Do not purchase an Antec power supply, you will regret it!

I have the Trio 650 for this last year with my 1900 xfire system and no problems here.
 
This is not about buying Antec. If you read the thread carefully: CWT is contracted by Antec to manufacture the Smart power II's and NEOHE's for antec. They contain defective capacitors causing the power supply to fail after about 1-12 months of use. Your Trio, and mine, are made by Seasonic and are free from the plague.
 
hardc0re said:
This is not about buying Antec. If you read the thread carefully: CWT is contracted by Antec to manufacture the Smart power II's and NEOHE's for antec. They contain defective capacitors causing the power supply to fail after about 1-12 months of use.
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Actually they aren't defective caps (unless you have some sort of proof noone has seen) they are caps that don't work well at the temperatures encountered in Antec units due to the cooling selection in Antec's. In other PSU's with more agressive cooling schemes they do ok.
 
Don't forget that NeoHE = Seasonic.

In most other Fuhjyyu capacitor psu's, there isn't such a pronounced fuhjyyu syndrome. It's that Antec, Using their fans that throttle down, high heat environment, and a long time, create the perfect environment for a failed Fuhjyyu.

Just have a look at some other units; Sunbeam Nuuo, XClio, Aerocool... Quite a few of those models use Fuhjyyu's, but they usually have faster spinning fans, or are less densly packed, or more directed airflow over the capciters..
 
hardc0re said:
My first SPII failed 1 year after I bought it, some symptoms it might show:
-high pitch whining sound
-system reboots on it's own
-system fails to power up on first try.

The reason they fail is because the capacitors leak when exposed to higher than room temperatures. If your room is very well ventilated then you may or may not have problem.
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My symptoms as well accept no high pitch noise and my PSU also had the smell of burning plastic (once this happened time for an RMA), I setup an RMA last week still have not heard anything back except a confirmation. I don’t want another TPII from Antec since they seemed to be plague by problems I hope they send a TPIII.

I couldn’t figure out why my PC keep refusing to boot up the first time and would freeze up at odd times. I am not ready to give up on Antec just yet, however does anyone have any opinions on a good OCers PSU I should try in the future??
 
Bbq said:
Don't forget that NeoHE = Seasonic.

In most other Fuhjyyu capacitor psu's, there isn't such a pronounced fuhjyyu syndrome. It's that Antec, Using their fans that throttle down, high heat environment, and a long time, create the perfect environment for a failed Fuhjyyu.

Just have a look at some other units; Sunbeam Nuuo, XClio, Aerocool... Quite a few of those models use Fuhjyyu's, but they usually have faster spinning fans, or are less densly packed, or more directed airflow over the capciters..
Click to expand...

They must have some very bright engineers.
 
NormanNormal said:
I have some more info on this. Apparently this design has had issues because Antec has been using cheap Fuhjyyu brand capacitors which cause these things to be destined to fail within 4-8 months.

Once you hear that horrific squealing you know it's its own death song!
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Nah the bad part is the wiring harness helps to hold in all the heat and the fans are kept slow to keep the noise down, essentially you have an easy-bake oven timebomb...

Former True 430 owner here!
 
Well, I just got an odd problem. I got an NSK-3300 at work with the Silverstone built SU-380 and it has a weird high pitched but very quiet sound coming from the power supply when it's idling. This is destined to be my new work computer, so perhaps I have a bad supply there too.... Damn it!:mad:

Weird, as the reviews on the SU-380 are generally so positive. Sound like the same thing as the TP2?
 
The SU380 is a Seasonic built unit - that sounds more like coil whine. Not dangerous, but worth an RMA if it bothers you. Lower end Seasonics like this one rely on OST caps quite often... they're not what I'd call good caps, but they're better than Fuhjyyu (last much longer).
 
Before I get jumped on about it by anyone, I meant the NSK-4400. Got my numbers mixed up.

