Introduction

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

Truth be told, Cooler Master couldn't face off against the competition in the high-end PSU category these last couple years because of the conservative OEM they put their trust in. Once the decision was made to try something different by co-operating with Seasonic, the truly amazing V PSU series with units that scored great performance at truly competitive prices was born. We actually think CM released them at near-to-cost prices to make an impact on the PSU market, showing everyone that they are still running strong while taking the PSU segment very seriously.

The V series only consists of three members with respective capacities of 700 W, 850 W, and 1000 W. We have already reviewed the strongest V unit and were left astonished by its performance and features, and CM has now shipped us the middle member of the series. Even strong PSUs with 1 kW are overkill for many systems, making the V850 a much more popular choice among users. So you had better stay tuned to see how the V850 will perform in our tests for a comparison to the growing competition.

The V850 utilizes a fully modular cabling design with flat and stealth cables, is 80 Plus Gold compliant, promises an ultra-silent operation, and, according to CM, only uses Japanese capacitors to ensure it is incredibly reliable and durable. For most of you, the most important advantage is the unit's price: It is highly competitive and makes the V850 a real bargain.

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.

Packaging

The V850 comes in a box that utilizes the same design as the V1000, so the classic photo with the modular panel against a dark background is there. The 80 Plus badge is in the top-right corner while CM lists the most crucial features of this PSU inside of a silver frame beneath it. Right next to the aforementioned frame is the model number, highlighted in large white and yellow font.


The specifications table is located on this side, along with the power specifications table.


Here, CM directs you to their official page for more detailed information.


The rear has a visual list of all available connectors but no word on their cable length. You will also find a brief multilingual features list and two graphs depicting the efficiency and fan speed curves. According to the second graph, the fan is only fed 4 V at up to about 80% load, and our readings verified the 4 V at normal ambient. Noise output is then greatly reduced.