Power 730 Watts - is it a lot or a little? Such power has become relevant with the release of a new line of video cards. NVIDIA GeForce 8 and Intel processors Core 2 Quad. And many manufacturers have prepared powerful power supplies for latest configurations. Most recently, Hiper joined the “more than 600W” club, thanks to the announcement of the Type-M and Type-R models with a power of 730 W. A little time has passed since their appearance, but we managed to get these models for today's testing. In the CIS market, the Hiper manufacturer has always been famous for its sensitive attitude towards the buyer and reasonable prices for high-quality power supplies, often with additional circuitry and improved parameters. It is thanks to this that the Type-R 580W model is known to everyone who is at least a little interested in modding and follows products on the computer market. Traditionally, Hiper positions the Type M series as quality blocks for servers and workstations. And the Type R line is considered the senior line, and has a number of unique technologies, including modular “aviation” power cable connectors, a durable polished metal case, and fan lighting.

Hiper Type-M 730W (HPU-4M730-SU)

The box, on the sides of which all the characteristics are printed, repeats the shape of the power supply. The design is dominated by gray color.

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As you can see in the photo, the power supply housing is not something outstanding. However, appearances can be deceiving, as our readers already know from our previous review of powerful power supplies. Dimensions of the power supply: 180 x 150 x 85 (DxWxH in mm).

The first thought when looking at the sticker with the declared characteristics is another modification of the FSP Epsilon. The same 4 +12V lines with a current of up to 16A each, the same maximum loads of +3.3 and +5V. However, the weight and layout of the block already suggests that it is not related to FSP Group products. A look at the internal structure of the source completely dispels these thoughts.

HIPER, a manufacturer of high-quality power supplies and external batteries, presents an update to its popular line of power supplies, including the S / ST / V / M / K series. The new products are built on a new technical platform, which has increased the efficiency, stability and reliability of HIPER units.

A little about the company

The English manufacturer HIPER presented its solutions for the first time at Russian market in 2005, and today the company is a leader in the segment of portable power supplies (external batteries - Power bank). The product portfolio includes a wide range from low-capacity external batteries for charging smartphones to powerful portable batteries for charging laptops. However, the company's calling card is still power supplies. Stable high quality products based on innovative technologies and thoughtful solution design have become a recognized standard for reliability.

S/ST series - ideal price-quality ratio

The S/ST series provides an affordable solution focused on system integrators and collectors computer systems. Distinctive feature series is ideal value for money. The S and ST model range traditionally includes power supplies with powers of 400, 450 and 500 W. In addition to the revision of the technical platform, changes also affected cooling; now the power supply units have a 120 mm fan with a plain bearing of 1000-1800 rpm. The S-series unit has passive power factor correction, which reduces the load on electrical wiring and saves money when designing an electrical network in offices or large computer centers. Recommended cost of S/ST series from 1090 rubles.

Technical parameters of HIPER ST400

• Power 400 Watt
• Peak power 450 Watt
• OEM packaging
• Compliant with ATX 2.3 standards
• Number of lines 12V lines: 2x
• SATA 3x connectors
• IDE connectors (molex) 3x
• FDD connectors No
• Cable braid No
• Protection systems UVP, SCP, OPP, OVP
• Fan 12 cm, plain bearing 1000-1800 rpm.
• Input voltage 220-240 Volts
• PSU case silver
• Power supply dimensions 150x165x86 mm
• Weight 1.5 kg
• Warranty period 3 years
• Length network cable 1.2 m

M - series for gaming computers

HIPER M series power supplies are power supplies with increased efficiency and an attractive price. New models can be distinguished by the additional letter [n] (new) in the name. These power supplies are suitable for any gaming systems, because supports gaming PC configurations with NVIDIA video cards®SLI™ and AMD® CrossFireX™. Series power from 500 to 1000 W. The black matte block is equipped with a 120 or 140 mm (in older models) fan with a plain bearing 1000-1800 rpm, and transparent blades. Recommended cost of HIPER M series from 1890 rubles.

V – control and low noise at an affordable price

V Series power supplies feature a modular cabling system that optimizes space in system unit and air circulation improves. This innovation is reflected by the letter [c] (cable management system) in the model name. The V Series meets the 80PLUS Bronze standard, which confirms the efficiency of devices with an efficiency level of at least 81%. HIPER V power supplies include models with powers from 500 to 1000 W. Like the M series, the V models support multi-GPU gaming PC configurations. The design of the lineup remains unchanged: a matte black block with an orange-illuminated fan and transparent blades. Low level noise is provided by a 140 mm cooler with a plain bearing 1000-1800 rpm. Recommended cost of HIPER V series power supplies from 2390 rubles.

