Test – Cooler Master V550: Specs | Price | CPU | Profitability | Hashrate | best Coins | Config | Advantage (Pros) and Disadvantages (Cons) and other important features that will help you make better decision.
We are back at Cooler Master today after keyboards, mice and other mouse pads for another type of product, a power supply! Cooler Master has recently offered an update of its V series with fully modular, compact models, 100% equipped with Japanese capacitors, featuring a Silencio FP fan, 80Plus Gold certification and all accompanied by a 5 year warranty. The V series includes 6 models ranging from 550 to 1200 Watts for a price of 120 € to 289.90 €, only the 1200 Watts model is a little apart because it has an 80Plus Platinum certification. The model tested today is the V550, therefore the smallest but which will suffice for 99% of the “gamers” configurations on the market, let’s see what the beast has in its belly!
The front of the box is rather sober, we find the logo of the brand, the model of the product, a photo as well as a listing of the main strengths of the power supply, namely 100% Japanese capacitors, a guarantee of 5 years, the Silencio FP fan and 80Plus Gold certification. It’s nice not to see pompous marketing!
At the rear there is a listing of the available connectors as well as 2 graphs representing the fan RPMs according to the load and the energy efficiency of the power supply.
On the side of the tables are present, one for the power distribution (we can also see that the single 12V rail can provide 540 Watts, which is almost all of the power for which the power supply is sold, the less for a top-of-the-range product!) and another with the complete technical characteristics of the beast (dimensions, fan, protections, connectors, etc.).
When opening the box we find the manual placed on a thick foam to protect the block, which is in its small case stamped with the logo of the brand. On the right a bag is present containing the modular cables.
The bundle consists of:
- 1 Cooler Master V550 power supply
- 4 fixing screws
- A handful of cable ties
- 1 power cord
- Modular cables
- 1 manual
Cooler Master therefore offers a complete bundle, with everything you need to plug in the beast, no frills here, it is a power supply after all 😉
Here is the beast! The least we can say is that the build quality is present. The block offers excellent quality black paint, and sobriety is essential. Let’s take a closer look at all of this.
We can not say that Cooler Master is in excess here, everything is really very sober and of very good quality. A logo (which is not glued straight though) in the center, a honeycomb grid and a gray square around it to give a little stylish look.
Un autocollant recouvre la quasi totalité de la face opposée au ventilateur, on y trouve bien entendu la marque, le modèle, la certification 80Plus Gold ainsi qu’un tableau de la répartition de la puissance et les logos d’usage.
Sur les côtés rien qui ne sorte de l’ordinaire, le logo de la marque et le modèle sont imprimés, à noter que peu importe le sens d’installation dans un boitier le côté exposé à une éventuelle fenêtre ne sera pas inversé!
A l’arrière une large grille en nid d’abeille est chargée de l’évacuation de la chaleur, rien qui ne sorte de l’ordinaire ici.
Total modularity requires that we only find connectors here, 2 for the 24-pin cable, 4 for PCIe / CPU (of which only 2 will be used simultaneously) as well as 4 others for Sata / Molex peripherals. I imagine that the connection must be identical for all models up to 750 Watts included given the number of PCIe slots available in these powers.
The interior is designed by Enhance, an OEM capable of excellent power supplies, we have the proof here with a very well made PCB, the solders are excellent and the capacitors 100% Japanese, there is really nothing to say about it. the internal quality of the product.
The fan is a Silencio FP 12 cm from the brand (model A12025-25RB-2IN-F1), operating at a maximum of 2500 RPM for a given sound level of 29.7 dB, the fan will however not run at this speed for the good of our ears, but if the need arises it is clear that there will be the possibility of ventilating the food well.
Modular cables
Hashrate – Cooler Master V550
| Cooler Master V550 | |
|---|---|
| 24-pin | 55 cm |
| 4 + 4-pin (Processor) | 60 cm |
| 8-pin (6 + 2) PCIe + 8-pin (6 + 2) PCIe | 50 + 12 cm |
| Sata + Sata + Sata | 45 + 12 + 12 cm |
| Sata + Sata + Sata | 45 + 12 + 12 cm |
| Molex + Molex + Molex + FDD | 45 + 12 + 12 + 12cm |
The number of connectors of the V550 is largely sufficient for almost the majority of mono-GPU configurations on the market, in addition to the eternal 24-pin connectors, 4 + 4-pin CPU and the 2 PCIe 6 + 2-pin connectors there are also 3 cables responsible for supplying a total of 6 Sata peripherals and 3 Molex peripherals plus a small connector for a floppy drive.
