[section label=”Introduction”]
BitFenix’s 2014 is a first for many things but their 2 most notable releases are really interesting with the BitFenix Flo headset being the first for the company’s line of audio peripherals and the other being their first power supply with the BitFenix Fury PSU. While PSUs may not be unheard of for a case manufacturer, it should be noted that BitFenix’s FURY PSU comes with a design feature that we’ve seen only once before: individually-sleeved cabling. Let’s take a look at the BitFenix Fury and see what it can do. Read on.
[section label=”About BitFenix”]
About BitFenix
BitFenix is a case manufacturer known for their lineup of chassis intended for silent-computing aficionados who prefer such chassis that leave a bit of a statement. The company is also known for their line-up of compact form factor chassis specifically the Prodigy series which we’ve looked at before. Also in their port folio are customization and cooling accessories for modding enthusiasts.
The BitFenix Fury PSU
The BitFenix Fury Power Supply Series delivers a trifecta of performance, reliability, and aesthetics like no other PSU before it. From the brushed aluminum accents and stamped BitFenix logos, to the metallic fan grill and powder coated exterior, Fury is the first PSU designed to not be hidden away, but shown off. The semi-modular design allows for better cable management, and the cables themselves are sleeved with Alchemy sleeving for a premium look. Beyond good looks, Fury delivers the performance and reliability demanded by today’s modern hardware with 80Plus Gold certification, single-rail power delivery, and active power factor correction. Equipped with exclusive BitShieldâ„¢ Six-Point Protection and a five-year warranty, users can count on Fury to power their systems day-in and day-out.
View the official BitFenix Fury 650w 80 PLUS validation report
[section label=”About 80 PLUS”]
The 80 PLUSÂ Certification
80 PLUS is a certification program intended to promote energy efficiency in computer power supplies. The certification requires a product to have more than 80% efficiency in 20%, 50%, and 100% of the rated load. This guarantees that any certified product will only expend 20% of power consumed as heat at the specified load levels which leads to reduced electrical consumption and thus result in savings compared to less-efficient PSUs.
Note: The 80 PLUS certification is voluntary and a company MAY CHOOSE NOT TO undergo certification even if their product meets 80% +/- efficiency.
[section label=”Packaging & Content”]
Packaging and Content
The BitFenix Fury PSU is packaged in full-colored box featuring a money shot of the FURY PSU in the front with a highlight of the braided cables. The capacity is denoted besides the product name in this case 650G. Below in the corner you can see the 80 PLUS Gold icon and the warranty seal stating 5 years which is the current trend for high-end PSUs these days.
The back of the packaging highlights the numerous marketing points of the BitFenix FURY PSU.
Inside the package, the Fury PSU is protected in transit by dense styrofoam while all the cables are tucked in another compartment. An installation guide is included in the package.
BitFenix doesn’t package a velvet bag unlike some of the samples we’ve looked at before. The cables are strapped with plastic ties for convenience.
BitFenix Fury Cables
The BitFenix Fury features a semi-modular design with the 24-pin hardwired to primary unit. A list of all cables included is below:
Note that the PCI-e power cables are individual end to end cables and are 6+2 type plugs. This means you’ll need to run each individually to and from the PSU to the VGA.
Here’s a closer look at the Nanosleeve tight-weave braided sleeve on the Fury cables. There is no evident passthrough of the cables beneath. We would’ve loved to see individual heatshrinks on each cable ends though for a more professional look.
Closer Look – Fury PSU
The long sides of the main unit features label stickers with one for aesthetics having the model stamp on it and the other having the technical and load tables for the unit.
The back of the Fury PSU unit shows a hex grill for ventilation. An on/off toggle switch is located besides the AC male plug socket.
As mentioned, the BitFenix Fury PSU is a semi-modular design. If the modular plugs look familiar that’s because the BitFenix Fury is built around the FSP Aurum platform. We’ve seen some of FSP’s best designs and BitFenix has chosen to employ the company to build their Fury PSUs.
