Spire RockeTeer V SP-500W
Focusing on the Spire RockeTeer V SP-500W PSU, its exterior is coated in a very reflective titanium-like finish. In our tests, we have found this Spire coating to be quite durable and scratch resistant. The SP-500W SLI is supportive of Intel's BTX 1.0a, ATX 2.03 standard and compiles with ATX 12V Version 2.01 specifications. While the RockeTeer series except for the V and VI models share a different exterior finish, both the SP-500W and SP-600W are nearly identical with their appearance. The 120mm fan on the bottom of the power supply is protected of course by a fan grill and uses a dual ball bearing design. For the enthusiasts/gamers, the fan also contains a single blue LED. In order to satisfy the needs of quiet users, this fan can actually be switched completely off using the button on the rear of the power supply. When this 120mm fan is switched off, the only fan that continues to run is the 80mm exhaust solution. Of course, this design does greatly reduce the noise inside of the unit, but when the PSU is being ran in strenuous environments it is recommended that the fan stay on for adequate airflow. The 120mm fan can also be switched on automatically if the internal PSU temperature rises above 45°C. At the rear of the power supply is the 80mm fan (also with a single blue LED), power switch, LED power indicator, turbo fan switch, 115/230 Volt switch, and power connector. On the bottom side of the power supply is a Spire sticker, which states the peak load for the unit is 550W, 20A on each of the dual +12V rails, and combined wattage of 348W. The sticker also states the power supply unit was made in China. The other sides of the PSU exterior are virtually bare except for a small Spire logo that was forged into the housing on one of the sides.
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Moving onto the cables, all of them are modular except for the 24-pin EPS motherboard and 4/8-pin ATX +12V connectors. For the modular design, there are eight connectors on the PSU itself similar to the design of the SinTek 500W SLI. These connectors are colored blue and offer a relatively easy setup. In addition to the motherboard connectors, there is one 6-pin PCI Express, six 4-pin molex, and two Serial ATA power connectors. Unfortunately, with the RockeTeer V SP-500W being part of Spire's SLI series, it is unfortunate to see only a single PCI Express connector. A second additional PCI-E connector, however, does appear to be available from Spire as well as a 3-pin fan connector. With that said, unless using a molex to PCI-E adapter, the power supply is really only equipped to handle GeForce 6600/7600 cards that are SLI compatible yet do not require the external 6-pin PCI Express interface. On the topic of cables, two SATA connections should be adequate for most users, but it is a misfortune that they were not able to include at least four Serial ATA cables. All of these cables are copper shielded and UV nylon sleeved.
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Moving onto opening up the power supply itself, we were greeted by two black aluminum heatsinks. These heatsinks were considerably smaller than some other high-end power supply units we have seen, but the PSU does have the option of having airflow provided by a 120mm and 80mm fan. The internal layout is relatively well laid out and no wires or other components should impede the airflow.