Antec Smartpower 2.0 500 Watt review
SmartPower has long been the smart choice for system builders, offering the best value in a quality power supply. SmartPower 2.0 meets ATX12V v2.01 standards, with dual+12V rails and 4 serial ATA connectors. It also features Antec's unique dual fan hybrid design for virtually silent operation. SmartPower 2.0 power supplies carry UL, CUL, TÜV, CB, FCC Class B, CE and CB approvals. European models also carry CE, and CCC in addition to those previously listed.
Features:
ATX12V version 2.0
Modular cable design, use only the cables you need.
Dual 12V output circuitry provides added system stability and meets 240VA UL requirements and safety purpose: 12V1 for Motherboard and peripherals; 12V2 for processor
ATX12V v2.0 compliance allows SmartPower 2.0 to consume up to 25% less power than standard power supplies, saving you money on your electric bill.
24-pin power connector with detachable 4-pin section.
4 SATA Connectors support Serial ATA drives
Flow-through dual 80mm fans (one intake and one exhaust)
Unique Dual Fans Technology: exhaust fan starts to spin when the power supply reaches certain temperatures to ensure proper airflow, the second fan spins on power up
Industrial grade protection prevents damage resulting from short circuits, power overloads, excessive current, low voltages and excessive voltages
Increased 12V output capability for system components that consume more power from 12V rail
PCI-E graphic connector
Safety approvals: UL, CUL, TUV, CB, FCC Class B, CE, CCC
Increased MTBF: 80,000 hours
Size: 5.9" (W) x 3.4" (H) x 6.1"(D)
PF value greater than 90% (EU only)
Gold plated connector for superior conductivity
The power supply unit (hereafter referred to as PSU), is the most overlooked part of a computer custom build, or upgrade process. The general population can understand that more RAM is better, larger hard drives hold more information and what a processor's speed is, but few pay attention to their PSU's beyond the wattage on the label.
The PSU is the most vital component in a computer. It is responsible for supplying the electrical current to every device in the system. Unclean current in a system can cause instability and even damage components with in your computer. The use of a line tamer (surge protector or UPS) does not guarantee that the DC current supplied to the device in your computer is stable or clean, although it helps. A well made reliable PSU from a known company is your safest bet.
Where does one draw the line between cost efficiency and durability? When building a general use, or even a budget system, a $150 power supply would be great, but would strain the definition of "budget" and often is just a luxury for a general use system. With high powered processors, pci-express video cards and more ram then ever before, you will need some muscle, to power the "average" system of today..
The PROview.
The initial reaction to the unit was shock at the weight of it. Although five pounds might not seem like much, comparing it to the 400W HiPro PSU that it is replacing, the HiPro feels like an empty coffee can in comparison. Appearance is rather drab a ceramic grey color that feels good but looks bad. Also in the box was a bag of the modular cables for the hard drives (2 cables each with 3 connectors), SATA devices (2 cables each with 2 connectors), 2 PCI-E cables and a molex to two Floppy disk drive power connectors for those archaic machines, or systems that require it on the motherboard.
Antec has broken from the norm with mounting a fan in the bottom of the unit. Instead they have switched to a push-pull design with two 80mm fans linearly opposed to each other. While this does not increase the airflow over a single 80MM fan, it does increase the pressure inside the unit, allowing for the reduction of dead spots with the unit, leading to lower temperatures.
Note: When running the PSU, the rear fan will only power up if the PSU exceeds an undisclosed temperature. So if the fan is not spinning, this does not mean it is broken.
The main ATX cable is sleeved in a black mesh. (Fortunately this has not changed in the 3 years since the reviewer had purchased his mesh sleeved Antec rounded IDE and floppy cables, so aesthetics can be maintained). The 4 pin 12 volt cable however is not sleeved, nor is there any covering on the fan control wire that is also permanently affixed to the unit. More distressing was the poor craftsmanship of the sleeving. Upon removing it from the box, the mesh was bunched up, and careful straightening of it, resulted in the mesh being pulled from the shrink tubing at the base of the unit. It would also be nice if a manufacturer actually sleeved their wiring all the way up to the connector. This is not a knock against Antec, but all PSU manufacturers. Overall the cables appear to be well constructed.
