Cougar GEX X2 1000W ATX 3.0 PSU review: Solid but pricey

Cougar, founded in 2007, is a well-established manufacturer in the PC peripherals and components industry. The company initially gained recognition for its high-quality gaming cases and cooling solutions, and has since expanded its product portfolio to include power supply units (PSUs), gaming peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and headsets, as well as gaming chairs and other accessories.

In this review, we will be examining the Cougar GEX X2 1000W, a power supply unit designed to comply with the ATX 3.0 standard. This 1000W PSU is very compact and yet powerful solution, featuring all-black ribbon cables and a 12VHPWR connector to accommodate modern graphics cards. The GEX X2 has a 80Plus Gold certification that, along with the rest of its features and current retail price, place it in-between the mainstream and the premium gaming/workstation PC market. Based on our testing, we can say that it’s not quite efficient enough to surpass any of the best power supplies, but the $169 Cougar GEX X2 is more than functional enough for most builds.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is packaged in a large, firm cardboard box that features Cougar's distinctive black and orange color scheme. The front of the box prominently displays an image of the PSU, while the unit itself is well-protected inside by a nylon pouch and packaging inserts, ensuring it remains secure during transit.

The bundle included with this PSU is functional and not too generous. It comes with the necessary mounting screws, an AC power cable, a basic manual, and a few cable straps to help with cable management.

The GEX X2 features all-black, ribbon-style cables with black connectors, designed to maintain a clean and organized build. Most of the cables are flat and without nylon sleeving, which enhances flexibility and makes routing easier. The sole exception is the 12VHPWR cable, which has nylon sleeving protecting it. The unit includes a 12VHPWR connector, along with six 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors distributed across three cables in pairs of two.

External Appearance

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is housed in a chassis measuring 140 mm in length, precisely adhering to the standard ATX dimensions as specified by the ATX design guide. This compact size is impressive for a 1000W unit, making it compatible with a wide range of ATX-compliant cases - however, it also limits the size of the cooling fan and affects thermal performance.

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The GEX X2 features a sleek matte black finish that gives it a refined and durable appearance. The fan cutout on the top side is distinguished by a unique tile design that incorporates Cougar's logo, adding a subtle yet distinctive touch to the PSU's overall aesthetic. Strangely, both the left and right sides are adorned with stickers detailing the electrical specifications and certifications of the unit, as if Cougar really wanted these to be visible from the side of the PC case regardless of the mounting orientation.

The front side of the PSU includes the standard on/off switch and AC power receptacle. This unit does have a zero-RPM fan mode but there is no switch to turn it off completely. The rear side is dedicated to the modular cable connectors, with a very subtle legend printed next to them. The top side of the PSU is entirely plain.

Internal Design

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is equipped with a DWPH EFH-12E12H 120 mm fan, which features some kind of sleeve bearing engine. Although the specific technical details of this fan cannot be found online, it is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 2300 RPM. DWPH is a company whose products we almost never find in PC PSUs but they are a seasoned manufacturer of DC fans.

The GEX X2 1000W is produced by Huizhou Xinhuiyuan, a rising OEM that has recently made significant strides in the PC power supply market. We usually encounter their platforms in Cooler Master PSUs and this is the first time we saw one of their designs used by another company.

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The internal design of the GEX X2 showcases proven topologies that emphasize on reliability. The input filtering stage is robust, consisting of four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. Directly after this stage, two rectifying bridges are mounted on their own heatsink to manage heat dissipation effectively. The Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) circuit includes two NCE 65TF099 MOSFETs and a diode, working in tandem with a Nippon Chemi-Con 820 μF capacitor and a plastic-shielded inductor.

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The primary inversion stage employs four CS20N50F MOSFETs configured in a full-bridge LLC topology, with these components mounted on two substantial heatsinks in pairs to enhance thermal management. The secondary stage utilizes four CR Micro CRSM016N06L2 MOSFETs located on the underside of the PCB, which are responsible for generating the primary 12V line using a synchronous rectification topology. The 3.3V and 5V lines are derived from DC-to-DC conversion circuits situated on a vertical daughterboard. The electrolytic and polymer capacitors at the secondary side are of top quality from reputable Japanese manufacturers such as Nippon Chemi-Con, Rubycon, and Nichicon, ensuring long-term reliability and performance.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

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During cold testing, the Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU comfortably meets the 80Plus Gold certification requirements across different input voltages. With a 115 VAC input, the PSU achieves an average nominal load efficiency of 90.2%, which further improves to 91.8% when using a 230 VAC input. The efficiency peaks at around 35% load, slightly earlier than typical PC PSU topologies. Although there is a 1.6% efficiency drop when using a 115 VAC input, the GEX X2 still exceeds the certification requirements. Its average efficiency is very high and the design could meet the 80Plus Platinum levels if it could improve its top efficiency at half load. However, its efficiency drops below 80% at very low loads, which is a common challenge for many PSUs relying on traditional topologies.

