The power supply is a very important component in any computer. It is he who determines what power components can be installed in a computer. Many manufacturers produce quite interesting models. And the AeroCool VX-500 power supply is one of the most interesting examples. It is not very expensive, but it has a lot of advantages over competitors' products. Let's take a closer look at this block. But first, a few words about the manufacturer.
A little about the company
AeroCool was founded in 2001. The main branch of the manufacturer is the production of components necessary for the modification or self-assembly of a personal computer. The components manufactured by the company include power supplies, system unit cases, coolers and fans, water cooling systems and much more. The company has already firmly established itself in the first lines of the rating among its own kind and is not going to concede the palm. It is her products that advanced users choose along with such masters of the genre as "Zalman" and "DipKul". In this regard, products such as the AeroCool VX-500 power supply are very interesting. But do not forget about other products of the company. They are also very interesting and enjoy well-deserved popularity among gamers. However, we chatted a little and digressed from our today's hero. Let's look at the main specifications of the power supply.
Specifications
So let's move on to boring numbers. The rated power of the AeroCool VX-500 power supply is about 500 watts. Maybe one hundredth more or less, but these are trifles. This power is quite enough to build a home computer with fairly average performance. The unit provides current strength from 0.3 to 20 amperes. This is quite enough to power any component of the computer. The block is equipped with one cooler with a blade diameter of 120 millimeters. With its power, such a cooling system is quite enough. The energy efficiency of the unit is also at a high level. It belongs to the "Gold" type. This means that the power supply provides good power with minimal power consumption. And in the current conditions (with the high cost of electricity), this is very relevant.
Appearance
The AeroCool Retail VX-500 500W power supply differs from competitors' products with an interesting appearance. First, it is painted black. Secondly, the unusually shaped lattices make it unique. Thirdly, high quality is used as the main materialmetal. This alone makes this block much more interesting than its Chinese counterparts. The newer versions use a different type of grille, which makes the unit look even more modern. Appearance is another plus of this product. The guys from "AeroCool" obviously worked hard on the design. For which they are deeply grateful to users, modders and geeks.
Package set
The AeroCool VX-500 Power Supply is shipped in a recycled cardboard box. On the front side there is a colorful company logo with a corporate slogan and artistic performance of the block itself. On the back wall of the box and its side faces are the specifications of the device. Among other languages, there is also Russian. What can not but rejoice. The box contains the device itself, wrapped in a bubble bag, a user manual, a bag with mounting screws, and a disk with additional software. Purely spartan set. Very interesting instructions. It is available (and in normal Russian) describes the process of installing the device and connecting it to all the main components of the computer. The text is illustrated. All this will allow you to correctly install the power supply, even for those who have not encountered such a case before.
Wires and connectors
The ATX AeroCool VX-500 power supply is equipped with fairly long fabric-braided wires. This helps to avoid damage to the insulation and kinks. Such connecting elements will help the blockwork for as long as possible. As for the connectors, the impression from them is twofold. On the one hand, it's good that they are so tough. The chance of a sudden shutdown of one or another component is minimized. But, on the other hand, if the user himself needs to disable any component, then problems may arise. The contact of the connector with the socket is so hard that often the wires break out of the clamps, and the connector itself remains in place. A little unpleasant.
Test Behavior
The AeroCool VX-500 500W power supply performed quite well in tests. It easily provides power to all components of a moderately powerful computer, does not overheat and has special protection against voltage surges. The stock fan does a great job. True, it buzzes like a Ferrari in afterburner, but it's tolerable. In case of voltage drops, the unit successfully equalizes it so that there is no short circuit in the computer components. This option is very useful. In general, the test results are excellent. And this is good, considering the cost of the power supply. Usually models at this price can't do anything.
How to choose the right power supply?
