in modern cases. 50cm is the general standard, and the included cables met or exceeded this recommendation on all measurements. Peripheral cables with a shorter length to the first connector may be advantageous for cable routing and management though.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
