Cooler Master decided to give Channel Well Technology a shot with their new GM units and the outcome of today's review proved them right. The G550M scored pretty well on all tests I conducted, delivering steady and ultra-clean ripple and voltages while being efficient enough for its category. It achieved pretty high efficiency at especially lower loads because of its low capacity and good design. Its dimensions are also incredibly compact, and it features a very silent operation at low-mid range loads and is Haswell ready thanks to the DC-DC converters it exploits for the generation of the minor rails. However, its biggest advantage is, in my opinion, its very high price/performance ratio since it not only offers up good performance but does so at a really good price. Cooler Master lately follows a very aggressive pricing strategy since they want to challenge the tough PSU competition, which obviously benefits all consumers. Healthy competition is really good in every case, and we can't but welcome Cooler Master's efforts in this market segment. Most users want or need an affordable PSU for their system; with good, over the long run reliable performance that is efficient enough to not only shave a couple bucks off the energy bill, but also benefit the environment. The new GM series is spot on, addressing the majority of mainstream and mid-level systems, and I really wonder how Cooler Master managed to pull off the five year warranty for the G550M.

That said, I didn't like the CapXon capacitors in the unit's secondary side. I would prefer Teapo caps, which are considered of higher quality, or better. I would also like its PCIe cables to be modular, and a few more peripheral connectors would be very welcome. Finally, the inrush current I measured was very high for a mid-capacity unit and should normally be below 40 A, a problem, however, that will most likely pass the majority of users by unnoticed.

To wrap up, the G550M is a fine PSU that comes at a very nice price, proving that manufacturers can provide good products with even a restricted budget—the G550M should be one of your top of choices if you need a PSU that won't break the bank for your new Haswell system.