The fan in the Cougar GEX X2 starts spinning at a relatively low load of around 200 Watts, slightly sooner than when the company suggests it would. As the load increases, the fan speed scales linearly, ensuring adequate cooling without excessive noise at low-to-medium loads. The fan never reaches its maximum speed, not even at full load, although it does come very close to it. The internal temperatures of the unit remain controlled, indicating good thermal management without running overly hot.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

During hot testing, the Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU experiences a colossal decrease in efficiency under heavy loads, with efficiency figures dropping to 87.6% at 115 VAC and 89.1% at 230 VAC, compared to 90.2% and 91.8% during cold testing. An efficiency degradation of more than 2.5% is unexpected for a quality unit, even if the platform is rated at 40°C. Closer observation reveals that the efficiency drop is significantly greater when the unit is heavily loaded, suggesting thermal stress of the unit’s active components.

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In these hotter ambient conditions, the fan of the GEX X2 activates much sooner than during cold testing, starting at a low load of around 80 Watts and ramping up more quickly as the load increases. It reaches its maximum speed when the unit operates at about 90% capacity but the temperatures never get too high – as a matter of fact, they are quite low all things considered, most likely due to the sizable heatsinks. The fan is quiet at first and the noise is tolerable up to medium loads, with the GEX X2 becoming intrusively loud only when it is continuously operating at above 75% capacity.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU offers outstanding electrical performance, with several key features that set it apart. The unit demonstrates exceptional voltage regulation, maintaining the 5V and 3.3V rails at a mere 0.3% deviation, which is remarkable for a power supply of any caliber. The 1.2% regulation on the 12V rail is also very good but not as impressive. Manufacturers usually neglect the minor voltage lines and focus on the 12V line – it seems that the designer of this platform did not cut any corners.

When it comes to ripple suppression, the GEX X2 excels for a unit of its class, with measured maximum ripple values of 40 mV on the 12V line, 20 mV on the 5V line, and 18 mV on the 3.3V line. These figures are well within industry standards, ensuring that the power delivered to your components is clean. Although these numbers might not be record-breaking, they are competitive with most products of similar tier and price range.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU successfully passed all critical protection tests without issue.

The OCP settings for the 3.3V and 5V rails are set to activate at 128% and 126%, respectively, a little high considering their maximum power rating but not far from what we expected. The 12V rail’s OCP activates at 122%, a sharp setting for an ATX 3.0 compliant unit, possibly a deliberate choice to balance accommodation for the power surges common with today’s powerful graphics cards with assurance of the unit’s reliability.

Bottom Line

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is a fairly well-designed power supply that caters to modern gaming and workstation setups, particularly for users requiring a robust unit with support for the latest graphics cards. Its compact ATX-compliant chassis, stylish matte black finish, and clean, organized cable design make it an appealing option for builders looking for a sleek and functional PSU, making the GEX X2 especially competitive for ITX and custom system builds where space is at a premium. However, while its compact size makes it versatile for a range of applications, this also constrains the cooling capabilities and, to an extent, its thermal performance. It also boasts solid build quality, with passive components sourced from reputable Japanese manufacturers, ensuring reliable long-term performance. However, the choice of less familiar brands for the fan and active components introduces an element of uncertainty.

In terms of electrical performance, the GEX X2 1000W delivers solid results, particularly with its excellent voltage regulation across all rails. The 12V rail, responsible for powering the most demanding components, exhibits a deviation of 1.2%, while the 5V and 3.3V rails perform momentously better with minimal deviations of 0.3%. This level of precision is commendable and ensures stable power delivery, crucial for the reliability and longevity of high-performance systems.

Ripple suppression is also strong, with maximum ripple values well within industry standards. Efficiency during cold testing was high, with the unit achieving 90.2% efficiency at 115 VAC and 91.8% at 230 VAC. However, the unit's efficiency dropped to 87.6% at 115 VAC and 89.1% at 230 VAC during hot testing, which is a significant decrease, suggesting that the GEX X2's components are under considerable thermal stress when operating under heavy loads in high ambient temperatures.

The thermal and acoustic performance of the GEX X2 1000W PSU is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the fan begins to spin at a load of around 200W, which is earlier than Cougar suggests. Still, one cannot argue that the cooling solution is highly effective, keeping internal temperatures within safe limits even while the unit is heavily stressed. The fan ramps up gradually and manages to cool the unit adequately, also thanks to the sizable heatsinks used. The noise level becomes intrusive only when the PSU operates above 75% capacity, which should not be of much importance to gamers but could deter workstation users.

In conclusion, the Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is a capable and well-built power supply that delivers solid electrical performance with good voltage regulation and ripple suppression. However, although the performance results are generally very good, they do not set new benchmarks, and for its price, the GEX X2 does not offer a clear advantage over other units in the same class. With an 80Plus Gold certification and its basic features being the compact design and compliance with the ATX 3.0 standard, its retail price of $170 places it at a challenging intersection between mainstream and premium markets. While the GEX X2 is a reliable and well-constructed PSU, its price-to-performance ratio may limit its appeal, particularly among budget-conscious consumers and enthusiasts who expect top-tier performance for the price they pay.

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