Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
Taking one quick look at the exterior of the unit, we can pretty much make the conclusion that there is nothing "special" with this unit insofar as the physical look is concerned. The GX 450W follows the conventional matte black color theme with a stylish pink-purple GX 450W sticker on the side. A single 120mm fan is found on the bottom of the power supply unit that draws in air over the components to keep the temperatures in check.
The Cooler Master GX 450W measures 150 x 140 x 86mm; the length being 140mm or 14cm. In short, this unit is fairly compact and small compared to more high-performing power supplies. Since this is a modest 450W power supply only, the length is about right. As the GX 450W is about the same length as the FSP AURUM Gold 600W reviewed by my colleague Jonathan a couple months ago, we can expect the power supply to fit in even cramped cases without complaints. A total of four screws are used to hold the casing together; where one side has the warranty seal on. Also, the fan grille is permanently fixed onto the casing of the power supply, which simply indicates that one would not be able to clean the 120mm fan without voiding their warranty. The fan is held onto the casing with four screws fixed on the outside, so don't be a smart-butt by removing those screws -- all it will do is un-mount the fan, and that will pretty much force you to void your warranty to get the fan back on.
At the back of the power supply, we have a honeycomb mesh design used in most PSUs with bottom mounted fans. The standard on/off switch located is above the male connector for power input. The low resistance honeycomb mesh design is implemented to maximize airflow and minimize air resistance as it exhausts heat to cool the internal components. Like most newly released power supplies these days, the Cooler Master GX 450W has an automatic full range (100V-240V) AC line voltage selection, so the user does not have to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
The Cooler Master GX 450W is a non-modular power supply. The cable lead out for this unit is located on the right hand side. Nowadays, many of us tend to want modular power supplies, mainly because of the cable management advantages it gives us. However, the advantage of having permanently fixed cables -- in this case, on the Cooler Master GX 450W -- is having less electrical power loss since it does not incorporate modular connectors. The external build quality for the GX 450W power supply is fairly solid. I can say for certain that the unit is very durable. However, once taken apart, the casing is slightly flimsy. You may be able to see what I am talking about on the next page. Fit is done well with minimal panel gaps, and all edges are nicely finished off. I would not consider the external build quality of the Cooler Master GX 450W to be as well built as more high-performing PSUs. However, looking at the target market, who is there to complain?
The voltage specification label at the top of the Cooler Master GX 450W. With the given information, we can see that there are two main virtual rails up to 24A. The +3.3V rail can deliver up to 24A for a total of 79.2W. The +5V rail delivers 15A for a total output of 75W. The combined output for these two rails is 120W. The single +12V rail delivers up to 35A for a total output of 420W. In this case, it is nice to see a single +12V rail rather than several virtual rails. In the end, the overall combined power output is as the name suggests, 450W. It is important to note that the power allocation combination must fall within the limits that are listed on the voltage specification label. In other words, the power distribution in your system must not exceed 79.2W on the +3.3V rail, 75W on the +5V rail (120W combined for both), 420W on the +12V rail, and 450W combined between the +12V and +3.3/+5V rails. Simple right? Well not really, but for you lazy layman readers, let's just say that the GX 450W will allow reasonable power demands for a 450W power supply. Just don't expect it to power your car, because it won't, haha.
The Cooler Master GX 450W is 80 Plus Bronze certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 82%, 85%, 82% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. The only higher certifications available would be 80 Plus Silver, 80 Plus Gold, and 80 Plus Platinum at press time.
The Cooler Master GX 450W permanently fixed cables are fully sleeved. All of them are 18 AWG, including the ATX 24-pin cable. All cables are quite easy to bend and work with. The output connectors include one ATX 20+4 pin, one ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, one PCIe 6 pin, five SATA, three Molex, and one FDD 4-pin. Cables with multiple connectors on them measure 45cm to the first, with a 10cm spacing between the each connector for cables with SATA connectors. Cables for the Molex and FDD 4-pin connectors have a 15cm spacing between each subsequent connector. Lastly, cables with no subsequent connector measure 50cm to the connector head. Most users should have no problems with cable lengths for the Cooler Master GX 450W.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
