Power Supply Roundup #2

It is time to have a look at PSU’s again, and this time we have brought eleven different models that will be tested. There are three from the new manufacturer Hiper, two from Levicom, two from Antec and one from FSP Group, Tagan, Q-Tec and ToPower respectively. The PSUs are from all kinds of power classes, this to be able to cover most segments.

It is time to have a look at PSU’s again, and this time we have brought eleven different models that will be tested. There are three from the new manufacturer Hiper, two from Levicom, two from Antec and one from FSP Group, Tagan, Q-Tec and ToPower respectively. The PSUs are from all kinds of power classes, this to be able to cover most segments. Some of them do also have special functions and features that make this roundup a little more interesting. Totally we are testing as much as 4800 watts today. The test is a simple one in a PC, as our PSU tester was not available at the time of the review.

Hiper is currently a relatively unknown brand in Sweden, something that makes them quite interesting. This is the weakest model in their product line, with a top wattage at 350 W. New PSU’s today are mostly required to offer at least 350 W, which means this model does not really have that much worth mentioning. It has six large and two small molex connectors, which is sufficient for the average user. The power is nicely divided between the different voltages and the PSU is equipped with both AUX and +12 V connectors. Note that all connectors are gold-plated for “best contact”, but this is only a hype and does not affect the performance in any way.

Front

Other side

As this PSU has rather shy specifications it also comes easy on this part. The PSU is cooled by a single 80-mm fan on the back. The fan is labeled “Global Fan” and is covered by a gold coloured grill. The noise level is generally low, and the fan RPM is adjusted by the temperature inside the PSU. The box is standard gray, which does not matter that much as you rarely see it. Still it looks somewhat dull. Included accessories are a power cable, four standard screws and a multi language manual.

Specifications: Hiper SF-420TS (420W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	42A
+12V	16A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.5A
-12V	0.8A
+5V SB	2A
Max output wattage	420W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	210W
Connectors
Large connectors	8
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, Aux and +12V
Other connectors	–
Other specifications
Number of fans	1x80mm + 1x92mm
Tested according to	UL, CUL, VDE, SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, FINKO and CB
Other	Wire loom around the ATX cable, transparent fans, gold-plated connectors, fan speed adjuster
Price	Approximately 80 € (Exchange rates)

This is the 420 W model from Hiper and is also the most topical as 420 W has become a kind of standard wattage for modern, power demanding computers. The power is rather good divided between the different voltages, though I would like to see a little more on +12V and +3.3V. However, these figures are not that low that it becomes a problem. Just like its little brother, this PSU have gold-plated connectors. Eight large and two small connectors are enough for most things and the cable length is just enough for a midi tower, but if you have a full tower you may encounter problems.

Diagonally from the front

Other side

This power supply is gray just like the weaker model, but there are lots of other differences. To start with is that the ATX cord is covered with a wire loom to get the cables out of the way. This is a very nice solution that can be found on several PSU’s. Further more the fans are transparent, which is quite pointless as there is no kind of lighting anyway inside the power supply. You could of course mount lights yourself if desired.
When it comes to cooling you can find an 80-mm fan on the back and a 92-mm fan at the bottom. Both of them are temperature controlled, but can be adjusted manually through a switch on the back. This power supply is actually more silent than the 350 W model, as the fans do not need to run as fast to achieve the same airflow and cooling.

Specifications: Hiper SF-520TS (520W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	52A
+12V	20A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.5A
-12V	0.8A
+5V SB	3A
Max output wattage	520W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	260W
Connectors
Big connectors	10
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	–
Other specifications
Number of fans	2x80mm, 1x92mm
Tested according to	UL, CUL, VDE, SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, FINKO and CB
Other	Wire loom around the ATX cords, transparent fans, gold-plated connectors, fan rpm controller.
Price	Around 110 € (Exchange rates)

This is Hiper’s second most powerful power supply. This beast can deliver a full 520W during continuous work, something that should be enough for anything. If you take a look at how the currents are divided I think +3.3V is quite low in comparison to the others, no difference at all from the 420W model.
Naturally this model has gold-plated connectors, just as was the case with the two previous units we had a look at. Say what you want about the necessity but it sure does feel exclusive. The ten big connectors are more than enough unless you have something in the lines of a large file server. The cables are long enough for a full tower so there’s no problem there.

