External Examination:

Removing the Mushkin HP-580AP 580W Enhanced Power Supply from the box reveals that the unit is well protected in bubble wrap. There are a few non-modular cables included with this unit, and they are wrapped neatly with an adjustable plastic cable tie.


The housing may appear to be black, but is actually a gun metal color. It is shiny and will show dust and fingerprints rather easily. The Mushkin logo is embossed on the side of the power supply, and the specification sticker located on the top of the unit includes something that I haven't seen listed before. To the left of each voltage rail it lists a color that corresponds to the color of the cable. There are four 12V rails rated at 20A each, 38A total when RailFusion is activated. The 5V and 3.3V are rated at 24A each, with a combined total output of 160W.


The back of the Mushkin HP-580AP 580W Enhanced Power Supply looks a little different than other power supplies reviewed here at Bigbruin.com. Instead of the traditional honeycomb design that has become so popular, Mushkin has implemented something like a lattice design. There is the standard power plug and switch, and a new addition is the green light that illuminates when RailFusion is active. On the other side of the unit are the modular connections. The black connectors are for SATA, Molex 4-pin, or floppy cables. The two blue connectors are for PCI Express graphics cables only. One thing that bothers me with the modular connections is the placement; they are too close together, which will make it more difficult to connect the cables when installed into a case.


On the bottom of the unit is the one and only fan. The 120mm fan is temperature controlled for the quietest operation, and is rated for 22-23.5dBA @ 900-1060RPM and 32dBA @ 1700RPM.


Internal Inspection:

Time to void the warranty. Opening the Mushkin HP-580AP 580W Enhanced Power Supply reveals that the inside of the unit is rather spacious. There are dual heatsinks inside, but they aren't particularly large and there should be a good amount of airflow around the various components. The 120mm fan is rated for 12V @ 0.38A, and as mentioned it should keep quiet with its thermally regulated speed controller.