Introduction

A powerhouse performance PC can require a solid power supply to
back it up. Power hungry components can demand a lot from a power supply. These
components soon alert the user to just how disgruntled they are by sudden reboots,
crashes and the dreaded BSOD. The power supply is often the source of these
problems. Tagan offers a solution with the 480w “Ultra-Silent” Power Supply
to battle against “lack of power hell”. Tagan confidently backs up their promise
with a surprisingly long 36-month warranty.

In the world of the random PC lockup no one can hear you scream…or do they? I’ve heard and given a few shouts myself of “All I want to do it game, code, 3dMark and write! Is it too much to ask?” or “What’s wrong with this computer?!”

A little Recap

Short-Media has done extensive research into power supplies; myths
were broken and theories were tested.

From “Power Supplies – The Shocking Truth” :

Go back to the symptoms. If the PC just shut down or wouldn’t
power up and there was an acrid smell in the air then the power supply most
likely burnt out. If the PC is unstable where it suddenly reboots or displays
that pretty Blue Screen of Death then the power supply may not be “up to the
job”. These instabilities are a common complaint. They often occur after upgrading
a processor, video card or adding another drive. If there is a stunned silence
and eyes are left blinking with the hanging question “how am I supposed to know?”
then the most simple solution is to upgrade to a beefier power supply to handle
the extra load. For overclockers and PC enthusiasts it isn’t as simple as the
decision to upgrade but what power supply to upgrade to? In either case even
a beefier power supply may still be the root of system instability. Wattage
isn’t everything and there is a way to make informed choices.

Now armed with that knowledge a user will find themselves looking
for the “one”. Not Neo (despite the Matrix style ‘all in black’ look of the
Tagan power supply case and packaging) but the stability of the power supply.

Can the Tagan 480w “Ultra-Silent” Power Supply deliver the goods “out of the box” without a hitch or does it simply masks a pigeon behind the promise of an eagle?

The Specifications

The Black Box Packaging

It’s a cardboard box. No need to get over excited. It is fair
to say that 99% of all power supplies come in a box. It is emblazoned with the
Tagan corporate logo and the technical specifications listed above. As well
as the claim that under normal (not 100% load) conditions, this power supply
is virtually silent.

The Power Supply

Inside the box is the power supply and it’s nest of connectors,
some very nifty velcro straps, four M3 screws and a manual. Compare the specifications
of the Tagan with the 465w rated Enermax 465P-VE.

There are differences in the rated amperages when comparing the
two supplies side by side. The biggest difference is the monstrous 48A rating
of the +5v line. A more in-depth guide to output lines can be found here.

The connecting leads are woven and tightly bound with cable ties.
Many power supplies still come with loose leads despite cable ties becoming
the de facto standard. The cables are of sufficient length for even a full size
Chieftec tower case.

Amongst the myriad of traditional floppy disk, ATX and drive connectors
there are two Serial ATA power connectors. This is convenient inclusion with
Serial ATA fast becoming extremely popular and replacing the legacy PATA standard.
The Athlon 64 test system was equipped with two Maxtor Serial ATA drives and
therefore the connectors were useful.

The standard 24pin ATX connector cable is sheathed. Another quality
touch if common with most modern quality power supplies.

Approximately 2/3 of the way down the ATX lead was an EPS 20-pin
connector which is normally only found in the domain of server grade power supplies.
EPS connectors can also be found on the very latest AMD Opteron motherboards,
Intel Xeon server boards and high-end workstations. Tagan feel that including
the ability to use the power supply on an Opteron or Xeon motherboard is an
important step in future-proofing a product. It is a welcome addition and a
bold move considering the demands of an Opteron-equipped system.

One of Tagan’s key selling points is the low noise output at idle.
22 dBA is quiet but not “silent” and not the most silent power supply on the
market.

Visually, the Tagan 480w “Ultra-Silent” Power Supply presents itself well with neat cabling, a plethora of connectivity options and jet-black casing but how does it perform in the real world? All the airs, graves, promises of 36 month warranties, neat packaging and promotion will mean nothing if the voltages fluctuate when a system is given a workout.

Test System

Cranking it up

Voltage readings were monitored by MSI’s Core Center monitoring software.

BIOS

Maximum and minimum voltage fluctuations were recorded from “cold”
boot for 30 minutes thereafter. Voltage fluctuation was minimal over the test
period. The noise level was also very quiet. The PSU could not be heard over
the hum of the system fans.

Core Center – Idle

After the system fully booted slight drop in voltages across all rails and a small amount of voltage fluctuation was noted. The 3.3V rail showed the largest difference between minimum and maximum levels.

Core Center – 100% Load

For the load test a DVD was burned for 20 minutes while looping
3dMark 2003 and running the distributed computing Folding@Home client.

There were less fluctuations in the voltages when the PC was under
load compared to idle. The figures do speak for themselves. Throughout the session
the PC performed its tasks without a hiccup.

Fan noise level increased slightly when the power supply was under
load. This is a subjective opinion without use of a decibel meter but the noise
level from the pc case fans and the constant rattle of the admittedly noisier
Serial ATA drives was considerably more audible than the PSU cooling fans.

The PC remained unquestionably stable throughout testing. It is of note that the test system failed an identical performance test powered by a 365w Enermax power supply. Looping 3dMark hard-locked the PC when powered by the Enermax and the system required a reboot.

Conclusion & High points:

• Ultra low noise when idle
• Diverse connectivity options
• Fully AMD Opteron motherboard compatible via EPS adapter
• A high performance PSU capable of delivering clean, low fluctuating power
  under load
• A three-year warranty

Noise:

The PSU was very quiet at idle. The faintest hum could be heard
from the dual 80mm fans contained within. Tagan’s claim of “ultra silent” is
certainly upheld. The Tagan review sample was much quieter when compared to
the Enermax.

Connectivity:

Whether native Serial ATA connectors, an EPS connector, an ATX
connector, a four pin ATX connector or just lots of molex connectors are required.
They were all there. The abundance of cable ties was a welcome sight as not
all the leads were braided and covered. It would have been preferred if the
four pin ATX connector lead had also been braided. A minor detail. Overall this
PSU won’t have a purchaser suffering from a lack of leads or lead length.

K8 compliant:

The inclusion of the EPS adapter is an interesting one. Interesting
as it is not an option normally found on traditional ATX power supplies. The
usefulness could not be determined due to no access to an Opteron board requiring
that connector. The Opteron & Xeon platforms do have very strict power requirements.
As Tagan have equipped the PSU with this kind of connector, it is probable that
the unit can hold it’s own when powering such a system.

Performance:

The performance and stability results were collected as the system
performed. Running the system on full load produced no instability or performance
issues. The voltages were closely monitored and showed less fluctuation under
load than when idle. The readings did not drop below their base required voltage
levels and were well within ATX specifications.

Final Thoughts

It delivered the required power for a high-demand, high-performance
system. It’s extremely quiet (even under load), has a mountain of power connectors
and the EPS power adapter option is a shrewd move. There were no lockups, crashes
or freezes during testing and the unit performed admirably. The packaging is
tidy, the enclosed manual was clearly written and coherent. Cable lengths were
long enough to fit a full tower and extremely neatly tied. Tagan even throw
in very neat little Velcro cable ties (they are great).

It is obvious that a lot of time and attention has been put in
to make this an attractive and high quality product.

Our thanks to Tagan for their support of this site and many others.

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