Introduction

We would like to thank Cooler Master for supplying the review sample.


The new Cooler Master V Gold series consists of four members with capacities ranging from 550 W to 850 W. All of these use a platform by Chicony. The previous V series units were made by Seasonic (V1200, V1000 and V850) and Enhance Electronics (V750, V650 and V550). On CM's site, we still find many of the older V series units on offer, which will probably confuse future buyers. CM most likely has stock of these older models, and until sold out, CM will continue listing them alongside their new models.


The V750 Gold is 80 PLUS Gold certified. In the Cybenetics scale, it has the ETA-A efficiency (88%–91%) and LAMBDA-S+ to LAMBDA-S++ noise certification with 115V input. Its other features include a fully modular cable design, 135 mm fan with a fluid dynamic bearing and semi-fanless mode that can be deactivated should the user want the fan to spin at all times. Finally, like competing offerings from Corsair, Seasonic, and EVGA, the provided warranty is ten years long.

Specifications

Cables and Connectors

There are two EPS and four PCIe connectors, as well as a dozen SATA connectors. All cables are long enough, but the distance between peripheral connectors should at least be 150 mm. Finally, Cooler Master speaks of 16AWG gauges on the PCIe connectors, but I only found 18AWG wires in my sample. I asked them about this and they replied that the mass production samples will have 16AWG gauges as advertised.

Component Analysis

The primary side utilizes a half-bridge topology with an LLC resonant converter, which boosts efficiency by lowering the switching losses of the FETs. The heat sinks are small, and the PSU's design is clean, with enough clearance between components to allow for unobstructed airflow, which means the fan doesn't have to spin at high speeds to cope with the thermal load.


Photos of the transient filter, the bridge rectifiers, and the APFC converter. Unfortunately, there is no inrush current protection, which is usually implemented through an NTC thermistor and an electromagnetic relay. To make matters even worse, there is no MOV for protection against voltage spikes from the mains network.


The main switching FETs.


Soldering quality is satisfactory, and there are no long component leads, which I hate to see since they are the first sign of mediocre quality control.


There are many interesting parts on this side of the mainboard, including the +12V FETs and a number of controllers.


The filtering caps on the secondary side are of high quality since they belong to good lines from Rubycon, Chemi-Con, and Nichicon.


To further restrict ripple on all rails, many polymer caps are also installed on the modular board.


This vertical board hosts the 5VSB circuit and protections IC. Both are electrically isolated by two optocouplers.


The two DC-DC converters that generates the minor rails (5V and 3.3V).


The cooling fan is by Apistek, and its model number is SAC4H2H. It measures 135 mm across and uses a fluid dynamic bearing.