Overclocker Cafe - Tuniq Ensemble 1200w PSU Review

Tuniq Ensemble 1200w PSU

The Ensemble is not a modular unit as many competitor PSUs are. This isn't a major detractor but the audience this particular power supply is aimed at are very specific in features they demand. The native cables however are all tastefully wrapped in black mesh with matching black shrink wrap for a very finished look. Each rail is also tagged with a label identifying what each cable is for. Two 8-pin PCI-E and two 6-pin PCI-E lines are here for you quad SLI folks along with a variety of other connector types.

Here is a breakdown of the native cables and extra adapter lines with the Tuniq Ensemble.

Native Cables

(1) 24 pin ATX - 22"

(1) 4+4 pin ATX EPS 2.91 compliant 12v - 22.5"

(1) 8-pin ATX EPS 2.91 compliant 12v - 22.5"

(2) 8-pin PCI-E dedicated line - 22.5"

(2) 6-pin PCI-E dedicated line - 22.5"

(2) SATA rails with three SATA connections each - 31"

(2) Molex rails with three standard Molex + one FDD connector - 35.5"

Adapters

(2) 8-pin to 6-pin PCI-E adapter cables - 5.75"

Molex to SATA adapter cable - 5.75"

(2) Three connector Molex 'Y' extension adapters - 18"

Performance

Testing the Tuniq Ensemble 1200w power supply will be done by monitoring power output via mainboard sensors in addition to external measurement with a graphical multi-meter to ensure we are getting accurate readings. The use of the external multi-meter serves as an independent check that voltage measurements are accurate and more importantly, stable over time and under varying load conditions. Our testing will be done under idle and under variable load conditions in an 'average' real world environment. Load conditions being our doing some DVD back ups while running some batched Quake 4 benchmarks for extended sessions. Ambient room temperature during testing was 23.5' C.

Test Bed

ASUS P5N32-E SLI mainboard

Intel Core 2 Duo 6600 (2.4GHz) Processor @ 3.0GHz at 1.51 volts

(2) 1GB OCZ PC2-6400 Ti Memory (4-4-4-15) at 2.2 volts

(2) Inno3D iChill GeForce 7900 GS cards in SLI

250MB Western Digital Caviar SE SATA II HDD

Generic 16x DVD-RW drive

Windows XP Pro with all service packs installed

Open rack mounting

Results and Conclusion

The most disappointing thing about the Tuniq Ensemble 1200 watt PSU is that we don't have anything in house that would need 1201 watts or more. I'm a firm believer in "failure testing" meaning you abuse something until it breaks, documenting the failure point. Idle and load voltage readings for the 3.3v, 5v and 12v lines showed a maximum variance of 0.2 volts no matter what conditions we put to the Tuniq Ensemble. Each individual rail was checked with our graphical multi-meter and proved clean and within spec.

The slightly longer lines of the Ensemble are a nice plus for anyone with a full tower case. Nothing worse in the world than not having enough reach. We found plenty of connectors and the additional adapters ensured that even the most collective of spirits or server types won't run out of connectors to power multiple SATA and/or IDE hard drives. Operation was exceptionally quiet. I can safely say in fact that the Tuniq Ensemble is the quietest power supply I've ever seen.

In the negative column there is of course the 220mm length of the unit. Many 1100 watt + PSUs are in the same super sized boat so the end user has no real surprises unless they are really pushing things then the extra 20mm of length the Ensemble has may become problematic. Also, the unit is not modular. We don't have an MSRP on this PSU at the time of this writing but I expect it to be in the $325+ range. At this price point the absence of a feature as benign as modular lines could make all the difference in the world. But utility and use is in the eye of the beholder.

Taking a step back, we are very pleased with Tuniq's new Ensemble power supply. Quad core / Quad SLI users need look no further. Plenty of cable length and aesthetics to keep you happy along with the quietest operation we've ever seen in a power supply. Also, don't forget the Fan Delay Off feature which is another nice bonus not that I expect the unit to run over 50' C too long with a 135 and 80mm fan to keep things cool. A well made and easy to recommend product from Tuniq.

Pros

Solid stabile 1200 watts of juice
Four independent 12 volt rails
Long cables for full tower cases
Plenty of connectors to include next generation 8-pin PCI-E
EZ-Grip Molex connector ends
Sheathed and shrink wrapped cables
Super quiet operation
Fan Delay Off feature

Cons

220mm long
Not modular
Price and availability unknown at present

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