The answer to this question is not as simple as it seems at first glance. To select the "right" block, you need to know quite a lot. The first step is to calculate the total power consumption of all computer components. These include: motherboard, processor, RAM, hard drive, drive fordisk reader, video card, sound card, network card. Only by knowing the power consumption of each component separately and adding them together, you can understand what power supply you need to choose. It should be noted right away that for powerful gaming computers, you need to build on the figure of 750-800 watts. You also need to take into account the possible procedure for upgrading (improving) PC components. More powerful components require more energy. Now about energy efficiency. It is better to purchase blocks marked "Platinum". With a high power density, they consume very little electricity. Blocks marked "Gold" are also quite good.
What is the AeroCool VX-500 power supply capable of? Its power is only 500 watts. This means that it cannot be installed on all gaming machines. With its specific power, only office PCs and medium-power computers can do it. But for the latter, you also need to scrupulously calculate the power consumption of the components. But for not particularly loaded office machines, this unit is ideal. There will also be scope for upgrades. As a result, a weak PC can be turned into a good multimedia center. This block is also marked "Gold". This, of course, is slightly worse than Platinum, but its energy efficiency is at a fairly high level. So for those who don't need extreme power, this power supply is perfect.
Reviews from owners of this block
If you need to know how the product behaves in real conditions, then it is better to refer to the reviews of thosewho has already purchased the device. The situation is exactly the same with such a thing as the AeroCool VX-500 power supply. Reviews about this product, oddly enough, are both positive and negative. Moreover, there are about the same number of comments with a plus sign as with a minus sign. In order to get the full picture, you need to parse them all. Let's start with the positives.
Positive Feedback
So, what do those who managed to buy the AeroCool VX-500 power supply say? The black version, by the way, is much more popular than all the other colors. that is why almost all the reviews are just about the product with this color scheme. The vast majority of users note that the unit does its job perfectly. It provides accurate and uninterrupted power to all computer components. And this is his main task. Also, many people like that the block is heavy, impressive and made of high-quality metal. Special praise was given to wires in a special braid. Now you do not need to bend standard wires in an unthinkable way to stick them where they should be. Some owners note that the built-in voltage regulator saved their computer from disaster a couple of times. For which they are very grateful to the manufacturer of this miracle. Also, laudatory odes are pronounced to the connectors of the connection wires. Plugged it in and forgot. Which, of course, cannot but rejoice.
Negative reviews
Oddly enough, there are those for whom the AeroCool VX-500 power supply, specificationswhich we just dismantled, categorically did not like. For the most part, these comments are left by those who expected to get an unrealistically powerful block for little money. Unfortunately, this option was not available. So they decided to cheat on this product. But among this sea there are inadequate and quite constructive comments. For example, some owners of this miracle complain about the unrealistically loud hum of the power supply cooling system. And it is true. This is one of the main drawbacks of the device. And nothing can be done with it. If you install another, quieter cooler, then it is not a fact that it will cope with the cooling of all the components of the block.
Some users complain that the wires are too short. But this can only cause problems for those who have not standard, but more advanced - Big-Tower - system units. That's when the wires really may not be enough to supply power to some components. This, of course, is unpleasant, but it was necessary to somehow try on before buying. This cannot be written as a negative. The user saw what he was buying. And he had to understand that for the case of his PC, you need to select the appropriate version of the PSU. Here, in principle, are all the shortcomings of this power supply. As you can see, there are very few of them. That is, there are a lot of negative reviews, but very few constructive ones.
Conclusion
So, we dismantled the AeroCool VX-500 power supply. The review turned out to be complete and exhaustive. From it it is clear that we have a mid-range device that is ideal for budget office computers and not very powerful home machines. The power supply has several advantages that set it apart from its competitors. And the main advantage is the presence of a voltage stabilizer. It will prevent computer components from burning out from sudden power surges. Wires in a special braid are also good. Thanks to her, the connecting elements will last much longer than the prescribed period. Another plus is the price of the device. For such money, it is almost impossible to find a quality product from another manufacturer. And against the background of all these advantages, there is only one negative feature: the cooling cooler is very noisy. But you can put up with such a nuisance for such money. All in all, this power supply is a great budget solution for a home computer.