K – series with efficiency>88% in special packaging HIPER Toolbox

The flagship K series is designed specifically for demanding gaming computers. Powerful and incredibly quiet HIPER K series power supplies provide reliability and comfort during work or play. New models can be identified by an additional letter [g] (gold) in the name, indicating compliance with the 80 PLUS Gold standard. The HIPER K model range covers power supplies with powers from 700 to 1300 W. These units support gaming PC configurations with NVIDIA® SLI™ and AMD® CrossFireX™ ​​graphics cards. Modular system Cable management allows you to use only the cables you need. Gold-plated contacts prevent oxidation and extend the life of the device. The units are equipped with a modern 140 mm fan with a hydrodynamic bearing 1000-1800 rpm, transparent blades and blue backlight. This series is distinguished by its functional plastic packaging HIPER Toolbox in the form of a bright black and yellow container for tools, which can then be used for various purposes in the workshop or at home. Recommended cost of HIPER K series power supplies from 4790 rubles.

All new products are already available in computer supermarkets "YULMART", "CITYLINK", "NIX" and "DNS". Upon purchase, the devices are covered by a 3-year warranty from the manufacturer. Distributors: MERLION and ALLIANCE companies. For questions about testing new products, you can contact us by email: [email protected]

The next review is dedicated to the mid-class power supply from the Hiper brand. The 600 W M600 model is an entry-level mid-level power supply and is designed for installation in home or low-cost gaming computers.

As befits a power supply in a Retail delivery, the M600 is packaged in a high-quality box, but upon opening it, you realize that there are no foam inserts inside the box, and the unit itself is placed in a bag and sealed - you need to be more careful during transportation. On the other hand, most units come without any boxes at all.

Inside you will find the necessary kit for installing the power supply and connecting to the network: a 220 V cable, a set of screws for securing the unit to the case, a set of Velcro cable ties, as well as brief instructions.

From the outside, the unit looks like many other power supplies, which is not surprising - it complies with the ATX standard. However, the exterior of the unit's body is reminiscent of higher-end models, as evidenced by the black paint finish, large 14-cm fan with transparent blades and power cables covered with black nylon braid.

On the rear panel of the unit there are large holes for air outlets, among which are hidden the power switch and power plug.

The cooling fan occupies the entire bottom panel of the PSU case, so the air flow it creates well ventilates the internal space of the device.

The fan is also illuminated with red LEDs during operation. The backlight does not turn off.

The system's power cables are made non-removable, which now distinguishes inexpensive units from more powerful and expensive ones, but all cables are braided, unlike many budget units, where braiding is either absent or is present only on some of the cables.

The set of cables is sufficient to assemble a system with one video card in the mainstream segment, or with two budget video cards.

One power cable with 20+4 pin plug, 48 cm long

One 4+4 pin CPU power cable, 48 cm long

One video card power cable with two connectors 6 + 2 pins, 40 cm long

One cable with two SATA connectors, length 40 + 14 cm

· Two cables with two SATA and one Molex connectors, length 40 + 14 + 14 cm

· One cable with two Molex connectors and one Floppy connector, length 40 + 14 +14 cm

For a serious system, such a set will not be enough, but for an average home machine with one video card and even a decent set of drives, such a set may well be enough.

Inside

Having disassembled the unit, we will see a fairly ordinary picture, which was normal several years ago - the Hiper M600 is built according to the classical scheme with group voltage stabilization on magnetic amplifiers. Therefore, only two large radiators with developed fins are noticeable inside its body.

However, the difference, and a significant one, from the old units is the built-in active power factor corrector, which is now required to be stopped for all units with a power of more than 450 W. Its inductor is located under the shadow of a radiator with key transistors, which also cools the APFC power elements.

The power capacitor has a capacity of 390 µF at a voltage of 420 V and is manufactured by Teapo. The duty stabilizer is built on a TOP265EG PWM controller, which provides high efficiency, and the unit’s PWM controller is labeled PS223. The circuit design of the unit uses components with low current losses, which gives hope for a high efficiency factor of the power supply, despite the fact that the 80PLUS certificate is not declared by the manufacturer.

The main disadvantage of the Hiper M600, as a modern unit, can be called group voltage stabilization, while most competitors use separate stabilization, albeit on outdated and inefficient magnetic amplifiers. The disadvantage of group stabilization is the possibility of increasing the voltage on other buses if one of the buses has increased power consumption. Of course, in 99% of computers it is impossible to achieve such a consumption imbalance, but nevertheless, say, a test bench can do this, although it serves only for testing. In reality, you shouldn’t be afraid of group stabilization, but if the behavior of the power supply on your machine is critical for you and you need very stable power, then it’s better to look at a power supply with separate stabilization and better with resonant converters (many Seasonic models). There are enough filter capacitors (produced by Teapo, which has a positive reputation) at the output to create optimal voltage parameters; their number is within the ATX 2.2 standard (two capacitors for each line). The cooling fan is a quiet 140mm Fujian FJ1352512SH fan, also found in more expensive Hiper units.

