Fractal Design Ion+ Platinum 860 and 560 Review

Introduction

Fractal Design is most famous for its PC case designs, but now the company hopes to deepen its foothold into the PSU market. To do this, Fractal is bringing to market the company’s first 80+ Platinum series power supplies in the form of their new Ion+ series. 

The idea behind the Ion+ is simple, deliver PC builders a capable power supply that’s easy to use and packs an extensive 10-year warranty. The Ion+ series is the most efficient power supply that Fractal has ever produced, delivering users 80+ Platinum rated efficiency. The series will ship with wattage options of 560W, 660W, 760W and 860W, enabling the series to suit most gamers. 
 
So what about unique features? With the Ion+ series Fractal plans to deliver users with what they call “Ultraflex” cables, which use an increased cable strand count and a decreased diameter to enable increased flexibility. This design change is great news for cable management junkies, as it should make it much easier to line up and strap down the unit’s cables. On top of this, Fractal also offers its users the option to enable or disable the PSU’s passive fan mode. This feature will allow the Ion+ series to remain silent under low loads or give their PSU’s constant airflow if they desire.
  

  
Unboxing

With their Ion+ series Fractal is targetting the high-end PC market and with that comes a focus on aesthetics and the unboxing experience. Fractal’s Ion+ units are well packaged, with all PSU cables coming in a neat carry case while the PSU itself comes in its own bag, protected by both a layer of cloth and a layer of fabric. 

While some users will find this packaging to be a little over the top, it is undeniable that it’s satisfying to see your power supply slowly slide out of its packaging. This is a premium experience, and this doesn’t come at the cost of compromised protection. It will take more than a few drops to damage Fractal’s Ion+ in transit, which is good news if your region suffers from low-quality delivery personnel. 

  
Power Cables

Some buyers, when looking at this unit will guess that Fractal’s Ion+ series is manufactured by Seasonic. It isn’t. While the PSU pinout is similar to Seasonic made design, this unit is actually manufactured by High Power.

Even so, the cables that Fractal use utilises the same pinouts as some Seasonic units, which could mean that the Ion+ series is compatible with some existing braided PSU cable kits. Please take care when selecting aftermarket braided PSU cables to ensure that they are compatible with your power supply. 

  
How many of each cable are available? 

The chart below details how many of each cable type comes with each of Fractal’s Ion+ series power supplies. Please note that Fractal does not offer floppy connections with its Ion+ series, which may be an issue for users of some older components. Peripheral in the table below refers to Molex connections. 

Pricing

We were provided with the following prices from Fractal Design. These prices reflect Fractal Design’s pricing in the US, EU and UK.