Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W Power Supply Review

Posted By Gabriel Torres on Feb 15, 2013 in Power

Introduction

The Triathlor FC is the latest power supply series with the 80 Plus Bronze certification from Enermax, coming to replace the MODU82+ series. So far, three models were released: 550 W, 650 W, and 700 W. Let’s see if the 650 W model is a good buy.

The members of the Triathlor FC series are really manufactured by Enermax.

Figure 1: Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W power supply

Figure 2: Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W power supply

The Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W is 5.5” (140 mm) deep. It uses a 120 mm twister-bearing fan on its bottom (Enermax ED122512S-DD, a.k.a. T.B.Silence).

Figure 3: Fan

The modular cabling system from this power supply has seven connectors: two for video cards (each connector allowing for two independent cables) and five for peripheral and SATA connectors. This power supply comes with the following cables:

• Main motherboard cable with a 20/24-pin connector, 21.3” (54 cm) long, permanently attached to the power supply
• One cable with two ATX12V connectors that together form an EPS12V connector, 23.6” (60 cm) long, permanently attached to the power supply
• Four cables, each with one six/eight-pin connector for video cards, 19.7” (50 cm) long, modular cabling system
• Two cables, each with three SATA power connectors, 19.7” (50 cm) to the first connector, 5.9” (15 cm) between connectors, modular cabling system
• One cable with three SATA power connectors and one peripheral power connector, 19.7” (50 cm) to the first connector, 5.9” (15 cm) between connectors, modular cabling system
• One cable with four peripheral power connectors and one floppy disk drive power connector, 19.7” (50 cm) to the first connector, 5.9” (15 cm) between connectors, modular cabling system

All wires are 18 AWG, which is the minimum recommended gauge.

This is an excellent configuration for a 650 W unit, allowing the installation of two high-end video cards that require two auxiliary power cables each without the need for adapters. The number of SATA power connectors (nine) is also excellent.

Figure 4: Cables

Let’s now take an in-depth look inside this power supply.

• Contents
• 1. Introduction
• 2. A Look Inside the Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W
• 3. Transient Filtering Stage
• 4. Primary Analysis
• 5. Secondary Analysis
• 6. The +5VSB Power Supply
• 7. Power Distribution
• 8. Load Tests
• 9. Voltage Regulation Tests
• 10. Ripple and Noise Tests
• 11. Overload Tests
• 12. Main Specifications
• 13. Conclusions