Cooler Master Real Power M1000

Verdict: The Real Power runs real hot.

Like most PSU brands, Cooler Master doesn't manufacture power supplies itself - it buys them from a sub-contractor. In the case of the Real Power M1000, the sub-contractor is Enhance, the same company that also makes the SilverPower GuardianX SP-1000E.

As both of these 1kW PSUs are made by Enhance, it should come as no surprise that the Real Power M1000 has the same six 12V rails as the GuardianX. As such, 12V1, 12V2, 12V5 and 12V6 are each rated at 18A, while 12V3 and 12V4 are each rated at 28A. However, the rails are arranged differently in the Real Power M1000. The 12V1 rail powers half of the 8-pin EPS12V connector and motherboard, and 12V2 the second half of the 8-pin EPS12V connector and the 4-pin ATX12V connector. The 12V3 rail powers one of the blue modular cable sockets, 12V4 the second blue modular cable socket, and 12V5 serves the modular cable sockets providing power to the Molex, S-ATA and FDD connections. Finally, 12V6 powers the two green modular cable sockets. The two blue modular cables provide power to 6- or 8-pin PCI-E graphics cards, while the two green modular cables sport 6-pin PCI-E connectors. The cooling system of the Real Power M1000 is also different to that of the GuardianX SP-1000E, since it uses a quiet temperature-controlled 135mm fan.

Like its non-modular SilverPower sibling, the Real Power M1000 was stable and efficient at full load. We measured its efficiency as 82 per cent, drawing 1,218W from the mains to produce 1,000W. However, despite its larger fan, the Real Power M1000 becomes extremely hot.

Conclusion

The Real Power M1000 has a lot going for it - stable rails, great efficiency and modular cables - but it runs hot and would run even hotter when enclosed in a case, rather than sitting on a desk, as it was when we tested it. Add in the high price and the Real Power M1000 is hard to recommend.