Enthusiasts pit their computers against tough workloads on a regular basis. Sometimes, they like to just surf the web, but other times they can be putting them through hell by overclocking. This can create such a massive strain on the system that just about any variable can cause it to become unstable. In some of the worst instances, those systems can skip unstable and go straight to damaged simply due to the lack of clean power. Power is the one thing you simply can’t fail to provide if you’re a serious gamer or overclocker.
The best thing you can do for your system is pick a strong, reliable power supply. What constitutes a “strong, reliable” power supply you ask? This would be a power supply that can provide the cleanest power source possible while maintaining very stable 3.3, 5, and 12 Volt power rails. It should also be able to maintain very acceptable voltages no matter if it’s running at 50% or 100% load. Antec seems to think their new True Power 750 Watt (TP-750) Power Supply is up to this task.
Features and Specifications
The new TruePower series by Antec offers users an advanced power supply solution that strikes a balance between reliability, efficiency and quality. With DC to DC voltage regulator modules, a 120mm PWM fan, and 80 PLUS® Bronze certification, the TP-750 (and it’s TP-550, TP-650, and TP-750 Blue siblings) are the ideal solution for elite system builders and quality-minded enthusiasts alike.
The PSUs biggest achievement is the 80 Plus Bronze certification. What does that mean? Well, in a nut shell, the PSU passed validation testing and is over 80% efficient. In fact, it usually means it’s somewhere around 85%+ efficient at typical load. This most likely has a lot to do with the double layer PCB (not to be confused with Dual PCB design seen in the Signature Series) which ensures better current and thermal resistance which is the number one cause of component degradation.
Also, you can run two seemingly power hungry video cards if needed. You’ll find that there are 2 x 8-pin PCIE and 2 x 6-pin PCIE power cables readily available. This is quite capable of operating with a standard Quad Core based system with two GTX 285s installed without issue. Realistic power draw will be some where between 600 and 650 watts if you have quite a few peripherals connected as well.
The ANTEC True Power 750 Watt (TP-750) power supply runs about $169 US and should be available at your favourite stores like NCIX and NewEgg. For more detailed specs, you can check that out on the product home page. However, if you want to know how it performs, and what you’re getting, I suggest you read on instead.
What’s In The Box?
Antec ships the PSU nicely packed along with the needed fundamentals to offer your computer the best power source. This includes the PSU, mounting screws in case you don’t have any, and some braided modular cabling.
The bundled modular cabling include 2 x red 6-pin PCIE, 2 x SATA for 6 components, and 2 x 4-pin Molex for 6 components as well as a standard 120V power cable. This doesn’t cover the cabling hardwired to the PSU itself.
Hardwired to the PSU are 1 x SATA for 3 components, 1 x 4-pin Molex + 1 FDD for 3 components, 2 x 6+2-pin PCIE, 1 x 4-pin P4 auxilliary, 1 x 8-pin auxilliary, and the 24-pin main power connector. This helps limit the need for extra modular ports and cabling since you already have it at your finger tips.
The New ANTEC TP-750 Up Close
Being tested today is the TP-750 which offers the basic no frills appearance while the TP-750 “Blue” sibling is equipped with a 120mm blue LED cooling fan vs the regular non LED one in our test unit. If you want the sexy Antec blue LED lighting, perhaps for your gaming system, then that’s the model for you. Otherwise, there’s no performance difference between the two.
As you can see, this is a simple very cleanly put together power supply. The PSU offers a charcoal gray painted chassis which has a pretty smooth finish. This indicates that Antec used a decent amount of paint to offer such a clean finish. This is also Antec standard operating procedure as well and they are known for not sending out a product without some sort of refinement.
Speaking of refinement, the PSU is cooled by a very quiet 120mm fan. As of late, there haven’t been any loud cooling fans on any of the PSUs tested in the last couple years. They’ve grown to be more quiet and continue to move at least 60 to 70 CFM at full speed. This is just one of the pleasant features found inside ANTEC power supplies these days.
The cable side of the PSU hosts the hybrid cabling ports. What that means is you can use the extra modular cables in any of the ports including the red ports intended for 8-pin PCI Express support. So, if you don’t have video cards requiring 6+2-pin power cables, you could plug in more SATA or ATA devices using these same red ports. You still have the other two black ports for peripheral cabling as well in case you need to cable it all up.
At first, one might think that the red 8-pin PCIE port should equate to a full 6+2-pin cable. However, PCIE cables require a different set of wiring that can’t be shared with the black ports. Thus, the right six pins can only be used for peripherals. Also, the notch keeps things simple and prevents any incorrect connections from being made. so you aren’t sliding the two pins over by accident.
Surgical Inspection
After donning a pair of surgical gloves and mask, the PSU was preped for surgery. A state of the art magnetic, stainless steel screw driver was used to make the incision. A few screws were removed which fasten the chassis. Opening the chassis, reveals a small network of wires and components. You can’t quite tell that the PCB is dual layered just from looking at it even up close. About the only way to confirm that it’s dual layer is to literally cut the PCB open and compared copper.
