SFF PSU Upgrade opinions

Removed User 345456

Removed User 345456

Removed User 345456

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Hi,
The main rig in my sig is used purely for gaming under the TV, so that's all new everything, so is fine. The 2nd build, a budget 2nd hand Ryzentosh hackintosh I've built, is now the machine I use for non gaming activity.
Anyway TLDR, it came with a Fractal 450w SFF non modular psu, that works fine, but now that it's become the dedicated mac I use for everything, I want to put a brand new 10 year warranty PSU into it whilst I have some spare money/have an itch to buy something haha :)

Current spec is a 3600 non X, 2666mhz random 16GB 2x8gb, MSI B450i Gaming Plus AC MITX, Gigabyte RX570 8GB, BeQuiet PureWings 2 120mm chassis and 92mm heatsink fan, and 1x sata SSD - always will be this as I will be getting a 8TB Samsung QVO soon anyway and am not paying NVME 8TB prices!
So not a mega power hungry build but I am on the limit/pushing my luck a bit with a 450w for my GPU already, although it's not gamed on, nor do I really do anything exciting on it bar odd crop of a picture/video... So the real world draw of the gpu is minimal, bit of video playback/streaming, that's about it!

In the future my 5700X/32GB ram will go into it when/IF I bother to chuck a X3D/64-128GB ram in the main rig, and probably treat it to my mates RX 7600 that he's already offered me for cheap in the future - as I know this will work fine with a Hackintosh :) and means it's newer than a 6700/6800, so will last longer piece of mind wise for component lifespan of capacitors etc etc, so yeah no real power house... It'll only ever run an AMD GPU due to the lack of modern Nvidia macOS driver support, and I like the vanilla support experience/at worst a cheeky modified kext.

I'd like a 10 year warranty like my full size NZXT C850 Seasonic in a pretty dress has...

I don't want to spend silly money, £140-150 ideally...

So yeah, ao far I've found the following elsewhere, which do you think is best out of these? And is there anything better, from OCUK?

CoolerMaster V850 SFX Gold 850 Watt Fully Modular 80+ Gold​

Build Quality​

Today’s Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD WHITE starts things off with a build quality that is very good/excellent for its market position. The exterior represents a well-branded and labeled approach that looks like what we have seen from many better-known OEMs previously. Most apparent in this effort is, well, the color. Whereas the V650 SFX GOLD we saw was flat black, this unit is a stunning all-white with black branding. Everything that was well done with the previous V650 SFX GOLD on the exterior carries over today with simply the color swap in place.

Moving to the interior, integration is about as clean as it can be with this design in such a small space and the topology is modern once more. The component selection features Nichicon standard electrolytics and FPCAP solid electrolytics. There is also an FDB fan from Hong Hua used to cool this unit. Lastly, the documentation with this unit is very basic but the 10-year warranty is an excellent length.

Load Testing​

Today’s Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD WHITE started off testing in very good shape. We saw voltage regulation of up to 0.2v on the 12v rail, 0.07v on the 5v rail, and 0.05v on the 3.3v rail. These numbers would be good for any unit. However, this unit is an SFX-sized unit and it is showing numbers that are very comparable to its 200W smaller sibling. This is the first SFX-sized 850W unit we have seen, however, so it makes comparing to other units beyond its sibling a bit difficult. That said, offering these values in this form factor is definitely getting a bit of a bump to this unit’s testing record today. Moving on, we saw efficiency values that ranged from 87.07% to 90.12% efficient at 120v AC input and 85.22% to 89.19% at 100v AC input.

When we look at the Transient Load Tests results for the Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD WHITE, we see that the results are good but a bit surprising. When directly loaded, the 12v rail showed a peak change of ~340mV, and the 5v rail had a peak change of ~50mV. During the 12v load, the unloaded 5v rail saw a peak change of ~45mV. In absolute terms, these results are in the specification. The surprising part, mentioned above, comes from the fact that at 200W greater in capacity this unit did WORSE than the v650 SFX GOLD which is based on the same platform. This is a bit odd given this is not as hard a test on this unit as it was on the 650W model.