BitFenix doesn’t hold back though in giving the Fury some sense of style. Compared to most high-end PSUs, the BitFenix Fury has some swag going on for it with its fan alone dressed in a silver trim with the BitFenix logo adorning the center of the fan grill. The sand-blasted gunmetal finish gives the entire unit chassis an elegant look but if you think that’s cool check out the top…
An embossed BitFenix logo crowns your PSU and if you orient your PSU this way in a bottom-mount chassis, this design really pops and sets a statement inside your build especially if you have a chassis that has a LED-lit interior and clear side panel windows.
And here’s the BitFenix Fury fully-stocked with the included modular cables. Sleeved cablings really do give off a clean look to any build and many high-end builds these days invest in at least sleeved cable extensions or to some extent, good cable management with flat cables.
Inside the chassis, the small 160mm frame of the Fury sits well within the ATX standard and will happily fit in a modular-PSU challenge like the Prodigy.
[section label=”Conclusion”]
Conclusion
The BitFenix Fury is an aesthetic-inclined PSU based on a solid-performing platform. That said, let’s break down the score before we head to our conclusion:
Performance. While we may have skipped our normal PSU testing platform, under our gaming platform load the BitFenix Fury delivered nicely with acceptable voltage stability to not have us grabbing the nearest platinum model.
Build Quality. This is where the BitFenix Fury PSU shines. With its excellent looks and cables, its got enough creds to really be part of a high-end build. Any modder knows the value of sleeved cabling and we’ll discuss that later in the value section but for now we give good points for BitFenix for putting together a well-made PSU with a little extra for the aesthetically inclined builder.
Bundle. Nothing really bundled with the Fury PSU unless you count the pre-sleeved cables. We’d normally ask for a velvet bag, a screw suit and cable ties but given the target audience for the Fury, these things could be left unused altogether with modders choosing to tie them up their own way.
Value. The 650G sample we have right now may be the sweetspot for mid-range builds and the the 750G for higher-end dual-GPU ones. Both of which are priced at $118 and $138 respectively. What we really feel is the best value is the 550G at only $98. To compare, the 500w FSP Aurum is around $90 and sleeving services will usually net you cost you half 50$ or the same for a set of sleeved cable extensions. That said, you’re getting a good PSU together with a premium sleeve kit pre-built at just a bit more. A 5-year warranty also gives you plenty of assurance that BitFenix is confident in their product.
Of course a Gold- or platinum-rated PSU would not be without its high efficiency and in the chart below we show you a comparative graph of energy used and its cost we’ve presented numerous times in the past for usage cost comparisons:
Figure 1.a – Here we present an annual cost/savings comparison of a Platinum versus lower 80 PLUS ratings. Since power supplies are most efficient at around 50% loading we used the consumption of our system with a single R9 290X on full load. We compute the system consumption rate based on Meralco’s most recent rates based on a household consumption total of +200KW/h using this [tooltip text=”Monthly elec. bill =(avg. load / 1000 ) (elec. rate) * hours used * 30″ placement=”top”]formula[/tooltip].
[alert variation=”alert-info”]If you want to really maximize the efficiency of your PSU, get a model with that is twice the capacity of your typical system load. For example, if you play a lot of Watch_Dogs which loads our system to 490W – 565W with a single R9 290X, then a 1000W/1200W model would be the best choice.[/alert]
The BitFenix Fury is a solid-performing PSU that offers top efficiency and solid build quality bundling in pre-sleeved cables that make it an appealing choice for people looking for a stylish build without the need for aftermarket modding services or cramming cables behind the rear mobo tray. While most performance and brand-aware folks would have reservations about the platform, we’re quite confident on the quality of the OEM builder in this product.
The BitFenix Fury PSU comes in 750w, 650w and 550w variants.
BitFenix backs the Fury PSU with a lengthy 5-Year warranty. We award the BitFenix Fury 80 PLUS Gold power supply our B2G Silver Award.
