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ANALYSIS
1. VOLTAGE REGULATION was excellent, staying within the specified ±3% rating,
and was often within ±1%. The most significant change occurred at full
load, when all three main voltages sagged significantly. In ordinary use this
will not be an issue, as it is nearly impossible to generate a load of 430W
in an ordinary system.
2. EFFICIENCY was surprisingly low, although
it was better than the NeoPower 480. The
peak efficiency of 76% is below Antec's newer "budget" power supply line,
the SmartPower 2.0.
3. POWER FACTOR
Except for the European model, which we did not test, the TruePower 2.0 does
not come with any form of power factor correction. Taking this into consideration,
the power factor was relatively good, but it was still well below the ideal
value of 1.0 which can be approached using active power factor correction.
4. TEMPERATURE AND COOLING
The temperature rise was around 10-12°C throughout the test. There's no question
that the TruePower 2.0 runs hot. However, even though the thermal performance
was poor at lower loads compared to many other tested power supplies, it did not change much as the output increased. Thus,
the performance was not actually that bad when the output neared full load.
5. FAN, FAN CONTROLLER and NOISE
As noted, the TruePower 2.0 uses the same fan as the NeoPower, so it's no
surprise that it sounded very similar when it started. The noise level was fairly
quiet, although not quite the quietest we've heard. Even at the lowest speed,
there was a distinct hum that never dropped away: It exhibited a dull "chugging"
sound, perhaps because it was running close to its stall speed.
As the load increased, the dominant noise slowly changed from a faint hum to
a low growl that gradually increased in pitch and volume. The noise became bothersome
somewhere around 200W output, which corresponded to an intake temperature of
36°C, which is quite high for this noise level. Changes in fan noise were gradual
enough that they are unlikely to be noticed unless specifically listened for.
Overall, the fan is above average and the fan controller is quite good. Together,
they make for a power supply that is likely to be quiet in most systems. A truly
silent system may require a more exotic solution, but many users will be
happy with the level of noise offered by the TruePower 2.0.
CONCLUSIONS
The TruePower 2-430's numerous
strengths are countered by a few weaknesses that prevent it from being ranked
with the best. It is most at home in the middle market where price requires some concessions
from performance. It is a solid unit that is fine for first-time system builders
who need a modestly priced, reliable unit that gets the job done.
It is possible the TruePower 2.0 line is a descendent of Antec's
NeoPower 480. The two are physically similar, and they also share a number of
performance traits. Like the NeoPower, the TruePower 2.0 has efficiency and cooling that's lower than the norm for the best PSUs these days, but makes up for it with fairly good noise performance
and stable voltage regulation.
The good news is that the TruePower 2.0 improves on both the weaknesses and
the strengths of the NeoPower. Although efficiency is still not great, it is
better than the NeoPower. Furthermore, the fan controller appears
to have been tweaked enough that it is now one of the better ones on the market.
The price of the TruePower 2.0 430 is less than half of
the NeoPower 480. [Editor's Note: Of course, the TP2-430 lacks the modular detachable cables of the NeoPower.]
However compared to the Seasonic S12-430, the top rated, quiet fan-cooled PSU in our recommended PSU list, it suffers, as do most competitors. Admittedly, it's more costly. Similarly, the 80mm fan Antec NeoHE outdoes the TP-II in both efficiency and noise, and the market price is not much different. (This assumes the compatibility issues with Asus nForce4 boards and the NeoHE PSUs are resolved.)
In conclusion, the TruePower 2.0 is a solid but unremarkable performer. It delivers stable voltage performance, is quiet enough that a single stock VGA card will drown it out, and costs little enough that it won't break your bank account.
* * *
Much thanks to Antec
for the opportunity to examine this power supply.
Discuss this article in the SPCR Forums.
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