Verdict: A 300W PSU misleadingly labelled as 600W

While the generic 400W PSU may tempt owners of mid-range PCs, a generic PSU labelled as producing a higher output could lure someone with a much more powerful system. That's why the second generic PSU we used to represent the stacks of unbranded PSUs on the market is a 600W model.

Surprisingly, the label claims that this 600W PSU's specs are similar to those of the generic 400W PSU, which seems odd, given that it professes to produce an extra 200W. The specs maintain that it can output 29A on the 3.3V rail, 45A from the 5V rail and 22A from the 12V rail. Despite claiming to be a high-end PSU, it only has an old-fashioned 20-pin motherboard connector and no PCI-E power plugs. In fact, it has just six Molex, one FDD and one S-ATA plugs. The inner workings, such as they are (it's largely empty inside), are cooled by a noisy, fixed-speed 120mm fan.

It came as no surprise to us when this PSU failed to deliver 600W, and switched off after just a few seconds of running at 75 per cent load (454W). It also failed to meet the 70 per cent efficiency demanded by the ATX spec, as it was just 61 per cent efficient, requiring a ludicrous 784W to produce 454W.

With its outdated connectors, noisy fan and inability to deliver more than 300W stably - 50 per cent less than it claims to produce - this PSU is best left rusting on the shelf. A 600W PSU for £25 really is too good to be true.

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