Ultra pulls out all of the stops for their 1000W modular power supply.

Ultra Products recently sent us their new 1000W top-of-the-line power supply. The X3 1000W is a modular unit, meaning you only need to plug in the cables you actually require for your PC. This saves space inside your PC case, and is a very smart design choice. Modular PSUs are becoming more and more popular, and after using the X3 it's easy to see why. Plugging in the various components was a breeze.

The included "Flex-Force" cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden inside your case. This increases airflow and improves cooling somewhat. The 135mm fan on top of the power supply is both quiet and efficient. Power protection is also built-in, meaning short circuits, in-rush, thermal overload and other nasty events shouldn't destroy your shiny new PSU.

The X3 1000 Watt PSU is all-black. It's shiny, and sleek-looking, but it won't attract too many fingerprints, which is always a good thing. Not that you'll be handling the PSU much after installation - the lifetime warranty offers reassurance that the hardware components used to manufacture the Ultra X3 are high quality and should last you for many, many years to come.

The X3 1000W includes four 6-pin PCI-E connectors, two 8-pin PCI-E connectors, and the usual array of SATA, power, fan, EPS and motherboard connectors. For the full list, refer to Ultra's product page.

Energy efficiency is a big deal these days. Fortunately, the X3 1000W is up there with the best. It performed exceptionally well in our tests, achieving the 85% efficiency claimed by Ultra Products. We also tested the maimum power delivery of the unit, and it easily achieved the claimed 1000W (1kW) of power. Better still, it did so quietly and efficiently. With a price tag of US$290, it isn't cheap, but if you're in the market for this much power you'll have a very hard time finder a better option at any price.

We highly recommend the X3 1000W for demanding systems, especially those with newer graphics cards that require lots of power. The X3 fully supports Crossfire and SLI, just make sure you get the right version. The model number for the Crossfire version is ULT40064A, while the SLI version is ULT40064.