It seems like sooner or later everyone is going to need a new power supply.  Whether you are upgrading from a dreaded OEM unit or plotting the next big build, starting with a stable foundation is critical.  Today we will be looking at the latest from Sigma; the  SP-700.  In a sea of four digit monsters and units costing much more, is the SP-700 a dark horse contender for your next build?

     The Sigma Sp-700 arrived in a simple black and red packaging.  Sigma has chosen to let the product picture and core feature set speak for them selves.  Much of the focus is on the support of both SLI and Crossfire for top performance builds.  The back and sides of the box provide all the key features listed below and a conferencing look at the power distribution on the side.

     Out of the box the SP-700 proves to be a bit of a no nonsense design.  The  single 120 mm fan with a gold fan guard and the popular hexflo mesh for the back to handle cooling are the only standouts on the solid black surface.   The unit measures in at 6.5"(L) x 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) making it one of the smaller units we have seen here at the Club recently.

Key Features:
- 700 WATT NVIDIA SLI CERTIFIED POWER SUPPLY
- SUPPORTS INTEL CORE 2 DUO AND AMD ATHLON 64
- ATX 12V V2.2, EPS 12V V2.91 COMPLIANY
- QUAD, 4 CHANNEL 12V RAIL DESIGN
- UP TO 85% EFFICIENCY
- FULL RANGE UNIVERSAL INPUT
- OVER VOLTAGE PROTECTION, OVER CURRENT PROTECTON, AND SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION
- SUPPORT MULITI-GPU GRAPHIC CARDS
- ACTIVE PFC CIRCUIT, ROHS, AND WEEE
- ENERGY SAVING ON STANDBY MODE
- 120MM SMART FAN SPEED CONTROL NOISE KILLER FAN

     The SP-700 packaging includes the power supply, a multi-lingual users manual, a full color product catalog, a set of Velcro cable ties, mounting screws and a common power cable.  I should note that many sites are selling the Sigma SP-700 with a three year Warranty but no mention of the warranty is made in the manual or on the box.

     Although the SP-&00 is not modular the cables are wrapped in black mesh with most ends utilizing the quick release plugs.  The cables are quite long with the motherboard cables starting around 20 inches long and the longest drive run sits at over 40 inches:

1 x Main connector (20+4Pin)
1 x 12V(4/8Pin)
6 x peripheral
6 x SATA
2 x Floppy
2 x PCI-E

     Other than the cooling, the label sticker is about the only other marking on the SP-700.  The +12 Volt rail has been split into four separate rails with each given 18A.  The use of four distinct rails is definitely geared for stability but most of the power is held over to the +3.3V and +5V rails.  Based on the UL Certification marker, It would appear the SP-700 is made by Sun Pro Electronics, makers of the very common Raidmax power supplies.