By the way, the Hiper M600 unit is an OEM brainchild of the notorious Andyson company, with which, as it seemed to us, Hiper had stopped ties, and here it is again. The main complaints about Andyson blocks were disgusting soldering and poor quality assembly. However, in our case, even you yourself can see in the photo, the assembly is of quite high quality. And the soldering of the components was done at a high quality level - it seems that Hiper have tightened their quality control, which has led to an improvement in all parameters. In general, we had no complaints about the Hiper M600 regarding the quality of assembly, circuit design and soldering.

Characteristics

Testing

We conducted a small study of the unit's parameters at various loads, and also measured its efficiency at various load levels.

Based on the results of the study, we can safely recommend the Hiper M600 for purchase. It can withstand the declared power, fully complying with the ATX 2.2 standard for cross-load characteristics. However, compared to power supplies with separate voltage stabilization, it demonstrates less stability of voltages along the channels closer to the maximum bus load, but voltage deviations do not exceed 4% (according to the standard, 5% is allowed). The efficiency of the unit is equal to or greater than 80%, but for some reason there is no indication of compliance with the 80PLUS certificate. The noise level, as expected, was very low - the quiet fan does not accelerate to high speeds, and due to its high efficiency, the unit does not heat up more than 60 degrees, so it does not require powerful airflow. The Hiper M600 costs about 2,300 rubles, which is very inexpensive.

Hiper power supplies have participated in our reviews more than once with varying degrees of success: sometimes their results were excellent, and sometimes, on the contrary, they left much to be desired.

Since the units of this manufacturer have a fairly attractive price-power ratio, and model range recently replenished with a new series of “V” (“Victory”) units, we decided to test almost all power supplies currently available for sale under the Hiper brand - and, it should be noted, many surprises awaited us.

Since there was a lot of data for one material, we decided to split the review into two parts: two series of blocks in each. In the first part, we will publish the test results of the S and M series units that have been in production for quite some time (note that the M series has recently been replenished with 800 and 900 W units on an updated platform).

A little later, the test results of the V and K series units will be published.

Testing methodology

A description of the testing methodology, the equipment we use, as well as a brief explanation of what certain passport parameters or power supply parameters we measure mean in practice can be found at the following link: “Methodology for testing power supplies”. If you feel that you are not well versed in the numbers and terms that the article abounds in, please read the relevant sections of this description; we hope it will clarify many issues.

You can see the full list of models that have been in our laboratory by following the link "Catalogue of tested power supplies".

On the diagrams of the cross-load characteristics of the blocks, we will mark with crosses the real maximum power consumption of the three most powerful configurations of gaming computers that we tested in the material “Energy consumption of computers: so how many watts do you need?”, which allows you to evaluate how necessary or sufficient each power supply is for fairly typical modern computers.

Hiper Type S450 and S500

The S series is the most affordable Hiper power supplies, aimed primarily at assemblers of entry-level and mid-level ready-made systems. Unlike representatives of older series, these units are supplied in OEM packaging without fasteners, power cord or instructions included - only the power supply itself in a bag.

The power range of the units in this series is very modest - from 400 to 500 W. It was not possible to get the younger model for testing, so the tests were limited to a couple of older models with a declared power of 450 and 500 W.

Appearance

Although both units belong to the same series and differ only slightly in power, the external differences between them are quite noticeable.

It can be noted that the body of the S450 unit has cutouts in the area where the unit cover is attached and six vertical ventilation holes on the cable output side.

The cover of the S500 model is fixed with a single strip of metal, there are only four ventilation holes on the cable output side, and at first glance it is noticeable that the fan model is also different (the fans, however, are not backlit in both models, unlike units of more expensive series).

What makes this discrepancy especially piquant is the fact that, judging by the photo on the manufacturer’s website, all S series units have the same body design - but at the same time different from both units reviewed today.

The metal body of both units is very thin - without the traditional budget models There were no savings on this. However, all cables are wrapped in nylon braid, which is rare for representatives of this price category.

From the rear wall, the differences are not noticeable: both units have a traditional honeycomb ventilation grille, a “Full Range” sticker, which clearly hints at the presence of an active PFC, and a power off button.

Circuit design

The internal structure of the units in this series differs from those S series models that appeared on the market a little over a year ago, although the specifications and set of cables and connectors are fully consistent with previous models made on the Andyson platform.

