Antec 430 TruePower has only 5 connectors?! WTH were they thinking?!

[CZroe]

My last Enermax 350w PSU died on me and I had to throw in an almost identical unit (One fan monitoring, one thermal controlled). It was bad when I got it (In a trade). I finally got everything for my new fileserver into place but, while the Enermax PSU had exactly enough (8) power connectors (+1 if you count the one labeled "Extra"), it required a beefier PSU (IMO*). I had to go with a new premium PSU. I didn't even want to undo the bundle of connectors on the Enermax since it was only in use for a few days (I can sell it as nearly-new).

Enter my new Antec TruePower 430w PSU. This thing has only one wire loom, unlike the Enermax's two, all the wires are tangled up to the first cable ties (permanently intertwined), the Serial ATA connectors lack 3.3v wires (At least Enermax includes a removeable connector which lacks this) and the AUX connector doesn't fit the motherboard properly (Even though the D850GB is almost the only motherboard to ever require it

). To top it all off, it only has 5 standard connectors (Molex is a brand, not a name for that type of connector)!

No where near enough connectors. My HDD cage extention from CompUSA included two free cable splitters, so I had to use those just to get all my HDDs connected. I STILL don't have a way to connect my DVD+RW drive. Also dissapointing: So few connectors and yet the thing is such a tangled mess WTH good is the "External Connector" on the back if there aren't enough internal connectors?!

What the hell were they thinking? How can a premium PSU get away with this?

*1.3GHz Intel Pentium 4 Williamette (More power hungry than a 400FSB Northwoods), D850GB (No audio, no LAN), PC800 512MB RDRAM (Four 128MB RIMMs), seven HDDs (six in a RAID5 array), a DVD+RW drive, Promise SuperTrak SX6000 + 256MB SDRAM cache, 802.11G wireless card, Intel FastEthernet card (More draw than integrated Ethernet I imagine, soon to be replaced with Gigabit), GeForce3 (Soon to be swapped with a GeForce2 MX200).

 

[axemanxt40]

I don't know, I bought a Thermaltake PSU over an Antec...definitely don't have the problems with lack of connectors...and no bad power issues either. Not to mention they sleeve every cable coming out of the PSU which is a very nice plus.

 

[mchammer187]

my regular antec 400W has more than that

 

[CZroe]

Well, it does have two more "Fan only" connectors, which, unlike the Enermax's "EXTRA" connector, introduces another problem. My hard drives are burning up because my Zalman slim fan (Crammed between the face and the drive cage) is forced to operate in "silent mode." The dongle has two white 5v and two black 12v fan headers and only the white ones work.

At least I know my new PSU can handle the drives, but I thought it would be superior to the every-day Enermax in nearly every way

Edit: Nevermind. It's actually forced to operate in full-speed mode. Also, rearranging the fans has increased airflow and the drives run quite cool.

 

[fredtam]

I have:

5 case fans
floppy
cdrw
dvd
4 hard drives (2sata, 2 IDE)
Aiw 9800 pro

All hooked up to an Antec 430

 

[jose]

Maybe there's diff revisions because I have a True Power 430 and it has 7 - 4 pin connectors + 2 - floppy connectors + 2 - 4ping fan only connectors.

And yes the connectors are tangled up, sort of annoying.

Regards,
Jose

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: fredtam
I have:

5 case fans
floppy
cdrw
dvd
4 hard drives (2sata, 2 IDE)
Aiw 9800 pro

All hooked up to an Antec 430

That's easily possible even with mine.

Case fans can usually be strung together and the PSU has two extra connectors just for them anyway. Floppy uses a different connector (Not counted in the "only 5" tally). Mine has two Serial ATA power connectors that aren't true SATA (No 3v lines). May as well be the standard converters like Enermax includes. So the 2 Serial ATA drives wouldn't use any of the five connectors on the Antec TruePower 430. Doesn't the AIW 9800 Pro use a floppy connector? Sounds like four is all you'd need anyway

Also, is yours a TruePower model Antec 430w PSU?

Originally posted by: jose
Maybe there's diff revisions because I have a True Power 430 and it has 7 - 4 pin connectors + 2 - floppy connectors + 2 - 4ping fan only connectors.

And yes the connectors are tangled up, sort of annoying.

Regards,
Jose

Yeah, I guess it's clear that they converted two standard connectors to Serial ATA connectors on mine

 

[NgtFlyer]

My Antec TruePower 330 has 7 standard drive connectors plus two dedicated fan connectors. Perhaps you got one made at 4:59PM on a Friday? Maybe Antec switched OEMs?

That has to be a runt in the litter. Even my SmartPower 350 has 7 standard drive connectors on it.

 

[CZroe]

My manual clearly shows seven + 2, but no dice.

 

[jose]

Maybe you got an "Antec Compatible" ps .

Regards,
Jose

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: axemanxt40
I don't know, I bought a Thermaltake PSU over an Antec...definitely don't have the problems with lack of connectors...and no bad power issues either. Not to mention they sleeve every cable coming out of the PSU which is a very nice plus.

Same can be said for my TT PP 420W and my dads TT PP Xaser Edition 480W. Plenty of connectors and a bit of sleeving to boot.

 

[Tango57]

just buy some molex Y-adapters so you can add more connections.

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: Tango57
just buy some molex Y-adapters so you can add more connections.

