Computer power supplies are one of the least taken care of components in today’s setups. While majority of the enthusiasts pay close attention to power supplies, many budding users lay off on this crucial component. Although it doesn’t seem that way, power supplies are just as important as graphics cards, microprocessors, and motherboards. Without a brand name power supply, a computer may remain unstable until the problem has been found and fixed. It’s also a proven fact that many non-brand power supplies doesn’t handle overclocking very well, and they are one of the hardest components to target when looking to troubleshoot a system.

Unlike the rest of the computing market segment, picking a power supply is fairly uncomplicated. While there are quite a few manufacturers who make superb power supplies, majority of the decision factor boils down to price, the amount of wattage, and the manufacturer’s credibility. As far as features are concerned, there isn’t much to worry about. Some claim their power supply to be silent while others target modding enthusiasts with LED lights and fans inside the units.

The architecture of a power supply is also similar from one unit to another, so companies can’t claim superiority in this area. The power supply market has to be one of the less competitive segments in the industry currently. And yet, some users still ignore this component.

The latest craze in power supplies is modular connectivity. For those of you who aren’t thrilled to have extra cables dangling inside the case, these power supplies should resort to happiness. Many of you know that extra cables, if they are not needed, just stay inside the case and hinder healthier thermal operations. If you are trying to make your case look as tidy as possible, these cables will definitely cause issues at one point or another. To tackle this problem, numerous power supply manufacturers are moving to modular designs. The one who brings these new wonders to market first will get the most attention.

Ultra has made a name for themselves with their high-quality X-Connect power supplies. And now they are back in motion with modular units that are surely the future of power supplies in the industry. Not to mention the fact that Ultra was the first one to announce and release their modular units, way before the competition. Now other manufacturers are following Ultra’s lead and introducing their modular supplies. In fact, we are scheduled to receive OCZ’s modular power supply sometime this week.

Modular power supplies mainly have the cables detached from the product. Instead of connecting the cables to the supply permanently, there are now connector slots that basically do the same thing. All you have to do is connect one end of the cable to the power supply and the other end to the motherboard (or to the designated component). By doing it this way, your system remains clutter-free and you can easily work with cables and whatnot. Modular design can be considered as the "wireless" technology for power supplies, so to speak.

Ultra has not only introduced a newer aesthetic in the world of power supplies, but also something that looks sleek and appeals to the enthusiast crowd. Their latest modular power supplies are UV reactive with fine finishing throughout. But the main question still remains, will these power supplies hold true to stability? We discover just this and more throughout our evaluation of Ultra X-Connect 500W Modular power supply…