Ultra did a nice job and everything arrived intact and more than properly secured for transit. No damage or breaks here. The power supply comes with a good variety of cables and being SLI certified by NVIDIA the inclusion of two PCI-E power cables is warranted.

Aesthetically the PSU is appealing yet different than the original X-Connect, especially in the cable design. The current version of cabling that is used is branded Ultra FlexForce technology and as you can see above it tightly wraps the cables. Not only does this keep them nicely organized and as a result increase airflow but it also helps protect the cable a little more from those sharp edges that can be found inside your case. We applaud this design even more so than the original X-Connect cable solution because the originals posed some issues with their custom rounded connectors — in tight spots they could be a pain and sometimes impossible to maneuver.

Of course the classic concept from the archetype X-Connect has still been preserved: you can connect only the cables you need. This feature is one of the best additions to power supply units in a while as it gives users the flexibility they want. Not to mention the potential for an enthusiastic modder to easily (relatively speaking) create their own cables. Of course this would more than likely void the warranty, potentially damage the power supply, as well as put the modder in significant danger. So if you hurt yourself, your computer, or anything or anyone else, it's not on us.

The power supply also uses another new technology from Ultra: Dual-Rail technology. This technology can both be a blessing and a curse and because of that we suggest that you do a little research to make sure that your hardware will be sufficiently powered as well as planning out a system connection layout before plugging everything in. Dual-Rail technology splits the 12V power rail into two 12V rails. By doing this you are able to dedicate a single rail to the CPU, leaving the rest of the hardware for the second rail. Distribution this way creates a more stable system however if you have high draw parts connected it could cause problems. The first rail is running with 17A and the second with 18A so take that into account before you connect everything.

If you look closely there is a seal that tells you that if it is broken the warranty is void. Normally you might argue that it doesn't really matter because the warranty is probably for 30 days or something meager. By the time it would break you would already have surpassed the warranty period, right? Not in this case: Ultra makes a Limited Lifetime Warranty available when you register your product at their site. It's up to you if you register for the warranty or not but if it doesn't cost you anything, why not? Also, the X-Connect 2 comes with a 120mm fan. These large fans are becoming a common sight now and with good reason. The larger the fan is the slower it can spin and still move a lot of air. The slower the fan rotates, the less noise it generates and the happier users are.

We were also provided with the Titanium w/ UV Blue version of the X-Connect 2. All the specifications are the same so we didn't see any performance differences when testing. Of course the UV version costs more but we think that it's worth the extra $20 USD if you have a case window that shows it off.

As for performance and stability we have no complaints. This PSU tested well and proved to be a system-ready component. The only things we can really complain about with the Ultra X-Connect 2 is that it is a little expensive (MSRP) and that the Dual-Rail technology has the potential to cause issues for some users. $129.99 USD is a chunk of change but with some searching we found prices as low as $89.99 and we wouldn't be surprised if you found lower. With FlexForce cabling, a large and quiet 120mm fan, extensive cable selection (as well as modular design), Dual-Rail technology, and a titanium finish the X-Connect 2 is a nice addition to consider. It receives a Gold Award due to it's overall excellence.

Thanks goes to Ultra for making this review possible.