Antec TP3-650 PSU
The power supply unit is the single most important part of any computer. Regardless of the system there is a given rule: whether it is a simple workstation with integrated components or an advanced gaming system with fresh piece of technology available, everything requires power to operate. As anyone who has suffered the failure of a low-end power supply will tell you: not all power supply units (PSU’s) are created equal. Benchmark Reviews updates the original review with new features and load tested Oscilloscope regulation results for the A2 Revision Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU.
This year alone the computer industry has made huge leaps in power supply technology. Single rail power supplies were dominantly standard heading into 2006. Now just one year later, we have seen a very sudden shift making dual-rail power supplies the most commonly used configuration in most products. But it is certain that it won’t take another year to witness a change to the trends. As power supply technology continuously evolves, a three-rail power supply may not make headlines against the bleeding edge five-rail power supply we unveiled here last week. However, Antec helps drive power supply evolution forward and brings to us the Trio series with three independent power rails to enhance power stability under load; all at a bargain price that won’t bleed the wallet.
The new generation of power supplies has arrived with Antec’s TruePower Trio series. The three +12V rails allow you to distribute your power more evenly, which will result in a more stable system. Available in three models: 430 Watt, 550 Watt and a 650 Watt that gives you serious power for even the most cutting edge components. TruePower Trio perfectly handles dual processors, dual graphics cards, and just about anything else you can throw at it.
Quite the claim that Antec makes of its TruePower series of power supplies; and I will prove once again if this is just more marketing hype to draw you in, or if it is in fact bragging rights for a product that I can personally recommend buying. One thing is certain even before the testing begins: at a street price of $99.99 (after $30.00 Rebate) at the time of this writing, the Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU already offers the latest triple-rail technology for less then the cost of nearly all of the other 650W power supplies on the market.
Antec: The Company's Overview
Antec began in 1986, long before the tech boom of the late 1990’s, in Fremont, California. Now operating offices in the United States and Europe, Antec offers products to 25 countries worldwide. Presently, Antec maintains a popular range of products in: computer cases, power supplies, cooling fans, lighting components, and accessories. Antec is the original High Performance Upgrade company, which created the PC upgrade replacement category at retail. Their enclosures and power supplies have been the #1 seller by far in North American distribution and retail channels for five years running.
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Features & Specifications
TP3-650 Features
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Universal Input, automatically adjusts for 100V to 240V power grids
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Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) for environmentally friendlier power
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Three 12V output circuits provide added system stability
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Accurate power rating allows TruePower Trio to deliver its full rated power, 24 hours a day rated at 50ºC
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Up to 85% efficiency
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NEW! Full nylon sleeves on all cable groups
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120mm low noise cooling fan
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Fan Only power connectors allow TruePower Trio to control case fan speeds, reducing total system noise
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Dedicated outputs for stable output and less ripple noise
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Feedback loop circuits for tighter load regulation (±3%) to maintain accurate voltage to all components
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Heavy duty protection circuitry prevents damage resulting from short circuits (SCP), power overloads (OPP), over voltages (OVP), and under voltages (UVP)
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4 SATA connectors for Serial ATA drives
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Two PCI-E connectors for PCI-Express video cards on 550W and 650W models, one connector on 430W model
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MTBF: 80,000 hours at 50°C
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Safety approvals: UL, CUL, FCC, TÜV, CE, C-tick, CCC, CB
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Power Factor value up to 99%
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Gold plated connectors for superior conductivity
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Antec Specifications
| Model: TP3 650 |
| FEATURES |
| Maximum Power |
650 Watts |
| Switches |
ATX Logic on-off
additional power rocker switch |
| Special Connectors |
ATX12V