DC Output Quality​

The DC Output Quality results for the Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD WHITE were excellent. Overall, we saw peak ripple/noise values of just ~25mV of ripple/noise on the 12v rail, ~15mV on the 5v rail, and ~10mV on the 3.3v rail during our regular load tests. These values are well within specification limits and that means, at a minimum, good in absolute terms. In relative terms, these results are going to be excellent given they are mixed with the V650 SFX GOLD while covering an additional 200W in capacity! This is a nice bounce back from the Transient Load Test results and a bit surprising given those results.

Noise​

Today’s Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD is a larger capacity unit than the last power supply we saw from Cooler Master but it is trapped in the same SFX form factor. With that being the case, even though this unit has a large overhead fan and very good efficiency, it is constrained in a number of ways that make noise output more of an issue. One final good point for this unit is that it does feature a hybrid fan controller which means that it is going to be running fanless up to ~15% load (advertised). Of note, while ~15% is advertised our sample did not turn the fan on during our 25% load tests so it was silent to that point.

When testing this unit, it was rather quiet overall given all of the caveats surrounding this unit. That said, the V850 SFX GOLD WHITE did become apparent in our load testing environment starting at the 75% load level just like its smaller brother. From that point on, the noise it produced continued to increase. So, this unit seems to be a good option for folks looking for a quiet product offering in this market segment.

Final Points​

The V850 GOLD is a very good mainstream 850W power supply no matter its form factor, and today that form factor is very small. From a Build Quality that looks stunning, to voltage regulation and DC Output Quality results that are very good/excellent, this unit was hitting on all cylinders early on in testing as expected from this platform. Then, we had a bit of a head-scratcher when it came to the Transient Load Test results. They were passing but not as good as we had expected. Otherwise, we have very little to quibble about with this unit today.
Corsair SF850L 850 Watt Fully Modular 80+ Gold
Pros:
  • Top performance
  • Top build quality
  • Good price
  • ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready
  • Top transient response
  • Properly configured OCP at 12V and OPP
  • Efficient
  • Highly efficient 5VSB rail
  • Tight load regulation
  • Goold ripple suppression
  • Long hold-up time
  • Accurate power ok signal
  • Low vampire power
  • Alternative Low Power Mode (ALPM) compatible
  • Fully modular
  • Enough connectors, including a 12VHPWR (600W)
  • Fluid dynamic bearing fan
  • SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket provided
  • Seven-year warranty
Cons:
  • Noisy at above moderate and at high loads
  • High OCP triggering points on the minor rails
  • PF readings could be higher
The reviews and OCUK state 7 year warranty but I'm seeing 10 year by another supplier (I WILL ring and check) - IF it's not 10 year I'll definitely not buy it vs a 10 year product of the same price/cheaper like the CoolerMaster! Also the noise is something that would again put me right off vs one that isn't, obviously :)

​

So far I'm leaning on the CoolerMaster as it's normally more expensive and the Corsair apparently has too short of a motherboard cable even in a MITX case according a review I've seen, which knowing my luck will happen to me and not others... And the reports of the Corsair being noisy is a big no no, as is the 7 year warranty older reviews claim - I want a 10 year, as others offer it, so I won't be settling for less.

Who makes the CoolerMaster? As I doubt it's themselves is it? As with my NZXT being a Seasonic? FWIW I can get that Coolermaster for £139.99 next day delivered and it's RRP is £159.99... The Corsair is £149.99 next day delivered but that's RRP, and I'm definitely not game for buying extension cables!

But yeah, is there anything better on OCUK you guys can recommend, or should I pull the triger and get the CoolerMaster, as I'm looking to buy today ;) Peace of mind and all that :)
 
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keef247 said:
Who makes the CoolerMaster? As I doubt it's themselves is it? As with my NZXT being a Seasonic? FWIW I can get that Coolermaster for £139.99 next day delivered and it's RRP is £159.99... The Corsair is £149.99 next day delivered but that's RRP, and I'm definitely not game for buying extension cables!

But yeah, is there anything better on OCUK you guys can recommend, or should I pull the triger and get the CoolerMaster, as I'm looking to buy today ;) Peace of mind and all that :)
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I have a sample size of 10+ Corsair PSUs with no issue. 2 or 3 have been SFF.

My sample size for Silverstone is 1 SFF PSU with no issue.

