550W-650W PSU Roundup 2014

Cooler Master V Semi-Modular Series 550W Review

Manufacturer: Cooler Master
UK: £71.39 (inc VAT)

Where some brands sent us an entry-level model, Cooler Master delivered a high-end V Series PSU, rated at 550 watts. Nevertheless, it is not particularly expensive, coming in at about £71. This investment gets you an 80 Plus Gold rated PSU, promising 45A on the single 12V rail. At 1.21kg, this Seasonic-made PSU is the lightest model in the test.


On closer examination, this V Series model is somewhat different from the top models of the brand: it is only semi-modular, with the ATX, dual 6/8-pin PEG and 4+4-pin CPU cables firmly attached. You can, however, choose to use up to four extra cables. These feature a modest but sufficient amount of connectors: three old-school molex and six SATA. All cables have been sleeved with a mesh covering and all are of sufficient length.

Looking at the test results, the V Semi-Modular Series 550W delivers reasonably stable voltages, dipping below 12V once the 300W mark is passed, but still staying with 2 percent of the nominal voltage. The ripple measured is also extremely low, topping out at just 27.2 mVpp, and this PSU lands a solid third place in the overall efficiency comparison too with 89.54 percent. At low loads (22.5W, 50W and 100W) this is by far the most efficient PSU in the test – if your system is always on and spends a lot of time idling, this is the model you should have at the top of your short-list. Noise production, meanwhile, is also pretty decent, with a maximum measured of 35 dB(A) at 500W load (the third best result) and an essentially inaudible 28 dB(A) at 300W.