Introduction

We would like to thank Antec for supplying the review sample.

Antec’s Basiq PSU series, which consists of entry-level units intended for office or basic systems use, has expanded with the addition of three new PSUs, the VP350P, VP450P and VP550P. These new units will be available only to the EU market, since they operate exclusively with 230VAC power input. Also we should note here that since the 80 PLUS certification demands 115V power input for desktop, non-redundant, PSUs none of the new VP units is 80 PLUS certified, but this doesn’t mean of course that they cannot offer over 80% efficiency.

Today we will have the chance to rigorously test an Antec VP350P. Briefly, this PSU has 350W capacity, is equipped with a 120mm fan which promises silent operation, has two +12V rails and is protected by all necessary protections to ensure your peace of mind. Speaking of peace of mind, the warranty which Antec offers for all VP units is just two years, the minimum required for all products sold in the EU. Without any doubt it will be very interesting to find out if this small fellow can fulfill the manufacturer’s promises and deliver a high price/performance ratio which is what users mostly seek, mainly at low priced PSUs.

Specifications

As you can see the unit works only with 220-240VAC power input, since it is intended only for the EU market. Also Antec promises up to 82% efficiency and has equipped it with a good set of protections. The fan uses sleeve bearing in order to lower overall cost and the weight of the unit is small, since the 350W capacity do not demand for large heatsinks/main transformer. Finally the warranty is a little short at two years, the minimum for all products sold in the EU, but with such a low price it's really hard to ask for more.

Only 350W total capacity, but this doesn't prevent VP350P from having two +12V rails which alone can deliver almost the full power of the unit. The minor rails are pretty strong too, for such a small PSU. Finally 5VSB can deliver up to 2A; we would like to see at least 2.5Α output here.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

The available connectors are sufficient for the capacity of the PSU but the cables that hold them are too short. With 390mm length, the 24pin ATX cable will be compatible only with relatively small cases and the same applies to the EPS, PCIe cables too. On the contrary the distance among the SATA and peripheral connectors is adequate. Finally all connectors use 18AWG wires, which is the recommended wire gauge according to ATX spec.

Power distribution is optimal since the EPS connector is powered from a dedicated rail while the first rail is not overloaded, since the PCIe connector is a 6pin one (however 6pin PCIe connectors can easily give more than 75W, which is their supposed limit, and reach even 150W) and the peripheral/SATA connectors are few.

Packaging

The box is really small since the PSU's dimensions are restricted. On the front there is an angled partial photo of the unit on black background and right below it there are several feature badges. Very interesting is Antec's slogan written in the front, left bottom corner: "Strictly Power. No bells. No whistles. No nonsense". With this phrase Antec abolishes all exotic features which have nothing to do with the performance of the unit and states to focus only to quality power output.
On the rear of the box there is nothing worth mentioning. If you want to find out more about this unit then you should better take a look on the packaging's sides.