The modular cable management is a bonus in a competitively priced power supply. By reducing clutter inside the computer, better airflow is maintained, and as a result cooler system temperatures are achieved. The modular cables are all sleeved and add a touch of style to your system. The modular cables connect to the PSU via a 6 pin snap in connector. The uniform design alleviates any problems of connecting a cable into the wrong slot, any extension will work in any port. This also allows for future upgradeability. Extra cables can be ordered through Antec's online store, so if there are no serial ATA drives in your computer, you can simply purchase more molex connector instead. There are already two extra 4 pin molex and two S-ATA connectors in cluded in the box however. Delivering a total of eight, 4 pin power points.
For stability testing under load condition, we have opted to use a software based system stressing utility called OCCT, while using Speedfan's monitoring utility to measure both temperatures and voltage. This will measure the stability of the power supply under idle and load conditions, and more importantly, the transition between the two states.
Test Rig:
Athlon 64 4000+ Clawhammer
Radeon X700 Pro 256MB video card
2*512MB OCZ PC3200 EL Platinum Rev. 2
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 PRO
Hitachi Deskstar 80GB SATA300 hdd
Sony DRU-700A DVDRW
Power Supplies Tested:
HiPro HP-E4009F5WR ATX 2.0 True 400W
Rosewill RV450 ATX 450W
Antec Smartpower 2.0 500W
HiPro Results:
N/A
The 400Watt HiPro was powerful enough to run the system, and boot into windows. It was not however able to supply adequate current to the system under periods of extreme stress. Even with relaxed timings on the memory of 2-3-2-5 and 2.5 volts the system remained unable to complete the 30 minute stress test.
Rosewill Results:
Again with OCZs default timings of 2-2-2-5 at 2.75volts, the system was unable to remian stable for long enough to complete the 30 minute stress test. It was however capable of completing it at 2-3-2-5 and 2.5 volts on the OCZ. Although this single rail (12v @ 22Amps) provided less overall power, the ability to funnel more power into the hungry 130nm CPU core enhanced system stability.
Antec Results:
The extra watts might seem advantageous, so to make it tougher for the Antec I decided to do a little overclocking. The results above are taken at 210 MHz HTT frequency equaling 2.5GHz CPU speed and DDR420 at 2-2-2-5 for the memory.
It is simple to see that even with the extra stress, the antec hands out the power the system craves with barely a hiccup. The 5 volt rail does not move at all. This means that even with the extra stress of overclocking, the 3.3v power line is more then capable of handling the load of the RAM. The 12 volt lines are more evenly matched, with the Antec having a slight advantage in the average of the fluctuations. The fact that they are close at all is only a result of no other 12v devices being applied on the test system. If harddrives, optical drives, lights and fans had been running, there is no doubt the Rosewill would have suffered for it. Dual rail PSU's definitely have their place on modern machines IF the amperage is adequate.
PRO's: While the case itself is a rather plain metal color, the mesh wrapped cables are nice looking. The modular design is perfect for utilitarian users who only run exactly what is needed in their systems. The price is agreeable as well.
The main feature of a power supply however, is the power it supplies. While the 12v rail fluctuates a little bit at full load under a high stress system, it would no doubt perform perfectly on a midrange system like it was intended for. Dead stable 3.3v and 5v rails were just amazing. Do not let the eye candy fool you, this Power Supply does the job its required to do, and does it very well.
CON's:The grey box that the case comes in just stood out like a sore thumb in the black and blue case that it was installed in. Even on Antecs own computer cases this PSU would not blend in. For a few dollars more, it would be great to have a choice of 2 or 3 basic colors. A minimum of black and aluminum should be offered.
The poor mesh sleeving attachment on the main cable, and the lack of sleeving on the 12v2 rail and the fan control line were minor issues, as the wires themselves are very thin and no doubt would have been trouble to mesh sleeve. Perhaps some shrink tubing would have been adequate however, at least on the last few inches of each wire. Sleeving all the way to the end of the cable would be nice also. The main ATX cable has 2-3" of exposed wire before the adapter, and another 2" where it joins the case.
Overall these are minor details that are purely aesthetic, and probably too much to demand of a economically viable component. Still, it was enough to keep this unit from acheiving a perfect 10.
