Phanteks AMP Series 550W Power Supply Review

The Phanteks Amps model with 550W capacity achieves high enough performance, and it is dead silent, thanks to its increased efficiency, over the previous Seasonic Focus Plus platform, and non-aggressive fan profile. It uses the new Focus Plus Gold platform, so besides higher efficiency, its protection features are also enhanced, especially the inrush current protection. The most notable competitors are the Corsair RM550x, the EVGA 550 G3, which soon enough won't be available, and of course, the similar capacity Seasonic Focus Plus Gold (GX-550) unit.

Phanteks cooperated again with Seasonic, and the outcome was the Amp series, which includes three models, with capacities ranging from 550W to 750W. All are based on the newest version of Seasonic's Focus Plus Gold platform, so we expect good performance and increase reliability, even under harsh conditions.

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Product Photos

All Amps models, including the smallest model, come with two EPS connectors. Back in the day, most power supplies with less than 750W capacity only had one EPS, but the times change fast, so most brands chose to increase that number. It probably is an overkill for a 550W unit to have two EPS connectors since each of them can deliver up to 336W, and there are also two PCIe 6+2 pin connectors that can deliver up to 150W each. Still, it will make it future-proof and compatible with the majority of high-end mainboards that need extra juice for the CPU. 

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Product Photos

Specifications

Power Specifications

Cables and Connectors

All cables have sufficient length, and plenty of connectors are provided for the wattage of this unit. Our only complaint is the small distance between the 4-pin Molex connectors, which should be 160mm, at least. 

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Cable Photos

Component Analysis

We strongly encourage you to have a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we're about to discuss.

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Parts Photos

All AMP models are based on the second, and more recent, version of the Seasonic Focus Plus Gold line. 

The design is clean, and the small PCB is not densely populated. Hence the airflow is unobstructed. Moreover, the build quality is excellent, and the parts that Seasonic uses are of high quality as well. That's why the company is confident enough to provide such an extended warranty. 

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Transient filter

The transient filter has two stages, as in the majority of PSUs, and it includes all necessary components. 

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Bridge Rectifiers

Both bridge rectifiers are bolted onto a small, dedicated, heat sink. 

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APFC Converter

Right in front of the APFC's converters FETs and boost diode, there is the NTC thermistor, responsible for protection against large inrush currents, and its bypass relay. 

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Main FETs & Transformer

There are four primary switching FETs, arranged into a full-bridge topology. It is rare to see a low-mid capacity PSU featuring this topology, which is mostly used in >1kW PSUs. 

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12V FETS & VRMs

The FETs that regulated the +12V rail are installed on the solder side of the PCB. The two heat sinks above them assist in their cooling. 

The minor rails are generated through two Voltage Regulator Modules (VRMs).

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Filtering Capacitors

Besides electrolytic caps, with the majority of them having a pretty long lifetime, many polymer caps are also used for filtering purposes.

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Modular Board

At the front of the modular board we find four polymer caps and three large electrolytic ones. 

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Soldering Quality

The soldering quality is good.

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Cooling fan

Hong Hua provides reliable fans at reasonable prices, and this is why many OEMs prefer its products nowadays, including Seasonic of course. This specific model uses a fluid dynamic bearing, which offers a long lifetime. 

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