Antec's TrueControl 550W

Antec's TruePower 550W won our last power supply comparison, so we have high hopes for the TrueControl 550 this time around. As far as I can tell, the actual power supplies inside the TruePower and TrueControl 550 are identical. There are a few cosmetic differences here and there, and the TrueControl has a few extra goodies included. As far as the actual power supply units go, though, I can't find any significant difference between the two. We've already seen that the two share identical current and wattage specs and Antec's dedicated output circuitry.

Like the TruePower 550, the TrueControl is a plain-looking power supply. Cooled by a 90mm internal fan and a 80mm external fan, the TrueControl is the first of three dual-fan power supplies in this comparison. Fan speeds are controlled by the power supply, which cranks up and throttles back the RPMs as needed. The minimum fan speed can also be controlled using the TrueControl's drive bay insert, which I'll get to in a moment.

Like the other power supplies in this comparison, the TrueControl 500W has an external power switch. The unit is also outfitted with an external four-pin Molex connector, though I can't think of why anyone might need four-pin power on the outside of a case.

The TrueControl 550 isn't as heavily vented internally as some of the other power supplies we're looking at today. Fewer vents could make it harder for the TrueControl to cool the interior of a case, forcing its fans to spin faster and louder.

Antec is the only manufacturer in this comparison to offer black power connectors on its power supply, but since the TrueControl itself isn't black, I'm left scratching my head. The black motif extends to the sheathed motherboard power connector and zip ties, too, but the power supply should really be painted to match.

Whatever Antec's aesthetic intentions were with the TrueControl, they've given it plenty of cable. The motherboard connector stretches a full 21 inches from the power supply, and four-pin Molex connectors reach just over 32 inches. In total, the TrueControl 550 has seven four-pin Molex connectors and two floppy connectors. There are also two four-pin Molex "Fan only" connectors that will keep case fans spinning at the same speed as the power supply's temperature-controlled fans. These extra two Molex connectors shouldn't be used with anything other than case fans, but I wonder if they might not be suitable for internal lighting that would get brighter or darker depending on system temperatures.

As its name implies, Antec's TrueControl lets users do a little tweaking. A 5.25" drive bay control panel is provided with the TrueControl 550, so users don't have to crawl around behind their case to fiddle with the power supply's settings.

Like a few other power supplies on the market, the TrueControl 550W offers users a level of control over the power supply's fan speeds. The fan speeds are still largely controlled by the power supply, which ramps up the RPMs as temperature levels dictate. However, users can manipulate the power supply's minimum fan speed with a small knob on the front of the drive bay panel.

In addition to offering control over minimum fan speed levels, the TrueControl offers voltage tweaking via the drive bay insert. Small screws on the front of the drive bay can be turned to raise or lower the voltage level of the 3.3, 5, and 12V rails with either a screwdriver or a removable knob that pops out of the drive bay. The availability of voltage control should allow users to fine tune each voltage line to perfection, and as far as I know, Antec is the only manufacturer to offer such a feature.

It's important to note that one can easily damage PC components by either under- or over-volting them. In the hands of an inexperienced user, TrueControl can actually do more harm than good, which is probably why a screwdriver is needed for voltage manipulation. The voltage screws aren't something you'd want to turn accidentally.