Cooler Master decided to throw a budget PSU line into the market, addressing mainstream systems and users who don't want to invest much on their next PSU upgrade. The MWE line consists of five models with capacities ranging from 450W to 650W. None of them feature modular cables in order to restrict the production cost, but their platform utilizes DC-DC converters for the generation of the minor rails and Teapo capacitors, which are of good quality in general.
When it comes to filtering caps though, the name of the brand doesn't reveal much, because we have to know the exact model of the cap in order to have a clear view of its quality. There are Japanese caps, for example, with a low expected lifetime because they belong to budget lines that are inferior to Taiwanese caps that belong to high-end lines and thus have a longer lifetime. So don't get excited by phrases like "Japanese" or "Taiwanese caps" until you know the exact model number (and their quantity, of course). Usually companies don't share such information, so you need to read proper PSU reviews in order to find out all those important details (caps and fan model, platform design, build quality etc.)
The MWE units use Loop Bearing fans that seem to be inferior to the plain sleeve bearing ones that usually adorn PSUs in this price range. Moreover, CM backs up those units with a three-year warranty. The 80 PLUS Bronze certification is the lowest acceptable for today's standards; those units don't carry a Cybenetics rating, so we don't know much about their real-life performance and efficiency levels or their true output noise. Another interesting feature of the MWE PSUs is the compact footprint, which will allow for an easier installation and compensate, at least to some degree, for the lack of modular cables.
The max operating temperature for continuous full power deliver is at 40°C, an acceptable level given the budget prices of these units. The +12V rail cannot deliver full power alone in the three lower capacity models, while the MWE 600 and MWE 650 don't have this restriction. Usually PSUs with DC-DC converters for the minor rails don't have a problem delivering their full power at +12V, since this rail is the one feeding all the rest but 5VSB. Finally, we didn't expect two EPS connectors in any of those PSUs, and the number of PCIe connectors is satisfactory. The MWE 550 could have 6x SATA connectors, though, to help differentiate from the 500W and 450W models.
The MWE PSUs are available now. So far we don't have any information on their original manufacturer (OEM).
| Cooler Master MWE Series Features & Specs | |
|---|---|
| P/N | MWE 450/500/550/600/650 |
| Capacities | 450W - 650W |
| PFC | Active PFC |
| Efficiency | 80 PLUS Bronze |
| Modular | No |
| Intel C6/C7 Power State Support | Yes |
| Operating temperature | 0°C - 40°C |
| Protections | Over Voltage Protection Over Power Protection Over Temperature Protection Over Current Protection Short Circuit Protection |
| MTBF | >100,000 hrs minimum |
| Hold-up Time | 16ms at 80% load |
| Cooling | 120mm Loop Dynamic Bearing Fan (Silencio FP) |
| Dimensions | 150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 140 mm (D) |
| Compliance | ATX12V v2.31, EPS 2.92 |
| 4-Pin Molex Connectors | MWE 450/500/550: 3x MWE 600/650: 4x |
| SATA Connectors | MWE 450/500/550: 4x MWE 600/650: 8x |
| PCIe Connectors | MWE 450/500/550: 2x 6+2pin MWE 600/650: 4x 6+2pin |
| EPS Connectors | MWE 450/500/550/600/650: 1x |
| +12V Max Power | MWE 450: 420W MWE 500: 460W MWE 550: 516W MWE 600: 600W MWE 650: 650W |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Prices (exc. VAT) | MWE 450: $50 MWE 500: $55 MWE 550: $60 MWE 600: $65 MWE 650: $70 |
