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 saw the elegant and simple TruePower a few months ago, so we were pretty excited to see if Antec had any other products in the PSU industry we could include in our roundup. The TrueControl 550 is Antec’s highest end product, allowing fan control through a designated 5.25” bay controller. Memories of our Sound Blaster LiveDrive instantly came to mind.
The controller itself is very utilitarian looking, but it seems to get the job done. For all Antec's worth, they probably could have made the controller look a little more appealing.
Antec clearly spared no expense on the 550W TrueControl, and we noticed this is a very different supply from the 430W TruePower we saw several months ago. Several interesting things caught our attention. First, this is the only power supply we have seen with an external rear molex connector. We are not really sure why, but there must be some applications for such a feature.
Also present were black molex connectors. Almost every power supply we have seen to date uses white or clear molexes. Besides the 7 standard molex connectors, the unit comes with 2 fan only connectors (also present on the TruePower 430W). The forward bay allows for control on the internal fans, as well as the fans along these designated fan control rails as well. A very interesting feature, but it is perhaps limited in usefulness. A motherboard fan control connector is also included.
Also, the TrueControl 550 comes with dedicated molexes for fan control. The 5.25" bay is capable of controlling these fans through the power supply. This is defiantly a nice touch since we have previously questioned whether the dedicated fan molexes were worthwhile.
Again, Antec makes the point of demonstrating that the TrueControl 550 has separate lines for each of its 3 main rails. The real element that separates this power supply from the ThermalTake PurePower is the variable voltage on the fan controller. Using the included tool, the unit allows you to modify your voltage settings to adjust within %5 each of the three main rails (+12V, +3.3V, +5V). While this is incredibly useful if you are a die hard overclocker, it can be very hazardous if used incorrectly. For example, underpowering your +12V rail might result in underpowering your P4 or video card, which will eventually damage your components if not careful.
Wattages
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
-12 |
-5 |
+5vsb |
combined theoretical |
actual combined |
advertised total |
|
Antec TrueControl 550 |
105.60 |
200.00 |
288.00 |
12.00 |
2.50 |
10.00 |
- |
- |
554.50 |
On paper, the theoretical combined 530W maximum impresses us. Remember, the unique feature about a lot of Antec power supplies is that they have separate rails for each of the three main power lines. The advertised +12V rail comes in very respectably at 288W. This power supply will work well for the hungriest of AMD or Intel systems. Die hard overclockers will enjoy the control over each rail, which is also offered on the PC Power and Cooling TurboCool. Be warned though, variable pot controls can seriously compromise your system's stability.
Unfortunately, this supply also weighs in as one of our most expensive units. This is somewhat against the grain of our last Antec power supply which was priced very moderately. For $130 you get the fan controller, and a lot of extras. The dedicated power rails are worth it for a serious overclocker, so albeit expensive, the TrueControl 550 still does not disappoint.
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unclebud - Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - link
i came in here today looking for just the same thing though!we needs a new ps article! thanks in advance anandtech!
JustAnAverageGuy - Sunday, January 30, 2005 - link
Dopey:It's an extremely old article. Nobody reads those except when they need to be pulled out of the vault.
Dopey - Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - link
Sad to see no comments since 2003! ???Looking for a good power supply for AMD and review indicates that both Fortron & Zalman are good at not too high price. But looking at Antec True Power 330W I read "beware of the extremely modest +12V rail. If you are running a high end video card, or an Intel Pentium 4, this power supply simply will not produce enough juice." Both the Fortron &n Zalman deliver just 180 watts on the +12V rail while the Antec True Power 330W puts out 204 watts. And if you look at the whole list of PSUs reviewed 204 watts looks like a respecatable amount of power. So ... ????????????????????
MIDIman - Friday, November 7, 2003 - link
I bought the Zalman 300w for $50 as a result of this article. Love it to death, but newegg stopped carrying it.1) What size fan is in the Fotron reviewed here, 120mm or 80mm?
2) What is the model number of the 300w alternative to the Fortron FSP400-60PFN?
3) Isn't the Sparkle FSP350-60PN reviewed here also a fotron, and what is the model number of its 300w alternative?
Anonymous User - Monday, October 27, 2003 - link
You state for those PSU's that have good amoubt of voltage for the 3,3V are good for AMD.It will also be nice to say that most new motherboard from AMD are now using 12 RAIL e.g. 8RDA3+ many more and from what ive seen all K8 mobos use 12 RAIL
all in all good review.
What i have found with my TT320W that when you stress it too much and it heats up it will shit down whole system.
Also if your PC is off for many hours if you touch the PSU its worm :S
Ordered my Antec 550W True Control
Also you should show how to short the old PSU so user can use 2 PSU in one system..
I run my whole system on a 480W ProSourse untill my 550W Antec TC is here
My GFFX5900 runs on a dedicated PSU 300W soon it will have a dedicated 480 ProSource :D
And all my 12 fans run on a 300W generic PSU
Also TT's seem not to like when to many devices are connected to it
Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link
To know how much the exhaust air will heat a room you have to know not only its temperature but also its volume. It would be simpler to measure the efficiency of the supply.The tests were not very thorough at all because if they were they would have included electrical noise and current measurements and testing at full power.
Anonymous User - Saturday, September 13, 2003 - link
The memory errors could be due to bad filtering more than cable shielding. Putting a 'scope on the outputs would would provide a graphic portrayal of output quality. <hint, hint> :-)*TimDaniels*
Anonymous User - Sunday, September 7, 2003 - link
I enjoyed reading the article and I think it was very well written and the tests were very thorough. Although the article discusses "heat" and examines each power supply to see how well they deal with the heat issue, I think from a consumers point of view, you should have measured the difference in the temperature of the exhaust that is emitted from the power supply. For me that is a real issue as the heat that emits from my existing power supply probably raises the room temperature by 7 to 8 degress (to the point of making it uncomforable to stay in the room on a hot day). I want a power supply that doesn't blow out hot air. Which one of these blows the coolest air?Anonymous User - Friday, August 22, 2003 - link
As much care was taken in creating the title as in testing the power supplies.I hope to see another Anandtech power supply review soon, only one with proper testing. I have to give Anandtech an A for effort in this case, but I can't still give them a passing grade. Please consult with a specialist in this field for any future test.
Anonymous User - Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - link
Is it just me or does the article title seems a little off? "2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper" Faster? A faster P/S?