A number of characteristic elements internal structure allowed us to find the true manufacturer of the current Hiper S series units: this is the company Solytech. On the platforms of this manufacturer, in particular, PowerColor power supplies and a number of models from other manufacturers that are not represented on the domestic market are produced.

The design of both units “under the cover”, in contrast to their bodies, is almost absolutely identical.

In general, we have before us an unremarkable design with group voltage stabilization and active correction of the power factor in modern times.

Near the network cable connector you can see an input filter with a smoothing choke and a fuse located on a separate board.

The PWM controller and the main stabilizer are implemented using the Champion Micro CM6800G chip - a fairly common solution in units from many manufacturers.

The Silicon Touch PS223 chip is responsible for voltage monitoring and protection - also a very common option among many power supply manufacturers.

All applied in the block electrolytic capacitors manufactured by a previously unknown Chinese company YC (Yang-Chun).

Only the characteristic, but unknown to us, emblem catches the eye, while there is no text designation of the manufacturer on the capacitors. The search for a capacitor manufacturer turned out to be difficult and ended successfully only by pure chance.

Reviews of these capacitors range from “certainly not Rubycon, but generally decent” to “swollen after a very short period of use.” In general, it is not impressive, but this is quite expected from a manufacturer that you have to search for for long hours.

Cables and connectors

The Hiper S450 unit is equipped with the following cables and connectors:

power cable motherboard with 20+4-pin connector, length 49 cm;
CPU power cable with 4-pin connector, 50 cm long;
a cable with two power connectors for SATA hard drives and a power connector for a PATA hard drive, 55+15+15 cm long;
a cable with a power connector for a SATA hard drive, two power connectors for PATA hard drives and a power connector for a disk drive, 48+15+15+15 cm long;

The cable system of the S500 unit differs only in the presence of a cable with a 6-pin video card power connector 50 cm long.

All wires are wrapped in nylon braiding, which is not very typical for power supplies of such a modest price level.

In the range of connectors, you can find fault with the lack of a video card power connector (in the S450 model), only a 4-pin processor power connector and a relatively small number of SATA connectors (separated, however, into two cables, which allows you to easily connect optical drive and a couple of hard drives, which is usually enough for inexpensive systems, for which these units are designed).

Passport parameters

The declared characteristics of the blocks are not very impressive: 18.5 W each from what is stated in the title maximum power they are allocated for auxiliary voltages: -12 V and standby power supply +5 V. But even against this background, the power along the most popular +12 V line is very modest for both units.

The peak load for the S450 and S500 units is stated at 500 and 550 W, respectively - i.e. 50 W higher than the full long-term power of the unit.

The units in this series do not have 80 PLUS certification.

Working in tandem with a UPS

Paired with an APC SmartUPS SC 620 UPS, both units worked with a load of up to 370-380 W from the network, but none of them managed to switch to batteries even with a load of 280 W.

The picture demonstrated by the S450 block is quite typical for blocks with group voltage stabilization, with the exception of the +5 V voltage that drops strongly and quickly with increasing load.

Due to the rapid drop in this voltage with increasing load, the total power of the +5 V and +3.3 V lines, at which the deviations fall within the 5% allowed by the standard, does not exceed 90 W - i.e. almost half the level declared by the manufacturer.

However, taking into account typical energy consumption modern systems, even this level with a good margin will be enough for any configuration that this block is capable of supporting.

The S500 unit showed similar results. The differences largely boil down to the greater power that the +5 V and +3.3 V voltages “pulled” (although the nameplate 150 W still remained an unattainable dream) and higher deviations along the +12 V line under moderate loads.

Note that both units demonstrated unstable operation at zero loads at any voltage.



The pattern of output voltage ripples turned out to be similar for both tested units.

On high frequency There is a relatively small range of ripples (with the exception of the +12 V voltage), but with periodic narrow bursts across all voltages, far beyond the deviations allowed by the standard.

A very similar picture is observed at double the frequency of the power supply: ripples are most pronounced on the +12 V line, and narrow voltage spikes periodically go far beyond what is permitted.

It is unlikely that the presence of such narrow, but high, splashes can affect the unit’s ability to provide power to the system, but we cannot exclude the appearance, for example, of unnecessary interference in the audio path for this reason.

Temperature and noise

As already noted during the external inspection, the blocks are cooled by various fans.

The S450 unit is cooled by a seven-blade 120mm fan manufactured by Shenzhen Xin Wang Xin Electronics. The passport parameters of the used fan (model index XWX1225M12S) could not be found.

A significant part of the impeller is closed transparent screen to optimize air flow.

A linear increase in speed begins almost immediately after the start, and maximum speed (slightly below 1600 rpm) is reached when approaching the 400 W power mark.

The starting speed of the fan is low and amounts to 850 rpm, but due to the increase in rotation speed immediately after the start, the limit of conditional comfort of 1000 rpm is crossed even before the power reaches 150 W.

