Man on the street reviews
Comparison of ATX power extensions
I've used a few of these over the years and thought it might be handy to have a bit of a review and comparison of some of the various ATX extension cables on the market.
Although these are the ATX cables they also serve as an example of the rest of the respective manufacturers range of cables.
I'm going to be looking at
Length including connections
Flexibility.
Aesthetics
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable.
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking
Overall quality.
cost
Value for money
I've also included some quite Hi-res images.
Most of the cables I've reviewed can be found here,(removed by G-Dubs in respect of forum rules) along with many other modding accessories
Brown box extension cable available from many retailers.
Length including connections- 20cm
Flexibility- Excellent
Aesthetics- Poor
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- None
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- Good
Overall quality- Good
Approx cost- £2.99
Value for money- Excellent.
Summary.
Quite a short extension cable, the lack of any braid or heatshrink gives it a very high level of flexibility. It can in fact fold in half with no problem at all. Perfect for a build where space is at a premium and looks aren't important. Quality wise there's nothing actually wrong with this extension. it's well put together. Ugly, but well put together.
NZXT
Length including connections 30cm
Flexibility. poor
Aesthetics good
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable Good
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking Good
Overall quality. Good
Approx cost £8.95
Value for money- Good.
Summary
Good length cable but the rigidity of the braid used means this cable loses quite a degree of flexibility. The braid is of a very high gloss black and is complimented by good quality heatshrink firmly anchoring all the cables. All the pieces of heatshrink are of the same length which adds to the feel of quality here. Just a shame it's not a tad more flexible
Phobya
Length including connections- 33cm
Flexibility- average
Aesthetics- poor
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- poor
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- Poor
Overall quality- Very Poor
Approx cost- £7.66
Value for money- poor
Summary
The cable has good length but is otherwise let down in so many ways. the Braid used is too large for the wires inside and so is slightly baggy allowing the colour of the wire to be seen through it, add to that the heatshrink is either the wrong size or is not properly applied and as such does not grip either the wires or the braid causing the multi coloured wires to be exposed at either end. Not a good choice, and not really much cheaper than the others reviewed here.
Cubitek Black Cobra
Length including connections- 30cm
Flexibility- Excellent
Aesthetics- Good
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- None
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- Good
Overall quality- Good
Approx cost- £5.99
Value for money- Good
Summary
More akin to the brown box cable in its lack of braid, and taking as a result a high score for flexibility. Cubitek have taken something of a chance with this cable pricing as they have just below the price point of most of the braided competition. The quality of work is high, it's nicely put together and although aesthetics are very subjective I think Cubitek have pulled it off here. Certainly those with a Corsair PSU will appreciate this cable and the rest in the range as its flat bonded wire form matches those in their PSU perfectly.
BitFenix Alchemy
Length including connections- 30cm
Flexibility- Excellent
Aesthetics- Excellent
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- Excellent
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- None
Overall quality- Excellent
Approx cost- £7.25
Value for money- Excellent
A first class product from BitFenix, part of the extensive Alchemy range of cables. The braiding is of the nylon fabric type more commonly found on quality peripherals such as the Logitech G9 mouse. This fabric braid affords the cable high degrees of flexibility. Bitfenix have chosen not to use heatshrink, instead "Stealthing" the beautifully braided cables into their respective sockets. All that and it's cheaper than the both the NZXT and the Phobya offerings.
Comparison of ATX power extensions
I've used a few of these over the years and thought it might be handy to have a bit of a review and comparison of some of the various ATX extension cables on the market.
Although these are the ATX cables they also serve as an example of the rest of the respective manufacturers range of cables.
I'm going to be looking at
Length including connections
Flexibility.
Aesthetics
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable.
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking
Overall quality.
cost
Value for money
I've also included some quite Hi-res images.
Most of the cables I've reviewed can be found here,(removed by G-Dubs in respect of forum rules) along with many other modding accessories
Brown box extension cable available from many retailers.
Length including connections- 20cm
Flexibility- Excellent
Aesthetics- Poor
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- None
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- Good
Overall quality- Good
Approx cost- £2.99
Value for money- Excellent.
Summary.
Quite a short extension cable, the lack of any braid or heatshrink gives it a very high level of flexibility. It can in fact fold in half with no problem at all. Perfect for a build where space is at a premium and looks aren't important. Quality wise there's nothing actually wrong with this extension. it's well put together. Ugly, but well put together.
NZXT
Length including connections 30cm
Flexibility. poor
Aesthetics good
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable Good
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking Good
Overall quality. Good
Approx cost £8.95
Value for money- Good.
Summary
Good length cable but the rigidity of the braid used means this cable loses quite a degree of flexibility. The braid is of a very high gloss black and is complimented by good quality heatshrink firmly anchoring all the cables. All the pieces of heatshrink are of the same length which adds to the feel of quality here. Just a shame it's not a tad more flexible
Phobya
Length including connections- 33cm
Flexibility- average
Aesthetics- poor
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- poor
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- Poor
Overall quality- Very Poor
Approx cost- £7.66
Value for money- poor
Summary
The cable has good length but is otherwise let down in so many ways. the Braid used is too large for the wires inside and so is slightly baggy allowing the colour of the wire to be seen through it, add to that the heatshrink is either the wrong size or is not properly applied and as such does not grip either the wires or the braid causing the multi coloured wires to be exposed at either end. Not a good choice, and not really much cheaper than the others reviewed here.
Cubitek Black Cobra
Length including connections- 30cm
Flexibility- Excellent
Aesthetics- Good
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- None
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- Good
Overall quality- Good
Approx cost- £5.99
Value for money- Good
Summary
More akin to the brown box cable in its lack of braid, and taking as a result a high score for flexibility. Cubitek have taken something of a chance with this cable pricing as they have just below the price point of most of the braided competition. The quality of work is high, it's nicely put together and although aesthetics are very subjective I think Cubitek have pulled it off here. Certainly those with a Corsair PSU will appreciate this cable and the rest in the range as its flat bonded wire form matches those in their PSU perfectly.
BitFenix Alchemy
Length including connections- 30cm
Flexibility- Excellent
Aesthetics- Excellent
Quality of braid including its ability to mask the colour of the cable- Excellent
Quality of wiring/Heatshrinking- None
Overall quality- Excellent
Approx cost- £7.25
Value for money- Excellent
A first class product from BitFenix, part of the extensive Alchemy range of cables. The braiding is of the nylon fabric type more commonly found on quality peripherals such as the Logitech G9 mouse. This fabric braid affords the cable high degrees of flexibility. Bitfenix have chosen not to use heatshrink, instead "Stealthing" the beautifully braided cables into their respective sockets. All that and it's cheaper than the both the NZXT and the Phobya offerings.
