Customer Reviews

Antec Truepower New 23552 TP-550 550-Watt Power Supply with 4 12V Rails, 120mm PWM Fan and 80 PLUS Bronze Certification

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike most computer power supply, this one generates only 12 volt on the main transformer and then utilizing DC to DC voltage regulator modules to generate 5 V and 3.3 V similarly to what a motherboard that does to generate power for the CPU and computer memories. 's done this way to get greater efficiency. At medium load, the power conversion efficiency is as high as 87%. The permanently attached cables on this unit is all I needed and did not need to use the modular plugs for additional cables. On the back of this unit there are four terminals. The two red ones are actually for video cards and are wired on rails three and four. The two black ones are connected to rail one.

The outputs from this power supply is extremely stable. I've practically do not notice any voltage jittery on any of the three outputs when subjected to heavy loads. The 12 V output is rated close to the maximum power supply output at 45 amperes which equals to 540 W. With this kind of rating, this unit should be able to power practically any single video card PC out there. All of the connecting cables are neatly braided and nice and long. The length should be more than enough to accommodate mid-tower computer.

I am extremely happy with the performance of this power supply. I did not actually buy this unit directly but got it as a warranty replacement to replace my earlier failed unit of the same capacity from Antec. To obtain warranty service, I went online and request an RMA from Antec. As soon as I received an e-mail from them with the RMA number and instructions, I mailed via parcel post the defective unit to them paying for postage about $10. In about a week and a half, I've received postage paid the better replacement power supply. Luckily I did not need to use additional cables to install because they did not supply me with any of the modular connection cables. This could have been a problem for those of you who has two video cards instead of one. Since this is a warranty replacement, Antec assumes that I still have the modular cables. In my case, the previous power supply doesn't have modular outputs.

Package arrived from shipping with corners of the power supply box crushed. Looked inside did not see any physical damage to the unit or cables though I would prefer the power supply box be packed into another box for safety during shipping.

Installed this Antec PS for a failed Thermaltake TR2 600W series power supply that failed after 6 months. So far this Antec PS is working good after 2 months running, quiet operation, a little quieter then the Thermaltake when it spun up for heat mitigation. Easy to install. Plenty of connectors, like the NVidia certification for I am using a mid grade NVidia display card with my Intel Quad core uP.

Antec Power supplies are always reliable, this one is no exception. It is quiet and works perfectly in my system. I currently have 4 PC's all with Antec power supplies.

Thanks Antec!

Wasn't quite sure since I had to return one as it was not what I needed and had
been corresponding with Antec. Not any problems or issues this far, hope it stays
that way.

A solid PSU under load, I have my TP-550 in an Antec 902 Case, running an ASUS LGA1366 board with i7/2.66GHZ, 6GB DDR3, Geforce 9400 1GB, optical drive, multiple USB hubs, and 6 SATA drives (2x500GB, 2x1TB, 2x1.5TB), without any problem.

Besides decreased power consumption, the high power efficiency of "80 Plus" PSUs means you can run a load closer to the PSU's power rating without causing instability. In a low-end PSU, I'd want a 600W for this same configuration.

I have not noticed any fan (or other) noise from the TruePower that I can hear over my case fans.

The modular cabling is a major plus, allowing the addition/removal of cables needed for your configuration. The only drawback is some legacy connectors in the one non-modular set of cables (non-removable). This includes a floppy drive connector and others that I don't use. The cabling is muscular and wrapped/insulated in a pleasing style.

I use Antec PSUs in all of my PC builds, and none have ever given me any problems (from 3 different product lines over several years).

Highly recommended.

UPDATE Jan 2012: The original TP-550 I reviewed continues to run without problems. A second TP-550 failed within a week of use, and had to be warranty replaced. Replacement was hassle-free although I had to pay for outbound shipping. Since there's always an error/defect rate in manufacturing, I don't dock any stars for the failed unit.

Well I use to think that Antec power supplies were the best thing out there, now I realize that they are not.
To my surprise our office server which uses a Antec TruePower 2.0 (550W) died after a power outage! Now that would not be so strange if it was not for the Fact that the Antec was plugged into an APC 1500 Watt UPS along with our internet server which uses a No Name Power Supply from China. The no name brand is fine and the Antec died!
The load was very modest for the supply, so no issues there, it's just being used in a file server with two drives being raided, no fancy video card etc.

So if your buying an Antec feeling that your now safe from dead power supply issue's, think again...