Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
If it is not clear at this point, the SilverStone SX800-LTI 800W is an SFX-L size power supply. Despite the fact this is not the smallest power supply you may find out there, it is quite small. For more precise numbers, this stretches out 13.0cm in length, which is approximately a centimeter shorter than most of the "smaller" ATX power supplies. In addition, it is only 12.5cm wide and 6.35cm tall. The fact there is 800W of power inside is quite impressive, especially with an 80 Plus Titanium rating. I should note this is also a fully modular power supply, which generally takes up more space in compared to a semi-modular or non-modular unit. However, fitting the SX800-LTI into any case should not be an issue. It may be longer than standard SFX unit by 3.0cm, but as long as you have an ATX bracket, you can probably fit this into any case.
From this top view, you can see the SilverStone SX800-LTI 800W has an appearance we have seen on other SilverStone units. There is a circular grille where air is drawn into the power supply. SilverStone's logo is labeled smack dab in the middle for a clean but striking look. Underneath the grille is the SX800-LTI's 120mm fan, which we will take a closer look at later on. The entire enclosure is covered in black matte paint. Unfortunately, fingerprints are easily picked up, though I doubt you will be handling the power supply too much. The stickers you see on the side include the unit's serial number, internal quality test certifications, and warranty label. At the back, you can see all of the modular connections, which we will look at later. Otherwise, the external casing is held together with four screws on the sides, with one screw covered by a warranty sticker. Getting access to this screw will void the three year manufacturer warranty. As for the banana, it is actually not mine, so I will give the banana back to Jonathan and continue the external tour.
Starting at the back of the SX800-LTI 800W, we have a standard honeycomb pattern in order to let air pass through. The hexagonal design has been used in many power supplies and other ventilation areas, as it maximizes airflow while minimizing air resistance. This ventilation plays a crucial role to allowing heat to flow out the back. Most modern power supplies have an automatic full range (100V-240V) AC line voltage selection, so there is no need for a manual switch as seen on some older units. Therefore, the back has a power switch and a standard power input. Thankfully, SilverStone has avoided the C20 plug found on some other units, so any standard cable will work with this unit.
As we have alluded to, the SilverStone SX800-LTI 800W is a modular power supply. This means all cables are completely detachable from the main unit. While there are some obvious cables you will need for any build, including the ATX 24-pin and the ATX 4-pin/EPS 8-pin, there are still benefits to making them modular. For one, cabling is much easier, as the cable can be routed prior to placing the power supply in place. Secondly, there are third party sleeved cables for power supplies, which allow users to even customize the cables to match their system's colors. For obvious reasons, this can only be done using modular power supplies. On the other hand, there is a higher, but very negligible, electrical contact loss at the connectors compared to permanently fixed cables. At the end of the day, I think most people will prefer fully modular units, as there is more upside to having removable cables.
The rear connection panel is pretty standard, but SilverStone has done a great job in making it clean and still clear for plugging in. At the top row of connections, we have the two PCI Express outputs, ATX/EPS 4+4 pin output, followed by two peripheral outputs. At the bottom is a Vsense 4-pin socket, ATX 24-pin connection, and two more peripheral outputs. Considering the main purpose for an SFX-L power supply is to be built into a smaller computer to begin with, I think the number of connectors is quite sufficient. I quite like the fact SilverStone included the plastic covers for the unused connections, making for a cleaner look if you do not end up using them. In addition, the plugs will not physically fit into the wrong sockets, so I think SilverStone has done a great job in this regard. You could technically force a 4-pin PCI Express output into the Vsense socket, though this takes another level of intelligence to sanely do so.
The external build quality of the SilverStone SX800-LTI is quite good, and this is great to see from SilverStone. We will see what it looks like from the inside soon enough. The fitting of the shell is done well with minimal panel gaps. All of the edges are finished nicely off and no edges feel sharp on the fingers. Hopefully this means you will not cut yourself while dealing with the unit. The only other thing to note about the power supply is the underside, which has nothing other than a large SilverStone name and logo on it.
The voltage specification label for the SilverStone SX800-LTI 800W is on the side panel. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 16A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 52.8W. The +5V rail can deliver 15A too, bringing the output to 75W in this area. The total combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 80W. 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 66A (792W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole SX800-LTI 800W is an unsurprising 800W. Again, your power distribution in your system must fall within the limits provided -- it must not exceed 52.8W on the +3.3V rail, 75W on the +5V rail and 80W combined for both, 792W on the +12V rail, and 800W combined between the positive rails. All these confusing numbers aside, this configuration allows for most power demands. I will say though the distribution on the minor rails is a bit questionable for an 800W power supply, as even the lower wattage SX700-LPT provided a higher maximum wattage in the +3.3V and +5V outputs at a combined output of 120W.
The SilverStone SX800-LTI 800W is 80 Plus Titanium certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 90%, 92%, 94%, 90% efficient at 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. There is no higher certification for 115V internal non-redundant power supplies at press time.
Coming with the SX800-LTI are a total of nine modular cables and one power cable. All of the cables are flat ribbon cables and are relatively easy to bend. The cables, however, separate in odd fashions, due to the fact some wires cross about. For a flat cable, however, it is generally all quite acceptable. These wires are 18AWG, which should be able to handle most high currents found through PCI Express and ATX/EPS connections.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4pin, 30.0cm
- 1x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, 40.0cm
- 1x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors, 40.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors, 55.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 3x SATA, 4 connectors each, 30.0cm to first connector, 20.0cm to the second connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex, 3 connectors, 30.0cm to first connector, 20.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex to Floppy adapter, 10.0cm
These measurements are specified from the manufacturer. As this is a SFX-L power supply meant for a smaller enclosure, the cables are on the shorter side. If you are looking to use this in a larger ATX case, you may want to get different cables or a different power supply altogether. As far as the former is concerned, SilverStone sells the PP05-L cable kit. In mini ITX and micro ATX cases, these cables should be long enough to reach the necessary parts, but of course, your mileage may vary. The spacing between connectors is quite adequate for multiple drives. I question why power supply manufacturers even include floppy connectors nowadays, as floppy drives are practically relics now. However, the nice thing is this floppy connection is only an adapter and can be left unused.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
