Powerex, Power Rex

    BTW from now on I would translate some namuwiki page for computer parts only. I do not deal with KPop articles unless if they're related to PC parts. Some grammars are fixed, and I used google translate. Namu wiki's work is available under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 KR . (However, except for some documents and illustrations for which the license is specified)

https://namu.wiki/w/파워렉스

• Founded: June 1996
• Disbanded: June 2018 (1st bankruptcy) and 30th June 2020 (defunct)
• Website: https://powerex.modoo.at/ , http://www.powerex.co.kr/main_2015/,  and http://www.powerex.co.kr/main_kor/index.php (all except modoo is inaccessible, not even internet archive helps!)
• CEO: Kwak Seung-cheol (곽승철)

1. OVERVIEW

Founded in 1996, it was only last surviving ATX power supply manufacturer that was in charge of both design and manufacturing in Korea, because other Korean brand like Micronics is actually using Sirfa OEM for most of its model, Abko (modern ones, mid to high end model) uses Andyson, Zalman uses Sirfa/Hui cheng/FSP (depends on model). Other brand like Korson Sunpower (코아손 썬파워)(which was Made in Korea, basically spiritual ancestor of Powerex) has died. Also, take note that there's also another Korean company that made power supply, but not ATX PSUs (like TV and laptop chargers), like Fine Powerex (which is not related) (화인 파워렉스), and Super Power Technology (which seems to be dead) (슈퍼파워테크놀러지). The terminology of Powerex is Power (PSU) + Rex (King), so PowerKing?

On June 28, 2018, after review by the executives of the Power Rex creditors, the court management proceeded with the opinion of all creditors of raw materials (excluding banks) , and from September 2018 It is officially in the process of rehabilitation, and as a result, A/S and production lines have been normalized. 

Currently, both Yongsan A/S service center and the A/S number are unavailable.

As a power supply manufacturer that calls itself  'the pride of domestic PSU manufacturer, Made in Korea PSU brand, the website is http://www.powerex.co.kr/, but for mobile website, it leads to a rather poor modoo mobile site. Actually, http://www.powerex.co.kr/main_2015/ is the correct address.

In terms of Korea market share, it is about 1/3 to 1/4. In the beginning, it was mainly supplied as an OEM to finished PCs and showed mere performance, but as experience and technology have been accumulated for many years, it is generally a mid- to low-end model, although it has its own characteristics, it is an average level product, and it is a trend to release high-end models above gold level little by little. . Although the quality was not excellent, it was popular with consumers looking for cost-effectiveness by pushing the basic quality and low price as a weapon. Of course, it is true that the technology is lacking compared to the leading manufacturers based in Taiwan or China. Even so, 80plus Gold certified products are the most high-end products sold by Power Rex.

However, as other distributors also started to release cost-effective products, various controversies began to arise. A typical example is the REXIII 500-80 model. It was a product that caused a decisive blow to Power Rex's image as it was found that there was a problem with the product, which is when brainbox.co.kr (Brainbox) finds out this PSU is not efficient for 80plus rating, and then one time at 1watt in September 2012. In addition, Blackhawk model Islands by 1watt.co.kr Golden Sample, efficiency, false disclosure suspicions were raised, Coolenjoy the test results actually in the past from PowerRex mark side Coolenjoy the difference in the sample and the commercial sample efficiency provided by Power Rex that he reveals the how permanent acquired the powers . However, it seems that the sales are not that affected by the controversy started.

In the beginning, the main focus of this manufacturer was not retail, but OEM like TriGem Sambo and JooyonTech. Since it is an OEM for them (recently changed to Micronics), it can be said that at least there was no damage in this area. Comparing the products on the market with the internals of the power supplies supplied to TG Sambo, Jooyontech, and Hero Computers (영웅컴퓨터), the quality of the products marketed under their own name is lower. This is not only the case with Power Rex , but also manufacturers that also sells PSU as is such as Delta , FSP , and Enhance. What is inevitable is that there is a difference in scale between receiving and delivering hundreds of thousands of orders and making products that are sold little by little in the retail market. For the same reason, the PSU that goes into prebuilt computers such as Samsung and Sambo is of better quality than those of general computers (this results in term called PSU built up, internally better than tin can PSU). In the case of Delta, the products entered by the vendors are very good, but the products that ordinary consumers meet are not to lose face in the name of Delta. However, perhaps even this is a huge coincidence, it was occasionally seen as OEM power in large corporate PCs until 2012, but it became difficult to find immediately after the 1watt.co.kr review.

