Antec Truepower Quattro 850W vs Silverstone Decathlon 850W Review | ||
| by Michael "SKYMTL" Hoenig | October 25, 2007 | ||
| Cables and Connectors Cables and Connectors Silverstone Decathlon 850W - Molex: 6 Connectors (modular) o 2x 38” (3 connectors each) - SATA: 6 Connectors (modular) o 2x 38” length (3 connectors each) - PCI-E 8 Pin: 2 Connectors (modular) o 2x 21 1/2” length - PCI-E 6 Pin: 4 Connectors (modular) o 2x 21” length o 2x 29’’ length (on same cable as 21’’ PCI-E) - 4-Pin Floppy: 2 Connectors o 2x 44’’ length (at end of each Molex cable) - 20+4 ATX Connector: 21 1/2” length (modular) - 8 Pin CPU connector: 29 1/2” length (modular) - 4 Pin CPU connector: 29 1/2” length (modular)   Silverstone provides you with a nearly daunting amount of cables and connectors but luckily each modular cable has its own place on the modular interface. That means that you can actually use all of the cables and connectors at the same time if you wish to. Unfortunately, while there are tons of options, once again Silverstone has neglected to sleeve the cables all the way to the last connector. While this may have been generally acceptable with the lower-end DA650, but when someone is paying $200 or more for a power supply, they don’t want a rainbow of colors running through their case. That being said, there are more than enough connectors (with compatibility for dual HD2900XT cards if the need arises) and the cables are all extremely long. While I wasn’t too crazy about it at first, the idea of having two PCI-E connectors per cable has grown on me…but only in a situation like this where we have a high-wattage power supply. Not only does it save you from having to route another cable if you need extra PCI-E connectors but it also gives some much needed length as well. But, once again the lack of sleeving between the first and second PCI-E connectors is painfully apparent here as well. It should also be noted that my review unit was missing one of the two 8-pin PCI-E connectors. Hoping this was an isolated case, I contacted a few people I knew who own the DA850 and of the four people I contacted, none was missing it. While you don’t see it here, I did receive one from Silverstone and it ended up being a 6-pin to 8-pin PCI-E cable which is compatible with the modular interface.   The modular interface on the DA850 is a lesson in simplicity; the connectors are simply pushed in and they lock in place while an easy-to-understand diagram shows you where everything goes. Antec Truepower Quattro 850W - Molex: 9 Connectors (modular) o 3x 33” (3 connectors each) - SATA: 8 Connectors (modular) o 2x 33” length (3 connectors each) o 1x 27 1/2’’ length (2 connectors) - PCI-E 6+2 Pin: 2 Connectors o 2x 21” length - PCI-E 6 Pin: 2 Connectors (modular) o 2x 21” length - 4-Pin Floppy: 2 Connector o 2x 39’’ length (at end of each Molex cable) - 20+4 ATX Connector: 22” length - 8 Pin CPU connector: 21” length - 4 Pin CPU connector: 22” length   Unlike the completely modular design of the Decathlon, Antec has decided to go with a semi-modular interface for their Quattro. All of the cables are modular except those you are most likely to use: the ATX, two PCI-E 6+2 pin and both CPU connectors are left attached to the power supply. They are all gloriously sleeved in form-fitting black mesh which reaches to nearly every connector. Unfortunately, the Quattro looses out in the overall cable length category since most of its cables are shorter than those on the DA850. Without a doubt, its cables are still more than long enough for nearly any application but it just can’t match the Silverstone’s astounding cable reach; particularly for the two CPU connectors.   Even though the Quattro’s cables are fully sleeved, I find it a bit annoying that the non-modular cables are not sleeved all the way into the power supply itself. In addition, the rubber clamps that hold the sleeving onto the cables are nowhere near strong enough and there have been some reports of the sleeving coming undone. I tugged at the sleeving quite a bit but it wouldn’t budge so maybe these are only isolated incidents. The modular interface on the Quattro is simple for the lone reason that it has so few connectors on it. Unlike the Decathlon, the Quattro does not allow you to use every one of the modular cables that are provided with it. Rather, you will be somewhat limited to three peripheral cables and the two additional PCI-E cables being attached.         | ||
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