Specifications

Efficiency is 80 Plus Gold certified, while CM, oddly enough, set the maximum operating temperature to only 40°C, although we know that this platform can easily work at 50°C without a hiss. CM probably worried about the fan speed/noise ratio, which made them drop the temperature by 10°C. The unit is also fully modular and Haswell ready, but it doesn't have a semi-passive operation. Its fan still rotates at low speeds with lower loads and ambient temperatures, and, to be frank, we prefer this way to a semi-passive operation since the latter puts a lot of stress on components like electrolytic caps.

All protection features but OCP (Over Current Protection), which is meaningless in a single rail, 850 W unit, are present. Also, the fan that equips the unit is of very high quality since it uses Fluid Dynamic Bearings, which last pretty much forever! Regarding its size, the PSU is only 1 cm longer than regular PSUs and its weight is low. The warranty period is long at five years, though some offerings by the competition come with a seven year warranty, and its price makes it a real bargain.


The single +12V rail is powerful and will easily feed a high-end system with multiple VGAs. Also, the minor rails are very strong for today's needs and the 5VSB rail provides ample juice.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

The number of PCIe connectors is adequate since more would probably cause a problem if they were used by high-end and overclocked VGAs. There are also enough SATA connectors, although some units in this category offer even a few more. We would like to see one or two additional 4-pin Molex connectors and a second EPS connector. Thankfully, CM saw their mistake and informed us that new V850 batches will ship out with two EPS connectors since there are free sockets on its modular panel to connect all provided PCIe and two EPS connectors at the same time. But more space among the peripheral connectors would still be nice. Finally, all connectors utilize the standard 18AWG gauges, which allow for good flexibility and relatively low voltage drops.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to comment on about its power distribution.