Antec EarthWatts EA-500 rev. A1 (500W)
Expensive PSUs are abundant in Antec’s product line-up. If you think that the above-described EarthWatts EA-380 is insufficient for your needs, you can consider its 500W counterpart called EarthWatts EA-500.
The PSU comes in a cardboard box of Antec’s standard design.
It is no different from the 380W version on the outside: the same gray case without exceptional features and the same cooling system.
There are but few differences inside. It is the same layout with three heatsinks. The ratings of some components have grown up somewhat, though.
From a practical point of view, it is interesting that the heatsinks are the same size. It is a common opinion among PC users that a high-wattage PSU is quieter than a low-wattage PSU under the same load. Well, I can see no reason yet why the EA-500 and EA-380 should be different in terms of noisiness.
The PSU is cooled with an Adda AD0812HS-A70GL – the same fan as is employed in the EarthWatts EA-380.
The PSU has two “virtual” +12V output lines with a load capacity of 17A on each. The combined load capacity is 34A, which is somewhat lower than in the Basiq 500.
