Thermaltake’s SMART lineup is built for
reliability, as it has a MTBF rating of 100,000 hours. Thermaltake guarantees
the SMART M1200W will deliver a continuous output of 1,200 watts at 40 C, and
it can produce a peak power output of 1,440 watts. Industry-grade protection
for overpower, overvoltage, under voltage, overcurrent, and short circuits
should help extend its longevity, as well.
The SMART M1200W is a partially modular
unit, with only the 20+4-pin main power, 8-pin +12V EPS, and 4+4-pin +12V ATX
cables hardwired to the unit. For easy routing and improved airflow, Thermaltake
uses flat modular cables with the SMART M1200W. Overall, you’ll find six
6+2-pin PCI-E connectors (spread among three cables) for support for both
triple SLI and CrossFire, 12 SATA connectors (spread among four cables), six
Molex connectors (spread among over two cables), and one FDD connector (via a
PATA-to-FDD adapter).
SMART
M1200W: $249.99/ Thermaltake, www.thermaltakeusa.com
The SMART M1200W features two +12V rails
one 40A and one 85A with a peak output power of 1,200 watts. The +5V and +3.3V
rails can handle a maximum output current of 25A apiece for a maximum wattage
of 180W. The SMART M1200W is also designed to conserve energy, as it meets with
the 80 PLUS Bronze certification and is at least 82% efficient regardless of
load. The power supply is ErP Lot 6 2010-ready, supports Energy Star 5.0, and
works with Intel’s Deep Power Down C6 status. For quiet cooling, Thermaltake
installs a 135mm PWM fan that varies its speed based on the PSU’s internal
temperature. The unit is around 7.2 inches long, including cable bend.
Thermaltake’s SMART M1200W delivered a
maximum wattage of 416W with a power factor .979 when we tested the unit with
one GTX 580. With two GTX 580s, we saw the maximum wattage rise to 615W and the
power factor slightly increase to .978. Maximum voltage was 117.7V for both our
single GPU and SLI tests, while amperage moved from 3.72A to 5.44A.
Those looking for an affordable
high-wattage power supply will like Thermaltake’s SMART M1200W. The flat,
low-profile modular cables are ideal for builders who want a power supply that
will help to reduce cable visibility inside a high-end system.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 615
§
Power Factor: 0.978
§
Volts: 117.7
§
Amps: 5.44
Specifications
§
Price: $249.99
§
12V rails: 2
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+12V max (A): 40A, 85A
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+5V max (A): 25A
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+3.3V max: 25A
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Efficiency rating (as advertised): 82-88%
§
Fan: 135mm
§
PCI-E: 6 (6+2-pin)
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Main 12V: 24-pin
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8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (1 8-pin, 1 4+4-pin)
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4-pin 12V: 0
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SATA: 12
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4-pin Molex: 6
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Floppy: 1
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Warranty: 5 years
XFX ProSeries 1000W
The ProSeries 1000W boasts XFX’s SolidLink
technology, which helps to improve power efficiency by reducing the amount of
internal wiring and, in turn, lowering heat and reducing lost wattage. XFX
indicates that the ProSeries 1000W is certified for the 80 PLUS Platinum
standard and reaches a peak efficiency of 92%. XFX also incorporates a hybrid
fan control, where the PSU can operate in a fan-less mode when under low loads
and temperatures.
ProSeries
1000W: $249.99/ XFX, www.xfxforce.com
With the ProSeries 1000W, XFX provides you
with a fully modular design. You’ll find support for triple SLI or CrossFire
GPU configurations via the six 6+2-pin PCI-E connectors. Main power to the
motherboard is provided by a 20+4-pin connector, while CPU power is provided by
a 4+4-pin +12V ATX and 8-pin EPS connector. To connect the rest of your
hardware, you’ll find 11 SATA connectors and 8 Molex connectors. The cables are
sleeved in a flexible mesh that’s easy to bend, and we also like the XFX varies
the length of cable (with the SATA and Molex connectors), so you can select a
length that’s appropriate for the component you want to reach and reduce the
amount of excess cable you’ll need to hide.