3-pin Fan Sensor
Fan Only
SATA |
| Transient Response |
+5V,+12V and 3.3V outputs return to within 3% in less than 1ms for 20% load change. |
| P. G. Signal |
100-500ms |
Over Voltage Protection
recycle AC to reset |
+5V trip point < +6.5V
+3.3V trip point < +4.1V
+12V trip point < +14.4V |
| Leakage Current |
< 3.5mA @ 115VAC |
|
| DIMENSIONS |
| Unit Size |
5.9" (W) x 3.4" (H) x 5.5" (D)
14.9cm (W) x 8.5cm (H) x 14cm (D) |
| Net Weight |
5lbs.; 2.3kg |
|
| INPUT |
| Input Voltage |
115 VAC / 230VAC |
| Input Frequency Range |
47Hz to 63Hz |
| Input Surge Current |
< 60A @ 115VAC |
| Input Current |
10.0A for 115VAC
5 .0A for 230VAC |
| Hold-up Time |
> 12ms at Full Load |
| Efficiency |
up to 85% |
| EMI/RFI |
FCC Class B
CISPR22 Class |
|
| OUTPUT |
|
+3.3V |
+5V |
+12V1 |
+12V2 |
+12V3 |
+5V SB |
-12V |
| Max. Load |
24A* |
30A* |
19A* |
19A |
19A |
3.0A |
0.8A |
| Min. Load |
0.5A |
0.5A |
1A |
1A |
1A |
0A |
0A |
| Load Reg. |
±3% |
±3% |
±3% |
±3% |
±3% |
±3% |
±4% |
| Ripple V(p-p) |
50mV |
50mV |
120mV |
120mV |
129mV |
50mV |
120mV |
| * +12V1, 12V2,12V3 maximum output 624 Watts max. |
|
| ENVIRONMENTAL |
| Operating Temp. |
0 to 50° C |
| Operating Alt. |
Sea Level 10,000 ft. |
| Non-Operating Vibration |
Operating: 10-300 Hz, 0.5G, 3 axes, 1 hr. ea. axis
Non-operating: 10-300 Hz, 2.0G, 3 axes, 1 hr. ea. axis |
| MTBF |
80,000 hrs. @ 50° C |
| Approvals |
UL, CUL, FCC Class B, CB, TÜV |
|
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Closer Look: Antec TP-650
Packaging
Packaging may very well influence a purchase, or possibly even draw your eye to the product initially. Of course, a special value should be placed on protective packaging beyond the average, and the TP3-650 is no exception. The cardboard package which Antec uses is ideal for retail shelves and warehouses, but it is not suitable for standalone shipping and should be packaged with protective surroundings for shipping. However, if you are like most people including myself, the packaging is quickly discarded once you have the unit installed and it has survived initial break-in and testing. I will not include package views from every angle, as I feel it unnecessary and that most of you would skip past them anyway.
Included Components
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(1) TP3-650 Power supply with 24-pin main connector with detachable 4-pin section, a 12V 4-pin connector for single CPU systems, and a 12V 8-pin connector for multi-CPU systems
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(1) User Manual in seven languages
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(1) AC power cord
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(4) Mounting screws
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(2) Cable bands
The native cable group includes:
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(6) 4-Pin Molex peripheral connectors
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(4) 15-Pin SATA connectors
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(2) 6-Pin PCI Express connectors
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(1) Floppy connector
As evidenced in the contents for the TruePower Trio, the floppy connector is a soon to be extinct feature in the power supply industry. There has been a slow trend to remove this connector completely, but I suspect it will be at least another year before we have seen the last of it.
In addition to the standard set of connectors, Antec includes two other specialized connectors:
The “Fan Only” power connectors allow the Antec TruePower Trio to control case fan speeds for up to two fans, thereby reducing total system noise as temperature is monitored.
Internal Components
The internal view of the Antec TruePower Trio looks exactly like most other power supply units you might be used to seeing. The voltage regulator heatsinks are standard design sheared large-gauge aluminum. Despite the lack of more effective heatsinks, the internal temperatures for the TP3-650 remained very low thanks to the efficient design. Rather then use two separate 200V main power capacitors, Antec elected to use one 400V capacitor rated at 470uf. Overall, I did notice that Antec used fewer components in the design of this TruePower Trio 650W power supply unit then what is commonly used in other comparable power supplies. This simplified design will most likely yield fewer failures, however once you open the case to the Antec power supply your warranty becomes void.
Cooling Fan
 
The Antec TruePower Trio series of power supply units are so efficient that Antec has designed the cooling fan to concentrate its draft onto the most critical components. In the TP3-650, a single ADDA brushless 120mm fan is used. This fan is very popular for use in power supply units, and with a 0.37A rating, it could move high volumes of air; but the Antec temperature monitoring components will likely never push it that far. In all of my tests, this unit never make more then a slightly audible sound.
Also pictured is he 120mm fan with the shroud removed, for reference purposes. Antec did not utilize any rubber grommets at the mounting locations, which appears to becoming an emerging standard for high-end fans. The fan is not equipped with standard power connectors, but rather a proprietary connector which houses the two power wires, while the thermal sensor wire is fused directly to the power supply unit.
