FSP Hydro PTM X Pro 1000W Power Supply Review

A Closer Look

Out of the box, my initial impressions of the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro are honestly a little mixed. – It is, of course, fantastic to see such a potent PSU in a slimmer than usual package and, in this regard, it certainly makes handling it an exceptionally pleasant task. With that being said though, although just a personal preference, I’m not overly sold on the aesthetics FSP has gone for here. – I will, of course, elaborate further on this point later in the review (where you can make your own mind up).

The top of the PSU is well presented with a nice large vented area for the fan. FSP has chosen to use the ‘slatted’ style of vent cover and in an octagonal shape, clearly provides more than enough access to the fan beneath.

The cable input bank is a little tight on space making the removal and insertion of cables slightly awkward. Given that this PSU is a fairly slim 130mm in width, however, compared to the standard 190mm, this will likely well compensate for this point when installed in a case.

We should also note that each port is clearly denoted for its specific usage adding a solid aspect of user-friendliness to the design.

The exhaust panel to the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro has plenty of ventilation holes which will clearly allow the hybrid zero-fan functionality (ECO) to perform as well as possible when set to operate under the passive configuration. – Again, like the cable input bank, not all of the space has been utilised, but overall, this should still be perfectly adequate.

As noted above, I’m personally not a particularly big fan of the branding utilised on the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro, and there is plenty of it on pretty much all visible sides. – I think it looks a little garish, perhaps a little over the top, and I don’t think the font choice does much for me either.

By all accounts, we expect this to be an exceptionally solid power supply and provide some excellent results in our testing. For me though, I do suspect that in terms of aesthetics, FSP may have allowed style to overcome the substance. Again though, this is a personal choice and you’re entirely free to disagree. What a boring world it would be if we all liked the same things!

Cabling

Each cable for the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro is clearly denoted for its usage, and more so, tells you which end goes where. – The cabling is nice and flexible albiet the protective coating isn’t as substantial as you might see on other models. When combined with a very generous length, however, it leaves the consumer with no excuse for untidy management when installed in a case.

Internals – A Look Inside!

Upon opening up the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro, despite its pretty slim stature, the internal presentation is still clean and tidy with everything looking well organised, and, where possible, well spaced. – It should be noted though that you shouldn’t go poking inside this PSU yourself as this will clearly invalidate your 10-year-warranty.

A closer look at the fan reveals it to be a third-party design from ‘ProTechnic Electric’. I have to confess that, despite a rather catchy name, I’ve never seen this brand utilised in a power supply before and it will clearly be of interest to see how this performs in our testing.

The main PCB of the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro is exceptionally well represented. Despite not having much room to work with, particularly for a 1000W output, FSP has still managed to keep things incredibly well organised. In regards to the space, however, it will be interesting to see how well this can operate when the zero-fan ECO functionality is enabled.

We can confirm, as per the key features of the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro, that it does feature Japanese capacitors and good ones too. Coming from ‘Nippon Chemi-Con’, this is an exceptionally reputable brand that, all going well, should lead to some exceptionally strong levels of performance once we start getting this tested.

Overall Thoughts!

My overall thoughts are a bit of a mixed bag. While the FSP Hydro PTM X Pro certainly looks to be an exceptionally professional power supply in terms of design and components, I have to once again admit that I don’t like its aesthetics. – Yes, admittedly, it’s always incredibly difficult to make a PSU look attractive. Overall though, I think too much emphasis has been placed on attempting to make this look flashy/fashionable where, quite frankly, I suspect that it may, on the whole, detract from the professional nature of its performance.

Just how well will it actually perform though? Well, let’s find out!