Scythe Chouriki 2 1000W Modular Power Supply

Scythe packs a lot of power into the Chouriki 2 1000W PSU that looks to be great value for someone on a tight budget. Read the full review to find out.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: Scythe USA Inc.
5 minutes & 47 seconds read time

Introduction, Specifications, Availability and Pricing


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Introduction

Scythe started out in 2002 as a Japanese based company wanting to produce quality products for PC enthusiasts. They hit it off big with their super quiet and super cool Kamakaze CPU cooler. It didn't take long for them to expand their product line, export products worldwide, and expand their base of operations around the world.

In 2004, Scythe established operations in the USA to work more closely with their American based partners and numerous manufacturers. Long has passed since the days of the first Kamakaze cooler and their products have evolved as well.

Today we are taking a look at the new Chouriki 2 line of power supplies and we have the top of the line 1000W modular PSU on the bench. The Chouriki 2 line boasts large amounts of power, an 80 Plus Silver rating, and near silence, but can the beast we have back up what it boasts? Read on to find out, starting with the specifications.


Specifications, Availability and Pricing

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Upon examining the I/O specifications of the Chouriki 2 1000W, you can see that Scythe clearly focuses on putting out an ample amount of 12V power; so much so that you could fully load down the PSU with only 12V and still reach the claimed maximum output of the PSU (1000W).

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About the only option that Scythe doesn't include is a 50c rating. They pack the Chouriki 2 full of the required over current/voltage/power, under current/voltage protection, short circuit protection, and even throw in the optional over temperature protection (OTP) and back it all by a 5 year warranty. Scythe sent us the modular version of the Chouriki 2 1000W power supply for review. There are four different wattages in the lineup and each is available with or without modular cables.

The MSRP on the Chouriki 2 1000W Modular is $185. Each model is around $10-13 cheaper without cable management. A quick check at a majority of the major online sites (Newegg, TigerDirect, etc. ) will not yield a result, but a quick Google search will get you an online price of ~$142 which is very competitively priced for similar PSU's. It would be nice to see wider availability of Scythe's power supplies, especially since many of the larger shops carry other Scythe products.

The Packaging




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Scythe does an absolutely fantastic job on the external packaging for the Chouriki 2 PSU's. A quick glance at the box tells you that they utilize the same box for the entire line of modular Chouriki power supplies and more than likely do the same for those without modular cabling. The front of the box is subtle, but hints at what all the power supply inside provides.

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Upon glancing at the back, one might notice the lack of English from the languages available. This is because the sample we received came from Scythe EU and not Scythe USA. The power supply and contents contained within are the same with the exception of the power cord. The power cord we received came with a Type E connector instead of the Type B connector that we utilize in the USA. Scythe noted that this was simply because of the sample we received and those ordering in the US will receive the correct power cable.

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The sides of the box contain the rest of the pertinent information for the Chouriki 2. I sincerely love the side that not only shows you what cables are included with what ends, but the lengths of them as well. I have purchased numerous power supplies in the past only to install them and find out that certain cables were not quite long enough or lacked a single connector where I wanted it for the rig that was being built.

Inside the Box




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Upon opening the external packaging, we see that Scythe has skimped a bit on the internal packaging. The only protection to the power supply itself is a small amount of bubble wrap and the modular cables. Our sample arrived undamaged, but was packaged in another box with additional protection.

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After removing the contents from the box, we can see the 10 modular cables Scythe includes with the Chouriki 2 and the power cable.

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The Chouriki 2 itself features a beautiful brushed metal finish in what can only be described as a light bronze finish which is very difficult to capture in a photo. The side of the Chouriki 2 contains the I/O specification sticker.

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The front of the Chouriki 2 houses the 10 modular plugs for the various cables. One would hope that since all of the PCI-E connectors are blue and the rest are black that this would indicate how the dual 12V rails are split up, but we'll dig into that when we pop the top off.

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The bottom holds Scythe's 135mm Kama Flex fan to cool the 1000W of power our Chouriki 2 offers. Scythe claims that the fan only produces 21. 7dBA at a full load of 1350 RPM.

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Moving to the back of the Chouriki 2, we can see the modified honeycomb structure used to permit air to flow out of the power supply. While this is slightly more restrictive than the typical honeycomb design, it does add a bit of aesthetics.

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Last but not least, we have the installation manual and black mounting screws also included.

Cabling Arrangement & A Look Inside




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Scythe gives you a mess of cables to handle just about everything that you'll need. There is a single 20+4 pin main connector, one ATX 4+4 connector, six 6+2 pin PCI-E connectors, five Molex connectors, seven SATA connectors, and a single floppy for those still needing one.

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Scythe splits up the 12V rails into a larger 70A rail and a smaller 35A rail. The larger rail powers the motherboard, the two attached PCI-E cables, two modular PCI-E cables, and three of the modular peripheral cables. The smaller 35A rail still gets its share of the load from the ATX 4+4 cable, two modular PCI-E cables, and three modular peripheral cables.

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Opening up the Chouriki 2 1000W, we can see that Scythe has made sure to utilize heatsinks as much as possible.

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High quality Japanese Nippon Chemi-Con caps that are rated for 105c are present inside the Chouriki 2, which seem to be very common amongst many of the latest PSU's.

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Here we see where the two 12V rails terminate. The differently sheathed yellow wires make it easy to track down where the different rails lead.

Test Results and Final Thoughts


Test Results

Our load tests utilize a couple of FAST ATE active load testers and a variety of other equipment such as an oscilloscope, power conditioner, temperature probe and a power consumption meter. You can read more about our standard testing approach here.

The tests being performed are based around six conceivable setups that are out there and progressively load down the PSU up to the power supply's limits or 1000W, whichever comes first. Since our test equipment's limits are equal to the Scythe Chouriki 2 1000W PSU, we can test it to the maximum.

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The Scythe Chouriki 2 1000W power supply performed perfectly as advertised and per ATX specifications. It is worth mentioning that during the full load test, our power supply barely snuck by on the 5V rail. In fact, there was a significant reduction in 5V output starting with Test 4. At the end of Test 6, the 5V rail was showing a reading of 4.76V and the lower limit per ATX specification is 4.75V.


Final Thoughts

Scythe has a solid PSU with the Chouriki 2. It performs within the ATX specifications and shows quite a bit of quality inside and out. Those needing a high wattage power supply will be hard pressed to find a better package elsewhere for the price the Scythe offers it at.

I feel that Scythe does need to work a little on the internal packaging of their power supplies. Plastic and foam are cheap and easy to add to and there is no excuse for not properly protecting a product through its journey from the factory to your doorstep. Our sample arrived safely, but had external packaging and looked to have been handled with care, unlike many others that have been sent my way.

Packaging aside, I worry about the degradation of the capacitors over time and the output of the 5V rail. The 5V rail was extremely close to failing to pass ATX specifications and degradation over time could easily send this power supply below the acceptable levels. It takes quite a rig to load down a full 1000W of power and this represents quite an investment for those in need of something this powerful. That said, I would still recommend this power supply for someone on a budget.

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Zac provides professional IT support by day, but plays the role of enthusiast by night. He's been building high-end custom computer for the nearly fifteen years and writing PC hardware reviews for the better part of a decade. Aside from computers, he also dabbles in quite a bit of home A/V equipment. Throughout the years, Zac has picked up an extensive knowledge of power circuitry and leverages this to provide the PSU reviews. When not found testing or writing, you can often find him speeding through the winding countryside on his motorcycle.

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