PSU: Antec SmartPower or TruePower?

[hitch]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower 430W
(model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
(model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
for expanding the system later.

I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean, it’s
still Antec? What would be your recommendations?

TruePower 430: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/true430_spe.html
SmartPower 450: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/sl450_spe.html

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

hitch wrote:
> I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower
430W
> (model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
> (model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
> sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
> for expanding the system later.
>
> I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean,
it's
> still Antec? What would be your recommendations?
>
> TruePower 430: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/true430_spe.html
> SmartPower 450: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/sl450_spe.html

Personally I would stick with what you've got. 20W isn't a big
difference anyway, but the 430W one does seem a little better to me.
You can get more out of the 12V line on the 430W one, and I think the
12V lines is where you usually want the most power/current. The
tolerances are also considerably better on the 430W one. If you look
at the transient response, it is 3% for the 430W one and 5% for the
450W one. Also if you look at 'load reg.' you'll notice that the
tolerances are lower on the 430W one.

>From what I've heard all Antec PSU's seem to be good, but in this case
the SmartPower doesn't seem as good as the TruePower. If you've used
it I wouldn't have thought you could take it back anyway.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

petermcmillan...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> Personally I would stick with what you've got. 20W isn't a big
> difference anyway, but the 430W one does seem a little better to me.
> You can get more out of the 12V line on the 430W one, and I think the
> 12V lines is where you usually want the most power/current. The
> tolerances are also considerably better on the 430W one. If you look
> at the transient response, it is 3% for the 430W one and 5% for the
> 450W one. Also if you look at 'load reg.' you'll notice that the
> tolerances are lower on the 430W one.
>
> >From what I've heard all Antec PSU's seem to be good, but in this
case
> the SmartPower doesn't seem as good as the TruePower. If you've used
> it I wouldn't have thought you could take it back anyway.

Sorry, the 430W should also last longer. Look at the MTBF. The 430W
should last 80,000hrs, where as the 450W one will only last around
50,000 hrs (in theory), which is a big difference.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On 2 Mar 2005 15:08:27 -0500, hitch
<UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote:

>I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower 430W
>(model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
>(model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
>sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
>for expanding the system later.
>
>I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean, it’s
>still Antec? What would be your recommendations?
>
>TruePower 430: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/true430_spe.html
>SmartPower 450: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/sl450_spe.html

Apart from what everyone else has said, Truepowers are designed to be
quieter than the Smartpowers. I have a Smartpower in one of my PC's
and it's a bit noisy IMO. That's why I put in a Zalman PSU in my main
gaming PC. Keep the Truepower.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

The True Power sunits are made with heavier duty, more conservatively rated
components. I would HIGHLY recommend keeping your True Power model.

--
DaveW



"hitch" <UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote in message
news:42261d3b$1_5@alt.athenanews.com...
>I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower 430W
> (model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
> (model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
> sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
> for expanding the system later.
>
> I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean, it's
> still Antec? What would be your recommendations?
>
> TruePower 430: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/true430_spe.html
> SmartPower 450: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/sl450_spe.html
>
> --
> Posted using the http://www.hardwareforumz.com interface, at author's
> request
> Articles individually checked for conformance to usenet standards
> Topic URL:
> http://www.hardwareforumz.com/Home-Built-PSU-Antec-SmartPower-TruePower-ftopict49716.html
> Visit Topic URL to contact author (reg. req'd). Report abuse:
> http://www.hardwareforumz.com/eform.php?p=239843

 

[hitch]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

Thank you, thank you everyone.
I guess I'd keep it as it is and save myself another hassle.
No, I don't always return working things if I find something cheaper -
it's just that I went to the store to buy SmartPower 450 as advertised
on the website, and only found TruePower 430 available in stock.
Anyway, all this hassle wouldn't have started if I hadn't bought a
Codegen which turned out to be featherweight and glitchy in the first
place.
Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

hitch wrote:
> I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower
430W
> (model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
> (model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
> sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
> for expanding the system later.
>
> I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean,
> it's still Antec? What would be your recommendations?

Both are made by the same company, Channel Well Technology, and you may
be able to see their "CWT" marking on some of the internal parts. CWT
sells the TruePowers under their own brand as their "A" series (model
numbers CWT-ppp xxx, where ppp = power, xxx = A, AS, AD, ASP, or ADP)
and the SmartPowers as their "B" series (xxx = B, BS, BD, BSP, or BDP).
A few years ago, Tom's Hardware found that a 380W TruePower was able
to put out 26% more than its rated power, while one of the worst
Channel Wells (ppp = ATX) managed 2% more than its rated power (with
some other companies, even the best models can't put out their rated
power). I once tested my 300W SmartPower and found that it could
exceed its power rating by 26%, but my test lasted only ten minutes
because my load resistance would overheat after that.