2. LINEUP

Overall, technology is lacking compared to other manufacturers, so there are not many high-end products, but there are many mid- to low-priced products. However, reliability is awful. Roughly speaking, the ripple & noise suppression ability is bad, and the voltage fluctuation is only basic. In addition, the operating temperature is claimed to be 0-50 degrees from Power Rex (the older model operating temperature is 0-40 degrees).

• REX II: It was a model released before, but the 400W case is still in circulation. Of course, since it is an old model, the 12V capacity and efficiency are very low (...) The 400W model is currently on sale with only the name changed to Vacuna.
• REX III: This is the main product of this manufacturer. According to Power Rex, the 500W and 600W models sold more than 900,000 units in total as of June 2015. Due to the high volume of sales, the price is relatively high compared to the performance. After changing the design method from half-bridge to double-forward in 2012, efficiency and reliability have significantly improved compared to previous half-bridge products. As a result, in Playwares test, the 500W PSU, has their efficiency increased from 72% at max load to about 79%. At this point more than three years have passed, it is lacking a lot. For this reason, the efficiency was improved by one more revision in 2016, but it is true that there is still a long way to go. However, 400W and 450W, which have not been revised so far, are just speculation (...).
• REX III 80Plus : This is a product whose efficiency did not reach 80plus certification results. You can check the 80PLUS certified products among REX III. It was also an early discontinued product before the recall in the fourth quarter of 2012. Not to be confused with the REX III product as a separate product (seems to be one with yellow orange warning label). (As there was so much confusion, Powerrex ended up completely halting distribution during the recall)
• REX III DS : A product with 80plus bronze level efficiency. However, since there is no Active-PFC, 80plus certification is not possible due to insufficient power factor (power factor 0.9~0.95 or higher at 50% load). Entry-level power with 12V 100% available capacity due to DC to DC design. However, except for the 700W product, the price-efficiency is not very good.
• REX III Modular: A version that adds semi-modularity to the existing REX III. However, even when it comes to modular cables, it is shabby as there are only 2 cables, 1 SATA and 1 PATA (...).
• REX III Edge : A product that applies a silent mode to REX III so that the fan does not operate up to 9~11% load at 25 degrees Celsius. However, since the load section in which the silent mode operates is too low, it is a pity that the fan has no choice but to operate when a load is applied, unless it is a specification that consumes less power. Other than that, there is no difference in performance from the REX III Modular.
• REX Q: It is an A-PFC product with an efficiency close to the 80plus standard level, and it is a power that showed good performance at the time. Of course, since it is an old model, it lacks a lot compared to today's products. It has now been discontinued.
• Dokdo: It is a product with an efficiency of about 80plus bronze level, and the advantage is that the fan is equipped with 2 ball bearings. If you look at the ripple & noise graph of Playwares, it seems that the ripple voltage at the 12V stage is quite high compared to other products. It has now been discontinued.
• Legend: This is a high-end line from this manufacturer, and the power that comes out of this name is mostly 80plus Bronze certified or higher. 80plus Gold certified products were released in mid-2013, and 1200W 80plus Gold certified products were also released at the end of December 2016 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Powerlex. However, the 1000W 80plus Platinum certification was canceled.[7] Except for LEGEND 500W GOLD models (uses sleeve bearing fan), the rest of the products used 2-ball bearing fans.
• Blackhawk: A product that claims to be 80plus silver-level efficiency. It is said to show 89% efficiency at 50% load, but this is a story when only 12V is applied as a typical load.[9] When a load is applied to 3.3V, 5V, the efficiency is lower than this due to the characteristics of DC to DC design products.[10] Don't buy it because you're caught by this horse. But at least for a product priced less than 10,000 won per 100W, ADDA's Hypro bearing fan[11] , 80plus Bronze-level efficiency close to silver-level[12] , it is true that there are advantages such as the application of the Samyoung capacitor at the output stage. As of June 2014, for 650W, 80plus 230V EU standard certification was obtained. For reference, the 550W is currently discontinued.