Diagonally from the front

The other way around

This powerful PSU is equipped with a full three (3!) fans, one in the bottom, one on the back and one facing the 5.25″ bays. All of the fans are transparent, something that bodes well for everybody who wants to put some sort of lighting in their power supply. Sound level is somewhat high due to the three fans that produce a decent noise even when at low speeds. The unit also emit a strange sound when not active, it sounds as if it’s trying to turn itself on all the time. A very irritating and ominous sound that I can’t figure out the reason for. This model has, just as its baby brother, a wire loom around the ATX cords down to the large ATX connector. Accessories are the same as for both the smaller power supplies, that is; four screws, a power cord and a manual.

Specifications: Levicom 380XAS-F (380W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	32A
+12V	19A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.8A
-12V	0.8A
+5V SB	2.5A
Max output wattage	380W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	220W
Connectors
Big connectors	8
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	Fan rpm monitoring
Other specifications
Number of fans	1x120mm
Tested according to	UL, CUL, VDE, SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, FINKO and CB
Other	Spectacular cooling, lacquered black, slave connected power outlet, wire loom for the ATX cord.
Price	Around 80 € (Exchange rates)

Levicom is a relatively unknown actor on the Swedish market but their previous models have proven worthy in our tests. This power supply has a maximum wattage output of 380W and it is wisely divided between the different voltages, +12V might be a little low but there’s no great deviation. Eight large and two small connectors makes one feel comfortable not to run out anytime soon and the 3-pin connector that enables the RPM monitoring of the fan is a nice feature. Levicom ships the supply with two bags of screws, one with four black regular ones and another one with four black thumbscrews. They are also nice enough to provide a cable that converts a regular power connector to one of the new SATA power connectors.

Diagonally from the front

The other side…

Levicom is one of the few manufactures that care about the appearance of their power supply; it is spray painted in a blank reflective colour. Scratches are easy to spot but besides from that there are only good things to say about it. It looks especially nice if you have a window at the side of your tower, both the power supply itself and the reflections in it. Further on it has a slave connected power outlet, an outlet that activates when the power supply is turned on. The design of the outlet is quite unusual though, I suspect it is a foreign standard probably from the States or Japan. If they change one connector one might think they could just as easily change the other one as well.
The bundle of cords that make out the ATX connector has a silvery wire loom around it, probably to make it easier to handle, a pity it does not work too well. Usually, using such a container for the cords does not affect the mobility of the cord but this one does and a lot at that. You will have to use force just to make it move, even though this is not something you will be bothered by every day it is worth mentioning.
The cooling is taken care of by a temperature controlled 120 mm fan that runs very silently. It is nice to see that more and more manufacturers take the step over to using 120mm fans as this decreases the sound level considerably.

Specifications: Topower TOP-420P4 (420W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	42A
+12V	18A
+3.3V	26A
-5V	0.8A
-12V	1A
+5V SB	2.5A
Max output wattage	400W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	220W
Connectors
Big connectors	10
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors
Other specifications
Number of fans	2x80mm
Tested according to	?
Other	Wire loom for the ATX cord, gold plated molex connectors.
Price	Approximately 90 € (Exchange rates)

Topower is a brand that has not made much noise in Sweden, which is rather strange as they have quite interesting products. The power supply has enough connectors for almost any task and the cords are long enough for the unit to be used in a full tower design. Those with midi sized towers should not have to worry about cord clutter though as they are not too long either. The contact surface of the connectors are gold plated on this power supply, but keep in mind it is mostly a cosmetic detail with no real performance gain. The wattage is distributed between the different voltages in a pretty good way.

