2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper
by Kristopher Kubicki on July 31, 2003 1:58 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
After our last review, we got dozens of emails begging for PCP&C power supplies. Thankfully, our good friends at Directron.com were able to help us obtain a sample. Unfortunately, our initial looks at the unit were slightly mixed.
Our largest amazement was that the TurboCool 475 unit had no power switch. Out of almost 20 represented power supplies, this was the only unit that did not have a simple on/off switch. The TurboCool 475 was also the loudest power supply we had ever heard, definitely louder than the TTGI or Vantec units on full fan speed.
On the other hand, the TurboCool 475 does have a few things going for it. For one, TurboCool is one of the only units we have seen that contains onboard line purification. This definitely will help our signal and generate great results in our ripple test. To justify the loud fan speed, the TurboCool 475 also stays extremely cool during operation, even under load.
Albeit subtle, the TurboCool 475 has variable voltage settings inside the unit. The Antec TrueControl puts them on the fan control in the front of the case, which makes it a little more user friendly. PC Power & Cooling makes you void the warranty to get at the variable voltage controls, so its definitely something that is not recommended unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Wattages
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
-12 |
-5 |
+5vsb |
combined theoretical |
actual combined |
advertised total |
|
PC Power & Cooling TurboCool 475 |
148.50 |
200.00 |
216.00 |
24.00 |
1.50 |
14.00 |
348.50 |
300.00 |
480.00 |
The TurboCool has an extremely high +3.3V rail. This power supply is geared for the AMD system builder, without a doubt. As a result, the combined +3.3V/+5.0V rail is also quite remarkable; higher than any other power supply we tested. If this is not to your taste you can adjust the voltages on the inside of the unit, although we recommend not voiding the warranty unless you absolutely have no other choice. Remember, playing with the adjustable voltage settings can really mess up your computer. The unit does not come with any ATX sheathing, so you may want to invest in twist ties or some other form of cable management
When we first obtained this sample, it was priced around $180. We never really could figure out why it was priced so high, but over the last couple months the price dropped a little to $165. Even though the TurboCool definitely lacks features, it is the best performer in our benchmark suite. If you are an AMD builder (or overclocker) and you do not mind the loud fan (and high price), this is the power supply for you.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
70 Comments
View All Comments
unclebud - Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - link
i came in here today looking for just the same thing though!we needs a new ps article! thanks in advance anandtech!
JustAnAverageGuy - Sunday, January 30, 2005 - link
Dopey:It's an extremely old article. Nobody reads those except when they need to be pulled out of the vault.
Dopey - Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - link
Sad to see no comments since 2003! ???Looking for a good power supply for AMD and review indicates that both Fortron & Zalman are good at not too high price. But looking at Antec True Power 330W I read "beware of the extremely modest +12V rail. If you are running a high end video card, or an Intel Pentium 4, this power supply simply will not produce enough juice." Both the Fortron &n Zalman deliver just 180 watts on the +12V rail while the Antec True Power 330W puts out 204 watts. And if you look at the whole list of PSUs reviewed 204 watts looks like a respecatable amount of power. So ... ????????????????????
MIDIman - Friday, November 7, 2003 - link
I bought the Zalman 300w for $50 as a result of this article. Love it to death, but newegg stopped carrying it.1) What size fan is in the Fotron reviewed here, 120mm or 80mm?
2) What is the model number of the 300w alternative to the Fortron FSP400-60PFN?
3) Isn't the Sparkle FSP350-60PN reviewed here also a fotron, and what is the model number of its 300w alternative?
Anonymous User - Monday, October 27, 2003 - link
You state for those PSU's that have good amoubt of voltage for the 3,3V are good for AMD.It will also be nice to say that most new motherboard from AMD are now using 12 RAIL e.g. 8RDA3+ many more and from what ive seen all K8 mobos use 12 RAIL
all in all good review.
What i have found with my TT320W that when you stress it too much and it heats up it will shit down whole system.
Also if your PC is off for many hours if you touch the PSU its worm :S
Ordered my Antec 550W True Control
Also you should show how to short the old PSU so user can use 2 PSU in one system..
I run my whole system on a 480W ProSourse untill my 550W Antec TC is here
My GFFX5900 runs on a dedicated PSU 300W soon it will have a dedicated 480 ProSource :D
And all my 12 fans run on a 300W generic PSU
Also TT's seem not to like when to many devices are connected to it
Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link
To know how much the exhaust air will heat a room you have to know not only its temperature but also its volume. It would be simpler to measure the efficiency of the supply.The tests were not very thorough at all because if they were they would have included electrical noise and current measurements and testing at full power.
Anonymous User - Saturday, September 13, 2003 - link
The memory errors could be due to bad filtering more than cable shielding. Putting a 'scope on the outputs would would provide a graphic portrayal of output quality. <hint, hint> :-)*TimDaniels*
Anonymous User - Sunday, September 7, 2003 - link
I enjoyed reading the article and I think it was very well written and the tests were very thorough. Although the article discusses "heat" and examines each power supply to see how well they deal with the heat issue, I think from a consumers point of view, you should have measured the difference in the temperature of the exhaust that is emitted from the power supply. For me that is a real issue as the heat that emits from my existing power supply probably raises the room temperature by 7 to 8 degress (to the point of making it uncomforable to stay in the room on a hot day). I want a power supply that doesn't blow out hot air. Which one of these blows the coolest air?Anonymous User - Friday, August 22, 2003 - link
As much care was taken in creating the title as in testing the power supplies.I hope to see another Anandtech power supply review soon, only one with proper testing. I have to give Anandtech an A for effort in this case, but I can't still give them a passing grade. Please consult with a specialist in this field for any future test.
Anonymous User - Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - link
Is it just me or does the article title seems a little off? "2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper" Faster? A faster P/S?