However, despite the “namelessness”, the fan demonstrates fairly quiet operation without mechanical overtones and begins to really irritate only at a rotation speed of more than 1200 rpm - i.e. only when the load on the block is more than 50% of full power.

The most powerful block of the Hiper S series is cooled by a fan from a manufacturer familiar to us: Globe Fan (model index S1202512M, nameplate speed 2400 rpm). Like the fan in the unit one step below, it has a diameter of 120 mm, seven blades and a large screen area to optimize air flow.

At first glance, the speed graph looks “more correct” than that of the S450 model (a fairly long constant speed mode and then a linear increase in the impeller rotation speed), but the matter is spoiled by high initial speeds - in order to hear a 12 cm fan rotating at a speed of 1200 rpm, you do not need to have an ear for music.

The fan speed begins to increase after reaching a load on the unit of 150 W and at full power it approaches 2200 rpm.

As a result, the noise level of the S450 unit can be assessed as average, while the more powerful model is downright loud.

Efficiency and power factor

The indicators of both blocks turned out to be expectedly close.

At typical capacities (20%, 50% and 100% of the block power), we recorded the following efficiency values ​​of the Hiper S450 block: 80.8%, 82.7%, 80.3%. This meets the requirements for basic 80 PLUS certification (which, remember, these units do not have). The unit's peak efficiency was 83.6% at 246 W.

The efficiency of the S500 unit under similar conditions turned out to be slightly higher: at 20%, 50% and 100% of the unit’s power, it showed an efficiency of 82.3%, 84% and 81%. This result is already close to the requirements of 80 PLUS Bronze (82%, 85%, 82%). Peak efficiency was 84.3% at 304 W.

The power factor value under high load is between 98% and 99% - a good, but not ideal, result.

Duty source

The voltage graph of the standby power supply is almost the same for both tested units:

The “duty room” copes with its tasks quite well, and deviations do not even reach 3% of the nominal value.

Results

The characteristics of the Hiper S series units can hardly be called outstanding, but there is no truly dangerous crime in their work either: the only things that are somewhat confusing are the dubious quality of the capacitors and bursts of pulsation. However, at around $40, there are few alternatives that offer active power factor correction and braided cables.

Hiper Type M500, M600 and M700

We are already familiar with the Hiper M600 block from an earlier release. But since then, at least the packaging and color of the fan illumination have changed - perhaps there are more serious changes?

M Series units are now supplied in moderately sized white cardboard boxes equipped with carrying handles.

Models in this series have a “power step” between neighboring representatives of 50 W, but we took only units with “round” power values, multiples of a hundred watts - we think this is quite enough to evaluate the capabilities of power supplies in this line.

On the sides of the boxes there is information about the passport parameters of the blocks and the connectors available on them (on one side) and the main distinctive features of the blocks (on the other side).

The delivery set has become somewhat more modest in comparison with the blocks of earlier releases: now only one set of fasteners is included (knurled screws and printed instructions on coated paper have fallen victim to economy). But it still contained the power cord and four reusable Velcro ties.

Appearance

In comparison with the block of an earlier release that we are already familiar with, the difference in appearance is minimal.

The case has changed slightly: the updated model has small stampings in the corners for a tighter fixation of the lid. In addition, the location of the quality control stickers and the protective sticker has changed.

On the back side, the area of ​​the ventilation grille was slightly reduced and a “Full Range” sticker was added.

But the most obvious and noticeable change in appearance is visible only when the unit is running: the previous red backlight has given way to purple.

Circuit design

Unlike the S series blocks, which are different on the outside but identical on the inside, the M series blocks are externally indistinguishable, but the difference in content between them is also not easy to find.

It is easy to notice that the junior Hiper M500 is completely no different in internal structure from the units of the initial S series discussed above.

Accordingly, as for the S series blocks, the true manufacturer of the platform is Solytech, although all the passport parameters are also taken from the “old” Andyson blocks.

The M600 unit is also very close in design - the only difference that catches your eye is the appearance of a miniature third radiator in the lower left part.

The M700 block is practically no different from the M600 - the arrangement of all elements is similar.

The change of platform turned out to be somewhat unexpected, but in general the circuit design of the “new” M series units is similar in functionality to the old ones: active power factor correction and group voltage stabilization.

Like the units of the younger S series, the PWM controller is represented by a CM6800G chip, and the supervisor is represented by a PS223 chip.

Capacitors, as in the S series units, are represented by YC products, which is not very encouraging.

