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
We had a lot of troubles with Vantec’s last power supply, the Stealth. We found an error in the production label, which quickly led to a change in all the labeling on all Stealth power supplies. If anything, we were glad we could make a difference to change a product before it was too late. Vantec took a lot of our comments to heart, and thus put out a second revision on the Stealth.
We were told that some of the changes in the power supply included tighter manufacturing specifications and an overall better performing final product. Vantec also took the liberty of lowering the price of the unit a bit to avoid discouraging system builders. With those new elements in mind, we set out to try one more time.
Wattages
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
-12 |
-5 |
+5vsb |
combined theoretical |
actual combined |
advertised total |
|
Vantec Stealth 520W |
85.80 |
260.00 |
336.00 |
12.00 |
4.00 |
10.00 |
345.80 |
260.00 |
520.00 |
Notice that the combined rail on the 520W Stealth is 260 watts. Interestingly enough, +5.0V rail comes in at 260W. This is unusually high, and as a result the +3.3V rail is unusually low. We definitely would not recommend this power supply for AMD system builders, especially overclockers. (Intel system builders will have no problems with wattages).
The saving grace for Vantec comes in the features. Later in this article we will explain why we are not crazy about the fan control switches, but the cable management, serial ATA connectors, and universal ATX adaptor are great additions. The 24 pin ATX cable will only show full usefulness on Intel server motherboards, but the 24pin to 20pin adaptor is included for standard desktop motherboards as well. The Stealth also comes with 9 standard molexes, which makes sense if this power supply is to target server markets.
By far, the best feature is the external AC plug. Perhaps it is sort of a nostalgic addition for power supplies, but it definitely is an option that makes sense. For example, plugging your speakers into the Stealth assures that they are off when your computer is off. Thus, the speakers do not crackle or produce feedback when shutting down. We don't really recommend connecting a monitor to this outlet, particularly CRTs. You can really damage a CRT by pulling the power on it, so if your computer shuts down unexpectedly a lot, you will have a tough time keeping your CRT in good health.
The Stealth is not a cheap power supply. Our 520W version costs about $120, which limits their ability to reach out to system builders with shallow pockets. Most of this cost is attributed to the aluminum construction, but other things such as the fan control also kick the price up.
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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).