The Akasa PowerPlus AK-P550FF is quite attractive for a PSU, with a gunmetal gray reflective finish and a honeycomb grill at the 'front' of the unit. The power supply is slightly longer than your typical ATX PSU at 180mm long. Owners of small, cramped cases might want to think of an upgrade before taking on the PowerPlus AK-P550FF. The PSU is also very heavy, generally a reassuring sign when it comes to power supplies. All the power cables are sleeved in black plastic mesh.

A single 80mm SanyoDenki fan mounted on the back of the unit provides ventilation, while the honeycomb grill on the front allows for air intake.

The PowerPlus AK-P550FF's cables are wrapped in circular black plastic mesh sleeves which keep them well separated and flexible. The cable layout comprises dual six-pin video power connectors, four SATA power connectors, nine Molex drive connectors (featuring easy-grip heads), two floppy drive power connectors and the 4-pin and 24/20-pin ATX power connectors.

Inside, the PowerPlus AK-P550FF is dominated by two large heatsinks and some seriously hefty capacitors, which explains the weight of the unit. Note the potentiometers mentioned earlier (below, the little robinson-screw like devices).

These can be adjusted easily, but require a light and careful touch. Akasa has tied the cables neatly out of the way, and the inside of this unit has a general feel of good workmanship.

In use, the 80mm Sanyo Denki fan used in the PowerPlus AK-P550FF is a little louder than other power supplies we've looked at recently. Unlike most PSUs, this one may actually be audible over the rest of your system components, especially if you are using a fairly silent CPU cooler. On the whole though, it produces quite a mellow noise, and certainly not deafeningly loud, so it didn't worry us.