Verdict: Lots of stable power for £53 makes this PSU a bargain

This Akasa PSU is almost identical to the model we reviewed last year, so it's hardly surprising that it performs so similarly.

Its total combined output is 460W, split across four primary rails. The 3.3V and 5V rails are rated at 30A, while the two 12V rails are rated 14A for 12V1 and 15A for 12V2. This is backed up by a good selection of cables, including support for both 20- and 24-pin ATX motherboards; there's even an 8-pin EPS12V connector for dual-core CPU and dual-CPU motherboards. Other connectors include eight Molex, two FDD and four S-ATA plugs, and there's a reasonably quiet temperature-controlled 120mm fan .

The Akasa flew through all the voltage stability tests, although the 12V2 rail dropped to a borderline 11.4V at 100 per cent load. However, as this is still within the ATX spec, it isn't anything to worry about. It's a low-cost PSU, so it isn't super-efficient, although its average efficiency of 74 per cent at full load is respectable. This means that it needs to draw 614W from the mains to generate our measured peak power output of 452W.

Although the Seasonic S12-500 is a far superior PSU, it costs nearly £17 more, so if you're on tighter budget then this Akasa PSU is definitely worth considering.

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