An important tip from one of our users: don't just check total power output, find out what you need in the way of current on each power rail. If you need 20 A on your +12V rails and the supply only has 15A, it doesn't matter how many watts the supply puts out: don't buy it. Make certain that you have ENOUGH rails, too: sometimes, you need more than just two +12V rails for your setup.
Replacing an existing power supply is easier: just get a replacement that meets or exceeds the specifications of the old one. (You can usually find those printed on the side of the supply.)
That said, here's a power supply that is compatible with most ATX format motherboards, puts out 550 watts of power (see specifications for exact distribution). Could this be your next power supply?
ATX12V CompatibleCompatible with the ATX12V standard, the Antec TruePower Trio TP3-550 power supply provides enhanced power stability to drive the latest Intel and AMD processors as well as other system components.
550W Maximum PowerThe Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 provides a maximum power of 550W to deliver safe, reliable output for high-end computer systems.
Highly EfficientDelivering up to 85% efficiency, the Antec TruePower Trio TP3-550 power supply saves energy and may reduce your monthly electric bill too!
Efficient CoolingA low-noise 120mm fan delivers highly efficient cooling for the power supply and the whole system and ensures quiet operation through fan speed adjustments.
Special Fan-Only Power ConnectorsThe Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 power supply features Fan-Only power connectors to control case fan speeds for overall reduced system noise.
NVIDIA SLI CertifiedThe Antec TruePower Trio TP3-550 power supply has gone through a series of rigorous NVIDIA SLI certification tests for maximum system stability when building NVIDIA SLI PCs.
4 x SATA connectors for Serial ATA drives 2 x PCI-E connectors for PCI-Express video cards
Features
Features
Three 12V output circuits provide added system stability Accurate power rating allows TruePower Trio to deliver its full rated power, 24 hours a day rated at 50ºC Fan Only power connectors allow TruePower Trio to control case fan speeds, reducing total system noise Dedicated outputs for stable output and less ripple noise Feedback loop circuits for tighter load regulation (±3%) to maintain accurate voltage to all components Heavy duty protection circuitry prevents damage resulting from short circuits (SCP), power overloads (OPP), over voltages (OVP), and under voltages (UVP) Power Factor value up to 99% Gold plated connectors for superior conductivity
Additional Information
Date First Available
August 07, 2006
Anonymous
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
Verified Owner
Stable Juice!11/24/2006 11:00:59 AM
Pros: Good clean power, what more can you ask for? Plenty of connectors, good cable length. Powers my new GeForce 8800GTX without a problem as well as 4 HDDs, optical drives, and a whole case full of gear without any trouble.
Cons: None
Overall Review: As always, newegg rocks.
Anonymous
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
Verified Owner
no problems, very quiet10/11/2007 9:38:44 PM
Pros: No problems. Voltages very stable. Very quiet. I'm using Fan Only connectors to let PS control case fan speed, and it's working quite well. 5 yr warranty.
Cons: As others have mentioned, the wires are pretty long.
Pros: Got this for a 9800GT and it did the job. It provides a much more stable voltage than my old PSU. I was actually shocked to find out that my old PSU was holding me back from OCing my processor more. It's got plenty of hook ups for just about anything you want. Three 12 volt rails at 18amps each, for a combined 42amps.
The cables are sleeved so they are easier to work with and they don't snag on anything else in the case.
Cons: Right when I turned my PC on with this thing plugged in I heard the worst noise. A loud clicking that was not acceptable. I fiddled with it and found that the fan was knocking against the grate some. Slightly bending it seems to fix it and now it's very quiet. My old PSU was louder, however it seems like it might be something I'd have to do if I leave my PC off for long periods of time. My PC runs 24/7 so that's not to big a problem for me.
The web of connectors is tremendous. I stuck them in an empty 5.25 slot so they'd be out of the way. Really at this point modular is the way to go. There's to many to leave hanging so if you don't have a empty slot to stick them in you'll need to come up with a solution to get them out of the way.
Overall Review: I was really nervous setting this up. A bad PSU can fry your other hardware, so I was really worried. Luckily that didn't happen. I got it on sale for only thirty and its clearly worth much more than that. I'm still on fence though because it's the long term that matters. Like I said this is a 24/7 box and I'm just worried that it might take the whole system with it if I'm away.
Pros: Has Active PFC, really superb. All the rails are giving great voltages, nearly non-existant ripple. Has two molex feeds for fans, whereby the ps controls the speed of two fans based on its own internal temperature sensor, and this works really well, I have it on my front and side case fans. Has a motherboard feed so you can monitor the ps's fan speed too.
Cons: none
Overall Review: I was skeptical about the ps's two fan speed controller connections, but it's working great. Spins both my front 120mm fan and side 80mm case fans nice and slow in normal use and then I can see them speed up when I'm in a game. I've always before used a front panel fan speed controller, but not needed in this build. Nice touch.
Use a power calculator when you're doing your build, and then go above it whatever percentage you feel comfortable with. Don't assume you need a gigawatt of power. Especially like, if you're going with a Wolfdale processor, you're probably going to need much less power than on your previous build.
My system with this ps - e7200 Wolfdale C2D cpu, GA-EP35-D3SL mb, 4GB OCZ 800MHz Reaper memories, ECS 9600GT vid card, Seagate HD, Liteon DVD/CD.
Great power supply for the money1/2/2008 8:18:01 AM
Pros: Ample power.
Fairly quiet.
Lots of connectors.
Inexpensive.
Cons: No modular cables. These are nice to have to help keep the inside of the case uncluttered. However, I knew this p/s did not have this feature during buying, so I am not rating the p/s lower because of this fact.
Overall Review: I've been running this unit in an Antec SX1040 for about 4 months and it's been solid. No complaints.
Pros: Quiet. Fan speed sensor. Case fan control. Antec quality.
Cons: None.
Overall Review: Spend a little more and get a quality supply, you will be glad you did. Fan spins at 800 RPM idle and 1300 RPM full load Quad core@3GHz and 8800GTS.
This is a beast of a power supply!10/24/2007 5:30:25 PM
Pros: Lots of connectors, lots of stable power, runs cool for its capacity.
Cons: None
Overall Review: Some people have been saying that the cables are too long but in my mid-tower case they are just right, or could have been a little bit longer. :)
Anonymous
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
Verified Owner
Returned8/13/2007 11:20:11 AM
Pros: Done by seasonic, not too loud, pretty cheap, decently quiet.
Cons: 8pin atx wire only 17 inches, barely reaches the plug on my antec case (u'd think if they designed it.. they'd know to make it longer), started making a ticking sound, returning for vx550 in about a month
Overall Review: I would have been decently happy with this power supply if it hadn't started to make a wierd sound.
Pros: Good clean power, what more can you ask for? Plenty of connectors, good cable length. Powers my new GeForce 8800GTX without a problem as well as 4 HDDs, optical drives, and a whole case full of gear without any trouble.
Cons: None
Overall Review: As always, newegg rocks.