Antec HCG 520W: A Good PSU for Bargain Hunters

Conclusion

The HCG 520W is a typical Antec product with acceptable voltage regulation and quality. We like the look even more than the design from the 750W model, and even better is that the HCG-520 is available for $60. That's a great value for a good all-around PSU, which is similar to what we said of its big brother.

Like the HCG-750, this PSU delivers acceptable performance without breaking the bank. You get the usual minimal set of accessories (a power cord, a few screws, and a user manual), but that's all you really need. The 3-year warranty from Antec is also acceptable, though higher quality (and higher cost) PSUs often offer 5-year warranties.

The HCG-520 provides two 6/8-pin PCIe connectors on one cable and 13 peripheral plugs on four cables. Additionally, you get a 4+4-pin CPU connector and a 55cm long 24-pin cable. The cable lengths are generally good and longer than many lower wattage PSUs, but the cable sleeving could be better, especially for a "gamer" product where customers might have windowed cases.

Internally, the PSU has a small main PCB that would work fine in a 14cm long housing, so we're not  sure why Antec uses a 16cm case. Maybe it's just easier to use an existing chassis rather than worrying about a custom build, or perhaps it provides better airflow. Antec only uses Japanese capacitors as promised, but the main cap is a cheaper type with only average endurance at 85°C. Beyond that, a better capacitor could offer better ripple current. In the secondary circuit Antec soldered many 105°C capacitors that provide a low ESR but not the lowest you can get. Transient filtering is well equipped and there's a MOV as an overvoltage protection. The PS223 IC has all important safety functions including OCP for four rails. Overall, the component selection and build quality make this a good middle class offering.

All the modern Antec PSUs we've tested have no problems with ripple and noise, and that trend continues here. +12V is always below 40mV (120mV is the ATX limit) while the other rails are even lower. The voltage regulation is great for such an affordable product. While efficiency is only 78% at low (10%) load, the PSU does reach the required levels for its 80 Plus Bronze certification. In addition, the power factor is very high, even on 230VAC. Another advantage is the very low fan RPMs at loads below 50%; the PSU is silent from 10 to 20% load and still very quiet at 50%. However, it does get moderately loud at higher loads--nothing unusual, but you'll want to ensure your PC doesn't reach high loads if white noise bothers you.

In summary, the Antec HCG-520 is a decent mainstream PSU. It doesn't have any special features beyond respectable voltage quality and performance characteristics. Pricing ends up being the big selling point here, especially when we consider the original Seasonic version  cost $20 more. Competing Enermax models also tend to be pricey and often fail to reach the same level of quality. In fact, the NAXN 550W uses a very cheap CWT design instead of an Enermax build, so the HCG-520 is the clear winner in that comparison. We'll have to wait for the MaxRevo series from Enermax to see if they can top the current Seasonic and Antec builds. In the meantime, the Antec HCG-520 is available now and provides good performance and a great price; if the rated output meets your needs, we can't find any reason to pass on the HCG-520.