Ultra X-Connect 500W Power Supply

Installation:

There were two issues I had during installation. The first issue was not necessarily a problem, but something that annoyed me. The cables for the power supply are very stiff, and when installed they can't be bent much or hidden. This left me with a thick tangle of hard cables where the cables ran to all of my devices. I have a mid-tower case, though, so for people with larger cases this probably won't be an issue. Ultra provides a cable with two SATA power connectors, and although I use two SATA drives I don't use the cables because of the stiffness and bulkiness of the group of cables.

The second problem is definitely a serious issue. The connectors on the X-Connect cables, although nice, are bigger than standard connectors and can interfere with nearby components. Namely, the ATX and P4 connectors for the motherboard both put quite a bit of pressure on the capacitors that are adjacent to the connections. This could be a very big problem, especially if you were to break off a capacitor while trying to connect one of the cables. Also, the floppy connector that is plugged into the 9700 Pro puts some pressure on the connection. The bulkiness of the connector pushes it away from the PCB of the card and bends the plug downwards a bit.

Aside from the issue with the connectors and cables being stiff, everything else works quite well. The cables plug firmly into the power supply and stay connected quite well. I like the fact that the big ATX connector is positioned at the rear when installed. This keeps it out of the way and makes for a cleaner appearance. The power supply looks beautiful when installed, and matches the finish of my case perfectly.

I don't have any UV cathodes, but I was able to find a picture of the UV reactive cables in action at the Ultra website.

Update on the Cables:

I spoke several times with the PR coordinator at Ultra about issues with the cables. They informed me that the cables have been updated and are more flexible now. I also suggested that used hinged connectors on the cables would be an interesting idea because if would allow you to rotate the connector side-to-side without having to reposition or bend the cable. They told me this had also been suggested at their end, and was something they were considering.