Cables and connectors

All units of the series are equipped with the following cables and connectors:

motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 46 cm long;
processor power cable with 4+4-pin connector, 47 cm long;
a video card power cable with two 6+2-pin connectors, 45+15 cm long;
a cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and a power connector for a disk drive, 45+15+15 cm long;
two cables with two power connectors for SATA hard drives and a power connector for PATA hard drive, length 46+15+15cm;
a cable with two power connectors for SATA hard drives, 46+15 cm long.

It can be noted that the lengths of the cables indicated on the packaging (50 cm each for the power cables of the motherboard and processor and 40 cm each to the first connector for the remaining cables) are in reality practically equal: they all have a length of 45-47 cm to the first connector. For a processor power cable, this length is clearly not enough for a hidden connection with a cable passing under the motherboard platform in cases with a bottom-mounted power supply.

The set of connectors can be called quite decent, and the presence of connectors different types on cables it turns out to be very convenient to use. The only thing we can find fault with is the presence of only two video card power connectors on the most powerful unit: although its power along the +12 V line is not outstanding, it is quite capable of handling a couple of not the most power-hungry video cards with two power connectors on each in a combination of SLI or CrossFire .

Passport parameters

The parameters of the blocks declared by the manufacturer are not very impressive due to the low permissible load on the most popular +12 V line: none of the blocks reaches 80% of the total power (and even if we exclude 18.5 W from the declared total power, strictly allocated for auxiliary voltages).

Like the S series models, all units in the series have a permissible peak load that is 50 W higher than the power stated on the label.

The units do not have 80 PLUS certification, and the manufacturer promises only an efficiency of at least 75%.

Note that the declared characteristics of the units have not changed in comparison with power supplies of previous releases, despite the change in the platform manufacturer. It is difficult to say what caused this decision by Hiper - after all, it is obvious that the representatives have complete identical characteristics different platforms and there clearly cannot be different manufacturers.

The obvious version that such a move is caused by the desire to maintain continuity and prevent confusion is not suitable: looking ahead a little, we note that the Hiper blocks of the fresh V series are based precisely on the previous Andyson platform. Accordingly, it would be most logical to continue to release the previous M series without changes on the old platform (since it remained relevant for Hiper), and to allocate units on the platform of another manufacturer to the new V series with their true, and not “compatible”, characteristics. However, looking ahead once again, I note that no fundamental difference between these Andyson and Solytech platforms was revealed during the tests - except that the former feel somewhat more confident under zero loads, while the latter have more efficient A-PFC operation.

Working in tandem with a UPS

Paired with the APC SmartUPS SC 620 UPS, the units, like their S series companions, operated with a load of up to 370-385 W from the network, but the transition to batteries could not be accomplished even with a load of 280 W.

Output voltage stability

The cross-load characteristics of the M500 block are practically the same as those of the S500 block, with the exception of a slightly higher permissible load on the +3.3 V and +5 V lines before the deviations cross the five percent line. Nothing surprising: same platform, same power...

The parameters of the 600-watt unit are almost the same, with the exception of greater demands on the minimum load on the +5 V line: if the previously discussed units operated with a load along it of 1A, then on the M600 model it was necessary to set the minimum current to 2A for reliable operation in all modes .

A minimum load of 2A on the +5 V line for stable operation is not very decent in itself, but the M700 unit required even more! At the same time, the permissible load on voltages +5 V and +3.3 V turned out to be lower than that of other units in the series (albeit with a sufficient margin relative to the actual load on these lines in modern systems).

As with the Hiper S series units, the result can be called acceptable, but nothing more. The increased requirements of higher units for the load along the +5 V line can be safely considered as obvious disadvantages.

Output voltage ripple

The nature of the pulsations of the blocks turned out to be similar both among themselves and in comparison with the S series models.

At both low and high frequencies, the overall voltage ripple range is within the standard requirements, but numerous narrow voltage spikes are outside the permitted tolerances.

Temperature and noise

In all three blocks, cooling is provided by the same fans: nine-bladed 140 mm transparent fans manufactured by Globe Fan (model index RL4P S1402512HH, rated rotation speed 1800 rpm). As we have already mentioned, the fans of the power supplies in this series are equipped with purple lighting.

The M500 and M600 units turned out to be quite quiet in operation: the only thing we can complain about is the relatively high starting speed of their fans, approaching 1000 rpm. To reach full power, the fan of the M600 unit approached the 1500 rpm mark, and the M500 unit was even a little quieter.

The fan of the M700 unit showed lower speeds at low loads, but higher speeds at high loads (however, when approaching the 1600 rpm mark, the growth of the impeller rotation speed slowed down), but it was not possible to complete the measurements. After 12 minutes of operation at full power, the unit quietly turned off and refused to turn on again forever and flatly. No visible damage was found inside the unit.

