Antec Neo Eco 520W Semi-Modular Power Supply Review

Conclusion

Pricing

The Antec Neo Eco 520W PSU is being priced at £61.82 and £54.18 from two UK retailers. In the USA it is selling for around $74.99.

Conclusion

Drawing on the pricing above I can’t help but feel the value for money offered by the Antec Neo Eco 520W is mediocre at its price point. You’re paying £55-60 for a PSU that is decent enough for its wattage and certification, but there are many cheaper options out there (by as much as 15%) from the likes of Corsair, Sharkoon, OCZ, Thermaltake and a few others.

What’s more this unit is let down hugely by the decision to not bundle the modular cables or a power chord. While the omission of a power chord can be overlooked because most of us are probably drowning in kettle leads, the decision to not include modular cables doesn’t impress me. Why? Well because if they choose not to include them as standard they should adjust the price to reflect that and based on the pricing I’ve seen Antec simply haven’t done that. From my best knowledge the only way to acquire these modular cables is to request or purchase them from Antec separately and from what I’ve read some people have been sent them free of charge while others have had to pay. Ultimately Antec would of just saved a lot of hassle by making this unit fully non-modular or just by including all the modular cables.

The PSU itself does a reasonably good job of most things. It’s got good voltage regulation within around +-3% at realistic loads and +-5% under cross loads, great PFC performance, 80 Plus Bronze efficiency nailed to right on the specifications and strong noise/ripple suppression for a unit of its price. It’s positive aspects are all traits of a good Seasonic 80 Plus Bronze OEM design. The one negative aspect of the design is that the 120mm fan gets very loud from around 80% load and will probably drive you nuts if you use your system at that level of intense power usage for an extended period of time. The cables that are included are also pretty cheap and the sleeving is quite low quality. While I wouldn’t normally point out rival products that are better alternatives, in this case I feel it is appropriate because the Antec Neo Eco 520W just doesn’t strike me as a good deal for the consumer at its current price. I’d recommend opting for the Corsair CX500M or Thermaltake Smart M530W, both of which are cheaper and equally capable options.

Pros

• High PFC
• Good voltage regulation
• Impressive Noise/Ripple suppression

Cons

• No included modular cables
• No included power cable
• Poor quality braiding
• Gets loud at higher loads
• Pricing is too high

“Antec’s Neo Eco 520 is generally a good power supply in terms of its performance – the efficiency, voltage regulation, PFC and noise/ripple suppression are all very good for a unit of its market segmentation. Yet the unit just isn’t a good buy because it is priced poorly compared to rival products and Antec’s decision to not include the modular cables or power chord is just plain stupid in my opinion. I can see what Antec are getting at with the “Eco” environmentally-centred moniker but using it as an excuse to short-change consumers of things they need is a bad move, especially when those omitted components don’t even make a noticeable difference to the price. I think consumers would be wise to avoid this PSU unless it is heavily discounted.”

Thank you to Antec for providing this review sample.