Cooler Master Debuts MasterWatt 1200W, 1500W PSUs

At CES last year, we had the chance to take a look at Cooler Master's new Titanium PSUs while their development was still a work in progress. A year has already passed, and it seems the flagship MasterWatt line is ready to hit the market, allowing Cooler Master to enter the Titanium efficiency club and join major players like EVGA and Corsair, which already have in their portfolios Titanium efficiency PSUs that are widely available in all markets.

The new MasterWatt units are made by Enhance Electronics, CM's favorite OEM so far. The design that both units utilize is new, and the platform is digitally controlled in order to offer the higher possible performance. Analog circuits still have much life in them, although digital circuits are the future even in PSUs where technology admittedly advances at a much slower pace compared to other hardware components.

The MasterWatt line will consist initially of only two members with very high capacities, 1.2 kW and 1.5 kW. This means that for the time being, it addresses mostly high-end enthusiast users and not the mid- and lower-end categories. Hopefully in the near future they will also release smaller capacity units, which are much more popular among users.

According to CM the new PSUs use a 3D circuit design, something that mitigates energy loss and also --by dint of taking up less physical space -- enables better airflow inside the PSU. The cooling fans (Silencio FP) have 135 mm diameter and promise a very silent operation, something that is also backed up by the decreased energy losses of this highly efficient platform. On top of that, the PSUs use a fully modular cabling design featuring specially-designed cables, with heavy duty connectors on the PSU side that can handle increased amperage (up to 1.5x more) compared to normal connectors. The rest of the features include a semi-passive operation and the ability to switch between multiple and single +12V rail modes.

What most of you will find very fascinating is the Cooler Master Connect application, which is compatible with Windows, Android and iOS devices, through which you can get real-time data from the PSU and control multiple parameters related to its operation. Besides the mobile application, Cooler Master will also offer a desktop application, featuring similar functionality including logging capabilities, which can be proven highly useful in case you want to thoroughly examine the PSU's operation.

The MasterWatt units are scheduled to hit the market into the first quarter (Q1) of 2016.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ModelMPZ-C001-AFBATMPZ-F001-AFBAT
TypeATX 12V, Fully Modular
PFCActive PFC (over 0.95 typical)
Input Voltage100-240VAC
Input Current12-6A
Input Frequency47-63 Hz
Dimensions200 x 150 x 86 mm (LxWxH)
Fan type135 mm Silencio FP fan
PowerGood Signal100-500ms
Hold Up Time16ms
Average Efficiency90-94%
MTBF100,000 hours
ProtectionsOPP, OVP, OCP, SCP, OTP
Safety StandardsTUV, CE, FCC, BSMI, EAC, RCM, CCC, KC
Connectors              MB 20+4 Pin x 1CPU 12V 4+4Pin x 2PCI-e 6+2 Pin x 10 (1500W : 12)SATA x 16 (1500W : 20)4Pin Peripheral x 124Pin Floppy x 1

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Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Power Supplies. Follow us on Twitter @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a contributing editor at Tom's Hardware, covering PSUs.

  • Dark Lord of Tech
    Should be decent coming from Enhance.
    Reply
  • Gam3r01
    I cant tell in the picture (im on my laptop in class), but are those cables flat like SATA cables, or are they more like XFX cables?
    Reply
  • dudmont
    Why start with such large capacities? How many of us with our systems need more than 1000w anymore? How many need more than 750w? If they want this line to take off, they need to get the smaller models out quick, fast, and in a hurry.
    Reply
  • blazorthon
    Why start with such large capacities? How many of us with our systems need more than 1000w anymore? How many need more than 750w? If they want this line to take off, they need to get the smaller models out quick, fast, and in a hurry.

    They don't necessarily need high volume as much as higher profit margins. It makes sense to start a very high end line with high capacity models because lower capacities can't have prices that scale linearly with the drop in power delivery. Higher wattage models give a valid excuse for higher prices and most people who would use them would be customers with a better idea of how not to break them and then go complaining to the manufacturer about something that is really the customer's fault. This is especially true for Cooler Master since their reputation isn't great for power supplies.

    It should also be noted that features like being digitally controlled and titanium efficiency are far less important for lower wattage power supplies. High wattage supplies need that efficiency to keep the heat and noise down.
    Reply
  • LOLROFL
    I don't even think quad-sli would need this much power.
    Reply
  • AndrewJacksonZA
    I cant tell in the picture (im on my laptop in class), but are those cables flat like SATA cables, or are they more like XFX cables?
    They're flat cables like SATA cables.
    Reply
  • blazorthon
    17267120 said:
    I don't even think quad-sli would need this much power.

    That depends on which cards your'e talking about and the rest of the system. Assuming an i7-5960X with four GTX 980 Ti or Titan Black cards and other relevant specs, something like a 1500W may be ideal, especially if overclocking is involved.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    Cooler Master MasterWatt? What a stupid name :P

    Anyway, this is a very unique looking power supply. The ability to turn off over-current protection circuits and turn it into a single 12V rail is a feature I've never seen on a PSU before. In addition, I'm assuming it is 1.5X thicker wiring that allows for more current. Can't complain about that! There are a lot of these Titanium units hitting the market. Thermaltake recently released a 1250W unit that has a custom RGB LED controlled via software. Software is becoming more common and is no longer just a Corsair HXi thing.

    I would really like to see lower-wattage units of these though priced well. If they sold a 550W Coolermaster MasterWatt for around $75 that'd be great. I also have high hopes for these in terms of ripple, voltage regulation, and longevity. Jonny will tell us!

    I just want more competition in the 850W and below market segment.
    Reply