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New Features: TP3-650 Revision A2
Antec silently revised their already-promising TruePower Trio series with a few key features missing from the original release. Some people might think that this is a wasted effort, coming years after the initial release, but I would disagree. In my original review, I disliked the lack of cable sleeves on all but the main cable group, and the raw steel finish was an eyesore.
Antec replaced the old product sticker with the new version above. Personally, I wondered why Antec would ever use a gunship gray sticker (below) on an already unfinished case, but it doesn't really matter anymore since they have done well with this new image (above).
The TruePower Trio series has always accommodated the latest connection interfaces; which means that even though higher wattage power supply units are flooding the market you can still use the TruePower Trio series with the newer motherboards.
Even the new cable groups are improved. The gold plated connections remain, but new nylon weave sleeves have been added.
Not everything about the new A2 revision is great. On the review unit, which was purchased from NewEgg.com, one of the SATA connector backings was missing. This causes a serious risk for electrical shock and short circuit. I search the package, but to no avail; apparently Antec QC dropped the ball on this particular unit.
PSU Load Testing
I am very aware of what the more knowledgeable readers think about these power supply reviews: impractical and often useless. Power supplies are not like other computer components, where it is a simple matter of comparing the item to others in the same category. Power supply units offer many different variables, and each must be analyzed with unique tools. In the past, Benchmark Reviews has been guilty of the same thing its affiliates are guilty of: testing with a digital multimeter alone. For this reason alone, Benchmark Reviews will also discontinue posting affiliate reviews which do not properly test the power supply unit. So beginning now with this review, we are taking a corrected approach to testing PSU's.
Test System
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Motherboard: ABIT AB9 Pro v1.5 BIOS (Intel 965 chipset)
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Processor: Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz operating at 3.0 GHz (334 MHz FSB)
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Memory: 2 GB (1,024 MB x2 modules) Corsair CM2X1024-6420C4 DDR2 SDRAM @ 835MHz
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Hard Disk 1: Western Digital WD360GD 10,000 RPM SATA
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Optical Drive: Lite-On SH-16A7S-05 SATA DVD R/W
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Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-2 with IE7
PSU Test Equipment
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Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope (Operating at 2V DC Division, 60MHz, 1ms)
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PC-Lab2000SE v3.03 Interface Software
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Extech 450 Auto ranging Digital Multimeter
Power Supply Test Methodology
Benchmark Reviews has researched the equipment necessary to complete the most thorough power supply unit review possible. We spent the time learning what it takes because the best possible PSU tests are what we want to give to our readers. But after discovering the prices on a programmable output DC power supply system, variable range load testing units, and a DC power analyzer (Oscilloscope), we felt that more than ten-thousand dollars worth of equipment would be far too cost prohibitive for testing a hundred-dollar power supply. So without compromising too much, we made a slightly less-expensive investment into a good quality Oscilloscope in order to test voltage power ripple and regulation. Together, the Oscilloscope and digital multimeter will offer readers the best measurement of power stability any review site could practically offer.
Our testing process is comprised of measuring the AC current ripple, and the DC voltage regulation. There are several key steps, all of which allow us to measure and record our readings using the identical methods for every test we perform. Consistent testing methods are key to obtaining comparable results.
At the start of every test, the Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope is calibrated to the PC-Lab2000SE software. After calibration is complete, the voltage on the 12V rails are measured and recorded with the Extech 450 digital multimeter to ensure comparable margin across all rails. Once the Velleman 60MHz probe has been grounded and attached to the 12V lead, our test system is powered on and left at the Windows logon screen for ten minutes.
Once this lightly-loaded idle warm up period is complete, the Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope was allowed to run for one minute measuring the AC power ripple. Then once ripple is recorded, the 12V DC voltage regulation is recorded after another minute.
After the results have been recorded from the light idle load, our test system then receives heavy load by utilizing the following tools: two console versions of the Folding @ Home client operate and task each CPU core to 100%, hard disks are stressed by benchmarking each with HD Tach RW, system memory (RAM) is given a stress test with Lavalys EVEREST, and ATITool scans for artifacts which forced the video card into high-power 3D mode. After ten minutes of heavy load the power supply is again measured, and the AC power ripple and 12V DC voltage regulation results are recorded.