In general, up to about half load, the operation of the units does not cause obvious acoustic discomfort, and at full power the fan volume is lower than that of many analogues. However, we cannot recommend them to those who like maximum silence - the initial speed of the fans is too high.

Efficiency and power factor

The block indicators turned out to be expectedly close.

At typical capacities (20%, 50% and 100% of the unit’s power), we recorded the following efficiency values ​​of the Hiper M500 unit: 81.5%, 83.5%, 81.6%. This meets the requirements for basic 80 PLUS certification (which the Hiper M Series units do not have). The unit's peak efficiency was 84% ​​at 260 W.

The efficiency of the M600 unit under similar conditions turned out to be slightly higher, with the exception of those close to maximum loads: at 20%, 50% and 100% of the unit’s power, it showed an efficiency of 84.5%, 84.8% and 80.6%. Peak efficiency was 85.3% at 278 W.

The efficiency of the M700 unit was slightly inferior to the M600 model: at 20%, 50% and 100% of the unit’s power, it showed an efficiency of 83.7%, 84.4% and 79.1% - i.e. in terms of efficiency full load the unit did not meet the requirements of the basic 80 PLUS certification (however, we recall that it was not obliged to - the manufacturer promised efficiency only above 75%). Peak efficiency was 85.2% in the power range from 282 to 322 W.

The power factor value under high load is between 98% and 99% - a result similar to the S series units.

Duty source

The “duty room” parameters of all three blocks are expectedly the same not only in theory, but also in practice:

The standby power supply does its job without any problems, deviating very slightly from the nominal value.

Results

By and large, the difference between these units and the S series models is minimal: the junior model of the M series - M500 - generally differs from the S500 only in the case, fan and more advanced cable system with the same filling and electrical parameters. But older models begin to suffer when there is a shortage of power along the +5 V line, and the most powerful one even deigned to die, although we did not require anything higher than its rated characteristics during testing and did not test even at the peak power declared by the manufacturer.

Hiper Type M800 and M900

Although these units belong to the M series, three representatives of which were discussed above, and the packaging and configuration do not differ, it immediately became obvious that this pair of units should be considered separately.

A couple of the oldest and newest (about them at the time of preparation of the material there was no mention even on the manufacturer’s website) the M series blocks are clearly cut from a different cloth. They are much heavier than their younger brothers. They are clearly different in design, which is noticeable at first glance through the transparent fan blades inward.

How fundamental are these differences? Let's try to find out.

Appearance

Externally, the older Hiper units of the M series are no different from their lower-power counterparts - with the exception, of course, of the internal filling visible through the cutout in the housing.

Circuit design

As in the case of the Hiper blocks discussed earlier in the review, their real manufacturer is not Andyson, familiar from previous acquaintance with Hiper blocks, but Solytech - but on a different platform. For example, the PowerColor Extreme 850W power supply is built on a similar platform (only with a modular design).

The internals of the 800 and 900 W models are practically the same.

It is worth noting that when studying the internal structure, we were unable to detect either the third voltage stabilizer choke on magnetic amplifiers, or, moreover, DC-DC converters, which is surprising against the backdrop of the voltage stability results demonstrated by the units on this platform.

If such results were achieved with group stabilization, all that remains is to take off our hats to the designers of this block.

The active PFC choke, half-covered by an L-shaped radiator, is impressive in its dimensions.

The composition of the control chips has undergone some changes:

The PWM controller remained on the CM6800G chip, as on the blocks discussed above.

But the functions of the supervisor were taken over by a newer and more advanced PS232S microcircuit.

As you can see in the photographs, the blocks use the same YC capacitors, which do not inspire much confidence, as on the Hiper blocks discussed above.

Cables and connectors

Both of the most powerful Hiper M series units are equipped with the same set of cables and connectors:

motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 52 cm long;
processor power cable with 4+4-pin connector, 53 cm long;
two video card power cables with two 6+2-pin connectors on each, 55+10 cm long;
a cable with four power connectors for PATA hard drives and a power connector for a disk drive, length 51+15+15+15+15 cm;
two cables with four power connectors for SATA hard drives on each, 50+15+15+15 cm long;

The range of connectors available on the Hiper M800 and M900 units is quite sufficient, but their arrangement can hardly be called optimal. For example, if you need to connect an optical drive, it will be difficult to use three other SATA power connectors on the same cable.

In addition, as on the units discussed above, the processor power cable is frankly not long enough.

Finally, with such power, one might think about a third pair of power connectors for PCI-E video cards - a 3-way SLI configuration with not the most power-hungry video cards is, in principle, quite capable for such units.

Passport parameters

It seems that the curse of the previously familiar Hiper blocks - low power along the +12 V line relative to the total permissible load - is a thing of the past. A couple of the latest M series units are ready to deliver all their power to the last watt at a given voltage.

