What makes Antec power supplies so special?

If you’re thinking about upgrading or building your own computer, you’re probably wondering if it’s worth it to invest in a top quality power supply. The truth is, a cheap, generic PSU — the kind you’ll find for rock-bottom prices at your local retailer — can play havoc with your computer’s delicate components. These shoddy chunks of metal can destabilize your system, cause sudden crashes, and even damage your computer’s expensive components. So while you might save a few bucks in the short term, you’ll end up wishing you’d invested in a quality power supply from a reputable manufacturer. Here’s why:

1. Cheap power supplies can’t deliver the stable power your system needs.
Your computer’s delicate components need stable power in order to work properly. If they don’t get it, you’ll encounter all sorts of strange behavior, including unexpected crashes. So take a close look at how well your power supply regulates the voltage it delivers. Our TruePower™ and Neo Power™ series includes voltage-feedback circuitry, which automatically maintains output voltages within razor-sharp tolerances. (How sharp? Well, the voltages on TruePower Trio™ and Neo Power™ never vary more than ±3%, which is much more accurate than the ±5% voltage variances that Intel’s specifications require.) Of course, generic PSUs can’t even come close to matching this precision.

2. Cheap power supplies can’t actually deliver their rated power outputs.
All ATX12V power supplies deliver their power via 3.3V, 5V, and 12V lines. That’s because some computer components (such as motherboards) require 3.3V power, while others (such as disk drives) require 12V power.

But most power supplies share one output circuit for the 5V and the 3.3V voltages. How does that affect you? If you add an extra 5V device, you’ll have less power available for your 3.3V devices. And since the output circuits are shared, a sudden increase in power demand from your 5V devices can interfere with the voltage flowing to your 3.3V devices. In plain English, that means your system won’t be very stable.

So what should you do? Look closely at the “3.3V and 5V combined output” specifications on any PSU you plan to buy. The total amount of power you can draw from those two output circuits combined is typically less than half of the impressive-sounding “total output” rating printed conspicuously on the package. For example, a look at one of our competitors’ so-called ‘430 Watt’ power supplies reveals the following:

+3.3V rated 38A = 125.4W
+5V rated 44A = 220W
+3.3V plus +5V = 220W max

In plain English, if you bought this PSU and loaded 220 Watts’ worth of 5V devices into your system, you’d have zero power left for your motherboard. (And here you thought you were getting a 430 Watt power supply!)

That’s why we created TruePower Trio™ and Neo Power™. It includes dedicated voltage outputs for the 3.3V, 5V, and 12V lines. So there’s no harmful interaction between the separate voltage outputs, and there’s no combined-output limitation of the type discussed above.

3. Cheap power supplies are noisy.
When it comes to power supply noise, there’s one simple rule: the cheaper a PSU is, the louder it’ll be. And nothing ruins an intense videogame shootout like having to crank up your speakers to drown out the whirring hum of your power supply. The cheapest PSUs will only offer ‘quiet’ performance by requiring users to reach behind their computer and manually adjust the fan speed to a quieter setting, thereby forcing a choice between cooling and quiet. Others use basic thermal-response systems that spin the fans slower when your computer gets cooler.While this is certainly preferable to the manually-adjustable option, these basic thermally-controlled units can’t touch the advanced temperature-response system found in our TruePower Trio™ series. (See the graph below.) Thanks to that system, TruePower Trio™ runs significantly quieter than any other fan-equipped PSU.

As if that weren’t enough, TruePower Trio™ also includes dedicated ¡®Fan-Only¡¯ power connectors, which allow you to turn your fixed-speed case fans into thermally-controlled variable-speed fans. As your computer cools down (when it’s idle, or when you’re running a simple program that doesn’t stress the CPU,) your TruePower Trio™ unit will spin your case fans more slowly. So your whole system will run more quietly than you ever thought possible.

4. Cheap power supplies don’t last as long.
There’s a simple reason for this: the companies that manufacture bargain-basement PSUs need to cut corners everywhere, so they install lower-quality components with shorter “MTBFs” (Mean Time Between Failures.) While you might save a few bucks up front by buying one of these PSUs, you’ll end up replacing it sooner than you’d think.

That’s not how we build Antec power supplies. Our legendary TruePower Trio™ models include ultra-reliable double ball-bearing fans, plus gold-plated power connectors for superior electrical conductivity. We wrapped the main power cable in nylon sleeving, which improves airflow inside your case and makes TruePower Trio™ easier to work with. And we gave TruePower Trio™ a comprehensive range of connectors, including 2 SATA and 2 ¡®Fan-Only¡¯ connectors.

Continuing that tradition, our affordable EarthWatts™ series offers supremely reliable construction with extremely high efficiency at surprisingly low prices. 80 PLUS-certified, the EarthWatts™ series was designed to have some of the highest operational efficiencies, and its accurate power rating allows it to deliver its full rated power, unlike many other power supplies. You’ll also find a comprehensive range of connectors (including 2 SATA connectors) attached to each EarthWatts™ model.

So there you have it. A detailed explanation of why we’re always going on about how wonderful our power supplies are. We hope you’ve found it useful. And next time you’re in the store, try to remember what you’ve learned. Don’t be tempted by that bargain-basement PSU. Just choose a reliable unit from a manufacturer that you trust!