Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
The Cooler Master V850 Gold i multi 850W's exterior design shares almost nothing in common with the last power supply I reviewed from the company, which is the XG850 Plus Platinum 850W. While the V850 Gold i multi does not feature a built-in information display like the XG850 Plus Platinum, it still has a few well-implemented design elements to make it stand out from the crowd of black boxes. From our view above, you can see the branding is implemented on one side, where a brushed gold triangle shows the V850i text and Cooler Master's logo printed next to it. The other side is the specifications label, which we will examine in just a moment. To make sure you will always see the text right side up, the orientation of the text is opposite on both sides, so whatever side facing the user after installation will always be correct. The rest of the V850 Gold i multi 850W is standard SECC construction.
The latest power supply in the Cooler Master lineup has a depth of only 16.0cm, making it a reasonably short modular unit. 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. For most ATX or eATX chassis, length should not be much of a problem, if at all. However, if you have a mATX or mITX case that takes standard power supplies, the shorter length will definitely serve as an advantage, especially considering the fact the V850 Gold i multi is fully modular.
At the top, a non-removable fan grille guards the primary and only cooling fan installed. Extra lines and branding are printed along with two 45 degree edges to make the unit look more interesting. The fan grille has large propeller blade-shaped openings, but the bars between them are pretty thick, so you will see some air resistance. 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 is allowed to leave at the back of the power supply through the secondary mesh opening. Meanwhile, four screws secure the power supply case together. A warranty seal extends over one of the screws, so you cannot open the V850 Gold i multi without voiding its 10-year warranty.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the square mesh design as most PSUs with a bottom mounted fan. What you will find here is a horizontally aligned male connector for power input on the western edge followed by 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 V850 Gold i multi 850W incorporates only one 135mm fan at the bottom. It is implemented in an efficient manner, as the power input block takes up only the minimum necessary amount of room physically required. However, we do see a seemingly random solid piece on the right side of the mesh that does not actually do anything other than restrict some airflow. The Cooler Master V850 Gold i multi 850W has automatic full range 100V to 240V AC line voltage selection as with all active PFC power supplies, so the user does not have to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
Like many power supplies we cover here at APH Networks, the V850 Gold i multi 850W 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. Cooler Master has also made the labels right side up in standard orientation. 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 based on standard orientation, we have the first part of the motherboard 24-pin, one 16-pin 450W 12VHPWR PCIe 5.0, five ATX/EPS 4+4 pin or PCI Express, USB 2.0 header for software control, second part of the motherboard 24-pin, and four Molex/SATA headers. Incompatible outputs will not physically fit into each other, so Cooler Master has done a great job in this regard. This is a reasonable array of outputs in correspondence to the number of connectors on each modular cable, which should be sufficient for casual users and power enthusiasts alike.
The external build quality of Cooler Master's V850 Gold i multi 850W 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 is located at the top of the Cooler Master V850 Gold i multi 850W. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 20A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 66W, while the 20A on the +5V rail brings the output to 100W 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 70.8A -- 849.6W -- to maximize power delivery flexibility compared to multiple rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole Cooler Master V850 Gold i multi 850W is 850W, as its name suggests. It does sound a bit confusing to understand how this works at first, but generally speaking, this configuration allows sufficiently flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. I have seen higher power outputs in the +3.3V and 5V rails for lower output rated units, but the overall distribution is within expectations for an 850W power supply.
The Cooler Master V850 Gold i multi 850W is 80 Plus Gold certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 87%, 90%, 87% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. Higher certifications available for power supplies of this type include 80 Plus Platinum and 80 Plus Titanium at press time.
A total of eleven modular power cables are included out of the box. In addition to the modular cables, there is a 80 cm USB protocol cable that connects to your motherboard's USB 3.0 internal header for software control. The 12VHPWR is braided, while the rest of the modular cables are flat and easy to bend, making them extremely easy to work with. 16 AWG wires are found on the PCIe 6+2 pin and 12VHPWR cables. Everything else is 18 AWG, which is common and expected with modern power supply units.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 65.0cm
- 1x ATX 4+4 pin, 65.0cm
- 1x EPS 8-pin, 65.0cm
- 1x 12VHPWR PCIe 12+4 pin, 65.0cm
- 3x PCIe 6+2 pin, 55.0cm
- 3x SATA, 4 connectors each, 50.0cm to first connector, 12.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex, 4 connectors, 40.0cm to first connector, 12.0cm spacing thereafter
These are specified measurements from the manufacturer. Most users should have no problems with Cooler Master's V850 Gold i multi 850W in modern cases. 50cm is the general standard, but the peripheral cables with a shorter length to the first connector may be advantageous for cable routing and management.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests, Software, Conclusion