The noise is annoying enough to bother me. Especially when trying to build a quiet and capable machine for work. Wonder if they will RMA it willingly? Find out on Monday I guess.
 
I had my own nightmare with Antec's twice now ...recently thanks to some brown outs in my arena (big storms) it starting acting funny where it wouldn't start up the computer with front panel push button , i would have to prime it (no joke) about 25 times to get the power started (like priming a non-fuel injected car during winter) i got use to it til one day i tried to turn on my PC and nothing ...just a fizzing sound. So i knew then it was gone ..needless to say i am sick of antec and the fact that they have a huge branding name for such a sub par PSU. Enermax saved my day though with a back up i had in a bin at home (thank god.)
 
Brownouts will kill a lot of power supplies, no matter what brand, no matter how good they are. Blame the brownouts, not the Antec not being able to hold up.
 
Running a 450watt Antec SmartPower 2.0 since October '05. PC has been on 24/7 and has had no power supply problems. I do have some extra fans running in the case though, maybe that helps prevent a melt down?
 
Hmmm, I owned a SP-500 since July 2005 but I sold it in FS/T recently because I got a newer PSU. Despite what I've heard others say about this PSU I've never had a single problem with it except for a squealing noise only when the PC is off (but I've seen the same thing with other PSUs as well.) I'm not sure but IIRC the problems were with later runs of the SP-500s than the one I had?
 
I would rather own a Deer than a SP2-500. The thing is a time bomb waiting to go off. Mine ran about 8 months before I couldn't take the whining or the risk any longer. I've used alot of problem-free Antecs, but that particular psu is Uber-craptacular.......

I am very happy with my Trio 650 however......rock solid...
 
I had one of the first Antec TP430w PSUs that came with an Antec AMG1080 case and it died (sparks and then smoke on a cold boot) within the first week of owning it.

More recently, the Sonata 2 case that I bought which comes with the Antec SP450w PSU started making the famous high pitched whine after 3 months. Rather than be annoyed by the sound and risk a fire, I yanked it out and got a Seasonic PSU.

So far, generic PSUs have outlasted any Antec PSU I've owned. I do not recommend Antec PSUs to anyone and don't plan to ever use them again.
 
This thread has me a bit concerned... I have had my Antec 480 modular PSU running for a while now, and recently, I have had an odd problem. When the switch on the PSU is turned off, and I unglug it, lets say, to take it to a lan party, when I plug it back in, turn the switch in in the back and press power, it will not power up. I have to let it sit for about 30 seconds for it to finally let me turn it on. All the voltages seem within spec, but is this a sign of bad things to come with my PSU?
 
Just got a Seasonic ML 700w. Ditching my Antec NeoHE 550. First I need more power, second I think Antec's PSU's are going down hill. It's the 2nd 550 I've had. It still works ok, but decided to up the wattage.
 
Dammit; I'm running an SP-500 2.0 in my main system right now. I'll post here if it blows up or something.
 
ValeX said:
OMFG MY ANTEC IS MAKING THE HIGH PITCH NOISE RIGHT NOW!
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And that is the last we will ever hear from ValeX. Services will be held at Our Lady of the Quiet Fan Catholic Church, Friday Jan. 19th at 1pm.
 
lol...... ill send him a prayer. on a side note, i just finished my RMA request process through antec and they are going to replace my 2 supplies. Gonna mail them out tomorrow and hope to get them back by the end of this year.

ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!!!. apparently ((from what the antec rep ive dealt over the net with has told me)) antec is aware of the failure rate of these supplies. they say its a bad batch of supplies, and that they are replacing previous versions with new ones. i dont know if that means the supplies will actually work for more than a year, but im crossing my fingers that all goes well and i dont have to go through this again. :rolleyes:
 
IffY said:
ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!!!. apparently ((from what the antec rep ive dealt over the net with has told me)) antec is aware of the failure rate of these supplies. they say its a bad batch of supplies, and that they are replacing previous versions with new ones. i dont know if that means the supplies will actually work for more than a year, but im crossing my fingers that all goes well and i dont have to go through this again. :rolleyes:
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It's not a "bad batch" of PSUs since this problem has been going on for years. By now they should have fixed these ongoing issues with bad caps, etc.
 
