Packaging

The PSU comes in a large box with the series description at its face, in large white font. In the top-left corner are two badges for its Platinum efficiency and the seven year warranty, while several icons at the bottom describe its 1300 W capacity, fully modular design, the up-to-94% efficiency Antec lays claim to, and the energy this unit will save you.


Two tables on this side provide the input and output power specifications of the PSU. Contact details for Antec's technical support centers in the US, Canada, EU, and Asia are also listed here.


Antec already went through the math for you to prove that this Platinum-certified PSU will save you a significant amount of energy and, consequently, money. You will also find a graphical list of the unit's connectors on this side. We would also appreciate information on cable length and a description of all connectors, but Antec didn't do us the favor, so we will take out our trusty meter and measure all cables, one by one.


There are brief feature descriptions in Polish and Portuguese and an interesting scheme depicting the unit's dimensions on this side. As you can see, it is pretty long at 190 mm, which is fine given its huge capacity.


Three interesting features - the OC Link technology that allows two HCP-1300 units to work in tandem for a total of 2.6 kW of power, the unit's stealthed, nearly black wires, and its 16-pin modular sockets which Antec says to allow for maximum flexibility and compatibility with connectors that may require even more cables - are mentioned on this side.


On the back of the box are feature descriptions in six languages and a series of badges for some of the unit's features and compliances.

Contents

Antec doesn't follow the ECO packaging road with their high-end products, but instead uses the more secure approach utilizing packing foam. Although we care a lot for the environment, we agree with their strategy here since DOAs/RMAs due to insufficient protection can be just as debilitating to the environment. In an effort to justify the incredibly high price, the PSU is stored in a nice black bag, which will protect it from dust and accidental scratches until you install it into your case.


A nice cloth bag stores all cables, including the AC power cord, and Antec included several Velcro straps and the usual fixing bolts we actually expected to be thumbscrews given the PSU's price.


A warranty leaflet and a piece of folded paper including a product overview accompany this PSU. Antec unfortunately didn't provide a decent user's manual. The warranty leaflet also makes clear that you absolutely have to keep your purchase receipt to claim your warranty. We think that they should only ask for the serial number of the product instead of making owners keep a useless piece of paper around for years on end.

Exterior

The finish is of high enough quality, and although it is somewhat glossy, it is fairly fingerprint proof. Antec's nice label adorns the front and the small on/off switch is situated right next to the AC receptacle. Antec's badge at the center of the fan grill also looks incredibly cool! The sides are covered in two not terribly appealing decals, and the power specifications label has been stuck to the bottom of the PSU.


Antec was kind enough to provide a way to identify the rail a socket belongs to, which allows you to optimize the way in which you spread your system components out among the rails. The 2-pin OC Link connector is for the corresponding cable; it would allow two HCP-1300s to power up simultaneously and work in parallel.


The PSU sports normal, but generally large dimensions for a 1.3 kW PSU and comes with a rather serious but nice appearance. Even a quick glance will convince you of its high quality.


All connectors come with dark, not fully stealthed but fully sleeved cables. The only problem here is that the cables, especially the main ATX one, are more rigid than normal, which could make them a pain to arrange and route properly.


Many cables have labels attached to them. These guide you through their installation. Sleeving quality of these cables is unfortunately not up to the standards of the PSU's other components, and we strongly believe that the sleeving quality should be much higher at this price point. We would also prefer flat cables to the standardized round ones found here.