Contents
- 1Introduction
- 1.1Packaging and accessories
- 2Connectors & cabling
- 2.1Casing & cooling
- 3Input filtering
- 4Primary side
- 4.1+5 V stand-by rail
- 5Secondary side
- 5.1Build quality
- 6Load testing
- 6.1Loading +5 V SB
- 6.2Voltage hold-up time
- 6.3Combined loading
- 6.4Combined loading ripple
- 6.5Crossloading, overloading
- 6.6Crossloading, overloading ripple
- 7Conclusion and evaluation
- 7.1Thanks
- 7.2Discussion
Introduction
The Antec Earthwatts Platinum 550 W (EA-550 Platinum) is currently one of the cheapest 80 PLUS Platinum certified (@115 V) units. One of the reasons may be that it has been on the market for quite some time already as it is based on the FSP Group Aurum 92+ platform. It comes with fixed cabling and three-year warranty, actual price starts from 2700 CZK or 120 AUD. 
This platform uses active clamp forward topology but does not have true DC-DC modules rather than all of the ordinary windings still present in the main transformer and all of them are actively rectified. That means that when a single rail needs power, the power supply pumps it in the transformer and the effect is higher voltage on other rails (when there is not enough power draw from them). So basically what we nowadays call group regulation (though it does not necessarily have common feedback for any rail). Group design is probably better term.
This also explains quite high power on the minor rails but they still provide only 95 watt combined. What it does not explain is the reason why Antec/FSP opted for four (!) +12 V rails. Fortunately each has reasonable 30A limit, but it does not make any sense anyway.In my experience multiple rails only bring problems with power distribution and having four of them in a 550W unit is just crazy.
Packaging and accessories
The unit comes in ordinary colored box stating some basic facts and some talk about 25% energy savings. Compared to what? 
The backside only has some texts in different languages, informing about all the protections (OCP, OVP, UVP, SCP, OPP) and some talk which has nothing in common with protections (but acronyms are cool aren’t they!). Guess it is not really a European version with 5 different Asian languages…
The unit is packed in a plastic bag and two egg cartons packed together using paper belt. Accessories include a manual, power cord, some screws and one velcro tie too. Quite a social edition I guess…but well, I think I can still add half a point for the tie, barely…
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