The X3 is finished in a polished nickel color that nicely matches the black components.  This same black accent is used in the 135 mm fan that dominates the bottom of the design.  Increasing the fan size eliminates the need for a second fan by increasing the volume of air moved.  As a nice bonus, the X3 is also one of the quieter power supplies in the lab registering no increase in our dBA readings over the previous Ultra 700 Watt XVS model.

     Although we are getting used to seeing power supplies look this clean from the back, I expected to see four digit power supplies generating enough heat we would need a second fan.  The X3 proves this is not necessary after all.

     If you have spent any time at all here at the club, you probably already know how much I loath the sticker abuse many manufacturers employ to cover up an otherwise attractive paint scheme.  Fortunately the only labeling on the X3 is shown here.  Now if I could only convince them to move the labels to the non default side!

Here is the obligatory label shot!  I am pretty sure you could jump start your car with an X3 in a pinch!  (Don't try that at home kids.)

     One of the more attractive features of the X3 is the completely modular design.  Now only the components you need are installed.  And with even the required components modular they can easily be relocated for a clean install.  The X3 is offered in both an SLI model and a crossfire model but at a glance it seems this unit will swing both ways with ease.

The Install:

     I installed the Ultra X3 1000 Watt Power Supply into my XION II Gamer case.   The build includes an Intel Pentium Core Duo 2 6600 cooled by an AeroCool GT-1000, a Connect3D X1900 XT video card and a 2x 1 GB kit of Crucial Ballistix DDR2-8000 mounted on an ASUS P5W DH Deluxe.  Storage was provided by 2 x WD 74 GB Raptors in a RAID0, a Seagate 750 GB storage drive and a Plextor PX-755SA 16x DVD burner.

     To test the X3 I ran the system overnight idle before capturing these numbers using the ASUS AI Probe II.  Although the test build isn't exactly power hungry every rail remained stable.

      Next I put each build under load by running Passmark's BurnIn Test and Futuremark's 3DMark06 simultaneously or about 15 minutes in two back to back sessions.

     Here you can see the numbers captured at load.  The X3 doesn't even seem to acknowledge the build even under load.  Our numbers only change slightly from the idle readings and remain rock solid.  During testing the X3 exhaust ran moderately warm but the temps were much lower than what I expected from a 1000 Watt power supply.

     To further test the stability I loaded up Sisoftware's Sandra Version XI Sp2.  Sandra is an industry leader in performance tuning and benchmarking offering one of the more reliable environmental monitors on the market.  As you can see form the graph above, the stability of each rail is confirmed by Sandra.

     The stability of the rail voltage remains consistent while idle in the BIOS.  To test the stability I also used my trusty Cen-Tech multi-tester to monitor the +12 V rails during a session of Battlefield 2142.  Over an hour period I never noticed a significant change in voltage on any of the +12 V rails.  Overall I found a average variance of about +/-1 V. Taking into account the massive Wattage dedicated to the +12 V rails and you are ready for just about any build.

Conclusion:

     Ultra Products remains on cutting edge when it comes to modular power supplies.  With the X3 1000 Watt they have successfully combined an energy efficient 1000 Watt unit with the full modular designs that first put Ultra on the map.  The X3 looks great and the lengthy FlexForce cables return to make even the more demanding cable runs a breeze to install.  Our test build was unable to put a noticeable dent in the rock solid +12 Volt rails even under load.  The X3 series is backed by Ultra's lifetime warranty making the X3 1000 Watt Power Supply a excellent choice for both today's power hungry systems and the increasingly demanding systems of tomorrow.

Innovation:	10 out of 10
Performance:	10 out of 10
Quality:	10 out of 10
Stability:	10 out of 10
Overclocking:	N/A
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Value:	9.0 out of 10
Overall Rating 9.5
Project Skill Level (10 being most difficult)	4 out of 10