My sample size for Kolink is 3 I think. No SFF PSUs but 1 did go max speed on the fan though it was a very abused PSU :)

My sample size for Coolermaster is 1 V850 SFX PSU (NRP200 MAX) which was replaced last week under RMA due to excessive coil whine. I mean real loud and annoying on the PCI-E power circuit :(

I've also have 2 NZXT H1 V1 SFF cases with the NZXT PSUs and no issues with those.

I tend towards Corsair first then maybe Seasonic by reputation though I've only actually installed one I think in my brothers gaming PC which is still going 7 years later. The Corsair AIO too!
 
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bimbleuk said:
I have a sample size of 10+ Corsair PSUs with no issue. 2 or 3 have been SFF.

My sample size for Silverstone is 1 SFF PSU with no issue.

My sample size for Kolink is 3 I think. No SFF PSUs but 1 did go max speed on the fan though it was a very abused PSU :)

My sample size for Coolermaster is 1 V850 SFX PSU (NRP200 MAX) which was replaced last week under RMA due to excessive coil whine. I mean real loud and annoying on the PCI-E power circuit :(

I've also have 2 NZXT H1 V1 SFF cases with the NZXT PSUs and no issues with those.
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Sample size? You what haha!

I don't like the fact the Corsair offers a 7 year warranty and reviews claim loud noise under load, I own a lot of Corsair products, but their PSU's seem highly over-rated from what I see.
 
@keef247

Hi brother.

The Corsair has a 7 year warranty according to there website which is slightly disappointing , but I do love Corsair RMA process and support.

Hopefully you never need it :D

Coolermaster is a decent unit with 10 year warranty with no experience of there service but would be happy with also.

It's an either or imo but if I had to choose those extra 3 year warranty seems tempting .
 
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mickyflinn said:
@keef247

Hi brother.

The Corsair has a 7 year warranty according to there website which is slightly disappointing , but I do love Corsair RMA process and support.

Hopefully you never need it :D

Coolermaster is a decent unit with 10 year warranty with no experience of there service but would be happy with also.

It's an either or imo but if I had to choose those extra 3 year warranty seems tempting .
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Hello my brother, yeah for me and my bad luck, I reckon the 10 year option vs something I've already red hit or miss about, is the way forward, the supplier I'll be using, I've used for like 20 years and are awesome, so I reckon the warranty process would be seamless as with any RMA's in the past :)

Going to buy it now, screw it haha! Will have it tomorrow then, thanks again holmes!

EDIT: bought ;) Stage 4 of 4 - Order Dispatched. Tomorrow shall be a good day!
 
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keef247 said:
Hello my brother, yeah for me and my bad luck, I reckon the 10 year option vs something I've already red hit or miss about, is the way forward, the supplier I'll be using, I've used for like 20 years and are awesome, so I reckon the warranty process would be seamless as with any RMA's in the past :)

Going to buy it now, screw it haha! Will have it tomorrow then, thanks again holmes!

EDIT: bought ;) Stage 4 of 4 - Order Dispatched. Tomorrow shall be a good day!
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Would be interested to know your view on the PSU, mini review incoming (hopefully). :)
 
keef247 said:
Who makes the CoolerMaster? As I doubt it's themselves is it? As with my NZXT being a Seasonic? FWIW I can get that Coolermaster for £139.99 next day delivered and it's RRP is £159.99... The Corsair is £149.99 next day delivered but that's RRP, and I'm definitely not game for buying extension cables!
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Gospower, I believe.
 
Tetras said:
Gospower, I believe.
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iu
 
I have the Loki as well, 850w 10 year warranty and a solid performer. I think its one of the more quieter SFX Psu's as well.

It is more expensive though and it is an SFX-L. Also might suffer from coil whine, i had 3 units before i settled on this one.
 
Well @Tetras @mickyflinn it's arrived, installed, very nice subtle ever so slightly wrinkle texture matt finish to it (think honda valve covers but in black and way less wrinkle but it's there) which I like! Matches my black on black theme of both builds :)

The cables are way too long IMHO but it's luck of the draw with the case when it comes to MITX.

