Here we can see exactly what this unit is capable of.  Especially worthy of noting is the 12V rail configurations.  Each rail is capable of 18A, and all three can handle 42A total.  This is because the rails are actually from the same supply, which is a good thing because if one is overloaded, it will use power from one of the other rails automatically.  This is especially good for SLI/Crossfire systems where there is a large load on the 12V lines. 

The Club Overclocker Experience:

     The Antec Trio is packaged attractively and effectively with a nice clean black design, and the internals are well packed to prevent against damage. 

     The Trio comes with all you need to get going:  a manual, a bag of screws, wall plug, and last but not least, nice plastic cable ties for organization.

Plenty of cable here, too bad they aren’t prettied up a little.

     Here we can see the 120mm fan on the bottom.  This is a temperature controlled fan, which keeps the noise down.

The Test Bed:

     I originally planned to run this PSU on my main Overclocking Rig, and the pictures below show the PSU installed there.  However, this PSU will not power up this system.

Here are the specs for my main rig:

• DFI LanParty nF4 Ultra-D

• Opteron 170 @ 2.75GHz, 1.51V

• 2x1GB OCZ PC-4000

• 7800GTX @ 525/1325MHz

• 2x Raptor in RAID 0, 2x 200GB Western Digital RAID 0

• Creative Labs X-Fi

     All testing shows that the PSU is functioning properly, and I have run three different PSUs successfully in my main rig.  I have confirmed with DFI-Street that this PSU has been tested with my motherboard, so I am suspecting that this is an isolated case.  My main rig is currently running an Antec NeoPower 480, so I am surprised that the 550 would not work.  For the purpose of my review, I moved the PSU into my secondary system. 

Those specs are:

• Asrock 939 Dual SATAII

• Athlon64 3700+ San Diego @ 2.42GHz, 1.45V

• 2x1GB DDR333

• ATi Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB

• Western Digital 30GB, Hitachi Desktar 160GB

• Creative Labs Audigy2

     To test the system, I measured voltage in both idle and load conditions.  To load the system, I simultaneously ran two instances of prime95 (large FFTs), and 3DMark05 with maximum quality settings at 1280x1024. To capture the voltage levels, I used SpeedFan’s logging capability to detect levels every three seconds.  The advantage of this is to increase the chance of catching any dips in voltage when a high load is applied. 

     As you can see from the above chart, voltages are rock stable.  Even though various loads are being applied during the ten minute period, you cannot tell where they happened from the chart. 

     As you can see, the voltages vary very little. The +5VSB is a tad high, and I am curious if this is the reason why my board does not boot it properly.  This would not affect normal operation, as it is the sensing line for turning on the power supply. 

Conclusion:

     The Antec TruePower Trio 550W is a quality PSU that I would not have any problem recommending to my friends.  It is actually based on a Seasonic design that allows full amperage to be delivered over any of the 12V rails.  This allows for more flexibility in system configurations, which is essential for the power sucking top of the line GPU that are available today.  The inability to boot my main system is disheartening, and I am working with Antec to find a cause.  I have to say that the Antec tech support has been very patient and friendly, and when I find a cause, I will be sure to post it here.  I am confident that this PSU will be sufficient for most high end rigs, even sufficient for the new 8800GTX, though the word is still out as to whether this will be sufficient enough for the new GTX in SLI.  For that, the TP Trio 650W would be a better choice.  The only bad side to this unit is the plain Jane look, though all it takes to fix that is a little time, an airbrush, and a sleeve kit.

Innovation:	9.0 out of 10
Performance:	9.0 out of 10
Quality:	9.5 out of 10
Stability:	10 out of 10
Overclocking:	N/A
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Value:	9.0 out of 10
Overall Rating 9.0
Project Skill Level (10 being most difficult)	4 out of 10