I have 2 Antec PSU's, the 350w and the TP 550w, both work good, but I am not pushing them by any means. The TP 550 is running a p4 2.6, 2 hd's, and a little video card. They work great.

When it is time to get a new PS for my main machine though it wont be an antec. I would rather go for a known better unit.
 
Hmm, I bought a NeoHE 500w recently, partly because of the 5 year warranty it comes with. Hopefully I won't get screwed :) If it's just a seasonic in disguise, though, it seems like it should be OK...
 
I think people are worrying a bit much right now.

1. NeoHE's, Trio, Basiq are Seasonic. Nothing to worry about there.
2. The CWT based units are the main discussion right now, so I'll get right to that:
3. Fuhjyyu capacitors Only plague the CWT units.
4. Whining can be caused by a variety of factors. Loose transformer windings, the acetate air dam, etc.
5. Fuhjyyu's will work fine unless subjected to excess heat. Antec's fan throttling is exactly the reason why the caps burst so fast. MOST other Fuhjyyu capped psu's (nuuo, truecontrol, xclio, Hiper, etc) don't have that problem, since they don't throttle down so much, if at all.

That being said, I don't recommend CWT based Antec's in most cases.
 
I have an Antec TP2 550 watt. I have had it since february 06. It has made the high pitched squealing noise the entire time I've had it. At first, it only occured when I was doing something hardware intensive such as playing a game, and I didn't think much of it. However, it has gotten significantly worse over the past few months. Now, The squeling is a little louder, and occurs pretty much whenever the computer is turned on. I'm guessing this thing's days are numbered......

Now Im hoping I can RMA it, since I have had it for less than a year. Is RMA'ing through Antec usually difficult?
 
no idea as of yet. i sent out the box yesterday, ((2x sp-500)) and they should get there on monday. cost me 30$ to get it to them. you basically go here http://www.antec.com/us/support_rma.html click on the ANTEC RMA REQUEST FORM and submit your stuff. i faxed it to them and got a response in 2 days. you need a receipt, and the form filled out. after that, they issue an RMA number and tell you what to send in.
 
sam0t said:
I just came across this, sorry if the link is a repost: PSU failure rates

Does not look too good on Antec.
Click to expand...

In the scheme of things it was based on 500units sold......means little if anything,
Now if it was based on 10,000 units sold then it would mean something....what?? who knows...
 
sam0t said:
I just came across this, sorry if the link is a repost: PSU failure rates

Does not look too good on Antec.
Click to expand...

In the scheme of things it was based on 500units sold......means little if anything,
Now if it was based on 10,000 units sold then it would mean something....what?? who knows...

Also failure rates are subjective....for example....did it fasil becuase of bad CAP`s??
Maybe bad caps or a fan went south and who knows how close to the warranty it went bad...all factors to thing about....

As with all PSU`s there will be a certain amount that will fail...

Fortron: 0.7%
Hiper: 1.2%
Seasonic: 1.4%
Thermaltake: 1.6%
Tagan: 2.8%
Enermax: 3.0%
Antec: 9.5% -- I can believe that and it has nothing IMO to do with volume sold verese....that old argument....
I kn ow of no forum on the internet where Antec PSU`s have a good rep......unless its http://www.antec.com/forum lol
 
I got goated into using the PSU that came with my NSK4400 series. Its SU-380 and so far its been great. I do have a question though - is there a way to know what rail your using? Im assuming each strand is a different 12v rail.
 
