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The TrueControl control panel is a 5.25" device that you install in a free external bay to control some of the features of the PSU. One smart move on the part of Antec is that you won't really lose a bay from using this panel.
Now, like I said, you don't really lose space exactly. As you can see above, you can still install a 3.5" device in the control panel, though you sure as heck won't be able to install a CDROM or anything that requires external access.
So what does the TrueControl panel do? Well, you can adjust not only the fan speed, but also the voltages on specific rails. I've mentioned in other reviews that consistent power is needed on the rails, and for the voltages to be as close to the rail's maximum as possible.
By using the adjustment tool, you can either increase the power to the rails or lower them if needed. Situations where you may consider increasing voltages to the rails are in cases where you're overclocking. A CPU for example needs a lot of power on the +5v rail, so if you're overclocking the CPU, and you notice the +5v rail dipping under 5.00, you can adjust the voltage to increase the power to the rail.
Installation is straightforward, with the only "extra" work in PSU installation is the TrueControl Panel. You'll need to install the panel cable leading from the PSU to be able to make the adjustments on the fly.
Performance
Abit NF7-M nForce 2: Athlon XP 2500+, 2 x 256MB Corsair PC3200 TWINX, Swiftech H20-8500, ATi AiW 9700 Pro, 120GB Western Digital SE 8MB Cache, MSI Starspeed DVD16x, Windows XP SP1, Catalyst 3.3.
To test the PSU's performance, we'll be running our Barton at stock speeds, and at overclocked settings, which will be our 2500+ @ 12x200 (2.4GHz @ 1.95v). Fans used to cool the Swifty radiator were a pair of Delta SHE 68CFM fans. System cooling was provided by 4 Tt Smart Fan 2s, spinning at "high". To load up the system, we run Prime95 run for 20 minutes, with Folding @ Home running in the background, as well as the LoTR: Fellowship of the Ring DVD in the DVD drive. Voltages were monitored with .
Very solid numbers throughout. We did get a sag on the 5v rail when going from stock speeds to overclocked, but it was still over the baseline, which is quite a feat since the Enermax PSU I've been using up until now always hovered closer to 4.95v.
Final Words
For those of you who overclock your systems, the Antec TrueControl is the PSU for you. It provides plenty of power, and even when you're a little short, you can always adjust it for a bit more juice. Even if you're more of a weekend overclocker, you still need reliable power. In a lot of scenarios where your PC crashes unexpectantly, many times the PSU is the culprit, so do yourself a favor and upgrade that 250 watter.
The TrueControl Panel works pretty much as advertised. I would have liked to have maybe seen these features integrated into the chassis of the PSU itself, but at least the panel isn't beige. You will lose one external 5.25" bay (though you can still install a hard drive here), but the PSU has proven to be so reliable, who knows, maybe you won't need it.
If there's one thing going against it, it may be the price. It's not cheap, but you do get what you pay for this time around. I've seen it as low as , which isn't so bad when you consider that an . I own two Enermax PSUs, but neither match the Antec Truecontrol in the rail voltage performance. Add the extra features of the TrueControl setup, and I think it's very much worth the money.
Pros: Excellent rail performance, and adjustable without shutting down. Solid and reliable.
Cons: Expensive, but it is 550W.
Bottom Line: Best PSU I've used, period. If you are in need of a new power supply, this should be on the top of your shopping list. It's that damn good.
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Antec True Control 550W PSU: With all the attention on CPUs, motherboards, video cards and even mice, it's easy to sometimes forget that the power supply is probably one of the most important items to consider when preparing for a system overhaul.