• Blackhawk SPECIAL EDITION: Same as Blackhawk products except that it uses a Korean Samyoung 400V 330μF (270μF for 550W) 105℃ capacitor as a rectifying capacitor, 5 years free after-sales service, 5 years paid warranty, and uses 2 ball bearings fan. Of course, like Blackhawk, the 550w ones is discontinued.
• Vacuna: It is a product with approximately the same performance as REX III, and the price is reduced (over 5,000 won) by reducing the cost of packaging, painting, and parts. However, the 350W and 400W models are outdated in design.[13] The performance is very poor.
• Arena, Premium, Platinum: A lineup similar to Bakuna. It seems to be a model that was released for delivery to PC bangs, etc.
• REX 5: Successor to REX III. The model with higher efficiency than the REXIII and all-sleeving treatment on the cable. However, the REX 5, like the REX III, is expensive compared to its performance. In particular, the 600W model has lower efficiency in all sections than the Bakuna 600W, which is cheaper than 5,000 won. The efficiency of REX 5 600W, which is less than %, is just mediocre.
• REX 5 SF (Spare Fan) : Model with a spare 80mm fan on REX 5. Normally, a 120mm fan is mainly used for heat dissipation, and an 80mm fan operates at low speed, but if the 120mm fan fails and stops working, the 80mm fan operates at high speed with a 10-second beep sound, which can replace the 120mm fan to some extent. . Of course, Power Rex recommends that you contact A/S within one month. In addition, after shutting down the system, the 80mm fan is operated for 4 minutes for the heat remaining inside the power supply, so that it can be cooled down.
• BLACK Q, WHITE Q: This product has about 80plus bronze level efficiency. In case of Black Q 500W and 600W, 80plus standard certification was obtained at 230V. In the case of 500W and 600W, models with all-sleeving treatment and painting changed came out through a Coolenjoy customer survey in January 2015. In the case of Black Q, there are 300W, 400W, 500W, and 600W, but the 300W model is for OEM delivery. Power Rex said that it has no plans to release the 300W to the retail market. For reference, the Black Q 600W is a cheap version of the Black Hawk by design. (In fact, the design and major components are quite similar to the Black Hawk 550w, and the performance is inferior to the Black Hawk series in voltage fluctuations.)
• BLACK Q II: 10%, 20% improvement in load efficiency in BLACK Q. (Of course, 100% load efficiency may also have changed. According to the Nowpug measurement results, the 100% load efficiency of BLACK Q II increased by 1% compared to BLACK Q for both 500W and 600W. Of course, there is no significant change in the case of CoolEnjoy or Playwares (500W only. In the case of 600W, 100% load efficiency is reduced by 1.5%)) Voltage fluctuation was also improved, but in the case of 500W, there was no significant improvement. However, in the case of the 600W model, the voltage fluctuation is has been greatly improved than Black Hawk (Referring to the Coolenjoy Bench, the 12V stage is equivalent to the Blackhawk, and the 5V and 3.3V stages are better than the Blackhawk).
• Rex-S: The number indicated as the power of the TFX standard is the model name, and the rated output is expressed on the specification. Of course, since they are older models (released in the mid-late 2000s), their performance is quite low. It is very common in LP-type small and medium-sized business PCs.
• Rex-S350P : Rated 300W power with TFX standard Active-PFC. Efficiency is similar to Black Q.
• Rex-u: The number indicated as the power of the M-ATX standard is the model name, and the rated output is expressed on the specification. Except for the u-450, the performance is quite poor because they are old models that have been released for a long time. Of course, it is difficult to say that the u-450 also has good performance. Besides, with the exception of the u-450, the pressure of the protruding fan that greatly reduces the compatibility... Of course, the u-450 model also lacks compatibility because the size of the power supply is large even without a protruding fan.
• Rex-200U: Flex-ATX standard PSU and rated output is 200W.

