Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
It has been a few years since we have last reviewed a power supply from Antec, and indeed quite a bit has been changed since my colleague Kenneth reviewed the Antec High Current Gamer M 750W in 2014. While the High Current Gamer M has a more traditional enclosure design, the High Current Gamer Bronze we are reviewing today offers a little more visual pizazz. The matte black finish is traditional, but the trapezoidal slit vent design and HCG graphics contribute to a more interesting look. It is 16.5cm deep, which is about average and quite reasonable purely from a numbers perspective. Most modular power supplies are longer than non-modular units by a centimeter or two, as the extra length is needed to accommodate its connector board at the back. We will take a look inside the PSU on the next page. That said, this is an 80 Plus Bronze unit, which should be a lot shallower in my opinion. The Seasonic PRIME Ultra Titanium is only 17.0cm and can be specified up to 1000W, while the SilverStone Strider Titanium ST80F-TI 800W is 15.0cm -- both 80 Plus Titanium certified and also fully modular. For most ATX or eATX chassis, length should not be much of a problem, if at all. If size is your primary concern, there are shorter power supplies on the market today.
From our view above, Antec's logo is located dead center on the trapezoidal slit vent matrix fan grille. The full branding is printed on both sides of the SECC shell. To make sure you will see the branding right side up at all times, the orientation of it is different on both sides, so whatever side facing the user after installation will always be correct. Residing behind the trapezoidal slit vent matrix fan grille -- where the rectangular center of the logo corresponds to the center of the fan impeller -- is the primary and only cooling fan installed. The 135mm fan generates airflow by drawing air from the bottom of the power supply over its internal components to keep the temperatures in check. Exhaust heat can leave at the back of the power supply through the large secondary trapezoidal slit vent matrix opening. Meanwhile, four screws secure the power supply case together; where one screw has a warranty seal over it, so you cannot open the High Current Gamer Bronze 750W without voiding the five-year warranty.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the trapezoidal slit matrix mesh design as aforementioned; what you will find here is a horizontally aligned male connector for power input on the western edge along with an on/off switch. The low resistance mesh design is implemented to maximize airflow and minimize air resistance. This is done as heat needs to leave the power supply as easily and efficiently as possible, because the High Current Gamer Bronze 750W incorporates only one 135mm fan at the bottom with no auxiliary fan. It is also implemented in a relatively efficient manner, as the power input block takes up a minimal amount of room here. As with all active PFC power supplies, the Antec High Current Gamer Bronze 750W has an automatic full range (100V-240V) AC line voltage selection, so the user does not have to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
Unlike the power supply we reviewed from Antec in 2014, the High Current Gamer Bronze 750W is a fully modular power supply. This means all cables are completely detachable from the main unit. While it is somewhat questionable with regards to why this is necessary, since cables such as the ATX 24-pin and ATX 4-pin/EPS 8-pin have practically an 100% chance of being connected at all times, it may prove to be beneficial to an extent when building your computer initially.
The rear cable connection panel is done nicely. Similar connectors are grouped together; and are laid out in a very logical manner. To ensure you know what is going on, they are all grouped and clearly labeled for minimal ambiguity. From the left to right and top to bottom, we have a group of four connectors for nine Serial ATA and four Molex connectors, two connectors for four PCI Express 6+2 pin, and two ATX/EPS 4+4 pin headers. The Motherboard section supports an ATX 24-pin connector by two separate blocks next to each other. Incompatible outputs will not physically fit into each other, so I think Antec has done a great job in this regard. This generous array of available connectors should be more than sufficient for casual users and power enthusiasts alike.
The external build quality of Antec's High Current Gamer Bronze 750W power supply is excellent as always -- a good indication the company is serious about the product they are selling. We will take it apart in just a moment. Fit is done well with minimal panel gaps, and all edges are nicely finished off. The level of refinement with regards to the external build quality is right up there with all the other high-quality PSUs I have used in the past. As aforementioned, we will crack open the power supply to see what components are inside in the following section.
The voltage specification label on the top panel of the Antec High Current Gamer Bronze 750W. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 25A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 82.5W; while the 25A on the +5V rail brings the output to 125W in this area. The total combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 150W. In other words, your power allocation combination must fall within the limits of the listed specifications. Meanwhile, a single powerful +12V rail delivers up to 62.5A (750W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole High Current Gamer Bronze 750W is... well, 750W haha. Again, your power distribution in your system must fall within the limits provided -- it must not exceed 82.5W on the +3.3V rail, 125W on the +5V rail and 150W combined for both, 750W on the +12V rail, and 750W combined between the +12V and +3.3/+5V rails. It does sound a bit confusing to understand how this works at first, but generally speaking, this configuration allows very flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. I have seen lower power outputs in the +3.3V and 5V rails for higher output rated units, and the overall distribution is very good for a 750W power supply.
The Antec High Current Gamer Bronze 750W is 80 Plus Bronze certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 82%, 85%, and 92% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. Higher certifications available for power supplies of this type include 80 Plus Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium at press time.
A total of nine modular cables are included out of the box. All modular cables are flat and easy to bend, making them extremely easy to work with. All wires are 18 AWG, including high current PCI Express and ATX/EPS connectors. Usually, manufacturers will fatten them up to 16 AWG, but Antec opted out on that.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 50.0cm
- 2x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, 60.0cm
- 2x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors each, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 2x SATA, 3 connectors each, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x SATA and Molex, 3 SATA and 1 Molex connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex and Floppy, 3 Molex and 1 Floppy connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
These are specified measurements from the manufacturer. Most users should have no problems with Antec's High Current Gamer Bronze 750W for cases with a bottom power supply mount. 50cm is the minimum standard, and Antec has met the requirement on all counts, although most manufacturers extend their cables by 10 to 15cm.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
