Power supplies are the first thing a PC user should consider when upgrading, whether you are gaming or just using the thing for everyday use. Before you go buying a new PSU outright, make sure you educate yourself a little bit, to avoid the hassle of picking the wrong item. I recently fell in the trap of upgrading components, and soon found myself needing a new PSU when I realized the juice my rig was gonna need was simply too much for what I had on hand.

The Xion XON-1000P14F PSU is a beefy power supply; perfect for my needs but not sporting so many extras and frills as to drive the price up unnecessarily. Colored fans are  a nice addition, but even that I can do without. With an efficiency of up to 85 percent, I can worry less about wasted energy which gets converted into heat.

Specifications:

What I Like: 

The PSU itself is quiet, although I am not entirely certain if this is a result of the design, or the fact that everything else I have is so loud. It also has every possible connector I could ask for, and then some. There was no need for me to go digging around in my spare parts looking for adapters and connectors to make sure I could hook up every component I have in my rig. The cables are long enough, and have a nice, durable sheathing to prevent any accidental wire exposure. The power cables are also divided into sections that make sense, as most are admittedly, but I have run across a few manufacturers that throw things into their PSU and leave it to the consumer to figure out later. With eight SATA connectors, two 6 pin PCI-E connectors and two PCI-E 6+2 pin connectors, you should not have a need to add anything extra. It is rated for both SLI and Crossfire, so you should have no problems with your multi GPU setups.

What I Don’t Like:

It’s been nearly seven years since I have needed to use a Floppy Drive, and yet nearly every PSU made today still has this useless connector as part of their product. You try plugging a 1000 watt power supply in a rig that requires the use of a Floppy Drive, and you are likely to catch it on fire. The Floppy connector needs to go.

The CPU Power connector is a bit odd, featuring a second connector just offset. Presumably this is to be able to power different models and generations of CPUs, but the unused connector is simply too close, gets in the way and is ugly to look at.

While the PSU has all the wires I need, in some cases it has too many. Yes, flexibility of choice is key here, and it is not built to be modular, so you really can’t hold it against Xion. Some creative cable management, a few zip ties, and empty drive bays in my case more than compensate.

How Much Does it Cost?

Prices will vary, depending on where you buy this PSU from. When I picked it up, I got in on sale for $99 USD. And in that respect, it was one of the better priced power supplies for the wattage it pushes. Even at its normal list price of $110 USD, it still rates as one of the most affordable PSUs in terms of performance, and well worth the money you will pay.

The Final Word:

While you certainly can buy a power supply with better efficiency ratings, modular cables and a flashier design, the XON-1000P14F is an ideal PSU for those looking to squeeze the best value for their dollar. It includes everything you will need, and performs well right out of the box. With similar PSUs selling for over $300 USD, this one is every bit as good.

Rating: 8.5