We saw FSP's liquid cooled PSU up close at Computex 2017, and to be frank, the idea of a PSU that uses water for its cooling is a bit scary. Thankfully, the Hydro PTM+ is mainly air-cooled; it just uses liquid cooling to increase its max power by 200W. This allows the PSU to go beyond its 1.2kW max power output to reach 1.4kW, depending on which type of cooling you're using.
The Hydro PTM+ also features a semi-passive mode that allows for the lowest possible noise output under light and moderate loads, RGB lighting with Asus Aura Sync, 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency certification (no Cybenetics certifications for the moment), DC-DC converters on the secondary side for the generation of the minor rails, a fully modular cable design with ribbon modular cables, and 100% Japanese electrolytic caps. The first 500 units will come with special sleeved cabling and Bitspower AIO parts for the liquid cooling. (FSP said it worked with Bitspower on this PSU.)
For anyone who isn't into PSU history, this is not the first liquid-cooled PSU on the market. DeepCool also showed off a prototype liquid-cooled PSU during Computex 2016, though the product never made it to mass production. Koolance, some years ago, actually released a water-cooled PSU (model number: PSU-1300ATX-12N), but it ultimately wasn't successful because of its huge price tag. Back in 2001, Koolance was also the first company to offer a water-cooled PSU. It was self-contained, meaning that it could work independently without the need for other water cooling parts, as opposed to the PSU-1300ATX-12N unit, which required an existing Koolance water cooling system.
The price tag for the FSP Hydro PTM+ is set at $700, so it is currently the second most expensive PSU on the market, behind Cooler Master's MasterWatt Maker 1200 MIJ, which currently costs $1,000. That $700 investment is covered by a two-year warranty, about which the product's manual states:
The two-year warranty period starts from the date of purchase (date of delivery). Warranty information may vary according to region, so please consult your local authorized distributor for details. The warranty will be voided if the built-in water block shows any sign of tampering, or any sign of external forces.
The warranty looks very low compared to other high-end, non liquid cooling PSU offerings, but it should also cover the water cooling parts, and those are likely not to be as reliable as the rest of the PSU's parts. Nonetheless, we don't think that the weak link in this product is the low warranty, but the stiff price. Without any doubt this is a special PSU, the first of its kind today, however it would sound nicer if the gain with liquid cooling was much more than "only" 200W.
FSP hasn't offered us a review sample for evaluation yet, so we can't yet answer to this unit's performance.
| Model Name | Hydro PTM+ |
|---|---|
| OEM | FSP & Bitspower |
| Max. DC Output | 1,200W (1,400W with liquid cooling) |
| PFC | Active PFC |
| Efficiency | 80 Plus Platinum |
| Modular | Yes (fully) |
| Intel C6/C7 Power State Support | ✓ |
| +12V Max Power (W) | 1200 |
| Combined +3.3, +5V (W) | 120 |
| 5VSB Max Power (W) | 15 |
| Operating temperature | 0°C ~ 40°C |
| Protections | Over Current Protection Over Temperature Protection Over Power Protection Over Voltage Protection Short Circuit Protection |
| Cooling | 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan |
| Semi-passive operation | ✓ |
| RGB Lighting & Controller | ✓ |
| Number of Connectors | 1x 24-pin ATX: (600mm) 2x EPS: (750mm) 8x PCIe: (500mm+150mm) 8x SATA: (500mm+115mm+115mm+115mm) 4x Peripheral & 4x SATA: (400mm+155mm++155mm+100mm) 1x FDD: (+155mm) |
| Dimensions | 150mm (W) x 86mm (H) x 200 mm (D) 5.91" (W) x 3.39" (H) x 7.87" (D) |
| Compliance | ATX12V v2.4, EPS12V 2.92 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| MSRP | $699 |