There are two rows of thick, black heat sinks attached to the internal switching circuits. These pretty much tower over all of the beefy components soldered to the PCB underneath. Other than the usual factory scrapes, it all appears to be well soldered from PCB to socket wires. It looks like it’s all business inside.
If you’ve heard the term, “size matters”, it’s true for capacitors. The quality of the capacitor is especially important for better life and power quality. There’s a large 500uF black cap no doubt chosen to provide as much power as possible without suffering from being over worked. What it comes down to is that better quality capacitors can make all the difference when it comes to reliable power whether at low or maximum load capacities.
Riding the Rails
What makes this an attractive power solution is the amount of power from each of the rails. The Antec TP-750 offers 25 Amps on each 3.3V, 5V, and all four 12V rails. This is just about a perfect power balance if ever one was designed. The 3.3V and 5V don’t realistically need any more than this in today’s systems. Powering the 12V rails is more important than ever given the power hungry video cards, motherboards, and processors.
You’re wondering how this is all possible? Well, we could show you some white sheets or spec files on PDF. But, it’s much easier to just show you. Yes, that means we’re going to cut it up!
Test System Setup
For the basic purpose of testing under regular, real world conditions, the PSU was installed on an upper echelon system. This is one of the important steps to validating the reliability of a PSU. Inside our system, we’ve selected the following components which include…
- Intel I7 965 3.2GHz Processor
- GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R Ultra Durable 3 Motherboard
- 3x1GB Kingston HyperX Triple Channel Memory Kit
- Zotac GTX 285 AMP! Video Card
- 2 x 500 GB Seagate SATA II Hard Drives
- Sony Bluray 16X DVD Burner
Our operating system of choice was Windows Vista 32 Bit.
Performance
Voltage measurements were recorded with the system at idle and under full CPU load. What’s being checked for is whether or not there is sufficient voltage on the 3.3, 5, and 12 Volt rails. The measurements were also monitored for any voltage fluctuations and, if any, how much.
The PSU provided steady power across the entire spectrum especially with the test system at full load which was about 635 Watts. Voltages revealed extremely minimal .02 fluctuations going from idle to load.
Next, the PSU connected to a load tester. The unit was put under incremental load starting at 25% and continuing up to 100% load. The power rails were measured repeatedly looking to see if they remained above each rail’s spec. Again, voltage fluctuations were monitored.
As you can see, at 100% load, the largest voltage fluctuation recorded was .07 volts on the 12 Volt rails at the highest stress points. Each power rail remained well within spec.These are all very respectable results. Voltage fluctuations were kept well under control throughout each power rail and well under .1 Volt tolerance limit.
80 PLUS or Just 80?
So how did the Antec TP-750 do in the area of efficiency? Its 80-Plus Bronze Certification holds quite true. After further tallying the power versus watts produced, the unit is a strong 87% performer. Whether at half or full load, you’ll be getting an efficient power supply.
Under or over powered systems can be a serious problem. If you’re lucky, your motherboard will give you hint after hint by shutting down or restarting to protect the system. In a worst case scenario, one or more of the computer’s components can be damaged from prolonged exposure to over and/or under volting. In either case, it’s worth picking up a good PSU and the Antec TP-750 seems quite capable.
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
When looking over the new Antec True Power 750 (TP-750) Watt Power Supply, a couple things piqued my interest. The first feature was the addition of Hybrid Cable Management. Being able to use any modular cable in any modular port on the PSU proved to be a very handy little feature and can aid in more useful slots for the job at hand.
It makes a lot of sense to be able to use the two 6+2-pin PCI Express port for more than just video cards when not in use as well, essentially adding two ports where whereas on other power supplies, they would remain dormant. However, it would have been nice to see at least a couple more cable ports since the power supply is more than perfectly capable of powering systems with just the basics.
The second feature was the implementation of a dual layer PCB which can make a difference to the performance of a power supply. A similar example would be the new thicker 2 oz copper PCB that GIGABYTE is now using on their motherboard series. While most manufacturers are still using lower copper content boards, GIGABYTE has seen great benefit in overclocking and overall motherboard durability. The end result is reflected by the PSU’s ability to bring strong performance and efficiency all the way up to full load. Too bad it doesn’t have an Antec theme that separates it from the rest on the outside. It is rather “Plain Jane” but that’s not usually Antec’s schtick anyway.
There aren’t many 80-Plus Bronze Certified power supplies to challenge the TP-750. The prices are separated by up to $20.00 depending on the name brand you choose. You have to ask yourself if choosing a name synonymous with extreme system performance is worth paying a little more for. Personally, there’s no question especially if your system demands quality power. It’s not the flashiest PSU available, but it’s True Power and earns our recommendation.
Pros
- 80-Plus Bronze Certified Efficiency
- Hybrid Cable Management – (Universal Cable Ports)
- Stable Voltages & Power Rails
- SLI Certified
- Quad 12 Volt 25 Amp Rails
- Reasonable $169 US Price Tag
Cons
- Could Use The “Antec” Touch
- Only Four Universal Ports
Overall Rating: 9.0 / 10.0
