Cooler Master V1200
The Cooler Master V1200 is brand-new – it was introduced just two months ago, and we immediately tested it back then. But since it fits into this round-up test, we include it here and present our findings once again. At 1200 W, the V1200 and the Seasonic Platinum-1200 constitute the low-end PSUs of this test, which doesn’t mean the V1200 is a low-end PSU: This PSU sports hybrid fan control, which means that the fan can stay off at low to mid-range loads. Choice of materials and workmanship are excellent, and this PSU doesn’t lack features, either. Quoting from our original test: ‘The feature list reads like a letter to Santa Claus. Twelve 6+2 PCIe cables support up to six high-end graphics cards, with PCIe cable lengths ranging from 20” to 28”. Both CPU cables are 27” long, and the farthest peripheral device can be positioned a whopping 36” away from the PSU. However, since you can connect up to 12 devices with SATA plug and up to 9 devices with Molex plug, above-average cable lengths are warranted. The feature set of the V1200 leaves no wish unfulfilled.’ We want to add that all cables are flat, not round.
| AC Input | 100-240V, 50-60 Hz | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Output | +3.3V | +5V | +12V (#1) | +12V (#2) | +12V (#3) | +12V (#4) | -12V | +5Vsb |
| 25 A | 25 A | 100 A | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0.5 A | 3 A | |
| Individual Output | Row 2 - Cell 1 | Row 2 - Cell 2 | Row 2 - Cell 3 | Row 2 - Cell 4 | Row 2 - Cell 5 | 6 W | 15 W | |
| Rail Utilization | Sys | Sys | CPU & VGA | |||||
| Combined Output | 125 W | 1200 W | ||||||
| Total Continuous Output | 1200 W | |||||||
| Peak Output | n/a |
Efficiency According to the 80 PLUS Spec
Efficiency for Typical Use Cases
Cooler Master power supplies traditionally sport a single +12 V rail, and this 1200 W PSU is no exception – the +12 V rail of the V1200 can supply up to 100 A. The top-end models from Seasonic and Corsair also have a single rail design – the AX1500i, however, offers mind-boggling 125 A on its +12V rail, 25% more.
Back to the V1200. We already discussed the quality of the V1200 in the previous test. In summary, the PSU rightfully bears the 80 Plus Platinum logo, but at medium load there is not much margin. However, at 20 A and 100 A the PSU surpasses the Platinum spec easily. Unsurprisingly, the efficiency percentages get lower at lower loads – however, 84.4 percent at 85 W isn’t all that bad, this is mid-range in the test field. Allow us to quote the electrical quality assessment from the original test: “We liked the low stand-by power draw of a mere 0.16 W and the long hold-up time, more than 25 ms. The oscilloscope picture of ripple and noise looks nice, and the ripple voltages are, in fact, very low.”
The switch to activate hybrid fan control reminds us of top-end PSUs made by Seasonic, and this is no coincidence: The Cooler Master V1200 is, in fact, manufactured by Seasonic. But there is a minor difference: Seasonic labels the switch positions ‘Hybrid’ and ‘Normal’, whereas Cooler Master opted for ‘Hybrid’ and ‘Auto’, which we find confusing, since ‘Hybrid’ means automatic fan control depending on temperature and power draw. Be that as it may: In ‘Hybrid’ mode, we could not get the fan to turn on at loads of 40 and 200 W, but at 600 W it turned on after 15 minutes, with a pleasantly low sound level of 31.5 dB(A).
A Closer Look at the PCB
The basic layout of the Cooler Master V1200 doesn’t differ much from the Antec PSU, even though the OEM manufacturer is a different one. The V1200 also employs top-quality capacitors from Japan-based Nippon Chemi-Con. The solder quality is excellent. Discussing the input filters in detail exceeds the scope of this test, but they are well-designed on all test candidates.