The point is he shouldnt have to. Antec are considered as one of the best, if not the best by the general overclocking community and they are recommended to most custom pc builders for their reliability.

5 Molexs arent enough for some users and if a person needs to buy a rather powerful psu like a 430W model then they are most likely going to need quite a few.

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: Elcs

Originally posted by: Tango57
just buy some molex Y-adapters so you can add more connections.

The point is he shouldnt have to. Antec are considered as one of the best, if not the best by the general overclocking community and they are recommended to most custom pc builders for their reliability.

5 Molexs arent enough for some users and if a person needs to buy a rather powerful psu like a 430W model then they are most likely going to need quite a few.

That AND the fact that I am already using two of those and still don't have enough connectors. I would have had one connector to spare if I had used my old PSU. Those things are frickin' expensive to buy seperately in stores and shipping kills any attempt at an online deal.

Anyway, I just got my call back from tech support (Where I brought up the manual inconsistancy). They told me I got the "free Serial ATA Upgrade." Yeah, right

It's not even a real Serial ATA connector meaning it is not superior to the standard attachments that most PSU vendors throw in (no 3.3v). In fact, it's inferior because it sacrifices standard connectors for it where standard SATA dongles are removable. In addition, I have less floppy-style connectors too although two is plenty for just about anyone.

They are going to send me a fix for my old Antec Lanboy problem (I'll link to that thread when I get around to it).

 

[CZroe]

Linked

 

[CZroe]

OK, I'm submitting this after my fruitless call-back...

Antec TruePower 430w inadequate AUX connector and missing power connectors

I received my Antec TruePower 430w PSU about a month ago after doing serious research to find the perfect PSU for my fileserver which was in my price-range. I am a repeat Antec customer and have purchased many Antec products including cases and accessories both retail and online.

I was very dissapointed. All reviews and information, even all the information found on your site claim that it has seven standard connectors (Commonly referred to as "Molex" but that is actually a brand of connectors and not a connector type) plus two "Fan Only" connectors. It does not in fact. My system is a fileserver with seven hard drives total, six in a RAID5 configuration. Without an optical drive, it required exactly seven connectors which both the diagram and manual on your site say it has. I do not intend to use an optical drive.

I called Antec technical support already but I was told that I was given the "upgraded" model with Serial ATA connectors. These are not Serial ATA connectors. They are in fact, standard power connectors which are useless as standard power connectors. Serial ATA connectors also have two new 3.3v wires for future low-power devices (Total of six wires). What is included is a permanently connected four-wire adaptation which is in fact INFERIOR to the adapters most PSUs include. The adapters included with other brands/models give you the ability to use the standard connector for standard drives OR non-3.3v Serial ATA drives instead of sacrificing a standard PSU connector.

My usage is certainly not out of line for a premium 430w PSU. Most users who require such a PSU also have such intentions and would be similarly dissapointed as is expressed in an Anandtech thread I posted on the issue. Please see:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=27&threadid=1263089&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=

In fact, the PSU I was replacing, a brand-new perfectly functioning Enermax 350w model, had EIGHT standard power connectors not including the additional fan connectors (This PSU was never used to power the hard drives because 350w may be inadequate warranting the TruePower 430w purchase).

Anyway, the system was supposed to be up and running the day the PSU arrived and therefore I had to purchase two $4.99 + 7% sales tax power splitters from Best Buy. I would like to be reimbursed for this cost or receive the older version of this model.

But it gets worse. You see, I was designating my older "All retail Intel brand" 1.3GHz Pentium 4 Williamette system as the fileserver. It was slow, but very stable and not good for much else. At that time, the D850GB board was the only choice (I got the retail non-"AL" version with no integrated audio or LAN peripherals). Ever since then, the early i850-based RDRAM boards were the only boards to require the AUX connector from the PSU. Intel has long moved away from this in consumer products although the similarly introduced ATX+12V connector remains in many implementations. Anyway, the inclusion of the AUX connector with this power supply is clearly only to conform to ATX standards, as it does not fit properly at all. There really are only a few different boards in existance for it TO fit and mine is the most common so I find it hard to believe that this can be faulted to anything but the PSU manufacturer. Instead, it only fits over the AUX pins with no friction at all and falls right off with little to no force. It never "clicks" down like all other PSUs I have tried (About 8 from six manufacturers). Many times since installing the Antec TruePower 430w, my system has not booted due to this connector simply falling off.

If this is not a fault specific to my unit and is common to all revised Antec 430w PSUs, please consider this a report of this problem and/or a request for the older model of this PSU.

Please address my concerns with either a replacement PSU with an adequate amount of power connectors AND functional AUX connector or reimbursement for the cost of the power splitters: $4.99USD x 1.07 (Local sales tax) x 2 (Required / Purchased two).

Grrr... Just tried and it will not submit. Oh well, at least I can cut/paste from here and try again later.

 

[thorin]

They were thinking:

1) Molex (or whatever you prefer to call them) y splitters are about $1 pretty much anywhere. (Kleenex is a brand too but no one cares....)
2) Given the current capacity/price point of storage most people should only require 4 connectors + maybe 1 for an additional fan. (It's not a server class power supply)

But that's just my opinion.......

Thorin

 

[Acanthus]

I agree with thorin that the particular PSU you selected isnt made for servers. Their higher end 500w models will better accomodate that many drives.

Again the splitters are also dirt cheap.