SUMMARY: Power Supply Units, or PSUs, can often be overlooked as an unimportant product when it comes to choosing the specifications for your PC. For quite a while now Enermax have had control over the high-end PSU market but just recently Antec have entered as a challenger with their TruePower line of PSUs which are being marketed right toward the enthusiast user. After almost four weeks of torture testing, Asher "Acid" Moses has completed his review of the Antec 550watt PSU which includes extensive testing to see if the stated specifications do indeed hold true.
Like the Enermax range, the Antec True550 features dual fans covered by two attractive gold grills. These fans feature what Antec like to call "Low Noise Technology". Using a fan header on your motherboard, this technology detects the temperature of your PSU and sets fan speeds accordingly - Meaning that if the unit isn't running very hot, the fans won't be rotating at their maximum speed and thus, will produce less noise.
The unit is compatible with both AMD and Intel processors, and features the ATX12V connector that the Pentium 4 requires for stable operation. With a maximum output current of 550watt, the unit is also capable of supplying more power than your average PC user will ever require. This is both a positive and a negative, however, if you don't feel that you need the full 550watt (most people), you can always purchase a lower rated model.
One thing I am glad to see on the True550 is an on/off rocker switch. You would think that these would come standard on most power supplies, however, I have owned more than one PSU that has lacked this switch and it certainly makes working on your PC quite inconvenient. As with most power supplies, you are also able to set the voltage output to 230V or 115V. Since I am in Australia, I made sure mine was set to 230V.
The power supply features seven 4-pin MOLEX connectors, two FDD MOLEX connectors, a ATX12V power connector, a 6-pin AUX Power connector, two 3-pin MOLEX connectors (for PSU fan temperature monitoring), and of course, the main ATX power connector. To ensure maximum airflow, Antec have bound all cables with zip ties and encased the ATX power lead in a tight nylon mesh.
For those of you that own massive full-tower cases, the power supplies' cables are all extremely long. This is both a good and bad feature, because if you own a mini-tower case you may find yourself having to deal with annoying "cable-clutter".
Opening the power supply involves peeling off a "Warranty Void if Removed" sticker and unscrewing four small screws. Upon taking the cover off the unit you are greeted with a neat and tidy array of resistors, capacitors, heatsinks and wiring. There isn't really much I can comment on here, other than the fact that it is one of the most neatly assembled power supply units I have ever seen.
