Cougar LX Series 600 W

[crmaris]

The Cougar LX600 is a budget-centric PSU with some interesting features, including a fully modular cabling design, compact dimensions, and a HDB fan that promises to last for a very long time.

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[biffzinker]

"Cougar didn't leave any of these exotic features our, like the fully modular cables or the HDB fan, in order to use better components that would increase efficiency."

Is that suppose to be out instead of our?

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Not bad at all. The transient response performance I quite like a lot. The caps could be better, but if you think of it a good 3 years is a decent amount of time for a typical person with their computer before they decide to overhaul and do an entire new computer build; it also depends on how much load is on the PSU, how often they use the computer, heat, etc. I'm sure people will overreact but I don't see a problem with the Teapo SC caps, people should just be aware of what they are buying, that's all. This unit has a lot of PCIe cables, four 8-pin, and that really beats a lot of the competition. I think this unit has more upsides than downsides, overall I say good job HEC! The fan manages to do a good job of staying relatively quiet under light to moderate loads, and staying audible but not annoying when it ramps up past moderate loads to cool down the unit and keep those caps alive for a longer time.

 

[Stefan Payne]

Filtering caps on the secondary size should be of higher quality

Why?
Sorry, but we're talking about a rather cheapish Bronze unit that is very competively priced, fully modular and an HDB fan, you really think that those japanese marketing caps would matter?!

Especially since Teapo SC in PSU can last a pretty long time, if treated correctly...

If you want to bitch about capacitors, maybe you should have mentioned the Elite capacitors??


Oh and this unit has 5 Years Warranty:
https://www.caseking.de/cougar-lx500-80-plus-bronze-netzteil-modular-500-watt-necg-013.html

abgesichert durch ganze fünf Jahre Herstellergarantie.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/coug...onze-full-modular-power-supply-ca-02a-cu.html

- 5 Year Warranty

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Stefan, it is 5 years in the EU, as the review mentions on the specifications page.

 

[Stefan Payne]

That's not how you'd do it! The five years warranty for the EU would be something that should have been right next to the 3 Years Warranty. And what's with that unnecessary bitching about Teapo SC series?! It's not like any other PSU with similar data (DC-DC, similar price) has anything better than this unit...
Especially since this one has an HDB fan...

How long the caps will/may last is something no one relly can say. Except maybe for HEC, who did the lifetime calculations...
And even then you do not know anything...

And even then, does it really matter?! Who knows what the next 5 or 10 years will bring. Maybe something gets rid of the ATX spec and does something new, better for modern usage?!

Or would you use a 10 year old PSU with modern systems?

As for the KY series:
They are low ESR, but NOT Low Impedance. And that's important for modern things...
And that's why you do NOT see the KY series except for +5VSB in modern PSUs!
And yes, they were used on some oldish Seasonic Units for example...

As for OTP:
Have you tried heating the transformer? Sometimes OTP is implemented in this way and in the primary section...


Sorry, but this nitpicking isn't really OK for a PSU in this price range...

Do you really want that the PSU makers get rid of those 14/16pin Protection ICs with 2 +12V OCP channels and put an 8pin IC inside? I do not!
Or the fan. Is it better to have an HDB fan or do you want a cheap sleeve Bearing fan, but japanese capacitors?!

You can't have everything for the price...

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Calm calm calm

 

[crmaris]

KY caps are used on the minor rails as well, besides 5VSB (in not so large quantities though). And since we deal with DC on the secondary side the best term is resistance (impedance is for AC - primary side).

in a PSU caps and the fan are everything. The LX600 has a good fan but a mediocre caps choice (which however could be even worse). I would prefer a semi-modular cable design and better quality caps. I clearly state this in the review as I also state the 5 year warranty.

As for OTP Cougar clearly states that it isn't offered however still I tried and didn't find it. I heat up the whole PSU and not only a part of it.

Now about low ESR caps on the secondary side. You don't have to use expensive low ESR caps there for low ripple, since with a simple LC noise filter installed close to the outputs of the rails you can have the same effect using normal caps! It all has to do with the design. On top of that the use of low ESR caps doesn't automatically mean that you will have low ripple, even with the highest quality caps.

