2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper
by Kristopher Kubicki on July 31, 2003 1:58 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
ThermalTake sent us their PurePower 420W APFC for our last power supply roundup<link>, but it could not keep up with Enermax and Antec. The 480W PurePower supply is a little more powerful than the previous one we looked at, so we have slightly higher expectations.
Like Antec’s TrueControl, the ThermalTake PurePower looks like a very different power supply than the original 420W power supply from several months ago. Also like the TrueControl, this power supply comes with a forward fan control. There is no ability to control the fan speed of the fans connected to the unit, but the control does allow manipulation of the onboard fans. Interestingly enough, the PurePower 480W comes with 2 different control panels, (one gold, and one silver). If you happen to prefer one color over another, ThermalTake allows you to choose one instead of another.
The ThermalTake PurePower 480W includes on SATA connection. Most serial ATA hard drives come with SATA adaptors anyway, but it is good to see some manufacturers anticipating the mainstream adoption of the technology. We continue to expect more power supplies to come with these connectors.
Wattages
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
-12 |
-5 |
+5vsb |
combined theoretical |
actual combined |
advertised total |
|
ThermalTake PurePower 480W |
99.00 |
200.00 |
216.00 |
9.60 |
1.50 |
10.00 |
299.00 |
240.00 |
480.00 |
The PurePower 480W wattages are well rounded for either an Intel or AMD system. One thing to note is that the combined +3.3V/+5.0V wattages are very high at 240W. There is plenty of muscle in this power supply for an AMD or Intel system.
The ThermalTake PurePower 480W is a moderately priced power supply, about $74. However, considering the 420W PurePower cost $110 last year, we can tell that ThermalTake is making progress in producing a better product for lesser cost.
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Anonymous User - Monday, August 18, 2003 - link
I cast another vote for us to be able to get a copy of the modified version of memtest86. I'd love to check to find out how much bit-flipping is happening over time on my various PCs. In addition, it seems to me that it would be a good way to see if ECC memory is actually doing what it should be. (If a bit gets flipped on a board with ECC memory that's supposed to support ECC memory then there's obviously something wrong).Also, you should give a copy of your modified source to the memtest people so that they might include the long delay time as an option in a new version.
Anonymous User - Sunday, August 17, 2003 - link
Any chance of a review of the silentmaxx fanless 350W. This thing has no fans so in theory it should be 0Dba! Not sure where the poewsupply is up to the job though on the poewer front - a review owuld be great. Cost as you probably guess is on the high side...http://www.silentmaxx.net/silent_products/power_su...
Anonymous User - Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - link
To me the most interesting data from this roundup was the instability a PS can cause to a system. I think this subject is worth a dedicated article. Also how can we reproduce this data at home? Where can we get the modified memtest86?Anonymous User - Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - link
Hello!!??? Seasonic power supplies?? These have to be the quiestest power suplies I have ever (NOT) heard. Appears to be pretty well constructed. These should realy be included in any decent, comprehensive power supply round-up.Anonymous User - Monday, August 11, 2003 - link
They didn't look at the seasonic brand. recommended herehttp://www.silentpcreview.com/modules.php?op=modlo...
Anonymous User - Monday, August 11, 2003 - link
I got a PC P&C Silencer 300 a while back, and I was very unimpressed with its noise level. It was hardly quieter than the cheapo PSU it replaced. My Enermax 365 and Antec Truepower 350 are much better.How about reviewing Seasonic? I hear they're super quiet. A little hard to find, though...
Anonymous User - Monday, August 11, 2003 - link
Untill all power supply manufacturers get it together and sheath their cables, we are pretty much stuck with what they offer. I solved this in my window case with some electrical conduit from the auto parts store. there are a few color choices including your basic black, but any of them make a world of difference hiding those unsightly P.S. cables. That and a little electrical tape over the white connector and they almost disappear.Anonymous User - Monday, August 11, 2003 - link
Another extremely happy user with a PCP&C Silencer power supply. I do have to question just a bit why the reviewer didn't find out about their existence on his own, noise being the primary complaint in his review (though I imagine the sheer number of power supplies being reviewed and perhaps deadline pressure could have been factors).Anonymous User - Sunday, August 10, 2003 - link
This is actually the third power supply review on Anandtech. Not the second as you wrote.Anonymous User - Thursday, August 7, 2003 - link
#16, please check out http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_power_consumptio... for information on power consumption of several common CPUs (especially AMD).