XFX uses its EasyRail technology, which is
essentially a single +12 V rail that can distribute up to 83A of current. The
+5V and +3.3V rails can both output up to 25A. The ProSeries hybrid fan is
design to operate in Silent Mode when under 30% load and 25 C. Between 30% and
50% load, the fan will run in Quiet Mode and produce less than 16dBA. With a
load greater than 50%, the Pro Series will run in Cooling Mode, delivers
maximum cooling for the PSU’s internal components. The all-modular PSU measured
8.5 inches long, including cable bend.
In our benchmark tests, the XFX ProSeries
1000W produced a maximum wattage of 410W with one GeForce GTX 580 and 617W with
two 580s in SLI. Power factor was fairly consistent between the one- and
two-GPU torture tests, with marks of .979 and .980. We saw maximum voltages of
117.3V (one GPU) and 117.8V (two GPUs). Maximum amperage raised from 3.57A with
one card to 5.44A with two cards.
The ProSeries 1000W is solid, efficient
power supply that delivers clean, stable energy to your PC’s components. With
1,000W of power and a variety of connectors, this power supply can also support
high-end hardware and motherboards with overclocking capabilities.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 617
§
Power Factor: 0.98
§
Volts: 117.8
§
Amps: 5.44
Specifications
§
Price: $249.99
§
12V rails: 1
§
+12V max (A): 83A
§
+5V max (A): 25A
§
+3.3V max: 25A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 92%
§
Fan: 135mm
§
PCI-E: 6 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 20+4-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (1 8-pin, 1 4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 11
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4-pin Molex: 8
§
Floppy: 0
§
Warranty: 5 years
Corsair HX850
This power supply is part of Corsair’s
Professional Series; Corsair backs all Professional Series PSUs with an
impressive seven-year warranty. The HX850 is a partially modular PSU that uses
a single +12V rail that’s rated for a maximum load of 70A (840 watts). There
are six 6+2-pin PCI-E connectors to deliver support for triple SLI or CrossFire
configurations. Corsair tests the HX850 to sustain 850 watts at an ambient
temperature of 50 C, so you know it’ll be able to handle the hefty loads. Both
the +5V and +3.3V rails offer a max load of 25A for a combined maximum output
of 150 watts.’
HX850:
$199.99/ Corsair, www.corsair.com
The HX850’s hardwired cable set includes
the 20+4-pin main power cable, one 4+4-pin +12V ATX cable, and two 6+2-pin
PCI-E cables. Of the modular cables, the +12V ATX 4+4-pin cable and four
6+2-pin PCI-E cables (each with one connector) are round and sleeved. The SATA,
Molex, and FDD connections use flat modular cables. In total, there are three
SATA cables (each with four connectors) and three Molex cables (each with four
connectors). The FDD connector is offered via a Molex-to-FDD adapter. The
length of the HX850, including cable bend, is around 9 inches.
Corsair designs the HX850 with a 140mm fan
that automatically adjusts its speed according to the power supply’s internal
temperature and load. It even features a fanless mode, so the power supply
won’t make any noise at low power loads. We found that the fan kicked on as
soon as we began stress-testing our test system.
The HX850 is 80 PLUS Gold certified and up
to 90% efficient. You’ll find power safeguards for overcurrent, overvoltage,
undervoltage, and short circuits.
With just one GPU, the HX850 delivered a
maximum wattage of 385W and a power factor of .981. Power factor slightly
declined slightly when running our SLI setup, as the HX850 delivered a maximum
wattage of 631W and a power factor .975.
The HX850’s high-quality modular cabling
and variety of connector options make it a good option for those looking for a
power supply in the $200 price range. The fanless mode is good for those who
want a quiet PSU.
Corsair tests the HX850 to sustain 850
watts at an ambient temperature of 50 C, so you know it’ll be able to handle
the hefty loads.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 631
§
Power Factor: 0.975
§
Volts: 117
§
Amps: 5.65
Specifications
§
Price: $199.99
§
12V rails: 1
§
+12V max (A): 70A each
§
+5V max (A): 25A
§
+3.3V max: 25A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 90%
§
Fan: 140mm
§
PCI-E: 4 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 20+4-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 12
§
4-pin Molex: 12
§
Floppy: 2
§
Warranty: 7 years
