Tagan TG480 U01

Author: Ian Cunningham
Published on: 07-03-2004
Views: 66316


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Features

Features of the Tagan TG480-U01

The Tagan PSU has a few special features that make it stand out from the usual generic power supplies. The foremost being that this is a 480W power supply, which is significantly greater than the majority of PSU's available. A standard 250W PSU will not be sufficient to run most high end PCs, whereas a good 400W+ PSU should be enough to run most systems.

Tagan wisely provide a large amount of power connections, considering this unit is rated at 480W:

• 2 x Floppy Connectors
• 2 x SATA Connectors
• 10 x Hard Drive Connectors
• 2 x 12V Connectors (1 x 4 pin and 1 x 8 pin).

Wide range voltage input

Most power supplies require you to choose your voltage from a small switch on the back of the unit, choosing between 120V and 240V. This unit is able to detect and run from any voltage supply from 95V-250V. I can see a use for this if you travel to many different countries or use this in an industrial workplace, but for the home user is has no real benefits.

Active Power Factor Correction

Active Power Correction is the method by which the wide range of voltage inputs can be accommodated, and is a more expensive (but much more efficient) way of fine tuning the circuit frequency. The active PFC is estimated to give a power conversion of 99%, which is extremely efficient indeed.

Tagan Silence Control technology.

Most power supplies will come with some sort of fan speed control technology, hence controlling the noise of the PSU when in use. Tagan use their TSCT to reduce noise levels to around 22-24dBA when idle, up to 30dBA under full load.

Under normal operation only the outlet fan is in use, which is near silent. Once things start to heat up under load the intake fan starts to draw air in and both fans speed up, depending on how much the system needs to cool.

Twisted Wire Cables

The PSU includes a twisted wire sheath around the main motherboard power cables, not only making the wires tidier and easier to layout, but reducing the EMI quite significantly. Although not a necessity, it is certainly something you would expect in a high end supply.

Universal Power Connector

This PSU is one of the first consumer units to feature the new 24-pin ATX cable as default, with a small conversion cable provided for the more usual 20-pin connection.

Inside the unit

A quick look inside the Tagan Power Supply

PC Review do not recommend that you open your power supply as done here, unless you are aware of the dangers in doing so. The unit can still carry power for some time after being disconnected from a power source.

Inside the Power Supply

The internal build quality of the unit is very good, with high quality components used during assembly. Although it is a tight squeeze, the massive heatsinks are in prime locations for the airflow to have an effect.