Sunday, January 8th 2017
Seasonic Updates its PSU Product Lines
After taking a long while - a very long while, in fact - to launch its flagship Prime Titanium PSU series, and after leaving its product line seemingly dormant for a while, it looks like Seasonic was actually getting ready to wake the proverbial sleeping giant: according to the company, 2017 will be an important milestone because it will feature the release of several new product lines that will include high performance - and high quality - power supplies.
This process has already begun with the introduction of the PRIME Titanium Series last year, and will be followed by the completion of that premium line with a 1000 W unit, which will become the flagship model. Moreover, many Platinum (named Prime Platinum and Prime Fanless, replacing the company's Platinum line) and Gold Prime units (replacing Seasonic's Gold X Series) will follow, addressing users that cannot afford the premium prices of the Titanium models. When it comes to the middle segment of the market, nowadays populated by their G series of power supplies, Seasonic is launching its new FOCUS series, featuring medium power output ratings and Gold or Platinum efficiency certification levels which will be manufactured in both fully modular and semi-modular flavors. Seasonic's entry-level PSUs, the M12II Evo and the S12II, will later be replaced by the CORE+ and the CORE line of power supplies, respectively.
All new PSU lines will have a refreshed look, but Seasonic won't (wisely) rest on looks alone; the new models will also feature what the company calls "innovative builds, features, and increased performance". Following the full lineup of the PRIME Titanium, Platinum, and Gold Series in chronological order, the first FOCUS Series models will make their appearance on store shelves in Q2 of this year. Seasonic will also introduce the AirTouch, a specialty PSU which allows users to select among five different cooling profiles.
Seasonic's PSU lineup for 2017 will therefore look something like this:
On 80 PLUS Titanium Efficiency levels, we'll see their PRIME TITANIUM power supplies at 1000 W, 850 W, and 750 W, with the 650 W and 550 W power ratings being taken by their PRIME 600 FL and PRIME 500 FL.
On 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency levels, Seasonic will carry, in addition to the above power ratings, a PRIME PLATINUM line with the addition of a 1200 W PRIME PSU as well as a PRIME 400 FL unit; a little lower on the product segment, we'll find the FOCUS+ models, on power ratings of 550 W through 850 W, as well as the company's special edition Snow Silent PSUs, at 1000 W, 750 W and 650 W.
On the 80 PLUS Gold efficiency levels, Seasonic will feature a PRIME GOLD line on the capacities 1200 W through 650 W; their Air Touch PSU at 850 W; their new FOCUS + line at 850 W through 550 W; as well as the company's new FOCUS series, lower in the product stack, covering capacities ranging from 450 W through 750 W, and a single Snow Silent special edition PSU at 550 W.
Moving down to the 80 PLUS Bronze pie of the product stack, Seasonic will feature their new CORE+ and CORE lines of PSUs, with both series ranging from 450 W through 750 W.
On 80 PLUS Titanium Efficiency levels, we'll see their PRIME TITANIUM power supplies at 1000 W, 850 W, and 750 W, with the 650 W and 550 W power ratings being taken by their PRIME 600 FL and PRIME 500 FL.
On 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency levels, Seasonic will carry, in addition to the above power ratings, a PRIME PLATINUM line with the addition of a 1200 W PRIME PSU as well as a PRIME 400 FL unit; a little lower on the product segment, we'll find the FOCUS+ models, on power ratings of 550 W through 850 W, as well as the company's special edition Snow Silent PSUs, at 1000 W, 750 W and 650 W.
On the 80 PLUS Gold efficiency levels, Seasonic will feature a PRIME GOLD line on the capacities 1200 W through 650 W; their Air Touch PSU at 850 W; their new FOCUS + line at 850 W through 550 W; as well as the company's new FOCUS series, lower in the product stack, covering capacities ranging from 450 W through 750 W, and a single Snow Silent special edition PSU at 550 W.
Moving down to the 80 PLUS Bronze pie of the product stack, Seasonic will feature their new CORE+ and CORE lines of PSUs, with both series ranging from 450 W through 750 W.
63 Comments on Seasonic Updates its PSU Product Lines
It's also a good idea to get an approximation from many sites in each area.
BUT, just to make you happy, going back to December, 2014, not one of the other PSU reviews rates higher than the 9.8 applied to a Seasonic Prime unit.
www.techpowerup.com/reviews/?category=Power+Supplies&manufacturer=&pp=25&order=date
The AX1500i has btw a even higher score.
