Allied AL-250ATX & FSP Group FSP250-50NWV(PF)
Allied AL-250ATX
Retail Name (if known) N/A Rated Output Power 250W Specification ATX Power Switch Yes Input Voltage 220-240V, 50Hz Fan(s) Single 80mm exhaust Cable runs 20-pin ATX
P4
half AT
2 x 4-pin Molex, 1 floppy
2 x 4-pin MolexMax currents +3.3V = 16A
+12V = 9A
+5V = 25ACombined power for +3.3V and +5V 140W Passed certification checks No
The Allied, plucked from the deepest darkest depths of David's dungeon of doomed hardware, was the star of the show. The cheapest, plainest supply we could muster for the journey to Taiwan survived all the testing and didn't miss a beat. Its only real foible was that when asked to output the full 250W for the half-hour load period it got a bit warm. But when you realise that 250W of true output power is enough to power a very modern system, given correct distribution of loads over the available rails, a smile crept across PD and I's faces.
Of course the Allied doesn't have the connectors and separate +12V rails that it'd really need to power that modern system properly, but the years-old supply managed the output power on the test bed.
Recommended system: Given you can't buy the Allied any more and we only brought it along as our test mule, so we didn't blow up any of the retail supplies prematurely during familiarisation with the testing hardware, we can't recommend a recent system for it to power. But if you find one lying around, make good use out of it in an older P4 box or similar. It's large current draw in favour of +5V precludes its use in high-speed P4 systems.
FSP Group FSP250-50NWV(PF)
Retail Name (if known) N/A Rated Output Power 250W Specification ATX Power Switch Yes Input Voltage 220-240V, 50Hz Fan(s) Single 80mm exhaust Cable runs 20-pin ATX
P4
2 x 4-pin Molex, 1 floppy
2 x 4-pin Molex, 1 floppyMax currents +3.3V = 16.7A
+12V = 12A
+5V = 16ACombined power for +3.3V and +5V 135W Passed certification checks Yes (CE, China, passing LVD, EMC Directive. UL, Taiwan, UL 60950-1)
FSP's least powerful unit passed all testing without any issue. It balances +12V capacity better than the Allied, meaning it's suitable for a wider range of more modern systems. Output voltages were stable under load. Its only testing foibles were low efficiency under heavy loads and the heat it produced as a result (wasted power is usually spent as heat).
Lack of connectors counts against it for systems with more than four opticals or hard disks.
Recommended system: Low-end to mid-range P4 and AMD Athlon Socket A