Paul's Thoughts:
I'm not sure it possible to overstate just how good the PRIME series is after seeing the PRIME 750W and now the PRIME 850W (OK, maybe the
[bcolor=rgb(24, 24, 24)]breakfast in bed[/bcolor] thing mentioned the last time we saw a PRIME unit would be a
bit overstating things if we used it today). However, what makes this more interesting is how Seasonic has done this by seemingly bucking some current trends. After the PRIME 750W review, some people may have questioned why Seasonic's new flagship product line is not a "digital" product like other companies have been pushing. That is certainly understandable as companies that sell "digital" units have had their marketing, their advertising, and their reps working over time to extol the virtues of "digital" power supplies the last couple years. Like any other case, when someone is trying that hard to tell you why you should buy something rather than just putting up, there is a massive oversell going on. And, indeed, this has been true as we have seen previously in our reviews
[bcolor=rgb(24, 24, 24)]of[/bcolor] [bcolor=rgb(24, 24, 24)]these[/bcolor] [bcolor=rgb(24, 24, 24)]products[/bcolor] as none of the aspects of "digital" units quite measure up to what the bill of goods said. So, if it wasn't apparent last time when we saw the PRIME 750W, the PRIME 850W shows us just how good a product can be without resorting to those kinds of gimmicks when the vendor is truly capable. With the PRIME 850W, Seasonic doesn't hide behind this feature or that feature or what not. They simply show extraordinary engineering and manufacturing prowess can result in the best 850W product we have ever seen. This is going to be hard to top no matter if the people pushing "digital" units get their acts sorted out or not. If you want a good quality power supply, the PRIME series is what you should be looking for. Not some flashy fan color scheme, not some gimmicky "I can change my OCP limits," not some "I can tweet my power usage." No, THIS is what a power supply is supposed to do, and damn if the PRIME series doesn't just do it better than anyone else right now.
The Bottom Line
Due to our more "modern" and "sensible" era of "inclusion" and "political correctness," where we don't want to "hurt people's feelings" by telling them that they are not in fact a "special flower" and everyone gets a "participation trophy," we will refrain from comparing the PRIME 850W to any other 850W units we have reviewed. Wait, who am I kidding, it says [H]ardOCP at the top of the page. So, congratulations
[bcolor=rgb(24, 24, 24)]everyone else[/bcolor], you have been relegated to whatever place that is when you don't win by the PRIME 850W! And the shellacking you took made it embarrassing. From the PRIME 850W's outstanding built quality and design, to the voltage regulation that is something so devastating you just don't see things like that done in polite company, to the DC Output Quality that makes your head spin the competition didn't have a chance. It was like someone fielded the New England Patriots against a Pop Warner team. It was brutal. Realistically then, about the only issue we find with the PRIME 850W today is that it makes it hard to recommend the truly outstanding PRIME 750W now. True,
[bcolor=rgb(24, 24, 24)]at $199.99 with Free Shipping[/bcolor] you are paying more for this unit that you will for most any other current 850W unit on the market, but you are getting the Patriots not a Pop Warner team for your system. You could save $20 and drop down to the PRIME 750W if the $199.99 is hard to swallow but, at this point, $199.99 gets you the absolute best power supply we have ever seen. So, you might as well go whole hog if you've read this far into the review today and get the PRIME 850W.