However, it is worth noting that the peak power has also shrunk to the numbers printed on the label, and the +12 V voltage is divided into five virtual lines with a very moderate load on each individual one.

The very high declared power of the standby power source is also eye-catching: up to 4 A load versus the usual 2.5-3 A.

As with the rest of the M series, there is no evidence of 80 PLUS certification on the devices or their packaging.

Working in tandem with a UPS

Paired with the APC SmartUPS SC 620 UPS, the M800 unit worked with a load of up to 388 W from the network, but the transition to batteries was possible with a load of no more than 295 W - in this regard, the unit on a newer platform compares favorably with the other models considered, which are actually incompatible with UPS.

However, it was not possible to confirm this success with the results of the M900 unit: before this test, like the M700 model, it passed into another world after prolonged operation at full power. However, the results of measurements of most of its parameters had already been obtained by that time.

Output voltage stability

The picture of the voltage stability of the M800 block is simply pleasing to the eye: one can only find fault with the already familiar, not ideal stability at zero loads. All voltages fall within 3% deviations from the nominal value, and in the vast range of loads they do not exceed 2%.

The more powerful unit performed only slightly worse: at high loads across all voltages, deviations along the +5 V line entered the “four percent” zone.

Output voltage ripple

The M900 unit did not pass this test, along with working in tandem with a UPS, due to failure, so you will only have to rely on the performance of the M800 model.

There are no fundamental differences from the indicators of the blocks discussed above: the overall range of pulsations falls within the framework of the standard, but individual peaks go far beyond its limitations.

Among other nuances, it can be noted that at high frequencies, voltage ripples of +3.3 V were most pronounced, and at double the power supply frequency, voltage ripples of +12 V were most pronounced.

Temperature and noise

The M800 and M900 units are cooled by exactly the same fan as the younger models of the M series, equipped with exactly the same purple backlight, so we will not repeat ourselves in the descriptions.

Unfortunately, in terms of the efficiency of speed control, these units turned out to be generally even worse than their less powerful brothers in the series: even higher starting speeds of the fans, the increase in speed starts from minimum power, and the heating of the air passing through the unit turns out to be much more significant.

Yes, at full power these units are no louder than their younger counterparts, but they begin to cause obvious discomfort at a slightly higher absolute load. But even without that, they do not have a fairly conventional silence in the system idle mode as a class.

We also note that the defunct M900 unit clearly squeaked at low loads. Perhaps this sound was a symptom of a manufacturing defect, which brought the unit to a sad end during prolonged operation at full power: after almost working for the required half hour at maximum load, the unit turned off forever. But it is just as likely that the cause of the failure was simple overheating (the difference in the temperature of the incoming and outgoing air is over 20 ° C - this is no joke!). Third version: they simply tried to extract power from the block for which it was not designed ( printed circuit board both units are marked SL-850EPS, which suggests that the power of 900 W is already an amateur performance).

Later, when I tried to turn it on, the unit responded only with a loud squeak from inside, and only the standby power supplied current.

Efficiency and power factor

At typical capacities (20%, 50% and 100% of the unit’s power), we recorded the following efficiency values ​​of the Hiper M800 unit: 81.3%, 85.5%, 82.7%. This efficiency falls short of the 80 PLUS bronze certification only for efficiency at 20% load. Peak efficiency of the unit reached 85.6% at power levels of 332 W and 413 W.

The M900 unit under the same conditions (20%, 50% and 100% of unit power) showed the following efficiency values: 82%, 85.9%, 81.6% - also almost “bronze” de facto in the absence of even basic certification 80 PLUS de jure. The peak efficiency of the unit was recorded at a power of 343 W and amounted to 86.3%.

The power factor under load remains above 99%, which is an excellent indicator.

Duty source

With the declared permissible load on the standby power supply, Hiper clearly went overboard: in the M800 unit, the voltage of the standby power supply drops rapidly after reaching a load of 3 A.

The “duty room” of the more powerful unit lasted a little longer before the voltage collapse, but still was unable to deliver the load declared by the manufacturer.

In principle, this can hardly be called a critical drawback - the standby power supply can withstand the typical loads for a power supply of this class. But why then was it necessary to declare frankly inflated parameters at all?

Results

Compared to the less powerful models of the M series, the electrical parameters of the M800 and M900 units look much more attractive: excellent voltage stability across the entire load range, good efficiency, somewhat less complaints about voltage ripple surges.

But the units get quite hot (especially the M900), despite the fairly high starting fan speeds, the increase in the impeller rotation speed from the lowest load, and quite decent efficiency. In addition, the capacitors used in these units are just as questionable as in cheaper models, and regarding the M900 unit there are suspicions about overestimating the power above the design for the platform.