Introduction
One of the most overlooked components during a PC build is often the power supply, neglected as one of those items that should just 'work'. The sad truth of the matter is, all power supply units are not created equal.
Tagan have released the new TG480-U01 as a high end PSU, aiming to quench the thirst for power in even the mightiest of systems.
Black Anodised Casing and External Components
Included Items
Included Items
Features
The Tagan PSU has a few special features that make it stand out from the usual generic power supplies. The foremost being that this is a 480W power supply, which is significantly greater than the majority of PSU's available. A standard 250W PSU will not be sufficient to run most high end PCs, whereas a good 400W+ PSU should be enough to run most systems.
Tagan wisely provide a large amount of power connections, considering this unit is rated at 480W:
Most power supplies require you to choose your voltage from a small switch on the back of the unit, choosing between 120V and 240V. This unit is able to detect and run from any voltage supply from 95V-250V. I can see a use for this if you travel to many different countries or use this in an industrial workplace, but for the home user is has no real benefits.
Active Power Factor Correction
Active Power Correction is the method by which the wide range of voltage inputs can be accommodated, and is a more expensive (but much more efficient) way of fine tuning the circuit frequency. The active PFC is estimated to give a power conversion of 99%, which is extremely efficient indeed.
Tagan Silence Control technology.
Most power supplies will come with some sort of fan speed control technology, hence controlling the noise of the PSU when in use. Tagan use their TSCT to reduce noise levels to around 22-24dBA when idle, up to 30dBA under full load.
Under normal operation only the outlet fan is in use, which is near silent. Once things start to heat up under load the intake fan starts to draw air in and both fans speed up, depending on how much the system needs to cool.
Twisted Wire Cables
The PSU includes a twisted wire sheath around the main motherboard power cables, not only making the wires tidier and easier to layout, but reducing the EMI quite significantly. Although not a necessity, it is certainly something you would expect in a high end supply.
Universal Power Connector
This PSU is one of the first consumer units to feature the new 24-pin ATX cable as default, with a small conversion cable provided for the more usual 20-pin connection.
Inside the Unit
PC Review do not recommend that you open your power supply as done here, unless you are aware of the dangers in doing so. The unit can still carry power for some time after being disconnected from a power source.
Inside the Power Supply
The internal build quality of the unit is very good, with high quality components used during assembly. Although it is a tight squeeze, the massive heatsinks are in prime locations for the airflow to have an effect.
Performance
One of the only meaningful tests that can be performed on a computer PSU is the fluctuation of core voltages provided by the unit. When the computer is "stressed" during benchmarking, the power loads on each component will differ from idle, and due to the laws of electronics cause a slight fluctuation in the voltage drop provided.
A high accuracy multimeter was connected to the various power connectors coming from the PSU. The Min / Max values were taken over a period of 10 minutes from initial bootup, idle for 2 minutes, and then the remaining time running a "burn in" test application. This should stress the power supply to a maximum and enable min/max readings to be taken from each individual power source.
All of the results recorded comply with the ATX12V specification, and are well within the recommended limits. None of the voltages slip below the required voltages, and are always slightly above - which is a good sign under high loads.
Tagan state that the maximum current for the PSU is as follows:
Conclusion
The Tagan TG480-U01 is one of the latest generation consumer PSU's, and has several features that you would expect on a high-end model (such as Active PFC, multitude of connectors and stable voltage lines). Conversely, several items that you would not expect are included too, such as an array of extra cables/ties to neatly install the unit.
The overall build quality of the unit was very pleasing to see, as I initially had concerns when the price tag was significantly lower than other high-end PSU's. This is one of the best constructed PSU's available, and the 3 year warranty is very reassuring. A lot of thought has been put into the design, with twisted power cables, extra grounding protection and a membrane covered power switch.
With near silent performance, high build quality and high performance, this is a PSU which would ideally suit enthusiasts and high-end users. The power supply should last more than a couple of upgrades of the main system, and will be able to cope with the new power standards being introduced soon.
One of the most overlooked components during a PC build is often the power supply, neglected as one of those items that should just 'work'. The sad truth of the matter is, all power supply units are not created equal.
Tagan have released the new TG480-U01 as a high end PSU, aiming to quench the thirst for power in even the mightiest of systems.
