Member Review: Fractal Design Newton R3 600W Power Supply

4.4

Unpacking this PSU was a pleasure. It felt very premium with the cover of the packaging sliding off revealing a very nice white box which the PSU was in. The foam was very thick and the separate bags which the cables and the PSU were in were very nice. Overall, nice protection for the PSU when it is in shipping.

The weight of this PSU is nice. It's a nice and hefty unit which also makes it feel premium and not one of those cheap knock-offs which are build poorly and weight next to nothing.

The semi-passive fan is one of the main reasons I bought this unit. I wanted something that would be silent when I would not be doing much. Since I got this PSU, I've only heard it spin up once or twice!

Now for the main reason why I brought it: the looks.

I was searching the internet for a good looking PSU that would look good with the fan facing down. [I wanted the cables to go straight out of the case and no mess which you get with fan facing up.] After Buxtyy recommended this PSU, I feel in love with its looks. With the fan facing down, you get a nice logo on the side, which is nice to look at, and a Fractal logo on the top. It's very minimalistic and very nice looking. It has none of the statistics stickers which you normally get. Fractal wants you to put this PSU fan down.

The price was a bit steep for what you get. At 108GBP, its not the most expensive unit around, but it's not the cheapest by far. However, I always say I'm willing to pay whatever if it's good. For me, this is the perfect PSU which will last me many years, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone if they are on a tight budget or want a PSU which they want the fan facing up.

Features
- 80 PLUS Platinum
- Single 12V rail
- CrossFireX Certified
- Long-life ball-bearing fan
- Modular cables
- Japanese capacitors
- Semi-passive fan

Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Its Built like a tank. You can tell its a very well-made product and that it's not cheap.
- Under low load e.g. browsing the internet, at the desktop or even during light gaming, the fan doesn't spin up.
- Looks gorgeous when the fan is facing down.
- Packaging feels premium. Even the modular cable bag is very nice.
- 5-year warranty.
Cons:
- The braiding on the cables is poor. It's not a tight weave, which makes the cables very visible.
- The-24 pin cable looks awful. The braid doesn't even go to the end.
- It's expensive for what you're getting. There are cheaper and, arguably, better options out there.
- The PCI-E cable is not modular although there is another one that you can add.