Diagonally from the front

Opposite side

The cooling is taken care of by two black temperature controlled 80-mm fans from Sanyo Denki. The ATX cord has a wire loom around it to make it easier to handle. The exterior of the unit is the regular dull gray colour and the fan grills are gold coloured. Personally I think it is boring that so few manufacturers chose to put some colour on their power supplies, but on the other hand, most people do not show their computer internals to everybody. Along with the supply unit you also get a power cord, four standard screws and a couple of cable ties. The cable ties are probably meant to be used to clear up among the cables that you are not using, a nice addition if I may say so. The noise level is relatively good, not the most silent but still silent enough.

Specifications: Q-Technology QT-02400A (400W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	32A
+12V	18A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.5A
-12V	0.8A
+5V SB	3A
Max output wattage	400W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	220W
Connectors
Big connectors	5
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	–
Other specifications
Number of fans	2x80mm Papst
Tested according to	?
Other	Papst fans, silver coloured.
Price	Approximately 50 €

This power supply unit is called “the ultra quiet power supply” by Q-technology themselves and we experienced that this is true. It is equipped with two 80mm Papst fans, Papst is well known when it comes to silent fans, something better for a power supply would be hard to find.
On the downside, there are not that many power connectors, five big connectors are just not enough all the time today, especially when the power supply is specified to be able to deliver 400W. The cables are long enough for a midi tower but owners of a full tower should look elsewhere.

Diagonally from the front

The other side

The first thing you will notice about this unit is that it is encapsulated in reflective silver instead of the regular dull gray that is so common. It makes the power supply look fresh and was a very good decision from Q-Technology. Cooling is taken care of, as mentioned before, by two 80mm Papst fans and it turns out to be a really silent solution. It was actually close to inaudible in my system, my other fans made it impossible to make out the Papst fans. I dare say this is as silent as you can get it without water cooling the power supply.

Specifications: FSP Group FSP350-60PN (350W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	30A
+12V	16A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.3A
-12V	0.8A
+5V SB	2A
Max output wattage	350W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	220W
Connectors
Big connectors	5
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	–
Other specifications
Number of fans	1x120mm
Tested according to	?
Other	–
Price	Approximately 65 €

This power supply unit must belong to the most boring ones. Nothing separates it from the masses except for the 120mm fan. No wire loom, no accessories whatsoever. Output wattage is good especially since the unit can only produce a total of 350W. There’s not much to add besides the fact that it’s missing S-marking according to the label, somewhat strange as it’s N-marked.

Angle 1

Angle 2

Design is like every other 120mm power supply. The fan is placed in the bottom of the unit and there’s a grid grill on the backside to allow for effective airflow. The power supply doubtlessly runs silently enough, the 120mm fan does a good job. Other from that there’s not much to be told about this power supply.

Specifications: Antec TruePower 430W
Voltage / Current
+5V	36A
+12V	20A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.5A
-12V	1A
+5V SB	2A
Max output wattage	430W
Max wattage +3.3V, +5V, +12V	410W
Other	Dedicated voltage regulators for +3.3V, +5V and +12V.
Connectors
Big connectors	7
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	Fan connectors, fan rpm monitoring.
Other specifications
Number of fans	1x80mm, 1x92mm
Tested according to	UL, CUL, VDE, SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, FINKO and CB.
Other	Black connectors, wire loom for the ATX cable, gold-plated contact surfaces, transparent fans, external molex connector.
Price	Approximately 100 €

Antec are widely known for their high quality power supply units, they offer both numerous functions and stable voltages. One of the great advantages with this power supply is the fact that it has separate circuits for +3.3V, +5V and +12V which means there’s no limit for how much load you can put between +3.3V and +5V respectively. Wattage is very well divided between the different voltages and the cables are long enough for a full tower even if it’s a close call. It was a little cheap only to provide seven big connectors though, some people might have problems making them go around.

