The dimensions of the unit aren't any greater than what people have come to expect from Antec. It isn't too big, so those of us with more compact cases won't have to worry about a potential interference with almost anything in the optical drive bay, including disc drives, fan controllers, and other assorted peripherals. All of the power cables are long enough for those with larger cases, such as the Antec P180 or Cooler Master CM Stacker 830. Also, because the cables are so long, we were able to effectively route the cables the way we wanted to keep our enclosure neat in regards to the hard drive bay. With other PSU's you may be unable to flip the orientation of your hard drives in order to gain a neater appearance. With the Antec TruePower Trio 650, this isn't a problem at all, so cable clutter freaks rejoice! Either way, there are those who swear that modular cables just don’t cut it as much as non-modular anchored variants, but that is a discussion that will go on forever. What is noticeably missing from the unit is the lack of a 110v to 240v switch. This is because the Antec TruePower Trio 650 does away with that annoying and potentially dangerous little switch by using an automatic input voltage detection, which automatically switches to whatever power grid standard your household is using. So if you're ever worried someone might flick the switch in the back of your computer at the next LAN party, look for a PSU with this feature. Changing the switch from 110v to 240v or vice-versa while the unit is in operation will result in pretty fireworks and smoke from your now completely dead PSU. So please, do not under any circumstances do this to your computer, anyone else's computer, or the computers at your local computer brick and mortar store.


Another thing on the exterior is the power switch and the standard wall socket connector. Now, we wish to emphasize that when testing prior power supply units in the past, we have seen manufacturers put glitz and glamor into a cord that is seldom seen by the user. One particularly annoying decision that some power supply manufacturers continue to make is the fact that the electrical cord that jacks into the actual power supply can never be fully inserted. This is a problem, because the slightest tug on the power cord will cause the system to lose power and shutdown. This is extremely annoying and we hope PSU manufacturers check to make sure the power cords they ship with their units connect properly and sit flush with the rest of the PSU. Thankfully, the Antec TruePower Trio 650 focuses on doing it the right way, so no need to worry. You'll also notice the specifications label printed and affixed to the side of the PSU. This indicates the exact power of the PSU and is easily read if your case has a side window.

Specifically, as stated above and on the sticker, the Antec TruePower Trio 650 has an efficiency rating of up to 85%. This is astounding considering how powerfully the unit is rated, and becomes a real consideration when purchasing a PSU, for the simple fact that a more efficient PSU will save you money in the long run due to the minimal waste in power while operating. The unit itself comes equipped with three +12v rails rated at 19A! To put this into perspective, nearly all top-of-the-line power supply units available today will supply two or more +12V rails. In the case of the Antec TruePower Trio 650, the 19A rating of each rail delivers a theoretical maximum of 238 watts of power. Taking into consideration that users interested in such a highly-rated PSU will probably be running a machine that no doubt holds one or more power hungry graphics cards, multiple hard drives, and perhaps even be overclocked, that Antec placed three +12v rails is great because it allows power to be routed evenly throughout the system. Herein lies the problem. Antec doesn't actually label what they consider the third rail to be on the Antec TruePower Trio 650, so this could potentially offset this great feature anyway! This is because individuals may accidentally plug their devices into the incorrect cords and cause an imbalance in the +12V rails, resulting in diminished efficiency and increasing unnecessary strain that the consumer paid not to have in the first place! This is unacceptable. All manufacturers should label their rails accordingly, especially if that is a major selling point of the unit!


This is where we warn our readers to never open a power supply unless they know exactly what they are doing. We strongly advise you to not open a power supply even when it has been disconnected, as it still retains a powerful charge that can electrocute you and cause serious injury or even death. With power supply units becoming even more powerful as of late, you run an even greater risk of injury. If you do feel the need to completely void your warranty, just remember that you can’t respawn in real life. So now that the case cover has been ripped off, take a closer look at the pictures. The power supply board has some pretty beefy caps and coils that are protected by plastic tabs throughout the PSU. This is good idea considering how tight a fit the PSU cover is relative to the components inside. The aluminum ribcage heatsink design is interesting but works well, and allows for some free space within the confines of the case itself.