3. CONTROVERSIES

3.1. WITH BRAINBOX (BRAINBOX.CO.KR)

In the past, it almost became a manufacturer that hit the specs with a review of Brainbox, but after a muddy battle, there is a criminal record that was explained using transcripts, etc. The fact that the Brainbox side advertises as if there is an OCP circuit even though there is no overcurrent protection (OCP) function(In this regard, Powerlex said that according to the Intel guidelines, there is no mention of using a specific circuit to implement the OCP function, so it is not a false advertisement, but it will be corrected. The Fair Trade Commission also stated that there is no problem with advertising.). Product quality varies by much (It is said that two out of five PSU exploded during a full-load test.) 

In response to this, Power Rex implemented the OCP function through the OPP circuit.(OCP is blocked when the amount of current is over, and OPP is blocked when the total amount of power is over. In fact, there is not much difference between the two circuits in terms of functionality other than the difference between installing them separately at 12V, 3.3V, and 5V, or installing them to monitor the whole.), and claiming the OCP test method of the brainbox is incorrect (This product is designed to operate the OCP function by OPP when the current rises more than 10A per second, and claimed to be exploding.). Power Rex made the wrong test in that way made a mess of PSU, and then there is a problem with the product because two units exploded in the full load test, and also Power Rex did not accept the spawn request of the Brainbox which Power Rex claimed them to test maliciously.

3.2. WITH 1WATT (1WATT.CO.KR)

During 1watt's testing, the Rex III 500-80 model is not tested at 100V 50Hz, full-load voltage dropped too much, there is no OCP, it is a single rail, not a triple rail, the efficiency is far below 80plus standard, and false advertisement for lower harmonics. 1watt also made a bit of controversy by posting an article claiming that the standby power was not less than 1w.

In the end, Power Rex admitted that there were problems with voltages of 5V and 3.3V, standby power, and efficiency at 110V (other claims are disputed) It was exchanged for a higher model and the model was discontinued. However, after the recall period of about 3 months, they do not seem to be able to exchange it. In fact, after the recall period, users who requested an exchange on the Power Rex website bulletin board did not exchange the product because the product had a problem in the 110V environment and the recall period had expired.

And even as of December 2015, some sites lists this PSU for sale, but Power Rex's said that all Rex III 500-80 units have been brought back to the distributor, and even if you try to purchase, the product has already brought back to the distributor and won't be shipped because there is no stock (Online stores doesn't stock them; they requested distributors first).

3.2.1. HARMONIC ISSUES

As a result of measuring the harmonic current distortion at 1 watt, most of Power Rex's main products showed harmonic current distortion (ITHD) exceeding 80%, causing controversy. Power Rex defended that the damage to parts due to bad harmonics was very minimal. In fact, if there is no PFC, you do not have to worry about adversely affecting the parts, the reason for regulating harmonics in the first place is not because the computer breaks down, but because of the adverse effects on the facilities that supply electricity.

3.2.2. HEAT ISSUES

As a result of measuring the heat generation of the Rex III 500W model at 1 watt, the temperature of the inductor (aka choke coil) was found to be 134 degrees Celsius (at 280 W Load), causing controversy.[33] , the result of loading 280W in Power Rex showed a temperature of about 61 degrees. It is impossible to know which one is correct because the two claims are so different.
And the Legend 800W 80plus Bronze also had a maximum temperature of 104 degrees and was controversial because it generated a lot of heat. It was argued that the method of measuring the temperature with a thermal imager after applying a load without using a recorder is an incorrect test because the measured values ​​vary greatly depending on the settings of the thermal imager.

After that, according to 1watt, the model called U450 had a whopping maximum temperature, 150 degrees C. There is no official explanation from Power Rex. 1watt came up and replied that it could not be used.

After that, a national agency investigated 26 types of products benched at 1 watt, but products from other companies that had problems with heat, including Power Rex products, also had heat problems, so no products were detected. In fact, no matter how strong a heat-resistant power-related device is at a temperature of 150 degrees, it is highly likely that the 150 degree statement of 1 watt is a measurement error because it cannot be operated for a long time except for special types such as high heat resistant devices.

3.2.3. SUBPAR CONNECTOR ISSUES

1watt claims that the auxiliary power source inside the 6-pin connector terminal of the Power Rex main products that non-standard products to use (in fact, part of the "standard / non-standard" is not specified.) (Power Rex PSU having trouble in PC bang) In this case, there was a problem with the shape of the entrance and the contact surface of the connector, so the graphic card malfunctioned due to poor contact, the PC turns off, and in severe cases, the temperature near the connector increased and the risk of 'connector burn' was discovered. Power Rex gave an explanation , but 1watt raised an additional objection by changing words .[36] When Power Rex mentioned a comparison of the connector of E Mosa in Taiwan, E Mosa's distributor entered a counterattack with 1watt. link[37] In response, Powerrex explained that the expression itself of non-standard product is wrong, there is no problem with its terminal, and there is only a technical difference from the coupling method of the connector of E and C.

In the end, Powerlex announced that it would respond to the problem caused by the connector with indefinite free A/S, and it was settled. However, admitting that there was a problem by using the terminal, but not actively reporting this point, can be a problem.

For reference, 1watt has not taken any action as of May 2015, more than a year after raising the issue, and even refused to respond to inquiries about the case. Note However, a case similar to that claimed by 1watt on September 20, 2015 appeared.

