Product: Antec TruePower 480w Power Supply
Application: Power
Provided by: Antec
Reiewed by: Michael
Review date: 9 August, 2002

     In the last year alone, computer systems have become increasingly easier to build and maintain. Being a complex machine in its final form, the Computer is nothing more than a group of individual components assembled to create the finished product. Remove any one component from the equation, and the performance or operation of the unit becomes seriously crippled. While a computer system can function without a sound card or network card, it is impossible for the system to operate without a power supply. While the CPU and Motherboard may very well be the brain and soul of a computer, the power supply is definitely the Heart. The job of supplying electrical power to each and every component falls to this single unit. Substandard power supplies have been the cause of many premature component failures and needless motherboard replacements.

     In previous reviews and forums discussions we've covered the AMD Recommended Power Supply Issue and recounted endless circumstances in which a power supply was to blame for system failure. To briefly recap, a power supply rated at 300 Watts may very well be able to deliver 300 Watts. However, the filter and regulator circuits in that power supply may be composed of poor quality components and thus not able to properly normalize power output when a high strain is put upon the unit. Many a beginner system builder has emailed us with "Why does this power supply from Brand-X only cost $50 and this power supply from Brand-Y cost more than my case did?" It's what's inside that makes all the difference in the world.  While AMD no longer maintains a list of individual power supplies that have met the "AMD Recommended" field test, they do maintain a list of Manufactures whose power supplies have passed all manner of tests and evaluations. That list can be found here.

     Antec has long been a leader in enclosure and power supply technology. Their latest power supplies have been given the name True Power. "Why TruePower? Traditional power supply designs share a single output circuit to supply the +5 Volt and +3.3 Volt output. Since they share the output, the power supply cannot deliver maximum power, when required, to each output simultaneously. The TruePower design has dedicated output circuitry for +3.3 Volt, +5 Volt and 12 Volt, which allows maximum power to be delivered to all voltages, thus assuring maximum performance when your system needs it most."

    The TruePower power supplies are an exclusive feature of the newest line of enclosures from Antec called the Performance Plus.