My computer started making this weird noise on startup about three weeks ago... Everything looked okay and if I had found this thread sooner, I would have looked at the PSU because... Three days ago, my beautiful computer simply cratered with no warning. Looks like the dead and strange smelling Neopower 480 took my beloved NF7-S with it.

This is not the way I wanted to jump to 939, that's for sure. I've started my RMA request today and we will see what happens. I will advise on how they do.

Shined a flashlight into the back of the unit and saw a blown capacitor and something that can only be described as "goo" (that's a technical term and I'm licened to use it) in places where no "goo" should be. All in all, pretty messed up.
 
Bbq said:
I think people are worrying a bit much right now.

1. NeoHE's, Trio, Basiq are Seasonic. Nothing to worry about there.
Click to expand...

That makes little difference who is making the Antec PSU`s.
I seriously doubt that anyvbody who knows of Antec`s dismal track record, would all of a sudden purchase an Antec PSU on sole basis that Seasonic was contracted to manufacture them...
Even though Seasonic is a solid company with a fantastic reputation they still have to make Antec PSU`s using whatever CAP{`s and other internal parts that were agreed to in writing ahead of time. To make matters worse Seasonic is NOT responsible for qualirt conreol of said Antec Units.
What is sad is no matter how hard Antec tries they just cannot seem to get it correct.
Even a batch or 2 of the NeoHE`s had issues........go figure! :D
 
bigredcat said:
Antec doesn't care is what I have got from them. Support with them is impossible. I gave up and just got rid of it and got a Thermaltake. Bye Bye for good Antec.
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Although I have ragged on Antec,the RMA support I have recieived from thier CSR's
has been excellent.Time and again,when my fans or psu's died,or had issues they
sent out stuff to me asap,no problems.Of course one could then say,"But if they hadnt
died in the first place,this wouldnt be needed" True but I still have great expiriences
with them for after care.Of course I will not be buying anything with the SP label ever
again.Went through three SP 2.0 450's in less then a year.For what it cost them to
send me three ps's supplies and me sending them back to them,three times... :(
I spent way too much on UPS,to have go through that crap again.What does bug me
though a little,is by the second PS,I do feel they should have upgraded me to a better
ps for free,after all the hassle.
 
OCC_Yoda said:
Even though Seasonic is a solid company with a fantastic reputation they still have to make Antec PSU`s using whatever CAP{`s and other internal parts that were agreed to in writing ahead of time. To make matters worse Seasonic is NOT responsible for qualirt conreol of said Antec Units.
Click to expand...

How is it you know the terms of contracts between Seasonic and Antec?
 
Michael Daly said:
How is it you know the terms of contracts between Seasonic and Antec?
Click to expand...

Knowing the terms is not the point,
My example was accurate and factual. Read my post closer instead of jumping to unsubstantiated conclusions.
When these companies contract for a maker such as Seasonic to manufacture a PSU for them. They can and do specify in the contract what CAP`s......what type of fan... and any number of things that go into building a PSU.
Again I stand by what I said-- Just because Seasonic is making Antec PSU`s means little.

Unless you believe that because Seasonic makes Antec PSU`s thus it must be the same as purchasing a Seasonic PSU.....which actually is what some misguided people believe.
 
Michael Daly said:
How is it you know the terms of contracts between Seasonic and Antec?
Click to expand...

He doesn't and he is incorrect the contract manufacturer makes a big difference in this case and all others.

OCC_Yoda said:
Again I stand by what I said-- Just because Seasonic is making Antec PSU`s means little.
Click to expand...

Antec is using a base Seasonic model (and a low end one at that) with some modification...but the base design is a Seasonic made by Seasonic. I'll ask you again.....if contract manufacturer means absolutely nothing why does Pc Power and Cooling spend so much more money than they have to using Win-tact and Seasonic when they could get Deer to build whatever they wanted much cheaper. According to you it would be the same quality and cheaper.....and it would be better business to pay less. Unless of course....the old saying is correct....you can polish a turd but it is still a turd.
 
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