Value and Conclusion
- The Enermax TRIATHLOR FC 550 W retails for $109.99
- Delivered full power at over 45°C
- Tight voltage regulation at +12V
- Very good ripple suppression
- Uses nothing but Japanese caps
- Fan of good quality
- Compact dimensions
- Few native cables (only two)
- Flat and stealth modular cables
- Loose voltage regulation on the minor rails
- Performance of the minor rails on Advanced Transient Response Tests
- Lower than 16 ms hold-up time
- Definitely not quiet, especially at high ambient
Enermax managed to build affordable and well-performing PSUs without the help of another OEM (unlike the NAXN series), which means they have finally adapted to current times by supplying their own mainstream and mid-end products, since the economical crisis doesn't allow a significant portion of users to buy expensive computer parts.
The good thing with the Triathlor FC 550 W is that it achieved a pretty high price/performance ratio—not because of its price tag, which, after a quick look, is kind of high for a PSU with these characteristics, but mainly because of the performance it achieved on all the tests I conducted. The performance of the minor rails surely needs improvement in terms of voltage regulation and during dynamic load scenarios. That said, the +12V rail, which, after all, is the most important rail of all, registered a very good performance with a tight voltage regulation and good response to dynamic loads. Ripple suppression was also very good on all rails. The second major downside I spotted will most likely disappoint some users: The fan is especially noisy at high speeds. The unit's compact dimensions didn't allow for the inclusion of a larger 140 mm fan to provide the same airflow at lower speeds, which would result in less noise. The installation of a smaller fan could not be avoided. Enermax states that the twister bearings of the latter result in lower noise levels, but my test results unfortunately showed the opposite to be true.
To wrap up, the new Triathlor FC 550 W is a good PSU that could be much better if its minor rails (5V and 3.3V) registered better performance, especially in dynamic load scenarios, and if only it would have been equipped with a quieter fan. Its +12V rail, however, the most crucial rail, is the real deal, and ripple suppression on all rails is amazing. I am pretty sure that this product won't disappoint users looking for a reliable PSU that performs well.