Also there are cases that too low ESR can cause instability to the PSU's rails or unwanted oscillations. This is why some recap works on PSUs fail so dramatically!

Hope I covered all issues raised and thank you both for the feedback. I am really glad to read all opinions.

 

[evernessince]

I've had to go through cougar support before and it was sorely lacking. Took awhile for them to even respond to my RMA request and they simply told me to go through the retailer. Ironically the retailer was sent another damaged mouse and I'm still waiting on them two months later.

 

[nem..]

-

Hi man, i just want make the comment about i cant wait for the review of Seasonic Prime PSU here in techpowerup , its fantastic psu , on jonnyguru achieves the perfect score of 10, hopefully soon will can see this psu here..

 

[Keullo-e]

Why?
Sorry, but we're talking about a rather cheapish Bronze unit that is very competively priced, fully modular and an HDB fan, you really think that those japanese marketing caps would matter?!

Especially since Teapo SC in PSU can last a pretty long time, if treated correctly...

If you want to bitch about capacitors, maybe you should have mentioned the Elite capacitors??


Oh and this unit has 5 Years Warranty:
https://www.caseking.de/cougar-lx500-80-plus-bronze-netzteil-modular-500-watt-necg-013.html


https://www.overclockers.co.uk/coug...onze-full-modular-power-supply-ca-02a-cu.html

When a cheap XFX TS 430W uses only japanese caps, why shouldnt this have?

 

[sith'ari]

At last some scoring from Aris!! (*it's been a long time since his last review at Techpowerup)
Never liked Tom's Hardware policy, with no scoring at the end of the review. (*The closing score is essential in order to know exactly what a reviewer thinks about the tested unit.)

 

[turkey3_scratch]

When a cheap XFX TS 430W uses only japanese caps, why shouldnt this have?

The cheap XFX PSU doesn't have as good of a fan, is not fully modular, and is a group regulated design.

 

[Stefan Payne]

When a cheap XFX TS 430W uses only japanese caps, why shouldnt this have?

Because the cheap XFX TS 430W saves on protection!
That's what I said in my earlier post!

And does the XFX TS430 have independent voltage regulation on all rails?
Does the XFX TS 430W have an FDB fan?
Is the XFX TS430W fully modular?

You always have to take a look at the whole picture and rate it as a whole, for what it is, not just pick somethings out of context!

Look here:
https://nl.hardware.info/product/266063/seasonic-eco-series-430w/fotos

The cheap XFX PSU doesn't have as good of a fan, is not fully modular, and is a group regulated design.

And a junk protection chip with no OCP whatsoever...
And do not forget to mention the heatsinks! Also something that adds cost to the PSU...

probably the same HY-510N they use on so many other designs...

And here's a foto of the insides:
https://nl.hardware.info/product/266063/seasonic-eco-series-430w/fotos

In the end:
You have to take the pice of the unit and look what you really get!
Independent Voltage Regulation costs a bit.
A great quality fan costs a bit
fully modular cables cost a bit

And why do we always have to bitch about capacitors, without even measuring the enviroment?! Do we know the calculations? What if in the calculations the weak point is somewhere else?! Like primary MOSFETs, secondary rectifier or even worse: Some damn 0603 SMD Resistor, capacitor or whatever...

It's easy to bitch about the electrolytic capacitors (and there is one thing he could have done on this unit but he didn't! Small hint: DC-DC), but that doesn't mean that there are other no other points that may ever fail...
Like the fan for example. How good is a unit with full japanese caps with a shitty fan that fails in the calculations twice in the expected time of operation?!
Won't you rather have a decent fan, that's expected to outlast the PSU? But save a bit on capacitors...

And it's not like Teapo SC is that bad, quite the opposite!
They are rather good, well, decent for what you'll get...

it's the same bullshit with the temperature range of the primary cap...
I've seen a 85°C Primary cap in an NMB unit, that has blue Nippon Chemicon (LXZ) caps...
And don't say anything about this PSU! Because it's one of those double PCB units like Antec Signature, Silverstone Zeus 750/850W or Antec High Current PRO 1200W...

And what many people forget: Every electrolytic capacitor will fail, especially the water based low ESR ones...