Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 520W: Measurements
Efficiency According to the 80 PLUS Spec
Efficiency by Load
Like all of the power supplies in yesterday's and today's stories, Cooler Master's Silent Pro M2 exhibits short spikes on the supply rails. Only the new higher-quality oscilloscope probes are able to pick them up. On the 12 and 3.3 V rails, these spikes exceed the maximums specified by the ATX spec. However, since every sample demonstrate the same phenomenon, we're not counting this against any of them.
When the brief spikes are not taken into account, this 520 W power supply easily complies with the ATX spec. It's also 80 PLUS Bronze-compliant. At 50% and 100% load, it even offers significant efficiency reserves. While standby power draw and inrush current are average, the Silent Pro M2's hold-up time is best-in-class at 27 ms. We have no complaints about the sound level of the Cooler Master PSU, either. It lands around 31 dB(A), regardless of whether we apply 40 W or 200 W of load.
A Close Look at the PCB
The 135 mm fan inside Cooler Master's Silent Pro M2 is made by Young Lin Tech, model DFS132512M and sports a liquid bearing. The large cooling fins almost have a retro look, since most modern PSUs have smaller fins, enabled by better efficiency and less heat output. The input filter has all necessary components, in this case two X capacitors, two Y capacitors, two choke coils, and a MOV. While the large capacitors are made in Japan by Matsushita and Panasonic, the smaller ones are manufactured by Taiwan-based Teapo. We liked the soldering quality.