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Post subject:
Antec TruePower 430 Watt Power Supply
[flash WIDTH=480]http://www.pcsynapse.com/xoxideads/truePower2.swf[/flash]
Review sponsored by Antec Inc.
The main motor behind every computer is its power supply. Building an entire computer does not require a profound understanding of the science behind the circuitry and design of the devices within. There are a number of How-To instruction manuals on the internet that can lead a beginner through the ins-and-outs of a Do It Yourself PC. However when shopping for components separately, an in-depth understanding is always recommended and with certain components, such as a power supply unit (PSU), it is often necessary.
Since the PSU’s abilities are not easily seen by the naked eye, it is beneficial to understand exactly what a power supply does, or what it is supposed to do, so that a person can differentiate between a well performing product and a substandard one in this category. The important factors to consider when looking at a PSU are – Function, Performance and Features.
Antec has provided us with a TruePower 430 Watt power supply and we will be analyzing its function (what it can do), performance (how well it does it), and features (the added goodies that make it appealing).
Science and Purpose
The Meaning of Technological Life
If the box of metal and silicon objects is the body of the computer then the electrical current flowing through it is its life force and the source of all function. Without the power supply through which the current flows into the computer, the objects inside are useless. The purpose of the PSU is actually to regulate the Alternating Current (AC) from your household electrical outlet into a useable Direct Current (DC) that the computer can salvage.
The components inside a PC require various voltages to operate; the power supply delivers these voltages in three standardized amounts – 3.3 V, 5 V, and 12 V. A PSU with a greater wattage will not necessarily use more power than one with lesser wattage, however the power supply should never be loaded to 100% of its capacity, hence it is better to have too much than too little.
Because the PSU receives the electrical current first and is used to regulate it, power supplies in general have a tenancy to be noisy, hot, and often prone to easy failure.
A small list of power requirements for common computer components
Copyright HowStuffWorks
For more information on power supplies and the technology behind them, check out “How PC Power Supplies Work” and “Power Supply Functions and Signals” at HowStuffWorks.
Elegant Insides
The Architecture Within
| Quote: |
| Antec Low Noise Technology: The Antec TruePower power supply is equipped with special circuitry to achieve optimum balance between noise reduction and necessary cooling. Thanks to an advanced temperature response system the power supply fans run at the lowest speed appropriate to load and conditions. The result is a great reduction in overall noise, even in comparison to traditional thermally-controlled fans. |
Antec has invested real time and effort into making the TruePower line of power supplies a very usable item to all, PC builders especially. The low-noise technology installed in the PSU enables it to speed up fans no more than absolutely necessary to keep the device at a more-than-stable state of being. In addition to this, the PSU is also able to control the fans of the entire computer case through designated "Fan-Only" molexes which we will see later on. The instruction manual says that at low temperatures, fan speeds may possibly drop to as low speeds as 1500 RPM.
“I’ve Got the Power!”
Stats and Facts
Now that we have a basic understanding of the power supply and how it works, we know what to look for in a good product. All PSUs will essentially perform the same function – that is to take your house’s AC current and divide it into three acceptable voltages for the other components in your PC. The question a person must ask themselves when comparing PSUs is how well each device performs this function – and with how many unwanted side effects, if any.
Here are some specifications for the TruePower 430 as provided by Antec's website:
First Impressions
What’s in the Box?
Being a leader and top supplier of high quality computer components, Antec believes that the statement a product's packaging makes reflects upon the first impressions of the product itself. True enough, they take a great deal of care to make all of their product packages extremely appealing - the TruePower 430 PSU is no different. Excellent marketing strategy on their part. On the back of the box you will find the many features of the TruePower 430 including a bit of information about the technology involved in making it efficient and desirable, the side panels display specifications, and on the front is a red sticker explaining that the TruePower 430 is Serial ATA compliant.
Inside the box are the several components necessary to put the power supply to use: the PSU, the electrical cable, a set of four screws, and an instruction manual.
The Antec TruePower 430
A Closer Look at the Source
The TruePower is the type of PSU you would want to get if you were looking for efficiency, power, and elegance on the inside of your computer (even if no one can see it). Unlike so many power supplies today that aim to dazzle modders with short attention spans using flashing lights and LEDs, the TruePower 430's simple, smooth look is topped off only by its gold-colored fan grills.
The PSU is a standardized ATX model, which means it will fit the size and power assortments of other standardized ATX equipment, specifically case, motherboard, and all related cards. On the top (or bottom) of the power supply you'll notice the large fan for maximum cooling ability. On the back, there's another routine fan, the plug slot, the current switch, and on/off switch.