Antec has a built-in fan control system which you can connect to a number of your case fans. The rpm of these fans are then controlled by how hot your power supply gets. The question is if this is a good thing or not, sure it’s nice with temperature controlled fans but shouldn’t it be the temperature of the case and not the power supply that matters? Supposedly these reflect each other pretty well, but that’s not always true. There’s also a 3-pin connector you can attach to the motherboard in order to see the rpm of one of the fans in the power supply.

Diagonally from the front

The other side

And so we’ve come to the design. Regrettably this power supply is gray as so many others but there are some other perks in the appearance. All molex connectors are for example pitch black instead of white/transparent. Why they decided to do this is a bit puzzling, sure it gives a feeling of exclusiveness as no other manufacturer does it, but it makes it impossible to fit a LED system in them if you’d want to. Also, the black ATX connector doesn’t match the colour of the motherboards connector, but that’s something I can live with.

The fans in the power supply are transparent but there’s no LEDs fitted into them so you won’t really notice it while it’s running. The ATX cord is of course fitted with a wire loom to avoid a cable tangle. The external molex connector is a nice addition, it’s simply a a molex connector on the back of the power supply which makes it possible to power external, possibly home built, equipment. A very good idea from Antec! Sound level is good even if it isn’t 100% quiet, it’s not loud either. During regular usage the fans rotate at such a low speed they’re almost inaudible but as temperature rises so does the sound of the fans.

Specifications: Antec TrueControl 550W
Voltages/Currents
+5V	40A
+12V	24A
+3.3V	32A
-5V	0.5A
-12V	1A
+5V SB	2A
Max wattage output	550W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	530W
Other	Dedicated voltage regulators for +3.3V, +5V and +12V.
Connectors
Big connectors	7
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	Fan connectors, fan rpm monitoring, TrueControl
Other specifications
Number of fans	1x80mm 1x92mm
Tested according to	UL, CUL, VDE, SEMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, FINKO and CB.
Other	Black connectors, wire loom around the ATX cords, gold-plated connectors, transparent fans, external molex connector, TrueControl unit.
Price	Approximately 170 €

Here’s the reviews big boy. Antec TrueControl 550W, the Rolls Royce of power supplies. Lots of features and high wattage makes this a desirable power supply. It’s equipped with separate voltage channels for all the main voltages which removes the wattage limitations other power supplies have when it comes to combining +3.3V and +5V. Cable length is enough for a full tower, somewhat longer than the 430W model. They haven’t added to the number of connectors though, pretty silly as the output capabilities are far higher. At least eight large connectors for a power supply that can provide 550W.

This model has, just as its baby brother, a built-in fan control system which you can hook up your case fans to. The rpm of these fans are then controlled by how hot it gets inside of the power supply. This results in the problem that the fans aren’t controlled by the right temperature, just as with the TruePower series.

Diagonally from the front

The other side

The most interesting thing with this model is the name, TrueControl. As it ends with Control you assume something is able to being controlled and of course that’s the case. Specifically, voltage levels from the power supply can be adjusted using the bundled 5.25″ unit consisting of three small trimmers, a regular potentiometer and a small screw driver. The regular potentiometer controls the speed of the fans in the power supply, however the regular automatic fan control is always active so you can’t lower the speed below a certain limit. The screw driver is used for the trimmers above and it’s these that control the output voltage levels. A very nice feature for overclockers who wants their voltages exactly where they should be or maybe even a bit higher. If you lose the small screw driver you could just as well use any ordinary one. Inside the 5.25″ there’s also the possibility to mount a 3,5″ unit, for instance a hard disk drive. Colour is (unexpectedly) the same as the Antec cases, good news for everybody with a Antec case as it’ll look extra nice.

