Skyhawk Power One Power Supply - Testing
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Intel Pentium M 735 (1.7GHz 2MB cache) @ 2.55GHz
As I mentioned above, the CPU itself isn't too much of a draw even overclocked to the wall, but the rest of the system is probably as much or more demanding than average. To test under load, the system ran an instance of Prime95 as well as 3DMark2k1SE while transferring files from the disc drives to the HD. This is a completely unrealistic scenario, since none of the tasks can complete at their normal speed, but it is something that the PSU should be able to handle with ease if it is worth buying.
The results were measured with a high end digital multimeter from the furthest molex connector for the 12V and 5V lines, and at the ATX connector for the 3.3V one. The values themselves aren’t what we are interested in unless they are really far from spec (above or below); what we would like to see is a minimum of variance between idle and load.
From the graphs we can see that neither PSU is really having a problem with the test setup. Despite the volt modding done to the board and processor, it simply isn't a high draw combination. Directly comparing the two power supplies, we can see that on the 12V line the Skyhawk does have a greater amount of fluctuation from idle to load. However, we're talking about a quarter of one percent change; if I wasn't using a professional multimeter it might not even have been picked up.
After the new level was reached, there was almost no ripple in the output shown by the logs from my multimeter on any of the lines by either PSU. When OCing your system, a change in output, either by ripple once something resembling equilibrium is reached, or a great difference between load and idle values, will be a good reason for the system to shut itself down or cause other errors.
Conclusion
So, what do I have to say about the Skyhawk Power One? For simplicity's sake, let's do it up in bullet format.
Pluses:
Modular for systems that don't need many wires.
Up to date as far as connections, PFC and current (amps) requirements are concerned.
It works.
Minuses:
Modular does no good if you still need to use all the ports, or more.
Heatsinks don't inspire confidence to handle rated load long term.
Do people really need to listen to music using their PC while it's off?
Not living up to the specs stated on the box for EPS12V v2.1 (debateable on ATX12V v2.0.1, too).
In the end, it will all come down to pricing. At $91, you are paying significantly less than you would for the equivalently rated OCZ or Ultra models, which also possess removable cabling. For the extra dough you get nicer, wrapped cables, a more expensive looking finish (matters to some people, just not me), and, in the case of the OCZ, a heavier weight and quite likely more dependable unit to power your system. If you aren't planning on running a Prescott P4 plus 6800GT/Ultra or SLI combination, or very heavily overclocking any other desktop based system, I don't see a ton of reasoning behind spending more money if you want modular cables to ease outfitting your case.
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