But on this power supply there is an added little bonus. The black cover to the left of the on/off switch is actually an external power connecter (molex) for connection a peripheral device such as an external optical drive. From top to bottom, the pins are in the order of: +5V, Ground, Ground, +12V.
Antec makes sure they neatly sleeve the wires leading into the 20-pin connector with a nice mesh cover... if only the rest of the wires were sleeved as well.
Installation
Leg Bone's Connected to the... Knee Bone
Chances are that if the average PC enthusiast, one who knows not how to sleeve, opens their computer case it looks like the insides were hit by some sort of tactical nuclear weapon. But do not fear the mess of wires, power supply installations are much easier than they seem.
Start off by disconnecting the main power supply cables from all internal equipment - hard drives, disk drives, motherboard, fans, etc. Unscrew the power supply from the back of your computer case (you can do the former or the latter first). Carefully remove the old power supply and set it aside.
Put the TruePower 430 into place. If you have a decent computer case, you probably have special railings that hold the power supply up. Make your way through the many tangled wires and find the connectors you need. The PSU has: a 20-pin main power connector, a 6-pin AUX power connector, a 4-pin 12V power connector to the motherboard, seven 4-pin peripheral power connectors (molexes) and two 4-pin floppy drive power connectors. There's also a 3-pin fan sensor connector which you must connect to one of the fan connectors on your motherboard, if possible.
The 20-pin connector, 4-pin main power connector, 3-pin fan sensor connector and diskette driver connectors are easily placed because of their obvious mandatory locations. The rest of the connectors you can attach to your devices in whatever order or fashion you see fit. If you are interested in having the TruePower 430 maintain complete control over all the fans in your case for optimal sound control, you will want to use the Fan Only connectors when connecting your fans.
That's it! Make sure you properly screwed in your power supply at the back of the computer case, seal up the side panel, and you're all set to go. Just make sure the on/off switch is set to on and that the electrical cable is properly plugged in before attempting to boot up your PC.
"Game Time"
Testing...
So we have established that we must analyze three things about our power supply: If it does what it is supposed to do, how well it does it, and what else does it do. We mentioned before that a good PSU will perform its function well without any unwanted side effects. We also mentioned that PSUs are often the first component to break down in a computer. Therefore a good power supply will handle a tough workload while remaining as stable as possible. If the power supply starts to glitch or burn while you are multitasking - it is not a product you will want to deal with.
For initial observations, I downloaded and installed PC Alert 4 - a monitoring program that is designed by MSI for my motherboard. But software is never guaranteed to be absolutely accurate, so the next step is to test the hardware physically using a multimeter.
I took advantage of a molex that was not in use and connected the multimeter to it, black wire in one of the center grounding holes, and the red wire in either the molex's red (5V) railing or yellow (12v) railing. Each provided the following results:
Red (5V) Wire --- 5.03V Idle; 5.05V Load
Yellow (12V) Wire --- 12V Idle, Precisely; 12.02V Load
Since the peripheral power connectors do not have a 3.3V (orange) railing I had to test that through the 20-pin main power connector. Result was:
Orange (3.3V) Wire --- 3.34V Idle; 3.4V Load
The load measurements are an average of the results from two tests. The first load was done through a load-program, such as CPU Burn-In and Prime95. The second load was performed through real-life tasks that a user might encounter in a routine day, such as typing, listening to music, watching a DVD and downloading/uploading (some separately, most simultaneously).
I also used a Sound Meter to take overall sound measurements from the power supply and the case.
"Survey Says"
Results...
The deviation from the ideal amount of voltage running through each wire is between:
0% - 3%
Clearly the TruePower 430 performs exceptionally with minimal efficiency loss. But if the excellence in performance is not good enough, take into consideration the difference in auditory measurements. After replacing the power supply and using the Fan Only connectors, my PC in its entirety dropped 30-40 dB. The PSU runs extremely silent and is able to properly monitor and control the rest of the fans successfully.
Power to the People
Conclusion and So Forth
In short - Antec delivers what they promise with the TruePower 430 PSU. The power supply reigns supreme in voltage stability and sound output reduction. Once and for all, computer users have a truly successful device that can be used to tame both power regulation and sound with one self-sustaining instrument. Antec's TruePower 430 is available for purchase from Antec's website for $99.95.
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 Posted:
Sun May 30, 2004 12:53 pm |
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Post subject:
Uncalled for
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:17 am |
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