I also agree that the AX1500 is the best PSU designed and built so far.. The ripple and regulation performance at 1500W, without using in-cable capacitors, at 80Plus Titanium levels of efficiency is truly outstanding. Before the AX1500i, I'm pretty sure only the ooold Antec SG-850 could produce numbers anywhere near as good.. discounting efficiency of course.
I want an AX1500i....
EDIT: Also, I have yet to see another PSU ship with threadlocked clips holding the switches to the heatsinks! Seriously, that thing is better built than freaking server PSUs!
Sure it's 2 years old, but the design and part selection has most certainly not changed (remember the Kingston V300 debacle?), so the results should be just as relevant now as they were then. If you want a review now, you'll have to buy one and send it to Aris/whoever you prefer, cause Corsair is not sending out review samples of the AX1500i anymore. If I were upgrading my PSU to an AX1500i, I wouldn't mind sending it though OkW/Tazz and Aris, but I'm not, so you'll have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid.
Both have excellent review's and are the go to for review's but the input voltage will produce very different scores/result's.
The lower voltage can uncover issue's that can be masked from higher input and visa versa as well as different control/testing equipment
Besides, the capacitor plague was over 10 years ago now.. everyone has new tech across entire ranges now. End result is that OkW and Tazz no longer score against tier 1 Chinese caps being used, and instead go back to looking at specs, thermals and warranties. Of course, there is still truly shit-tier stuff out there, but CapXon really isn't one of em. I mean, I've seen Delta and Flextronics use em in server-grade PSUs.. there has to be something decent there..Reviews take time. JG.com (the man who is known to get a shit PSU, and blow it up) does one a week, and that's super-prolific. As for Aris' methodology, I'd say that his testing gear and methods are the best out there... I mean nobody else does full-power-range ripple measurements and then puts it on a lovely colour-map for our leisurely perusal.
As for the best being 3 years old, that's more a statement on the industry than his smaller sample size. I mean, what else is there that compares?
EVGA G2/P2/T2 (and the Superflowers they're based on)? In-cable capacitors to drop ripple by 20mV to keep up with the AX1500i.
Seasonic PRIME? Nowhere near as high-capacity, somewhat messy power-up curves.
Antec HCP Platinum? Not as good ripple, and only platinum, and only hits 1300W.
Andyson N700 (and variants)? Nobody reputable is using em. (Raidmax is, but it's Raidmax.... Nobody sane wants to buy Raidmax regardless of how good innards are). Also only 700W.
Cooler Master MasterWatt? Poorer ripple and regulation, despite in-cable caps.. and limited to 1200W up until recently.
None of those besides the MasterWatt have any form of software control either, so there's that too in the AX1500i's favour.
Really, right now the AX1500i holds the crown in terms of performance, regardless of size/capacity. I suspect Corsair won't update the AXi line until a true out and out competitor shows up either.. or they get bored. That's possible too...
Of course, this isn't what I intended to be arguing. I expected more opposition to the idea that Seasonic's line needed updating in the first place, since their fanboyism is quite rife. Interesting how this conversation went down.
You are right about Digitial Schmigital- too. I've seen Analog units walk over ones claimed to be "Digital"
Personally, as a Corsair-branded-Seasonic owner (AX850 - Seasonic X-Gold 850 guts), I want more. The PRIME is an impressive step forward from the old KM2/3 Gold/Plat platforms, but it needs a revision or two more to iron out it's very few flaws. And a price drop so I can ram it down more people's throats when recommending PSUs ( :P ), cause as awesome as the AX1500i is (and as useful as it would be for my plans), it's just not practical for your average 450W TDP gaming machine.
What have I said that's silly?
FWIW, CapXon is still held in very poor esteem at badcaps.net. It's the worst of the "big cap" makers at any rate.
I prefer keeping an eye at what servers and other enterprise-grade kit and such use myself, since a lot of those are designed for 7-15 years of continuous loaded running. Sometimes they mess up and fail, but that's incredibly rare - the likes of Delta and Flex Ltd (formerly Flextronics) know what they're doing with their designs, and they're using CapXon caps with perfectly good results.
In other words, no matter how far ahead you go. If you stop like the hare did, the tortoise will pass you by and win.
I'll cave on CapXon as I may be out of date, but still maintain using all japanese in a top-tier product is better than not, if only by a sliver.