Enough about the TrueControl unit, there’s more to know when it comes to this power supply. All connectors are black in order to give them a somewhat unique look and inside they have gold-plated contact surfaces in order to provide optimum contact and current flow. The bundle of cords that make out the ATX cable has a wire loom around it to ease its handling. There’s an external molex connector on the outside of the power supply if you need it, a very nice move from Antec if I may say so. For such a costly power supply unit I would have liked seeing it in another colour but obviously Antec likes the gray metal.

Adjustable voltages

The 5.25″ unit

Specifications: Levicom VP500B.BL (500W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	30A
+12V	34A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.3A
-12V	0.8A
+5V SB	2.0A
Max output wattage	500W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	–
Connectors
Big connectors	8
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, both AUX and +12V
Other connectors	One SATA power connector
Other specifications
Number of fans	2x80mm LED
Tested according to	–
Other	Fans fitted with blue LEDs, transparent top, UV active wire loom for the ATX-cable, UV active connectors, manual fan speed control.
Price	Approximately 90 €

This power supply is Levicom’s flagship as of now, it can provide up to 500W during continuous load which is impressive but not exceptional. What is exceptional on the other hand is the total wattage it can provide for its +12V channel, a whole 408W. For those with compressor cooling or other equipment that draws heavily on the +12V channel this is like a dream, such high output is most unusual. The other wattages aren’t that bad either so there’s a lot of potential in this power supply. It’s equipped with eight large connectors and two small plus a SATA power connector. That’s enough for most people and the SATA connector is a good proof that this PSU is up-to-date.

Diagonally from the front

The other side

Here’s the prefab modders dream. A power supply that comes fitted with a transparent blueish plexiglass top and two fans each fitted with four blue LEDs. As if this weren’t enough all connectors are made of a neon green plastic that’s fluorescent in UV light. The ATX wire loom has the same capabilities.

The manual fan control is nice and allows for pretty precise adjustment of the sound level without problems. Effectiveness of the fans are relatively high so you’ll get a good airflow even at low sound levels. The fan grills are gold coloured and mounted on the inside of the power supply so you can’t see the screw holes.

In complete darkness

In UV light

Specifications: Tagan TG480-U01 (480W)
Voltage / Current
+5V	48A
+12V	28A
+3.3V	28A
-5V	0.8A
-12V	1.0A
+5V SB	2.5A
Max output wattage	480W
Max wattage +3.3V & +5V	240W
Connectors
Big connectors	10
Small connectors	2
Extra power connectors	Yes, 24 pin ATX connector (converter to 20 pin bundled), 8 pin extra +12V, ground connector and 4 pin extra +12V.
Other connectors	2 x SATA power connector
Other specifications
Number of fans	2x80mm
Tested according to	UL, CSA, ICE, CE, EN, FCC, CINSPR, ANSI, NEMKO, SEMKO, FEMKO and DEMKO.
Other	Protective cover for the power switch, all cables are twisted down to their connectors except for the ATX bundle that has a wire loom around it instead.
Price	Approximately 110 €

I get the impression that this power supply was meant for servers as it has a lot of strange connectors and very detailed specifications. The power supply has a very powerful +5V which can deliver a whole 48A without giving in. +12V can handle 28A which is also unusually high. Cable length is a little too short to work in a full tower, a pity as this power supply would do a very good job in a big and power consuming computer. Ten large and two small connectors is more than enough especially since there’s also two SATA power connectors which means you could connect up to 12 hard disk drives without the use of splitters.

This particular unit had a very annoying defect. A component in the power supply had wrongfully been soldered in such a way that one of the fans repeatedly struck it which caused a very annoying sound but also stopped the second fan from starting since the first one drew too much power as it had to power up all the time.

Diagonally from the front

The other side

One word: stylish. A more stylish power supply would be hard to find. Spray painted in a pleasant dull black colour with silver details makes for a very good looking exterior. The small protection for the power switch does its job, personally I’ve never turned my power supply off by accident though.

