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There is no doubt that the Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 850W is a capable, well designed power supply, both in regards to the build quality and overall technical performance.
First impressions are positive, in part thanks to the generous bundle, including a useful 5.25 inch three fan controller. The pure modular design deserves special mention due to the clear labeling, port colouring and high grade cabling supplied in the box. The quality of the chassis, including the paintwork is first class.
That said, we do still feel the high end Enermax Platimax units have a better ‘textured' finish to resist against scratching and fingerprints however.
Technically, the power supply has been carefully designed to manage noise suppression exceptionally well and it passes this particular test with flying colours. The quality fan selection ensures modest noise emissions, with the Silent Pro Hybrid 850W remaining inaudible until the last 200W of total power output.
This power supply would be ideal in a high powered media center, as the fan would be inactive when gently loaded, for instance when watching a Bluray movie. When gaming, the fan would kick in to ensure stability under load. Corsair used a similar system in the past with their high end power supplies, and it works well.
We do have a few minor concerns. Firstly, the load regulation could have been handled better by Enhance. We recorded a marginal drop on the +5V output and this was also highlighted with the cross loading test. It didn't cause any real world issues, but it gave us enough concern to highlight it.
The inclusion of a 7V rail is creative, and we like the idea of controlling several case fans via the dedicated fan controller. Our only concern is that the Silent Pro Hybrid 850W fan speed could be reduced too much, causing potential long term reliability concerns. We really do recommend that the internal fan is left on the ‘automatic' setting as it is well balanced in regards to temperature and airflow noise.
This is a rather difficult power supply to source in the United Kingdom, but we found it in the UK via Amazon partners. They are stocking it for £185 inc vat, which raised an eyebrow.
For £20 more you can get the Enermax Platimax 850W power supply which is technically a superior design. It offers improved efficiency (80 Plus Platinum rated) and has rock solid load regulation. Granted you don't get a pure modular design or a fan controller, but I much prefer the Enermax product.
If you can find the Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 850W for around £160 it becomes a much more tempting proposition.
Pros:
- Great appearance.
- quiet under general load situations.
- pure modular design.
- good quality build.
- great efficiency.
Cons:
- Load regulation could be better.
- very expensive.
Kitguru says: A very capable power supply, but it is expensive and faces very stiff competition at this price, especially if you have no interest in the fan controller.
Quick question.
What on earth is up with the pricing on power supplies lately? £200+ for a 850W unit? companies need to realise that most people cant afford this.
I love Cooler Master. This is too rich for my blood. id aim for a bronze unit, those gold and platinum rated models are just way out of my price point.
The fan controller idea is interesting, but many people who want this kind of power supply will either already have one, or wont want it. paying extra for something they dont need IMO isn’t such a good move. it might work well in PR releases f or Coolermaster to say ‘first 7V etc!’ but the audience this is targeting might not appreciate the forced purchase at extra cost.