Specifications

Efficiency is Platinum and the unit is fully modular and compatible with the new Haswell sleep states (C6 & C7). Like every other HCP unit, this one is equipped with a full set of protections, which will ensure its safe and reliable operation under all conditions, and, as we expect from a high-end PSU, its maximum operating temperature is 50°C, which is as the ATX spec recommends. Cooling of this monster is handled by a Delta fan of incredible quality.

The HCP-1300 cannot operate in semi-passive mode, and, we, to speak frank, actually don't like semi-passive mode since it stresses sensitive components like electrolytic caps unnecessarily. Regarding the PSU's dimensions, the casing is on the long side, but we have to take into account that it houses a real power plant. The unit fully complies with the most recent ATX12V v2.4 specifications, and its price looks incredibly intimidating, which isn't unusual for a Delta product that uses top-of-the-line components. Finally, the warranty is extra long at seven years; however, to be in line with EVGA's offerings, Antec could go one step further by raising it to ten years. A long warranty is, after all, a key factor for many buyers out there.

There are four powerful +12V rails that, combined, can deliver the unit's full power. Also, the OCP for each rail is set rather high since some of today's VGAs are very power hungry and take a lot of juice. The minor rails are strong enough for today's use, and we would like to see a stronger 5VSB rail with at least 4 A maximum current output. However, even the 3 A this unit's 5VSB rail can provide will suffice in most cases.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

The PSU comes with a ton of connectors to fully utilize its huge capacity, including ten PCIe and two EPS connectors, and all are available at the same time. However, we would like to see SATA connectors in the double digits since the competition in this category usually comes with twelve. There are, on the other hand, a ton of 4-pin Molex connectors given very few components nowadays utilize them. All cables are long enough and the distance between connectors with cables that host more than one is fine as well. Also, the main ATX, both EPS, and all PCIe connectors use thicker 16AWG gauges for lower voltage drops at high loads, while all other cables except the OC Link one use standard 18AWG wires. Thicker wires are surely good for high loads, but they definitely decrease flexibility, which makes managing these cables inside your case a lot harder.


Like the HCP-1000, power distribution is incredibly versatile to cover every need and system configuration. The 12V1 rail feeds all peripheral cables and the main ATX connector, and it can also power one PCIe or one EPS connector. You can also opt to connect the 8-pin ATX connector to 12V2 instead of 12V1 since the ATX cable comes with a 20-/8-pin configuration, but we don't see any practical reason to do so, so you had better stick with the 12V1 rail. As for the PCIe and EPS connectors: you should definitely avoid mixing rails with these - better feed the PCIe and EPS connectors through their dedicated rails.