All cables are twisted which, besides make them easier to handle, adds to the stylish look. The power supply has an extra large ATX connector as standard but a converter is shipped with it to provide compatibility with regular motherboards. The bundled accessories in general are pleasing, besides the regular screws and power cord there’s also two cable ties and no less than five pieces of Velcro band.

The purpose of the Velcro bands are probably to be used in the same manner as the cable ties, to tidy up among the cables, a very good solution in my opinion.

The Velcro bands

This test system is relatively power hungry. With three hard drives and a FX5800 power consumption sure rises a bit. In order to measure the voltages during the test I used the latest version of MotherBoard Monitor since I don’t have access to a logging multimeter. I did however calibrate the sensors in MBM by reading the voltage with a multimeter and then tuning the sensor so it gave the same reading. This provides us with sure enough values even if they aren’t 100% accurate.

In this test I connected the power supply to my computer and told 3DMark 2001SE to run its most demanding tests in a continuous loop. After one hour I turned off the tests and reviewed the readings MBM had to offer, I then compared these with the values from an hour of regular usage.
*: Since voltages are adjustable through the TrueControl unit they’re impossible to measure as you’re simply compensating for possible brownouts.

A table of the adjustable ranges on the output voltages with the TrueContol unit is provided below. The test was carried out with a multimeter.

The numbers speak for themselves, to analyse all the power supplies in every aspect would be way too time consuming and quite uninformative at that so I’ll simply don’t do that. Instead I’ll point out any irregularities. Voltage values within 1% of the specified range are marked with a slanted font and the ones within a 3% error margin are marked with a bold font.
Hipers 350W manages very well, no strange readings at all. The more powerful models from the same manufacturer doesn’t provide as stable voltages, strange as it may sound. All three Hiper supplies passes the test however.
Levicom is on the same level as the best Hiper unit and thus passes the test as well. Levicom boasts stable voltages even under load, +12V makes a very good job.
I’m sorry to say I can’t recommend power supplies from ToPower under any circumstances. All of the +12 and +5 voltages are below my 3% barrier. 3,3V manages very good on the other hand.
Q-techs unit provides a nice and stable output, +5V is surprisingly good.
The power supply from FSG Group is the only one with too high output, +12V is up around 12,45V and that’s quite a bit too high.
Antecs power supply manages without any problems even if the voltage levels could be better. The TrueControl supply has its own playground as you can set the voltages manually yourself.

In order to simplify the presentation of the test results a score will be calculated for each power supply, pay attention to the fact that lower is better. The calculation is done like this: The error in percent for each average voltage is calculated and then squared. After that all voltages are added which gives the value of average error during load. The exact same procedure is done for idle voltages as well. We then calculate the value of how uneven the voltage is. Here we take the lowest voltage subtracted from the highest, the error is then multiplied by 100 and squared. This is also done for idle and during load. If you have any points of view on this way of achieving a score feel free to contact us as it probably isn’t a perfect way. The reason why the value is squared is because a large error on one voltage is far worse than two smaller errors on separate voltages. Results are shown in the graphs below. Note that TrueControl isn’t part of them as it would get 0 in all tests.

Average error during load

Hiper SF-350TS   25   Hiper SF-520TS   49   Levicom 380XAS-F   56   Antec TruePower 430W   74   Tagan TG480-U01   80   Levicom VP500B.BL   80   Hiper SF-420TS   126   FSP Group FSP350   165   Q-Tech QT-02400A   168   Topower TOP-420P4   294

0 80 160 240 320 400

Average error during idle

Hiper SF-350TS   8   Hiper SF-520TS   27   Antec TruePower 430W   43   Levicom 380XAS-F   51   Tagan TG480-U01   53   Levicom VP500B,BL   80   Hiper SF-420TS   101   FSP Group FSP350   121   Q-Tech QT-02400A   127   Topower TOP-420P4   284

