Antec 400 Watt Power Supply

Author : Wayne Date : 14th October 2001

3DVelocity would like to thank Antec and especially William Tolson for their help and courtesy in providing this PSU for review.

Many components get overlooked when we're busy putting together a computer system, from the quality of the keyboard to the comfort of the chair, but none has the quite the same potential to upset the balance of our new system as the humble power supply. We spend hours overclocking CPUs, tweaking memory timings, cutting case windows and adding Neon, yet often the very lifeblood of our systems gets little or no attention until it demands it by failing on us.

The demands made by modern computer systems on the power supply are higher than ever before. Case fans and Auxiliary lighting, fast power hungry processors and high speed disk drives all drain the resources of your power supply, and you'd probably be surprised at how many of those unexplained crashes can be attributed to a power supply that just can't keep supplying a clean and ample feed in the face of such demands.

We have a tendancy to assume that the higher the wattage, the better the power supply, but this isn't strictly true. Although I'd agree with the idea that modern computers need a minimum 300watt power supply these days, we also need to look at the Amperage to get a more accurate picture. I've no intentions of turning this into a lesson in electronics, so we'll settle for stating that generally a higher Amperage is better than a lower one.

Antec have always been a name synonymous with the very best quality power supplies, though the new generation of PC users perhaps know them better for their cases, particularly their performance series of SX cases. Today we're taking a look at Antec's 400 Watt ATX/12V PFC 2.03 compliant PSU and seeing if its worth the investment. Before we do let's take a glance through the specs.

 

Voltage	230V AC
Frequency	47 - 63Hz
Input Current	4.0A for 230VAC

 

	+5V	-5V	+12V	-12V	+3.3V	Standby
Min. Load	2.0A	0A	0.3A	0A	0.3A	0A
Max. Load	40A	1.0A	18A	1.0A	28A	3.0A

FEATURES

Model : PP412XF

ATX 2.03 compliant including P4 and AMD

Power Factor Correction

Smart Fan - EMI filtered

Aux Power Connector and +12V connector

AQ3: Antec Quality Three Year Parts and Labour Warranty

MTBF - 50,000 hours

Approvals : FCC Class B, UL, CUL, CE, Nemko, CB

PS/2 Size - 5.9" (L) x 5.5" (W) x 3.4" (H)

For more detailed specifications, click on the Specsheet botton on this page

The box arrived here well and truly battered. The actual casing of the supply was pretty well bent out of shape which upon inspection wasn't surprising as it is manufactured from very thin steel. On the other hand though, the fact that it then went on to work properly is testemant to its actual internal build quality.

 

One great feature of the Antec is its "smart fan" design. This basically adjusts the rotational speed of the fan to suit the internal temperature. Not only does this keep noise levels down under some circumstances, it also steadies the internal temperature which in theory should make for a longer component life. It's the regular heating and cooling action that can take its toll on many sensitive components, and having a relatively stable temperature within the power supply reduces these stresses considerably.

Taking this idea a step further, the fan is also fully filtered against EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) which means you've one less EMI source to worry about.

As you can see, the internal space is crammed to the gills with circuitry that I couldn't begin to explain to you even if I knew how. The Heatsink is chunky and looks supremely effective and there are no signs of corners cut. The weight is also reassuringly heavy at 5 pounds, often a fair indicator of quality in PSUs.

The lack of a power switch is something common at all Antec's power supplies, though this situation is set to change with their latest range.

Testing :

Modern switching power supplies are far more complex than most of us probably realise. The need to switch dynamically depending on variable loads from the components in your PC make them virtually impossible to test thoroughly, at least not without thousands of dollar's worth of specialised equipment. For this reason the tests I ran were limited to very basic operational tests that don't tell the full story, but which do offer a little insight.

The first test I ran was to connect a rheostat (variable resisitor) to the mains input side. I was only able to lower the voltage from its stock 240V down to around 210V, but output voltages remained rock solid throughout. Although voltage drops of this magnitude are not common, they do happen, and more importantly it gives a rough and ready guide to the supply's internal regulation quality.

Next I connected 3 x 100 Watt/12 Volt Halogen car spotlights to three of the 12V outputs and ran Quake3 Arena Timedemo1 followed by Prime95 for a solid 45 minutes on an Athlon 1.4 overclocked to 1.54GHz (140x11) without any problems whatsoever, Again, not exactly the cutting edge of science, but a worthy test of its ability to supply a steady and reliable voltage under demanding conditions. These same tests were run on both an Athlon 1.4 GHz and a Pentium4 1.7GHz test rig with the same results.

Conclusion :

I can't say I was too surprised to discover that this is an impressive performer, its reputation does go before it. From overclocking to general system stability a good quality power supply should be right up there on your checklist along with quality memory and a good mother board.

The quality of the casing and the lack of a power switch were a little disappointing, but on the latter point I know Antec are intrducing power switches to their range this month. Why they've waited so long is something I'm not certain about, but they will be a welcome addition to this already superb PSU. The low gauge material used for the casing however is unlikely to make the slightest difference in regular use, it just increases the risk of damage in transit.

All told the Antec 400W PP412XF is a remarkable piece of electronics that keeps on going when the going gets tough. Its thermally controlled smart fan system worked perfectly and made for a quiter environment in most circumstances, not that it was overly loud when spinning anyway. If you want to be certain that all your motherboard's power requirements are being met without stressing your PSU, the Antec deserves to be at or near the top of your shopping list.

 

 

 

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