Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
While the NZXT HALE82 750W doesn't have the unique white appearance of its higher end stablemate, the NZXT HALE90 750W, we are not exactly stuck with a completely generic looking power supply. The NZXT HALE82 line features a matte black panel finish, but with a white fan in the middle. Other than that, the design is clean and simple; the only part you will find NZXT's logo is on the left hand side (Based on the assertion that the correct orientation is the power supply fan facing downwards) engraved upside-down into the panel. Most of the time, that side will be facing inwards, so you won't see it. But if you decide to install your PSU with the fan facing up for some reason, then logo will be the correct side up. Residing behind the multi-ring fan grille -- designed for minimal air resistance while providing adequate protection -- is the primary and only cooling fan installed. I am quite surprised to find a 120mm fan, considering how 140mm fans are so popular with manufacturers nowadays. The 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 large secondary mesh opening.
Measuring in at 16.0cm in length, the NZXT HALE82 750W is about average for a midrange performance modular power supply. The extra length is needed to accommodate its modular connector board at the back, as well as the internal components to obtain good performance. We will take a look inside the PSU on the next page. For most ATX or eATX chassis, the additional centimeters over a 'short' 14cm power supply like the FSP AURUM CM Gold 650W should not be much of a problem. However, if you have a mATX case that takes standard power supplies, be sure to measure out everything accordingly so there will be no surprises during installation. Meanwhile, four screws at the bottom of the NZXT HALE82 secure the power supply case together; where one screw has a warranty seal over it -- so you can't open the power supply without voiding the warranty. For any other reasons, you can still remove four separate screws that attach the fan grille to the power supply casing to clean the fan without putting your five year coverage with free both way shipping warranty in jeopardy, even if you register your PSU.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the same familiar honeycomb mesh design like most PSUs with bottom mounted fans; and the standard on/off switch located below the male connector for power input on the western edge. 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 NZXT HALE82 750W incorporates only one 120mm fan at the bottom, with no auxiliary fans. I think this design is acceptably efficient for the most part, except something makes me wonder why they are blocking off nearly a third of the possible mesh space around the connector panel. The extra space around the AC power input and switch is probably not necessary; that's not to mention that NZXT's logo will end up being upside-down for most standard case installations. That aside, as with most new power supplies, the NZXT HALE82 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.
Like the NZXT HALE90 750W, the NZXT HALE82 750W is not a fully modular power supply. This means most cables are detachable from the main unit, but cables such as the ATX 24-pin, ATX/EPS 4+4-pin, and two PCI Express 6+2 pins are permanently fixed. I personally do not have a problem with this, but having a duo of permanently fixed PCI Express connectors is a unique choice. It is unlikely this will not be used, but how far can we go before we can consider a power supply not modular? The advantage is you will suffer from lower electrical loss at the contacts, but the disadvantage is you will need to deal with a little inconvenience during your initial build, and for those who don't have a dedicated graphics card, then you are out of luck. While I do not have a problem with fixed motherboard cables, the permanent PCI Express connector is definitely one of my concerns for a modular PSU.
The rear cable connection panel is done nicely, albeit with upside-down labels in standard orientation once again. Compared to the Seasonic Platinum 1000W, the NZXT HALE82 750W is actually extremely simple. From the left in our photo above, as the label suggests, we have four sockets for SATA and/or Molex connectors (Dependent on the attached cable), followed by two 8-pin sockets for additional PCI Express and EPS 8-pin cables. Incompatible outputs will not physically fit into each other, so I think NZXT has done a great job in this regard. This simple array of available connectors should be more than sufficient for casual users and power enthusiasts alike.
The external build quality of NZXT's HALE82 750W power supply is also very good -- 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 other high quality PSUs I have used in the past. We will crack open this power supply to see what's inside in the following section.
The voltage specification label at the top of the NZXT HALE82 750W. (By the way, what the heck is AC Inpuct?) There are two main virtual rails. Up to 25A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 82.5W; while 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 62A (744W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole HALE82 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, 744W 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.
The NZXT HALE82 750W is 80 Plus Bronze certified, as its name implicitly suggests. This means that it is certified to be at least 82%, 85%, 82% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. Higher certification for 115V internal non-redundant power supplies at press time include 80 Plus Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
A total of seven modular cables are included out of the box. All modular cables are flat and easy to bend, making them extremely easy to work with. Non-modular cables are nicely sleeved for the end-user. All cables are 18 AWG, which is a bit thinner than 16 AWG cables commonly found with motherboard and PCI Express connectors.
The following non-modular cables are permanently attached to the power supply:
- 1x ATX 24-pin, ~50cm
- 1x ATX 4+4-pin, ~70cm
- 1x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors each, ~55cm to first connector, ~8cm spacing thereafter
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x EPS 8-pin, ~50cm
- 2x SATA, 3 connectors each, ~55cm to first connector, ~15cm spacing thereafter
- 1x SATA, 2 connectors, ~55cm to first connector, ~15cm spacing thereafter
- 1x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors, ~55cm, ~8cm spacing thereafter
- 2x Molex, 3 connectors each, ~55cm to first connector, ~15cm spacing thereafter
These are just quick rough measurements, but should be reasonably accurate measured from end to end. Most users should have no problems with NZXT's HALE82 750W, even if your case has a bottom power supply mount. Considering how 50cm is considered the standard, the HALE82 actually has a really long ATX 4+4-pin cable to ensure it will always reach your motherboard's left hand corner -- no matter how large your case is.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
