Antec Truepower Quattro 850W vs Silverstone Decathlon 850W Review

Conclusion

Simply put, I am extremely pleased by both of these power supplies since they performed admirably in our every single one of our performance tests. Antec and Silverstone have a lot to be proud of since they have produced some of the highest quality power supplies I have seen in a long time. Yet, particular credit needs to go to the team over at Antec whose Quattro 850W stole our hearts with its bold styling while besting the more expensive Silverstone in nearly all of the tests (although it was an extremely narrow win in the voltage regulation category). On the other hand, the DA850 more than held its own by proving it is an elite power supply which is geared towards enthusiasts who want the largest +12V rail possible for their insanely overclocked systems. Both it and the Quattro were even in the ripple suppression category as well as having about the same noise output at higher loads.

Yet, when it comes to the categories outside of performance, the Quattro gets a bit of a black eye when it comes to overall cable length and ease of use. This is only a personal viewpoint, but I MUCH prefer the fully modular interface of the DA850 over the semi-modular one offered by Antec’s unit. The colors (or lack thereof) Silverstone uses are also more likely to appeal to a broader customer base since it will not clash with any other colorful component people may have in their windowed case. I also have to suggest that Antec should look into extending their ATX and CPU connector lengths since Silverstone has them cleanly beat in this area. With more and more large cases using bottom-mounted power supplies, it has become essential for manufacturers to equip their high-end PSUs with at least 22” CPU connectors.

Silverstone definitely has the edge with it’s insane +12V rail output capabilities, cable length, fully modular interface, accessory bundle and neutral color scheme. Yet in the scope of this review, the Truepower Quattro narrowly wins out due to its long warranty, high efficiency, slightly better voltage regulation and drop-dead amazing price. The power supplies are so close to each other in performance, the consumer’s choice will ultimately come down to what their personal needs are.

We have never done this before, but in this case I believe the Antec Truepower Quattro 850W deserves our Dam Good Award AND our Dam Good Value Award.

Silverstone’s DA850 proved to be an incredibly solid power supply as well and if you are looking for an 850W power supply, it should definitely be on your short list. Thus, I am giving it a 4.5/5.


Silverstone Decathlon 850W

Pros:
- Solid Performance
- Quiet operation
- Very long cables
- Fully modular interface
- 3-Year Warranty
- Good accessory bundle

Cons:
- Voltage regulation not as good as the Quattro
- Less efficient that the TPQ
- Price
- Produced quite a bit of heat




Antec Truepower Quattro 850W

Pros:
- Amazing voltage regulation
- Efficiency that thoroughly beat the competition
- Great ripple suppression
- Quiet operation
- 5-year warranty
- Plenty of connector options
- Price

Cons:
- Length of ATX and CPU connectors shorter than those on the DA850
- Exterior styling may not be to everyone’s taste
- +12V output slightly below the DA850