Mushkin Memory has been a favorite with Performance PC end-users since 1994. We interviewed the Denver, Colorado based company in our article Return of the MushKing almost a year ago, followed by Lord of the RAM, Return of the MushKing which covered their entire product line. Today Mushkin enters the power supply world with the introduction of their Enhanced Power 650W (XP-650). This product would make Andre' Marie Ampere himself giddy.

Mushkin Enhanced Power XP-650
It came in a box and that box read Mushkin.



Mushkin provided a USA version (Euro versions will be ready soon) of their foray into the Power Supply arena simply named the XP-650 or Enhanced Power Supply. With processors requiring larger, more complicated loads this was no whimsical undertaking from the Denver group. The unit was hefty ( a good sign) and arrived in great conidtion. The boxing is white as Colorado powder with Mushkin's Green and Purple logo.



Externally the unit looks great with a smokey grey reflective surface, and a green LED rear exhaust fan bearing the Mushkin logo. Mushkin has included clear coated cables to exemplify the shielding beneath, which aids in preventing RF and other electrical interference from affecting power signals.



In the ergonomics department Mushkin definitely has a winner, the XP-650 looks to be a top-quality unit (at least on the surface), with accouterments to match.



The Power supply's finish will easily compliment just about any case. The unit bears a resemblance to OCZ's PowerStream line. The brightly colored strips seen in the photos above are Velcro straps for tying off cables,thesev are similiar to those supplied with Tagan PSU's as seen in this 3DVelocity review.



I must profess my concern for modular designs. They do keep your case organized, neat and free of obstructions which can prohibit air-flow not to mention minimizing the "explosion in a spaghetti factory" effect. The problems with modular designs reside in the connectors themselves. In no uncertain terms modular connectors are "unnecessary interruptions." It's at these connections there will be an increase in resistance, a higher probability for oxidation, corrosion and eventually breakage from repeated use.



For modular cablesd resistence will remain a probvlem, yet otherthe aforementioned, unfortunately Mushkin chose not to utilize these alternatives, although in defense of Mushkin they’re certainly not alone and the fact their cables are shielded does give them an advantage in many respects.

Ideally I'd like to see more modular cables resembling those found on the Hiper-R modular PSU line seen below.



As seen in the photo below the XP-650's power cord is also shielded as well as having ferrite filter. This is the first shielded PSU power-cord I've seen which includes filtering. There are pros and cons to this implementation and without an-indepth physcs discussion suffice to say this may be more appopos in the Audiophile applications where line noise can literally be amplified. For a PSU raw current draw should be the priority IMHO.



Given the power demands of today's high-current power supplies I'd much rather see more 14AWG ~ 12AWG power cord which, to date I've only found with PCower&Cooling. Copper is a costly metal and I would wager my silver-solder dropping art collection (even the piece resembling the face of Michael Faraday) a 14 AWG power cord would incur higher production costs then the cable currently (no pun intended) supplied. The following website page might provide a clearer understanding of the AWG rating system and power demands.

Specifications:

XP-650 Specifications
Dimensions	(WxHxD) 150mm x 86mm x 175mm PS2 Form Factor
Cables	ATX 20-pin + ATX 4-pin 550mm L P4/12V 4-pin 550mm L P4/12V 4-pin 550mm L HDD 4-pin (2x2)+(1x2) (450+200)mm FDD 4-pin 2x1 (450x200)mm SATA 15-pin 4x2 (450x200)mm VGA Blue 6-pin 1x2 450mm
Fans	Thermal Controlled ((2) 80x80mm)
AC Input	115-230Vac 10% tolerance (10A Slow Blow fuse)
DC Output	+ 3.3 VDC = 26A, + 5 VDC = 30A (170W total combined). +12V1 = 20A, +12V2 = 20A, +12V3 = 20A, +12V4 = 20A (528W combined total)
Efficiency	>70% to 73% (full load)
Fan Noise	22dB 856RPM (20%) ~ 27dB 1958RPM (100%)