3.2.4. POWER REX BLACKHAWK REVIEW UNIT IS DIFFERENT?

Power Rex Blackhawk efficiency during 1watt testing is not silver-level efficiency as advertised, and 1watt suspects Power Rex to sent a completely different golden sample to the benchmark site to deceive consumers. In response, Power Rex explained that there was no intention to deliberately deceive, and that they only used the best results among the benchmark results for marketing. In addition, as a result of reviewing the product recently, it is true that the efficiency was lower than at the time of release, so it is said that the cause is being analyzed. However, the results of Power Rex's recent self-measured product were only at the level of the 80plus bronze rated, and the test results of Nowpug's commercially available samples were not much different from this. Of course, Power Rex is repeating the position that it has not provided a golden sample in response to consumer complaints posted on product information bulletin boards such as Danawa and is analyzing the cause of the reduced efficiency.

Cool Enjoy purchased retail products on the market for 12 products that had been tested with samples provided by distributors, verified the efficiency again, and posted the results. test result Again, the difference in efficiency at 20% and 50% in Power Rex's Blackhawk product is within the margin of error, but as the output exceeds 60%, the difference starts to widen, and as the load rate increases, the comparison with the sample provided by Power Rex initially Therefore, it was revealed that there is at least a difference enough to be interpreted as having a different internal part or design.

And the day after the article was posted, the user mentioned above directly uploaded the benchmark result, and the post was 80Plus Silver level. Contrary to the publicity of Power Rex, it showed 83% to 85% efficiency at 50% load, and showed a decrease in efficiency to less than 80% at 100% load. Considering that the error was due to the difference in test method, the difference was large, with the efficiency sometimes differing by more than 4% compared to the sample provided by Power Rex. In other words, it is difficult to see the difference according to the test method.

In response, Power Rex has not provided a golden sample and is repeating its position that it is analyzing the cause of the lack of efficiency. It does not actively inform that there is this, and rewards only for a few months.[40] It was quite insufficient, such as being a compensation measure. Although Power Rex deleted the phrase “ silver-level efficiency ” in the Danawa advertisement and was able to confirm that the product information was modified at each store using the exclusive distributor, many sites except for Danawa (even Naver) still say “silver-level efficiency”. It's sold with ads, so there can be quite a lot of people who see and buy the ad for Silver Efficiency, so it's hard to avoid criticism for not actively trying to fix the ad for Silver Efficiency.

After that, Power Rex's Blackhawk 650W certification for 80plus was not much different from the results of the existing benchmark site. No action was taken against the degradation, and of course, it was presumed to be a problem in the production process or QC, but he said that he had not yet found the exact cause of the decrease in efficiency.

(I skipped some controversies due to hard to understand)

4. BANKRUPTCY, REVIVAL, AND DEATH

On the morning of June 27, 2018, the news of bankruptcy was suddenly announced. It is said that the internal staff only heard the news on the day of the bankruptcy. It is presumed that CEO Kwak Seung-cheol went into bankruptcy on the 25th, unable to pay 300 million won in bills and disappears. Link.

On June 29, the Yongsan branch and Gwangmyeong headquarters were closed, and the head office had a foreclosure ticket. Also, on the 28th, the day before, Power Rex was confirmed bankrupt due to suspension of checking account. Link. Thanks to this, it was nicknamed Budorex (부도렉스 - Budo 부도: Bankrupt, Rex 렉스: Power REX) in the DCInside gallery. Image of Power Rex III 600w wire toasted

On July 16, Gwangmyeong head office resumed business, centering on the remaining employees, and on the 23rd, Yongsan Center entered normal business. Link.

On July 24, the company applied for corporate rehabilitation with the Suwon District Court, and the rehabilitation process started on August 10. The production line is expected to restart soon.

As of September 2018, after-sales service has been normalized and the production line has been normalized and is in operation.

Then, in December 2018, an article was reported that the company had begun the selection of a sales manager for merger & acquisition M&A. Link.

In January 2019, Deloitte Anjin was appointed as the lead manager of the sale. Link.

In February 2019 Power-Rex came out for sale on the market for merger & acquisition (M & A) http://www.powerex.co.kr/main_2015/sub06_1.html?menu=&sub=¬ice_no=148&start=0

In April 2020, there are also rumor that the company was completely failed and A/S requests was rejected. Link.

As of April 2021, only for products with free A/S period remaining are allowed to request A/S. For products purchased using Yongsan large retailers computers​​, A/S is handled by the consignment company.