Verdict: From the makers of the awesome 1kW Galaxy.
For the past couple of years, Enermax has focused its attention on the high-end PSU market, producing its powerful Galaxy and Infiniti units. The Modu 82+ is Enermax's attempt to produce a mid-range PSU with a lower price tag, and will be available in 425W, 525W and 625W versions. All have modular cables, but there's also a range of internally identical non-modular versions called Pro 82+. The Pro 82+ range should be around £30 cheaper than the equivalent Modu 82+ model.
The 625W Modu 82+ has three 12V rails, each rated up to 25A, for a maximum combined load of 600W (the extra 25W comes from the -12V and 5VSB rails). The 12V1 rail powers the motherboard and CPU, 12V2 the upper two 6+2-pin PCI-E plugs and last two modular sockets, while 12V3 powers the lower two 6+2-pin PCI-E plugs and first three modular sockets. While there are four 6+2-pin PCI-E connections, we'd hesitate to say that the Modu 82+ could power all four plugs and a heavily overclocked CPU at the same time. Unlike the Galaxy and Infiniti PSUs, the Modu 82+ has standard ATX dimensions, so it will fit in any case. The insides are kept cool by a single 120mm temperature-controlled fan.
While testing at 50 per cent load, all the voltages stayed within the tolerances stipulated by the ATX spec. The Modu 82+ is also very efficient, averaging 85 per cent and drawing just 367W from the mains to generate 312.5W. At full load, the Modu 82+ was equally stable, but the cooling fan had to spin faster and so became audible.
Conclusion
While the Enermax Modu 82+ PSU is much more competitively priced than its Galaxy and Infiniti forebears, it's still expensive compared with other 625W PSUs. The 650W Be Quiet! PSU reviewed above, for example, is slightly cheaper, quieter and more efficient, plus it has post-shutdown cooling, all of which makes it the better choice.
