Rocketfish 700w -- review

Phædrus2401 · 07-14-2009, 04:04 PM

I've been using a Rocketfish 700w power supply for about five months now, and I thought I'd put this out here in case it's helpful to anyone.

My experience with the Rocketfish has been... adequate, I guess. The voltages are a little loose, it gets unstable under heavy overclocking, and it has an annoying LED. However, it has powered my system adequately so far, no issues. The friend who I got this through also uses a Rocketfish PSU and it has lasted one and a half years under a load slightly heavier than mine, so it looks like they at least don't blow up consistently. Though I've just ordered a Corsair 750tx, as I wish for more stable voltages, more overclocking headroom, and possibility for upgrades in the future, I will say that the Rocketfish did its job.

A review of the Rocketfish 700w:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/556
Summary:

Quote:

We were expecting to burn or explode this power supply but, hey, it survived to our load tests! So it isn’t as bad as we originally thought (and proved that not all Huntkey power supplies are a piece of you-know-what). We could really extract 700 W from it at 50º C, so at least its label isn’t a lie, especially when we think that this model is originally labeled as a 650 W by the original manufacturer (Huntkey).

However, power isn’t everything. Ripple and noise levels were far above we wanted to see, it doesn’t come with four video card cables, the video card cables don’t use 6/8-pin connectors and comes with just one year warranty (all power supplies from well-known manufacturers come with at least 3-year warranty in the United States). These flaws can’t be tolerated on a USD 165 product.

USD 165? Wait a minute… Are these guys crazy? We can buy a PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad for less than that! Just to remember this PC Power & Cooling unit has far higher efficiency, lower noise level, a far higher maximum power, four video card cables and a five-year warranty.

Rocketfish 700 W would be a terrific product if it cost USD 70, tops. But at USD 165 it makes absolute no sense buying this unit.

All in all, this would be a decent power supply for $70--too bad Best Buy charges $160.

The mid-range PSU is a rare beast, sandwiched between shoddy, ill-specced power supplies that last until the month after the warranty (if there is one!) and the high end, efficient, powerful units provided by brands like Corsair, Seasonic, and PCP&C. For an average user who will not be doing more than moderate overclocking, the Rocketfish 700w could probably safely stand in for a 550-600 watt Corsair or Seasonic power supply. I certainly wouldn't recommend building a unit from scratch with this unit, but if your old one dies and you can't afford a quality PSU, the Rocketfish might be a good fit... except for the outrageous price.

However, for those fortunate few of us who either work at Best Buy or have friends who do, this PSU is only $65. Best Buy offers an employee discount so employees only pay wholesale+10%, which means the Rocketfish costs ~$62+tax. Why does Best Buy (who also owns the Rocketfish brand) charge so much for these power supplies, even more than you'd expect from a company known for heavy mark ups? I have no clue. Profit?

So basically, I guess, the Rocketfish is a niche market power supply: if you have a computer that needs a 600 watt power supply but your old one dies, and you can't afford a $100+ PSU, and you work/have a friend who works at Best Buy... Rocketfish 700w is a good choice. Otherwise? Stay away.

**speedster123** · 07-15-2009, 06:48 AM

Generally speaking, when someone goes to bestbuy to purchase a power supply, they need one immediately due to failure. Most people cant shop at that point.

07-15-2009, 06:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
speedster123 Mentor Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: United States-New York-Long Island Posts: 5,216 OS: xp pro SP3	Re: Rocketfish 700w -- review Generally speaking, when someone goes to bestbuy to purchase a power supply, they need one immediately due to failure. Most people cant shop at that point. __________________