Viewing page 1 of 5 pages.
1 2 3 4 5 NextDecember 20, 2005 by Devon
Cooke
|
Product
|
Antec TruePower 2.0 430
430W ATX12V 2.01 Power Supply |
|
Manufacturer
|
Antec |
|
Market Price
|
US$60 |
As a general rule, Antec power supplies are both inexpensive and widely available,
which makes them a good starting point for first time buyers. A user who is
smart enough to avoid the unbranded $20 power supplies that computer shops sell
to the unwary, but isn't interested in wading through the technical details
often ends up getting an Antec just because they are generally well-regarded
and easy to get hold of.
The TruePower 2.0 430W is part of Antec's midrange line, so it makes up a large
portion of Antec's sales. So, what are you getting when you put down your hard-earned
money for a TruePower 2.0? Antec promises "tighter load regulation"
and "dedicated output" among other things, but few first-time buyers
are likely to know what these are, let alone why they're important.
Of particular interest to SPCR is the level of noise that is claimed:
21.3 dBA "measured at an independent lab using ISO 7779 standard".
That's pretty quiet, but a single number rarely tells the whole story. Can the
TruePower 2.0 stay quiet even through our strenuous test procedure?
PHYSICAL BASICS
The TruePower 2.0 looks quite unspectacular. The unfinished steel has a utilitarian
appearance, suggesting the TruePower 2.0 is more at home in an office workstation
than a gaudy gaming rig. The only visual ornamentation is the brass plating
on the wire fan grill.
The steel casing is cosmetically plain.
Aside from the exhaust vent on the rear panel and the fan intake on the bottom,
the TruePower 2.0 is completely sealed. Any airflow must enter via the bottom,
and exit via the rear. This configuration should make it easier to design system
airflow, since is only one intake and exhaust to deal with. However, the sealed
design does nothing to encourage airflow in the farthest corners of the power
supply, so the PCB will need to be well laid out to avoid the possibility of
overheating.
A gold-colored fan grill is the only concession to aesthetics.
In comparison to most high-end power supplies, the exhaust grill is somewhat more
restricted due to the square grid pattern of the air holes. Airflow would
be less restricted if a honeycomb grill had been used. That said, it is still pretty open.
The stamped exhaust grill uses square holes.
| Help support this site, buy the Antec TruePower 2.0 430 PSU from one of our affiliate retailers! |
|