0 80 160 240 320 400

Stability score during load 1024

Topower TOP-420P4   5   Hiper SF-350TS   11   FSP Group FSP350   15   Tagan TG480-U01   18   Levicom VP500B,BL   18   Antec TruePower 430W   19   Q-Tech QT-02400A   20   Hiper SF-420TS   23   Levicom 380XAS-F   40   Hiper SF-520TS   41

0 10 20 30 40 50

Stability score during idle 1024

Tagan TG480-U01   5   Topower TOP-420P4   6   Antec TruePower 430W   7   Hiper SF-350TS   11   FSP Group FSP350   15   Levicom VP500B,BL   16   Levicom 380XAS-F   17   Q-Tech QT-02400A   17   Hiper SF-420TS   22   Hiper SF-520TS   37

0 10 20 30 40 50

It’s hard to come up with a real winner in this test, when all products has their up and downsides. The absolutely best performing power supply is of course Antec’s TrueControl 550w, but then, it’s never cheap to be the best. Almost all power supplies completed the test without any problem, I can’t recommend ToPower’s bid when the voltages were a little too low for the system to perform well.
Antec has without doubt the best details, so the gadget freaks best buy is either Antec or the Levicom WP500B.BL.
Hiper’s PSU gave us some really weird results, while the 350W model had more stable voltages, when you increase the effect it will most probably drop below the more powerful models. Levicom placed themselves in the middle with Q-Tec’s super silent model.

Levicom has already modded their PSU, and its actually surprisingly cheap considering what you get, 900 SEK gives you a PSU that saves you hours of modding and has pretty stable voltages and high max effects.

When it comes to noise it doesn’t become any easier to give a verdict, Q-tec is of course the most silent PSU, but the others are not far behind either. Temperature control has become more or less a standard, and at maximum temperature they all sound about the same. The ones with 120 mm fans sound a bit less, but as the computer often quenches the PSU noise it’s hardly noticeable. My personal reference is of course Antec’s TrueControl, since it has everything you need and a bit more. The regular user can choose freely among the others when they are more or less alike.

No less than 2 cups for innovative ability. The first one goes to Antec TrueControl where the adjustable voltage is a very nice addition. Second one goes to Levicom’s modded PSU; with fluorescent pieces, LED fans and plexi top it deserves the distinction for innovative thinking.

Antec TrueControl 550 & Levicom WP500B.BL

Hiper SF-350TS (350W) Pros: + Very stable and exact voltages + Cheap + Relatively quiet Cons: – A bit weak max output wattage	Hiper SF-420TS (420W) Pros: + Quiet + Enough molex connectors Cons: – Unstable voltages
Hiper SF-520TS (520W) Pros: + Much power on +5V + Powerful cooling + Stable voltages Cons: – Weak +3.3V – Rather noisy	Levicom 380XAS-F Pros: + Quiet 120mm fan + Slave 220v connector + Painted black + Stable voltages Cons: –
Topower TOP-420P4 (420W) Pros: + Nice accessories + Lots of connectors Cons: – Very bad voltages – Very unstable voltages	Q-Technology QT-02400A (400W) Pros: + Papst fans, quiet cooling + Good looking appearance Cons: – Only 5 large connectors – Rather bad voltages
FSP Group FSP350-60PN (350W) Pros: + Very quiet + Rather cheap Cons: – A bit weak during the stress test	Antec TruePower 430W Pros: + Many good features + Stable and good voltages + Dedicated voltage circuits Cons: – Rather expensive
Antec TrueControl 550W Pros: + Many good features + Stable and good voltages + Dedicated voltage circuits + Variable voltages Cons: – Very expensive	Levicom VP500B.BL (500W) Pros: + Very attractive looks + Very stable voltages + Cheap + Very good output wattage + Nice accessories and features Cons: – None
Tagan TG480-U01 (480W) Pros: + Powerful + Lots of special connectors + Good voltages Cons: – Rather expensive