INTRODUCTION

   AMD just recently launched their flagship R9 295x2 mGPU graphics card which requires no less than a massive (for a single graphics card) 1000W power supply unit to efficiently run in most high end systems. Same goes for the GeForce Titan Ti by NVIDIA which is although less power hungry it still requires a good 750-800W PSU. Because of that the next logical thing would be for us to focus on high wattage PSUs but since we are all well aware that not everyone can afford to spend $1500 or $750 on a graphics card we decided to go the other way around and get our hands on several lower wattage models. A couple of weeks ago we reviewed the latest TruePower Classic 650W 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU by Antec which left us with the best impressions both because of its performance and its price. Today on our test bench we have the 500W variant to see if the same outcome applies for the entire TruePower Classic line (at least for more than just 1 model).

   Antec, Inc., is the leading global brand of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in these industries and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of efficient, quiet, and reliable products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec’s offering of enclosures includes a large range of cases, such as its technically advanced Performance One Series, cost-effective New Solution Series and server grade cases designed for the needs of all workstation and server markets. Antec’s products also include front line power supplies such as its TruePower Quattro Series and EarthWatts, the most environmentally friendly power supplies available. PC gamers are an increasingly significant consumer of performance components, and many Antec products are geared toward the gaming demographic, like the Nine Hundred, the premier gamer enclosure. Antec also offers a computing accessories line comprised of many original products, including its patented LED Fans and Notebook Cooling solutions. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in Germany, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world. Please visit www.antec.com for more information.

   550W may seem too little of a output for some consumers but its more than just enough to power entry/mid-end systems especially since in this case we are also talking about an 80 Plus Gold certified unit that features two +12v high current rails able to output 95% of the units total wattage, PhaseWave industrial design, Japanese capacitors, industrial grade protection set (Over Current/Over Voltage/Under Voltage/Short Circuit/Over Power/Over Temperature/Surge & Inrush/No Load Operation) and ErP Lot 6 support. Of course the TruePower Classic line includes 3 other models (450/650/50W) all of which are covered by Antec’s lifetime global 24/7 support and 5 years warranty. So the time has come for us to see just how the 550W model compares to its slightly larger brother that passed from our test bench a while back.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The TruePower Classic 550W arrived inside a box with a large product image at the front right next to its main features, power output and the 5 years warranty and Antec logos.

Just like with the 650W model the 80 Plus Gold certification, 5 years warranty and ATX v2.4 features are printed at the top of the box.

The units’ electrical table and available power connectors are placed on the right side while on the left we see the features list in 4 languages.

Antec has also placed the same features list at the rear in 8 languages.

The TP-550C is placed between two cardboard spacers.

Along with the TP-550C PSU you will also get 4 mounting screws, AC power cable, product overview paper and a warranty paper.

THE TRUEPOWER CLASSIC 550W EXTERIOR

Unfortunately once again the model in our hands is not modular although it would make little sense for a 550W PSU to be modular (too few power connectors).

Antec has again made use of a 120mm intake fan.

The model name and its max continuous output are printed on both sides.

A large sticker at the top of the unit contains its electrical specifications table and many certification icons.

At the rear of the enclosure we see the usual honeycomb perforation along with the on/off power button and the AC port.

THE TRUEPOWER CLASSIC 550W INTERIOR

Here we see the same 120mm dual ball bearing brushless fan manufactured by JAMICON Electronics (2200RPM/81.17CFM/36.8dBA) as we did with the 650W model.

The interior layout is also identical as the 650W model so there's no doubt that Seasonic is also behind the new TP-550C.

The primary capacitor used is manufactured by United Chemi-Con and is certified for use up to 105 Celsius.

For secondary capacitors Seasonic has used Rubycon and United Chemi-Con KZE ones (2200uF/25v) also certified for use up to 105c degrees.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY 

     Using a dedicated measurement instrument such as a Chroma or a SunMoon to test power supply units is without doubt the most ideal and accurate way (not to mention the fastest) to do that currently. However it's certainly not the only way there is and so pretty much anyone can test a power supply unit just by using a computer. Certainly limitations do apply and so you can't really test a 1000W power supply if your system only uses 500W at peak loads and that's why during the past 5 years i have saved certain hardware components for the purpose of building a dedicated PSU test rig. True it may not be as accurate as the above mentioned solutions but it comes really close and is in fact closer to real world usage. So as always we ran several games with maximum graphic options enabled at a resolution of 2560x1600 in order to stress every hardware component and increase the overall power demands of the system. The Passmark BurnIn Test was also used to overstress the components in an effort to provide the most accurate results possible. As a final test we also used the latest OCCT 4.4 software and its dedicated PSU testing suite since it can really bring a power supply to its knees after inside a few minutes.

       Rail stability was checked/measured with the CPUID Hardware monitor and a Metex multimeter which also recorded the system load in idle and in load. As always try to remember that the power consumption numbers listed in the graph are the highest (Peak) ones recorded during the entire duration of the tests and not the average ones. Noise levels coming from the fan were recorded using the high precision HD600 ExTech Sound dBA Meter from the rear of the unit and at a range of no more than 5-10cm. Readings under load are recorded the exact moment we manually switch the fans of all graphics cards from full speed to almost zero, that way the fan of the power supply does not have enough time to slow its RPM and so by doing this we get very accurate noise level readings. Needless to say in order to get 100% accurate readings you need to have a noise isolated room for that exact purpose, something which is quite impossible unless you are working inside a real lab (some people use very small noise insulated boxes but due to their size both heat and noise exceed normal levels and so the results can't really be considered to be 100% accurate). Also do take into account that since all noise measurements take place from just 5-10cm away the final noise levels to reach your ears will be far less.

TEST RESULTS

RAIL STABILITY

Although our average power draw was between 520W and 570W most of the time the rails are quite tight.

POWER CONSUMPTION

Again our test system managed to squeeze up to 617W even if just instantly.

NOISE LEVELS (SPL)

Unlike with the 650W model this time over we did exceed the maximum wattage of the unit so it was expected for the 120mm fan to become slightly louder (still quite inaudible however).

CONCLUSION

   When we test two models of the same product line we more or less know what to expect but because of our test rig configuration the TP-550C actually impressed us more than its larger brother the TP-650C since it allowed us even instantly to draw 617W from it. Things get even better since during our load tests we used anything between 520W and 570W without any issues at all and although i don't recommend that for long periods of time still we didn't expect a model like the TP-550C to pass our tests with flying colors (not with the wattage required). On top of that add the solid rails and the fact that the 120mm fan never went over 47dBA and the TruePower Classic 550W is certainly not your average every day PSU.

   Antec has always followed a good pricing policy with their products and with a current price tag set at USD84.99 inside the USA (Newegg.com) and 90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the TruePower Classic 550W (TP-550C) is certainly no exception. Of course there's a wide range of similar units available by many rival manufacturers at around the same price range and so in the end things mostly comes down to personal preference but thanks to the first rate product support and warranty offered Antec is certainly at the front. Bottom line if you own a mid-end system and you're looking for a high quality 80 Plus Gold certified power supply unit then you just can't go wrong with the TruePower Classic 550W by Antec which is why we give it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Performance (Rail Stability)
- Almost Inaudible
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- Two +12V Rails (98% Output)
- 5 Years Warranty
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Not Modular (For Some)