Voltage Regulation Test Results
In the test results below, it will be necessary to explain what you are viewing. In each image, the power ripple is represented by the yellow trace line. While every DC power supply available to the retail market has some degree of measurable DC power regulation deviation, it is most important that there are only a few very minor changes to the expected voltage. Stable, well-regulated power is critical to system stability and hardware longevity.
The image above shows the 12V DC power regulation under light idle load, which measures 0.04V. Note that there are several minor differences above and below the 12V baseline, and only a few major changes in voltage level, all of which occur inside of a 1ms recording frame.
The waveform information above describes the actual measurements at light idle load. The maximum peak-to-peak distortion was 0.94V, which appears to come more from over-voltage than from under-voltage since the mean voltage is 12.25V.
Under heavy load, the Antec TP3-650 (Revision A2) has many minor differences in voltage which appear above 12V, and several major deviations occurring above and below the 12V baseline.
The Antec TP-650 A2 did not measure far from the idle readings when placed under heavy load. Most importantly, the power never dipped any lower than 11.81V, which means that even under heavy load there will sufficient power to uphold system stability.
Many of the power supplies we test here at Benchmark Reviews have DC voltage regulation measuring above the 12V baseline more often than below. For obvious reasons, the diversion from the 12V baseline with increased voltage is more preferred than below it since dropping too far under 12V will cause a system to power off or recycle. Plainly put, no power supply is ever perfectly centered at 12V DC; instead they most often maintain a DC mean voltage higher than they are regulated at.
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Conclusion: Antec TP3-650 A2
Presently, the Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU SKU# TP3-650 is being sold as low as $69.99 at NewEgg.com. For that price alone, it is a bargain since far weaker power supplies are priced higher. Add to the great low price the fact that you will have a triple-rail power supply that can promise stability under the most demanding load, and you have yourself a sure thing. I highly recommend the Antec TruePower Trio 650W, it is the definition of function before fashion; the price and results prove it.
Antec has decided to improve its design of the TruePower Trio series by adding full cable sleeves to every cable group, not just the main. Even a new sticker helps detract from the cold-war era look of this unit, which I could rate just slightly higher if it were painted or finished.
I love the fact that this is top-shelf technology for such a reasonable price, but it looks just like the old low-end stamped steel power supplies from a decade back. With the industry catering to computer enthusiasts, it surprises me that Antec was so involved with function that they totally abandoned fashion altogether. Perhaps future versions of this product will borrow design notes from nearly any of the other manufactures and the TruePower series will have an anodized or polished finish. That would make for a real treat: clean stable power and good looks. One can only hope that Antec agrees.
Despite a minor quality control oversight in our test unit, the Antec TruePower Trio has been built with high quality construction. Antec is very well know for the quality product they deliver, and the TruePower Trio series is not exception.
The 12V DC power dropped no lower than 11.81V during ripple testing, and this is very good. Although the maximum power out was well above baseline at 12.88V, this is not high enough to be cause short-term concern, and it is average for most power supplies tested with this wattage.
In the end however, you are getting more then what you are paying for; which is why this power supply has already garnered attention from Federal Government IT departments.
This review was designed as a follow up to the original, primarily because Antec offered enough new features in this revision to warrant additional coverage, and because Benchmark Reviews has recently spent hundreds of dollars on equipment to test AC current ripple and DC power regulation.
There was also one comment from Susie Hughes (the LEWIS Global Public Relations representative for Antec) regarding the previous review conclusion: "(I) just wanted to drop you a line about your Antec TruePower Trio PSU review. It was a great article, but you note that it is an ‘eyesore' with its lack of paint and that is has no cable sleeves. Paint can potentially have a negative impact on a high-performance PSU, and TruePower is a high performance, no compromise design which is why it doesn't have paint or cable management." I don't agree with her statement, but perhaps the readers can provide more feedback to this claim?
Pros:
+ Extremely quiet operation
+ Good performance
+ Active PFC (0.99)
+ Fully sleeved cable groups
+ Very high efficiency rating
+ Good cooling design and results
+ Above average power regulation
+ Industrial grade components
Cons:
- Unfinished/unpainted unit case
- Quality control error with this unit
Ratings:
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Presentation: 8.75
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Appearance: 7.75
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Construction: 9.0
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Functionality: 9.25
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Value: 8.25
Final Score: 8.6 out of 10.
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