I hate how every PSU has multiple inputs per cable vs just plugging 1 in at a time thus more length/bits sticking up/harder to hide, but yeah not the PSU's fault everyone does it, very happy with it though, fan hasn't even spun up yet haha, doubt it will on my system usage...
I can't really say more than it seems very well made and does the job perfectly, came with a branded bracket too and screws :)
I sold my old PSU on the same day, so this has only cost me £120 :) can't go wrong, was in the sale for £140 instead of £160, so VERY nice for a 850w 10 year rated 80+ gold fully modular SFX PSU :)

Happy boy and now I can give it hand me downs from the all brand new built main gaming rig in the future without worrying about anything, knowing it'll have the power to run it and a 10 year warranty, happy days!

EDIT: fan has kicked in now, louder than my entire build, BUT that's cause it runs pretty much silently all the time, so not a big deal hearing it, I don't mind hearing a fan slightly considering it is a 850w SFX 80+ gold PSU and packs a punch/smaller fan etc than normal form factor, I'll take fan spin over coilwine anyday. FWIW I am sat in literal pin drop silence with the windows closed, so not exactly surprising I can hear it.

Just nice knowing I'm sorted now for the next 10 years :)
 
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FYI the corsair SF750 plat has been reviewed quieter than the sfx-L variants. It's also used in the sff community with multiple high power bits such as 4090 + 7800x3d and up.

If you're dead set on 850w there was a leak of the non L variant of the sf850 so that should show up soon.
 
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mickyflinn said:
@keef247 nice mini review brother.

Just need a review from brother @Tetras on a Kolink psu ;)
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Thank you my brother, was going to add pictures, but the lighting is either blinding or candle light in the room it lives in haha, the only good room in the house for photos is the kitchen, which although amusing would have been a strange place to review a PSU without a screen :D:cry:
 
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Tiamat21 said:
FYI the corsair SF750 plat has been reviewed quieter than the sfx-L variants. It's also used in the sff community with multiple high power bits such as 4090 + 7800x3d and up.

If you're dead set on 850w there was a leak of the non L variant of the sf850 so that should show up soon.
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Already bought the CM yesterday mate, you must have missed that post. But yeah wasn't keen on the L variant of those Corsairs with the 7 year warranty, also known to be pretty loud I red from various reviews, wasn't game for paying even more to start with then more again for a platinum versus getting the CM that's more expensive but was on black friday sales, and has a 10 year warranty.
I own loads of Corsair stuff and always have/will, but their PSU's seem to be very hit or miss/lower spec than rivals for more or the same money, sucks as I'd love to own one as I love their other products.

Happy with the CM though, plus it's nice to have another OG brand that I used to rock back in the day, that's the fun of both my current builds, they're nostalgia trips, both consist of favoured OG brands that I have used back in the day/or would have like to been able to afford :) Makes it all the more special doesn't it, even purposely chose a case by the company I used to use for example :)
 
@mickyflinn @Tetras not happy at all with this thing mate, stupidly loud when it ramps up (and it's the V2 that doesn't keep cutting in and out, instead it just gets louder over time) doing barely anything with a 3600 non X/ RX570 8GB it's going back to day, about ring them, definitely not living up to the "The V SFX Gold uses a 92mm FDB fan so it's extremely quiet. With its small size, high efficiency, and excellent heat dissipation, the overall noise is kept to an absolute minimum."

Would you go for an SF850L or SF750? I don't like the idea of another 92mm fan now that I've had this hassle, my last cheap Fractal 450w was silent though with one, but I figure if the SF850L has a 120mm SURELY that's got to be quieter when it has to spin up? I can't see a 92mm fan being as efficient/quiet as a 120mm, having both in my MITX for example as case and HSF the 120mm of the same brand/model IS quieter, so that was my theory, also don't like the fact the platinum costs more and is still only 7 year warranty and 100w less, so I'm gaining nothing more than the Platinum grading which to me will mean nothing in real world vs an 80+ gold right?

EDIT: from what I can see the SF850L gets very loud. Grr this is doing my head in. The SF750 isn't in stock either. I don't want to get a LianLi as I see they're a bit of a fire hazard and only have 5 year warranty. It astounds me that Corsair don't offer 10 year warranty like CM etc, I swear this is a cash grab SFF tactic. Why can't the 120mm SF850L be quieter, I mean it should be, being that it shifts more air, sigh. Not sure what to get now but definitely am not falling for the spend stupid money trap, it's already more than I'd spend on a ATX psu unless on sale...
 
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