Black Anodised Casing and External Components
Specifications
Specifications as listed by Tagan:
- 1 x ATX 20-pin connector
- 1 x 12v 4-pin connector (CPU)
- 1 x ATX 20 pins / ATX 24 pins Adapter
- 1 x 12v 8-pin connector (CPU)
- 10 x 4-pin Molex connectors for 5"1/4 peripherals
- 2 x 4-pin Molex connectors for 3"1/2 peripherals
- 2 x SATA connectors (brings power to SATA Disk Drives)
- Serial ATA HDD connectors built-in
- 2 Thermo Regulated Cooling Fans
- TSCT Low Noise Technology
- ATX12V version 1.3 and downward compatible
- Universal wide-range input of 95-250 VAC
- ATX 24-pin & 8-pin / 20-pin & 4-pin connectors for most MB
- Intel Pentium 4 & AMD K7/K8 compatible
- 480 Watt Max power output
Included Items
Included Items
- User Manual
- 5 x Screws
- Power Cable
- 2 zip ties
- 5 velcro ties
Features
The Tagan PSU has a few special features that make it stand out from the usual generic power supplies. The foremost being that this is a 480W power supply, which is significantly greater than the majority of PSU's available. A standard 250W PSU will not be sufficient to run most high end PCs, whereas a good 400W+ PSU should be enough to run most systems.
Tagan wisely provide a large amount of power connections, considering this unit is rated at 480W:
- 2 x Floppy Connectors
- 2 x SATA Connectors
- 10 x Hard Drive Connectors
- 2 x 12V Connectors (1 x 4 pin and 1 x 8 pin).
Most power supplies require you to choose your voltage from a small switch on the back of the unit, choosing between 120V and 240V. This unit is able to detect and run from any voltage supply from 95V-250V. I can see a use for this if you travel to many different countries or use this in an industrial workplace, but for the home user is has no real benefits.
Active Power Factor Correction
Active Power Correction is the method by which the wide range of voltage inputs can be accommodated, and is a more expensive (but much more efficient) way of fine tuning the circuit frequency. The active PFC is estimated to give a power conversion of 99%, which is extremely efficient indeed.
Tagan Silence Control technology.
Most power supplies will come with some sort of fan speed control technology, hence controlling the noise of the PSU when in use. Tagan use their TSCT to reduce noise levels to around 22-24dBA when idle, up to 30dBA under full load.
Under normal operation only the outlet fan is in use, which is near silent. Once things start to heat up under load the intake fan starts to draw air in and both fans speed up, depending on how much the system needs to cool.
Twisted Wire Cables
The PSU includes a twisted wire sheath around the main motherboard power cables, not only making the wires tidier and easier to layout, but reducing the EMI quite significantly. Although not a necessity, it is certainly something you would expect in a high end supply.
Universal Power Connector
This PSU is one of the first consumer units to feature the new 24-pin ATX cable as default, with a small conversion cable provided for the more usual 20-pin connection.
Inside the Unit
PC Review do not recommend that you open your power supply as done here, unless you are aware of the dangers in doing so. The unit can still carry power for some time after being disconnected from a power source.
Inside the Power Supply
The internal build quality of the unit is very good, with high quality components used during assembly. Although it is a tight squeeze, the massive heatsinks are in prime locations for the airflow to have an effect.
Performance
One of the only meaningful tests that can be performed on a computer PSU is the fluctuation of core voltages provided by the unit. When the computer is "stressed" during benchmarking, the power loads on each component will differ from idle, and due to the laws of electronics cause a slight fluctuation in the voltage drop provided.
A high accuracy multimeter was connected to the various power connectors coming from the PSU. The Min / Max values were taken over a period of 10 minutes from initial bootup, idle for 2 minutes, and then the remaining time running a "burn in" test application. This should stress the power supply to a maximum and enable min/max readings to be taken from each individual power source.
All of the results recorded comply with the ATX12V specification, and are well within the recommended limits. None of the voltages slip below the required voltages, and are always slightly above - which is a good sign under high loads.
Tagan state that the maximum current for the PSU is as follows:
- +3.3V at 28A
- +5V at 48A
- +12V at 28A
- -12V at 1A
- -5V at 0.8A
Conclusion
The Tagan TG480-U01 is one of the latest generation consumer PSU's, and has several features that you would expect on a high-end model (such as Active PFC, multitude of connectors and stable voltage lines). Conversely, several items that you would not expect are included too, such as an array of extra cables/ties to neatly install the unit.
The overall build quality of the unit was very pleasing to see, as I initially had concerns when the price tag was significantly lower than other high-end PSU's. This is one of the best constructed PSU's available, and the 3 year warranty is very reassuring. A lot of thought has been put into the design, with twisted power cables, extra grounding protection and a membrane covered power switch.
With near silent performance, high build quality and high performance, this is a PSU which would ideally suit enthusiasts and high-end users. The power supply should last more than a couple of upgrades of the main system, and will be able to cope with the new power standards being introduced soon.
