Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
Those who are familiar with FSP's Hydro series will immediately recognize the Hydro G Pro's family resemblance to the rest of the product line, like the Hydro G Pro 1000W and Hydro PTM X Pro 1000W previously reviewed here at APH Networks. The coarse black matte surface is subtle but not generic; I will let my photos speak for itself. From our view above, the same design is implemented on both the left and right side, where you can spot the FSP Hydro G Pro branding via a large rectangular label. The ones installed from the factory are blue, but additional pairs of red and green stickers are also included out of the box. To make sure you will see the text 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. The FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W uses standard SECC construction.
The FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W has a depth of only 15.0cm, which is impressive for a kilowatt-spec unit and is one of the shortest power supplies we have reviewed here in APH Networks. 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, this length should not be too much of a problem. 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 Hydro G Pro is fully modular.
At the top, a removable horizontal fan grille guards the primary and only cooling fan installed. FSP's Hydro branding is located dead center on the five-ring fan grille, itself located in the middle of this side of the enclosure separated into four sections by what looks like four propeller blades. The 120mm 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 honeycomb mesh opening. Meanwhile, four screws secure the power supply case together. One screw has a warranty seal over it, so you cannot open the FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W without voiding its 10-year warranty.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the same familiar honeycomb 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, an on/off switch, and another rocker switch to toggle the semi-fanless Eco Mode under it. I find having the semi-fanless toggle switch here to be convenient, since some older power supplies have it on the inside rather than the outside. However, I do not see a reason why you will not leave Eco Mode on. Eco Mode keeps the fan off until it exceeds about 30% of the load threshold. Disabling Eco Mode ensures the fan stays on at all times, but the FSP Hydro G Pro is intelligently designed to keep it from overheating regardless of what the active setting is.
The low resistance honeycomb 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 Hydro G Pro 1200W incorporates only one 120mm fan at the bottom. It is implemented in a reasonably efficient manner, as the power input block takes up only a bit more than the necessary amount of room physically required. Some space was reserved for the slogan, "Power Never Ends", even though there is nothing using the space behind it on the other side. As with all active PFC power supplies, the FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W has an automatic full range 100V to 240V AC line voltage selection, so the user does not have to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
Like many power supplies we cover here at APH Networks, the Hydro G Pro 1200W 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 always connected, it may prove to be beneficial to an extent when building your computer initially.
The rear cable connection panel is done nicely. FSP has made the labels correct side up in standard orientation. 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. Starting from the left, we have five Peripherals outputs for SATA and Molex devices. Next, there are three traditional PCIe headers and one 16-pin 12V-2x6 PCIe 5.0 header. This is followed by another group of two 8-pin connectors for ATX/EPS cables. Lastly, we have the Motherboard section that supports an ATX 24-pin connector by two separate blocks next to each other. Incompatible outputs will not physically fit into each other, so FSP has done a great job in this regard. This is a reasonable array of outputs in correspondence number of connectors on each modular cable, which should be sufficient for casual users and power enthusiasts alike.
The external build quality of FSP's Hydro G Pro 1200W 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 FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W. 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 100A -- 1200W -- to maximize power delivery flexibility compared to multiple rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W is 1200W, 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. The power outputs in the +3.3V and 5V rails are within the norm, as most PSUs in this wattage range released in the last few years usually have them between 20A and 22A. This is because modern systems do not have a lot of need in this area.
The FSP Hydro G Pro 1200W is 80 Plus Gold certified, but does not have a Cybenetics ETA designation. The 80 Plus Gold certification means that it is 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 twelve modular cables are included out of the box. All modular cables, with the exception of the braided 12V-2x6 cable, are flat and easy to bend, making them extremely easy to work with. 16 AWG wires are found on the ATX 20+4 pin, 12V-2x6 PCIe 12+4 pin, and PCIe 6+2 pin bundles. Everything else is 18 AWG, which is standard and to be expected.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 60.0cm
- 2x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, 70.0cm
- 3x PCIe 6+2 pin, 65.0cm
- 1x 12V-2x6 PCIe 12+4 pin, 70.0cm
- 2x SATA, 4 connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 2x SATA/Molex, 2 SATA and 2 Molex connectors each, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm/10.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x SATA/Molex, 3 SATA and 1 Molex connectors, 35.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
These figures are provided by the manufacturer. Most users should have no problems with FSP's Hydro G Pro 1200W in modern cases. 50cm is the general standard, and the included cables met or exceeded this recommendation on all measurements other than one of the peripheral cables. 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 and Conclusion
