The back of the unit is composed of the usual switch and socket set in a honeycomb mesh designed to maximize the airflow generated by that 135mm fan.  As with all of Ultras high end power supplies, the X3 8700w features active PFC

     Lets take a closer look at the connection interface for the modular connectors.  The X3 uses a system of standard Molex and PCI-e power plugs, combined with the two for the SATA rails to keep costs down.  There are some additional benefits to this setup  the 12 V cable runs are reversible and building custom cables is a snap.  As with all the X3 line, the connectors themselves are mounted onto an aluminum plate for added rigidity.

     The outer surface is marred by just the few stickers you see here.  I have always been amused at the beautiful finish some manufacturers use that they cover with every sticker you can think of.  Fortunately Ultra lets the glossy finish speak for its self.

     Lets take a closer look at the label. Ultra provides eth bulk of the power where you need it most, the 12 Volt rails.  With 60A on the single 12V rail the X800 has plenty of power for any performance build based around a single CPU and should be able to support a good set of today's power hungry video cards as well.  For all but the most demanding builds, 800 watts has become the sweet spot for power supplies over the last year or so.

The Install:

     I installed the Ultra X3 800W into my AMD build using an ABIT Fatal1ty AN9 32X Motherboard based on the Force 590 SLI chipset. The build includes an AMD Athlon AM2 5600+, a BFG 8800 GT OC card 5 and a 4 GB kit of Mushkin XP2-6400 modules.  Storage was provided by both 160 GB and 250 GB Maxtor SATA II drives and a Lite-on 16x DVD burner all mounted in the NZXT Tempest case.

Even with the inverted design of the NZXDT Tempest I had no trouble reaching across the case to the motherboard and drive locations.  And that's even with the cables looped nicely out of sight behind drive bays and the motherboard.  FlexForce cables may be an acquired taste, but I love working with them.

To test the X3 800 I ran the system overnight idle before capturing these numbers using the ABIT uGuru.  Although the test build featured a single GPU and a single AM2 processor, every rail remained stable.  Wiith all the X3 power supplies we have tested to date, the rails remain nearly flat lined at idle.

Next I put the build under load by running Stress Prime 2004, better known as Orthos and Futuremark's 3DMark Vantage simultaneously for about 15 minutes in two back to back sessions.

These numbers were captured after two runs of about 15 minutes at load.  The X3 800 load numbers look just like the idle numbers showing no measurable change in the voltage.  Using the trusty Kill-a-watt I measured an idle draw of 145 Watts and an exhaust temperature of about 87 degrees C. 

To further test the rails I fired up the system to the BIOS and monitored the 12 Volt rails with my trusty Cen-Tech multi-tester.  While the multi-meter is no oscilloscope; I never noticed a significant change in voltage on any of the +12 V rails tested.  I also kept the Multi-tester up during a evening session of Frontlines: Fuel of War but never noticed any variance worth mentioning.  I usually expect to see some small but noticeable variations but the only time the +12 Volt rails wavered was during the boot up.

Conclusion:

Ultra has hit another one out of the park with the X3 800w Modular Power Supply.  the 800 watt has all the same features you get with the top 1000W model at a nice upgrade friendly price.  There is a lot to like about this unit; from the FlexForce cabling to the mirror finish you are set for any case windowed or otherwise.  And with the class dominant stability of the rails, you know you can count on this unit to perform.

Ultra has long been the leader in modular power supply designs and their performance line of X3 power supplies does not disappoint.  coupled with ultra's lifetime warranty you just cant find a better power supply in the 800 Watt range.  If you need more power but just don't have the need for those four digit units and the high prices they demand, you will find the X3 800 watt more than capable of running most builds for years to come.

Performance:	5 out of 5
Innovation:	4 out of 5
Quality:	5 out of 5
Stability:	5 out of 5
Aesthetics:	5 out of 5
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Value:	4 out of 5
Project Skill Level (5 being most difficult)	3 out of 5