For Life and Liberty!

We are all trying to go green these days. Everyone is getting in on the action. In order for there to be a tomorrow we have to think ahead today. So everything you see on the market today has an Eco-friendly sticker or stamp on it. I personally think it's cool that so many companies are stepping up to the plate and offering a more energy-efficient way to live. Not only does it cut back on our impact on the planet, but it saves us money on our bills. So now we have LED bulbs, low-flow shower heads, and even meters that plug into an outlet in your house and tell you how much electricity you are wasting each and every day (check prices on Kill-a-Watt meters). And lately it seems that the people leading the way for us nerds to get in on the Eco-action are the PSU manufacturers.

Enermax has delivered us the Liberty Eco line of power supplies to help us stay on Earth's good side. Available in 400W, 500W, and 620W, these PSUs will ensure that you are actually using more electricity than you are wasting. Today I'll be testing the 400W PSU and see how it stands up to other Eco-friendly supplies on the market today, as well as its efficiency compared to other power supplies that haven't been branded “Eco-friendly”. Before we get started, take a look at some of the perks of owning this particular power supply:

Being certified as 80 PLUS is quite a must-have to minimizing the electricity bill, but having ENERMAX’ patented SpeedGuard fan control with the acknowledged lowest noise profile worldwide, won’t let you hear the 12cm ball-bearing fan working, while saving your money. Likewise, the patented AirGuard inlet reduces air-turbulences furthermore. The FUTURE ready! 12P socket offers upgradability for possible future CPU or GPU connectors. Being in a true ATX standard housing of only 140mm length let it fit even in most HTPC systems. An 115% capacity transformer and a special version heavy-duty Japanese main capacitor keep the output stable even at full load, while TRIPLE AC + DUAL DC EMI Filter keep the output power cleaner than others, making it 24/7 @ 40°C ready!. The 400 & 500W models with two 6+2P PEGs can power one of all available highest-end graphics cards and the 620W with four 6+2P PEGs even two.

features	cables
• 80PLUS ready! • SpeedGuard • AirGuard • SafeGuard! • EMC ready! • 24/7 @ 40oC ready! • Future ready! • DXX ready! • Gaming ready! • Japanese Main Capacitor • Modular Cables for smart cable choice	Cables: Fixed: •    Main power connector (24-pin/20-pin) •    ATX12V/EPS12V (4/8-pin)  Modular: •    (2) PCI Express (6+2-pin) •    (5) Peripheral Optical/HDD (4-pin) •    (5) Peripheral Serial ATA (15-pin) •    (1) Peripheral FDD (4-pin)

You also get this neat little folding Enermax pouch to hold all the modular cables that you are not using at the moment. I have to say that's a first for me. I've seen a couple of plastic and even fabric bags for you to shove the cables down into, but a pouch with pockets that folds up is pretty nice of these guys to throw in there. Just figured I would throw that little tidbit in there for those wondering what drawer to shove those cables into. No need. 

One thing I did notice right away was that the P1 (the main mobo connector) is a 24-pin setup, not a 20+4. This is going to be fine for those of us with 24-pin connectors, but there are a few mini-ATX boards that have resistors (among other crap) stuck right beside where those other four pins would hang over. So before you invest in this PSU, make sure that you will be able to use it.

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