Antec Signature 650W Power Supply
by Christoph Katzer on October 1, 2008 4:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Conclusion
We thought the 850W version of the Antec Signature series was very good, so we wanted to see if the smaller model could deliver a similar performance. We weren't disappointed with what we saw today. This kind of topology of course only works with an 80mm fan at the back or the front of the PSU, and Antec made a good choice in including a PWM-controlled fan. Even though we heard ticking noises from the fan during lower rotations, it wasn't very audible and we would rate it as being very quiet.
The selection of cables and connectors is okay for a 650W power supply, but we would have liked an additional PCI-Express connector. With only two connectors, users can still power up every available single graphics card or even a moderate SLI/CrossFire setup -- provided that each card only needs a single 6-pin connector. It is not possible to run any higher graphics configurations, unless you use Molex to PCI-E adapters (which we don't usually recommend). The cable lengths are good, and each of the peripheral connectors can reach up to 80cm (32 inches). The ATX and PEG connectors have a length of 50cm (20 inches) which is normal and should not cause problems in most cases.
The build quality is exceptional and the choice of components very good. We found Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon caps utilized throughout the PCB. All the components are attached and aligned well, and the construction provides for good airflow. The choice of two VRMs for the 3.3V and 5V rails is good and we welcome this technology as a step that moves the industry forward.
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Looking at performance, we saw an average regulation of up to 2.5-3%, which is decent. Another good quality is that the three 12V rails are always regulated close to each other and differ only by a few millivolts. The efficiency reaches 87% at medium load with a high input voltage of 230VAC, and the overall efficiency stays above 85% (with 230VAC) over a very large range of loading. Even with lower input voltages, the efficiency throughout the test is generally above 80%. There was little ripple on the rails, except for the 5V rail which developed fluctuations up to 14.5mV -- still well within specs. At the loads that most users are likely to run, the power supply stay quiet and was almost inaudible with a noise level of only 17dB(A). After 50% load, however, this increases to a rather loud 30dB(A). We definitely recommend users try to avoid running this power supply at maximum load for this reason; if you keep it under 500W of load the performance characteristics are much better. This paired with a normal room-temperature environment will help to reduce the acoustic levels to a minimum.
Average prices for this unit in the U.S. market are around $180-$200 plus shipping. In Europe the prices start at €140 including tax. The street price is fortunately already lower than the $249 MSRP from Antec. The question is, is that cheap enough? Performance and features on tap are better than most of the other power supplies in this range, but it's difficult to say that you are getting $50 more value than, for example, the Hiper HPU-5B680.
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HOOfan 1 - Thursday, October 2, 2008 - link
There is really no comparison at all, other than they are both Antec, both made by Delta, and both rated at 650W. Beyond that not much to compare, the Signature is a server grade PSU, the Earthwatts is a very decent value line PSU.1) The Signature is Modular (that costs money right there)
2) The Signature has all fully sleeved cables (costs money)
3) The Signature has a PWM controlled fan (costs money)
4) The Signature's Voltage regulation is within 1% while the EA650 is only as good as 3%
5) The Signature is as much as 3%-4% more efficient than the EA650
6) Kris thought the ripple suppression was unimpressive for the Signature (really that is pretty weird) well the EA650 has 70mV ripple on the 12V rails as opposed to less than 9mV on the Signature
7) Last but certainly not least the Signature is good for 94W more power on the 12V rails than the EA650.
The EA650 is for people who want a decent quality unit for a great price, the Signature 650W is for people who want a rock solid, stable PSU and don't care how much they pay for it.
bob4432 - Thursday, October 2, 2008 - link
where did you find this info? i have been looking for a ea650 review for over a month now and never came up w/ anything...do you have a link to a full review?HOOfan 1 - Friday, October 3, 2008 - link
well I am not sure how much anandtech would appreciate me linking to another review, but their sister site Dailytech does it all the time, so here you gohttp://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReview...">Oklahoma Wolf's review of the EA650 at jonnyguru.com
bob4432 - Friday, October 3, 2008 - link
thanks for the link. i had even asked on jonnyguru's site in the past for a review, so now i get to read it :)dwvcore - Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - link
Antec makes some nice power supplies (I have used them many a times before), but they are not competitive with their prices at all ! Their Basiq and Earthwatts Series are O.K., but as soon as you step up to their signature or neo-watt series it skyrockets. An Antec 650 Signature costs $200, while you can get a 650w Corsair PSU for about $110 (newegg).JEDIYoda - Thursday, October 2, 2008 - link
Well if monmey is a factor then get the Corsair.The Antec Signature Series is supposedly the new standard by which all others are tested! -- according some knowledgeable reviewers
MamiyaOtaru - Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - link
No way in heck I am using anything smaller than a 120mm fan in my computers. Yes, that includes on the GPU, and yes that means I don't use the stock coolers. But I'm sure as heck not going for a PSU with a smaller fan. There aren't a lot of aftermarket PSU coolers out there that would let me replace the fan with a larger one.Goty - Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - link
I don't understand the stigma about smaller fans in PSUs. If the unit is designed well, you can use a smaller fan and get noise and cooling levels equal to that of a unit that uses a larger fan.erple2 - Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - link
I agree. What's the problem with a smaller fan? I think the problem is people are taking "rules of thumb" and applying them improperly. My computer chews through ~300W of power at peak loads (8800GTX, E6750, measured via my admittedly probably inaccurate UPS), and my (wasted extra) 750W power supply (PCP&C 750W Silencer) is essentially silent the whole time, with an 80mm fan. In fact, given my case design (PSU on the bottom), one of the 120mm fans would be worse for airflow than the 80mm fan I have now.I think the problem is people don't understand just how much power their computers require, and thus what loading their PSU's operate under. That dictates how much "noise" their 80mm vs. 120mm fans will generate.
SilthDraeth - Wednesday, October 1, 2008 - link
The height of a PSU isn't really able to house a 120mm fan. They can have them along the bottom, and leave the back vented, or put an 80 in the back. I don't really see what the problem is.