Antec's Neo HE 550W
All things to all people?

Unlike the EarthWatts, Antec's Neo HE apparently won't save the planet. Despite lacking 80 Plus certification, though, this PSU still boasts efficiency "up to 85%," so it probably won't sneak off and club baby seals in the middle of the night.

What the Neo HE really feels like is an attempt to be all things to all people. The range is available in six models from 380W all the way up to 650W, and with street prices for this 550W model dipping as low as $88, there isn't much in the way of sticker shock. Nearly $90 for a power supply isn't cheap, of course, but when you factor in the Neo HE's five-year warranty, trio of independent 12V rails, active power factor correction, and SLI certification, it starts to look like a pretty sweet deal.

The Neo has a menacing streak, too. With its matte grey finish and black fan grill, this PSU wouldn't look out of place in a military installation. The fact that the Neo relies on a single 80mm exhaust fan is a little disappointing, though.

Fortunately, the HE's modular cable system should keep a bundle of unused wires from impeding airflow around its internal venting. Modular cables are the best thing to happen to power supplies in a long, long time, and I have to admit being a little perplexed by the fact that more manufacturers haven't jumped on the bandwagon.

Even apart from their modular nature, the cables themselves are much nicer the ones attached to Antec's EarthWatts unit. Each lead is carefully sheathed in black mesh to keep things nice and tidy.

The Neo HE's DC voltages are spot-on, too. Consistent voltages are maintained across all three rails, although as we saw with the EarthWatts, 12V levels are slightly lower on the primary power connector than they are on one of the PCIe connectors. All voltages are within 1% of their targets, too.

Ripple results are a little more mixed for the Neo, with the PCIe connector's 12V line showing the least AC content. The rest of the rails show increased ripple under our heaviest load, but even then, we're looking at no more than 14 millivolts.

Our efficiency testing hints at why the Neo doesn't carry 80 Plus certification: the PSU falls just shy of 80% efficiency with our most demanding load. Even so, it's hard to knock the Neo for only hitting 79.9%, especially when it manages over 82% efficiency with lower loads.