Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
It has been a while since we looked at a power supply from Cooler Master, though this unit looks pretty generic when compared with other power supplies. The whole shell is covered in a matte black finish that can display some fingerprints. However, the unit does not easily scratch, which is a good thing. The grille at the top follows the metal concentric circle design, which should allow for air to flow through while still providing some sort of protection from you clipping your fingers in the fan. Underneath, we have a 120mm HDB fan that we will look at later on in our report. On the top, you can see there are an additional four screws to hold this top panel with the rest of the enclosure. One of these screws are covered with a warranty label to prevent curious people from looking inside.
As for measurements, the Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W is an ATX unit with a total depth of 14cm, which is pretty typical for this capacity of power supplies. As well, this is a non-modular power supply, so it generally will take up a bit less space than their modular counterpart. Modular power supplies can sometimes be longer as there is internal real estate used for the modular connectors at the back of the board. We will explore what this looks like later when we delve inside. With this size, I doubt the power supply length will be of concern for most typical mid-tower ATX cases or in smaller form factor ones.
As usual, we have a typical honeycomb look, with the hexagonal pattern appearing in many power supplies as well as on other ventilation areas. This is often used because it maximizes airflow while minimizing air resistance without compromising on structural integrity. The ventilation area plays an important role to let heat flow out the back. Most modern power supplies have an automatic full range (100V to 240V) AC line voltage selection, so there is no need for a manual switch as seen on some older units. Therefore, the back only has a power switch and a standard power input. Thankfully, Cooler Master has used the standard C13 cable, so really any power cable will work with the MWE 650 White V2 650W.
As I have already mentioned, the Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W is a non-modular power supply with a fixed set of cables. The seven cable lead out location is as seen above and all of the cables use fully black ribbon cables so we do not see any ketchup or mustard here. While non-modular power supplies may make for a messy cabling job, especially if not all the connectors are utilized, it does mean that there is no reduced electrical contact loss at the connectors. Even so, this is not a huge issue for modular power supplies and personally I enjoy the benefits of a modular unit. Overall, external build quality of the Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W is good. Edges are polished off so they are not sharp on the fingers.
The voltage specification label on the top panel of the Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 19A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 62.7W; while the 19A on the +5V rail brings the output to 95W in this area. The total combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 120W. 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 54A (648W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole MWE 650 White V2 is an unsurprising 650W. Again, your power distribution in your system must fall within the limits provided -- it must not exceed 62.7W on the +3.3V rail, 95W on the +5V rail and 120W combined for both, 648W on the +12V rail, and 650W 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 fairly flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. The overall distribution is reasonable for a 650W power supply.
The Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W is 80 Plus Standard certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 80% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% loads. Higher certifications available at press time range from 80 Plus Bronze up to 80 Plus Titanium. I was personally surprised to see an 80 Plus Standard power supply in 2020, even for a budget unit. I would have expected 80 Plus Bronze to be the lowest tier offered by manufacturers.
As aforementioned, as the Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W is a non-modular power supply and all seven cables are permanently attached to the unit. All of these are flat ribbon cables. The seven cables are:
- 1x ATX 20+4pin, 50.0cm, 18 AWG
- 1x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin/8 pin, 54.0cm to first connector, 11.0cm spacing thereafter, 18 AWG
- 2x PCIe 6+2 pin/6 pin, 52.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter, 16-18 AWG
- 2x SATA, 3 connectors each, 41.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter, 18-20 AWG
- 1x Molex, 3 connectors each, 40.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter, 18-20 AWG
All these measurements are approximate, but should be accurate measured from end to end. Most users should find no issues with these lengths if used in appropriate situations, though these cables are about five to ten centimeters shorter than most cables I see. The spacing between the peripheral and SATA connections are also sufficient for cabling. I am also glad to see we do not have the ugly Floppy connector.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