TruePowers have a separate voltage regulator for each of their positive
voltage rails while SmartPowers have the +5V and +12V share a single
regulator. But apparently the latter isn't as much a drawback in real
life (as opposed to with benchmarks and bragging rights), and the
output filter coil shared by the +5V and +12V rails actually helps
those voltages stay independent. In other respects, the SmartPowers,
especially the newer beefed-up ones with higher +12V amp ratings, seem
to be built almost as well as the TruePowers.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On 2 Mar 2005 15:08:27 -0500, hitch
<UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote:

>I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower 430W
>(model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
>(model SL450).

Do you always return products that work fine so you can risk
trying something else? Granted it's probably not much risk
but these are the kinds of decisions that should generally
be made before purchase, not after.


>I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
>sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
>for expanding the system later.

Nope, you can't directly compare the wattage between the
two. In all likelyhood the 430W has a higher true wattage
capability. The SL is the budgetized version for inclusion
in their value-line cases.


>
>I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean, it’s
>still Antec? What would be your recommendations?

Well, it's Antec and it's not Antec. They dont' make power
supplies, simply relabel them. They spec two quality grades
with the SL being the lower of the two. The SL450 is a
downgrade from the Truepower 430W. I feel the Truepower
430W is overpriced for what it is though, a Sparkle 530W is
better and often less expensive too, but either should be
suitable for a typical system.

Will the cost be that much different though?
The store ought to charge you a hefty restocking fee for
returning a working product towards a refund... else only
offer exchange for same.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On 2 Mar 2005 15:08:27 -0500, hitch
<UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> wrote:


>(model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
>sales from Directron,

<snip>

Methink you overpayed. Directron has it for $57, making
your Truepower roughly $97? It is $67 here:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?product_uid=12153

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

petermcmillan_uk@yahoo.com wrote:

> the 430W should also last longer. Look at the MTBF. The 430W
> should last 80,000hrs, where as the 450W one will only last
> around 50,000 hrs (in theory), which is a big difference.

Without resorting to any explanations that sound like they're from the
public relations department, why is there a difference?

Those MTBFs may have been calculated rather than based on actual
product testing, and MTBFs aren't the best indicators of average
lifespans because they exclude early failures and failures due to
normal wearout. This is why hard disk drives made in the past 20 years
are still rated for 5 year lifespans (under 45,000 hours) despite their
MTBFs increasing from <100,000 to >2,000,000 hours.

A better indicator of power supply quality tends to be the temperature
used for the power rating. Most supplies, including Antecs, are rated
at at 25C instead of 40-50C, and computer cases are typically at 30-40C.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On 2 Mar 2005 15:08:27 -0500, hitch
<UseLinkToEmail@HardwareForumz.com> put finger to keyboard and
composed:

>I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower 430W
>(model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
>(model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
>sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
>for expanding the system later.
>
>I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean, it’s
>still Antec? What would be your recommendations?
>
>TruePower 430: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/true430_spe.html
>SmartPower 450: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/sl450_spe.html

TruePower has tighter specs, eg +/-3% regulation compared with +/-5%.
This is due to its "dedicated output circuitry for each voltage
output, overcom[ing] the limitations of combined output of traditional
design." I believe this means that each output is independently
regulated, unlike typical PSUs where only the main rail(s) are
regulated while the others rely on turns ratio for tracking.

See http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=20430


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Guest]

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On 3 Mar 2005 02:37:59 -0800, do_not_spam_me@my-deja.com
wrote:

>
>petermcmillan_uk@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> the 430W should also last longer. Look at the MTBF. The 430W
>> should last 80,000hrs, where as the 450W one will only last
>> around 50,000 hrs (in theory), which is a big difference.
>
>Without resorting to any explanations that sound like they're from the
>public relations department, why is there a difference?

One difference may be that even the manufacturer itself
doesn't believe their (one) product will last as long as
another. If the manufacturer doesn't know their own product
then who does?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homedesigned,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

hitch wrote:

> I am thinking about returning my new fine-working Antec TruePower 430W
> (model True430) to the store and getting an Antec SmartPower 450W
> (model SL450). I can get the latter something like $40 cheaper on
> sales from Directron, plus it has extra 20W which gives extra leeway
> for expanding the system later.

Not necessarily. You need to check the amp output per voltage and see what
your needs are on a particular line. For instance, a TruePower 430 puts out
26 amps on the +12V line vs. only 20 amps on the same line for the
SmartPower 450. Also, the TruePower 430 returns to within 3% of the correct
voltage within 1 ms for 20% load average whereas the SmartPower 450 returns
to within 5% in the same time period under the same load. The maximum rated
watts only tells part of the story.

> I wonder why SmartPower are cheaper and are they cheap? I mean, it’s
> still Antec? What would be your recommendations?

Because they use cheaper parts and have a wider tolerance for voltage
fluctuations?

> TruePower 430: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/true430_spe.html
> SmartPower 450: http://www.antec-inc.com/specs/sl450_spe.html

You obviously didn't read those specs close enough.


--

Registered Linux user #378193

 

[hitch]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I sure did read the specs but what's the use of them if I don't
actually understand what these specs translate into in real life?