The Andyson N500 Titanium PSU Review: High Efficiency For The Common PC

Andyson is a name that these days few PSU buyers are likely to recognize. The company has been around for almost two decades, but until very recently has struggled to make a name for itself, having been dogged by issues such as the poor reputation of Hiper's PSUs, which were based on Andyson platforms and were quite unreliable.

Looking to recover from these events, the company recently set about improving their quality and their reputation in the process, and as a result the company is making a strong comeback this year. They have released numerous new designs, most of which they are retailing under their own brand name. A few weeks ago, we had a look at their flagship, the Platinum R 1200W PSU, and our testing results were very promising.

However, as excellent as the Platinum R 1200W is, it is a product aimed at a very small and saturated market. Having a very good flagship PSU is good for every manufacturer because it serves as a symbol of the company's capabilities and competence, with a strong showing at the top often boosting sales across the board. On the other hand, it is the low and middle output units that actually generate the bulk of a company's revenue. Today we are having a look at such a unit, the N500 Titanium.

As its name suggests, the N500 Titanium is a very high performance 500W PSU capable of meeting 80Plus Titanium efficiency levels. Technically, only the 700W unit of the series has an official 80Plus Titanium certification so far. But with the 500W unit based on the same platform, we do not expect that it will have any trouble meeting the certification either. The MSRP of $110 is a little high for a 500W PSU but, depending on its performance, it could entice those that want a very efficient unit but do not need a high power output.

Packaging and Bundle

The N500 Titanium is supplied in a medium-sized cardboard box, covered by elegant artwork resembling brushed metal. Inside the box, the PSU is protected by a thin layer of polyethylene foam and a nylon bag. Given its relatively low weight, the packaging should be sufficient for shipping protection, although we would like to have seen better protection for such a premium product.

Alongside with the standard AC power cable, a manual and four black mounting screws, Andyson also provides four thumbscrews, several long and short cable ties, as well as three cable straps. It is a well thought and practical bundle.

The N500 Titanium is a semi-modular design and Andyson supplies the extra cables in a small nylon bag with a zipper. Peculiarly, the cables themselves are very basic, with color-coded wires wrapped in black sleeving.

The following table lists the number of connectors.