Asus TUF Gaming 550W Bronze Power Supply Review

The ASUS TUF Gaming 550W Bronze is a budget-oriented PSU that manages to achieve high-performance thanks to the modern platform that it uses. Nevertheless, the competition is rough. Although units like the XPG Pylon 550, Corsair CX650M, and Thermaltake Smart BM2 550 use less-advanced platforms, they still take the lead in overall performance, leaving no room for the TUF Gaming 550 to earn a place in our best PSUs article.

The TUF-Gaming series consists of four PSU models with capacities ranging from 450W to 750W. The model we are evaluating here has 550W max power, ideal for a a small home PC with a mid-end GPU or a business-oriented PC with an embedded GPU. To keep the production cost low, ASUS used a non-modular but modern design provided by Great Wall. This is the same platform found in the Corsair CX line, which has been replaced by the CX-M line that might utilize a semi-modular design but also uses a less advanced platform than CX.

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Asus TUF Gaming 550W Bronze at Amazon for $92.38 (opens in new tab)

The TUF 550 is 80 PLUS Bronze, and Cybenetics Silver certified in efficiency. In noise, it received a Cybenetics Standard++ rating, which is not so flattering for a low-capacity PSU, especially one using a modern platform. Its dimensions are standard, with 150mm depth, allowing the installation of a 135mm fan.

Specifications of Asus TUF Gaming 550W

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Manufacturer (OEM) Great Wall
Max. DC Output 550W
Efficiency 80 PLUS Bronze, Cybenetics Silver (85-87%)
Noise Cybenetics Standard++ (30-35 dB[A])
Modular ✗ (fixed)
Intel C6/C7 Power State Support
Operating Temperature (Continuous Full Load) 0 – 40°C
Over Voltage Protection
Under Voltage Protection
Over Power Protection
Over Current (+12V) Protection
Over Temperature Protection
Short Circuit Protection
Surge Protection
Inrush Current Protection
Fan Failure Protection
No Load Operation
Cooling 135mm Double Ball-Bearing Fan (CF1325H12D)
Semi-Passive Operation
Dimensions (W x H x D) 150 x 85 x 150mm
Weight 1.92 kg (4.23 lb)
Form Factor ATX12V v2.53, EPS 2.92
Alternative Low Power Mode (ALPM) compatible
Warranty 6 Years

Power Specifications: Asus TUF Gaming 550W Bronze

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Rail Row 0 – Cell 1 3.3V 5V 12V 5VSB -12V
Max. Power Amps 25 20 45.8 3 0.8
Row 2 – Cell 0 Watts Row 2 – Cell 2 120 549.6 15 9.6
Total Max. Power (W) Row 3 – Cell 1 Row 3 – Cell 2 550 Row 3 – Cell 4 Row 3 – Cell 5 Row 3 – Cell 6

Cables & Connectors for Asus TUF Gaming 550W

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Captive Cables Row 0 – Cell 1 Row 0 – Cell 2 Row 0 – Cell 3 Row 0 – Cell 4
Description Cable Count Connector Count (Total) Gauge In Cable Capacitors
ATX connector 20+4 pin (610mm) 1 1 18-20AWG No
4+4 pin EPS12V (820mm) 1 1 18AWG No
6+2 pin PCIe (610mm+100mm) 1 2 18AWG No
SATA (400mm+110mm+110mm) 1 3 18AWG No
SATA (410mm+110mm) 1 2 18AWG No
4-pin Molex (400mm+150mm+150mm+150mm) 1 4 18AWG No
Modular Cables Row 8 – Cell 1 Row 8 – Cell 2 Row 8 – Cell 3 Row 8 – Cell 4
AC Power Cord (1390mm) – C13 coupler 1 1 18AWG

Given its capacity, the PSU has enough cables and connectors. On top of that, the cables are long, especially the EPS, which reaches 810mm! Lastly, the distance between the 4-pin Molex connectors is adequate at 150mm.

Component Analysis of Asus TUF Gaming 550W

We strongly encourage you to have a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we’re about to discuss.

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General Data
Manufacturer (OEM) Great Wall
PCB Type Single Sided
Primary Side
Transient Filter 4x Y caps, 2x X caps, 2x CM chokes, 1x MOV
Inrush Protection NTC Thermistor 15S1R5M (1.5 Ohm)
Bridge Rectifier(s) 1x GBU15K (800V, 15A @ 100°C)
APFC MOSFETs 2x ROHM R6020ENX (600V, 20A, Rds(on): 0.196Ohm)
APFC Boost Diode 1x NXP BYC8B-600 (600V, 8A)
Bulk Cap(s) 1x Lelon (450V, 330uF, 2,000h @ 105°C, LSG)
Main Switchers 2x STMicroelectronics STF24N60DM2 (600V, 11A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 0.2Ohm)
APFC Controller Champion CM6500UNX & CM03AX
Resonant Controller Champion CM6901X
Topology Primary side: APFC, Half-Bridge & LLC converter
Secondary side: Synchronous Rectification & DC-DC converters
Secondary Side
+12V MOSFETs 4x Advanced Power AP9990GP (60V, 80A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 6mOhm)
5V & 3.3V DC-DC Converters
Filtering Capacitors Electrolytic: 7x Lelon (4-7,000h @ 105°C, RXW), 2x Teapo (3-6,000h @ 105°C, SY)
Polymer: 1x Elite, 5x Lelon, 2x no info
Supervisor IC IN1S429I – DCG
Fan Model Champion CF1325H12D (135mm, 12V, 0.6A, Double Ball Bearing)
5VSB Circuit
Rectifier 1x PFC PFR30L45CT SBR (45V, 30A)
Standby PWM Controller Power Intergrations TNY278PN

The platform is modern. Typically lower efficiency units use older platforms, with the only modern touch being the DC-DC converters on the secondary side. In this case, though, GW used a half-bridge topology and an LLC resonant converter, a design that we meet in higher efficiency platforms. Moreover, a synchronous design regulates the 12V rail on the secondary side.

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The significant compromises that had to made to keep the cost low were the low-quality bulk and filtering caps and the fixed cables. We don’t mind much about the latter, but we do mind the Lelon caps.

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