Ultra X4 850 Watt Modular Power Supply Review

These days its hard to believe Ultra first hit our radar with a flashy little power supply that featured a new gimmick, the X-Connect modular cable system.  Love it or hate it the modular power supply was here to stay.  Today we will be looking at the latest Ultra modular design, the Ultra X4 850 W ATX Power Supply.  Ultra has come along way since their first power supply and the X4 plans to solidify Ultra as a top tier aftermarket provider.  Is the X4 design the right power supply for you?  Lets take a closer look!

Ultra packages the new X4 in an large attractive box that balances the feature set with multiple pictures of the power supply to bring the message home.  While some of us can't help but feel the urge for more power, the truth is most builds don't need a four digit monster to keep things running at peak performance.  The X4 850W hits the sweet spot nicely by providing an 80 Plus Certified power supply with a quiet 135mm fan and a dramatic list of features.  As always Ultra proudly displays the actual power distribution right on the box.

The X4 design has changed a bit since we last looked at the X3 800W back in 2008.  The X4 still features the oversize 135mm fan for quiet operation, but here the X4 has some new tricks up it's sleeve.  The sides are prominently decorated with the Ultra X4 logo orientated to show nicely in windowed installations and the badging has moved to the top.  It's nice to see a manufacturer moving the ugly required labeling to the least seen side of the unit.  You might also notice the new X4 850 has a lot more sockets too.  More on that in a moment!

The primary reason for the oversize box is the inclusion of this attractive cable pouch.  The pouch is divided into two separate pouched and contains twenty separate cables shipped with this model. 

All of the interior cables are finished in a traditional black mesh sleeve as opposed to the Flex Force cables I tend to prefer from Ultra.  Perhaps they are saving those for the higher price points?  As you can see here each of the internal cables has it's own Velcro cable tie attached for storage and ease of cable management.  That's a nice touch!

There are a lot of cables as you can see and each is quite lengthy offering no prooble running power to every nook and cranny of our test case, the NZXT Panzerbox.  At total you can run; 9 12V Molex devices, 2 Floppy Drives, 11 SATA devices, 6x 6 pin PCI Express devices, 3x 8 pin PCI Express devices and two case fans.

Features:

• Modular Design – Patented technology helps reduce clutter by using only the cables needed. This not only increases airflow within the case, but it gives the inside of the computer a clean and professional look that is easier to manage and service.

• 80 Plus Certified – The X4 line received the coveted 80 Plus Bronze certification meeting a stringent energy efficiency performance specification. This optimization ensures that that less energy is wasted by the computer and heat and noise generated by the PSU are minimized.

• Power Protection – Short circuit protection, in-rush current protection, and thermal overload cutoff protection –all work in conjunction to protect systems from under voltage, surges and brown outs.

• Simple Installation – All X4 PSUs include thumb screws, zip ties and Velcro straps to make the build process as streamlined as possible.

• Lifetime Warranty – Register online or by sending in the included warranty card and receive a lifetime warranty.