![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Wednesday, January 21, 2009
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
BFG MX Series Power Supplies - 550W & 680W
High performance, check. Low noise, check. High efficiency, check. Modular interface, check. No BS...checking into that. BFG attempts to deliver middle market wattage with high end features. This may be exactly the PSU you have been looking for.
Overview
The first thing we are going to look at with the BFG MX series is its packaging, accessories, and documentation. While none of these items is a real make or break item for a power supply the packaging quite often contains a lot of information about the product we are purchasing. The inclusion of an owner’s manual that provides actual information about our product is also of great help. Accessories are almost unnecessary with a power supply as the unit is self contained, unless it is modular, but there cases where a manufacturer can include useful accessories to make installation, routing and use more efficient.
The packaging for both current members of the MX series of power supplies is almost identical with the only real difference being found on the side of the box that has the power table and connector counts for the included unit much like it was with the LS series. These power labels are reproduced below along with the connector count that is also found on the packaging. Otherwise, the front and sides of the packaging contain mostly marketing points and advertisements for the run of the mill features like Quad 12v rails, multiple PCI-Express connectors, safety features, MTBF, etc. The rear of the box has a fan noise graph, efficiency curve, and a big fat picture of a hand model plugging in a modular cable. The packaging here today, like the LS series, does not indicate SLI or 80Plus certification but the LS-550 was 80Plus certified and the MX-550 shares the same basic platform so we would expect similar efficiency levels from it. Additionally, the MX-680 which shares the same platform as the LS-680 unit is not currently listed on the SLIZone website, but the LS-680 is SLI certified for up to 8800GTS SLI. Lastly, like the LS series the MX series is covered by a 5 year warranty and that must be registered within 30 days of purchase; otherwise the unit is only covered by a 1 year warranty. While 5 years is not nearly as long or as nice as the Lifetime warranty that is featured on the ES-800 it is far better than some other warranty lengths we have seen on much more expensive units. Users should register their BFG power supply as soon as they purchase it in order to not lose the warranty protection they thought they were getting when they bought the unit HERE.
MX 550w
MX 680w
As we see from the power label, connector count, and rail distribution the MX 550w and 680w are identical to the LS series. As such, the only real difference between the MX 550w and 680w comes from the higher 12v total capacity cap on the 680w and the more plentiful connectors on the 680w unit as was the case with the LS series. The 550w has a total 12v capacity of 41.67A (or ~90% of total possible DC output) while the 680w unit has a total 12v capacity of 51.67A (or ~91% of total possible DC output). Coupled with these outputs we find that the 550w unit has a pair of PCI-Express connectors (one is a modified 8-pin connector), six Molex, and four SATA connectors while the 680w has four PCI-Express connectors (two are modified 8-pin connectors), six Molex, and eight SATA connectors. Lastly, the rail distribution on these units once more appears very good as the PCI-Express connectors on the 550w model each get their own rail while on the 680w model they are paired with one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCI-Express connector on each rail.
The contents of the MX series of power supplies are identical with each model having the power supply, modular cables, power cord, mounting screws, a card talking about the modular cable addition, and user manual in the box. The manual for both units is identical and is the same one that shipped with the LS series but now indicates both LS and MX units. Included in the manual are the physical dimensions, installation instructions, electrical specifications except the actual output ability, safety features, pinouts, and the warranty information (again it can’t be stressed enough that users need to read this section). Overall the manual is good but far from complete and does not specifically address the unit that it ships with which is unfortunate.