All the cables are of a reasonable length and will be able to adapt to a large tower logically without problems, 55cm for the 24-pin, 60cm for the 4 + 4-pin as well as 50 + 12cm for the PCIe, a few centimeters more wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
The cables are all flat, flexible and the build quality is really very good.
Specification: Cooler Master V550
| Cooler Master V550 | |
|---|---|
| Power | 540 Watts for + 12V 100 Watts for + 3.3V and +5 V combined 12.5 Watts on + 5Vsb 3.6 Watts on -12V |
| Certification |  |
| Maximum yield | 90% / 92% / 89% at 20% / 50% / 100% load |
| Fan | Cooler Master 120mm Silencio FP |
| Sound level | Not disclosed |
| Modular | Yes 100% |
| Protections | OCP, OVP, UVP, SCP, OPP, OTP |
| Number of 12v rails | 1 of 45A |
| Dimensions | 140 x 150 x 86 mm |
| Format | ATX |
| Weight | ~ 1.4 kg without cables |
| MTBF | > 100,000 hours |
| Capacitors | 100% Japanese |
| Guarantee | 5 years |
| Price | ~ 120 € |
The Cooler Master V550 does not lie about the power delivered with a single 12V rail capable of delivering 540 Watts (almost all of the power for which it is sold), the 3.3V and 5V combined are capable of delivering 100 Watts, as much to say that this will be enough for 99% of the configurations “gamers” of the market, no offense to these gentlemen who would make buy 750 Watts to everyone!
80Plus Gold certification as I said with a maximum efficiency of 92% at 50% load, this will clearly help the power supply to release the minimum heat and therefore the need for cooling will also be less, which is always good for the nuisances sound. Speaking of the need for cooling, it will be provided by the Silencio FP of the brand, 120mm equipped with a “Loop Dymanic Bearing” (LDB) bearing specially designed to have a long life and a lower noise level than rolling fans. ball.
The dimensions are an asset of the V550, indeed with a depth of only 14 cm it will be a choice perfectly suited to a narrow mini ITX case (like the Node 304 from dear Fractal Design for example). In terms of weight we are average for this type of product with 1.4kg (not counting cables), nothing out of the ordinary.
Offered at a price of around 120 € it is perhaps a bit expensive for a 550 Watts model but Cooler Master has given it a 5 year warranty as well as 100% Japanese capacitors and an MTBF of 100,000 hours, which should ensure a certain hold over time.
The test platform
The Cooler Master V550 power supply has been tested on the configuration below:
- Processor : Intel Core i7 875K @ 3.2 Ghz
- Motherboard : Asus P7P55D
- Memory : Kingston HyperX 4 x 2 GB 1600Mhz
- Hard Drive: WD Raptor 150 GB
- Graphics card : Sapphire Toxic 5850
The test protocol
The core i7 875K has been slightly overclocked to 3.2Ghz. The load readings were taken at the outlet during an OCCT Power Supply test, the idle readings were taken after 15mins on the desk.
The power supply has been tested against:
- Antec Edge 650 (tested here)
- be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850 (tested here)
- be quiet! E9 580CM (tested here)
- be quiet! L8 Pure Power 500 (tested here)
- be quiet! Straight Power 10 500 CM (tested here)
- Corsair CS450M (tested here)
- Corsair RM550x (tested here)
- Corsair RM750i (tested here)
- Cyonix Au-650X (tested here)
- FSP Aurum S 500 (tested here)
- FSP Hyper M 500 (tested here)
- Seasonic S12 600 (from 2006)
- Seasonic G550 (tested here)
- Seasonic X650 (v1 of 2010)
- Seasonic X650 KM3 (tested here)
- Seasonic P660 (tested here)
- Seasonic Platinum 460FL (tested here)
- Seasonic Snow Silent 750 (tested here)
- Silverstone NightJar 520 (tested here)
- Silverstone SX500-LG (tested here)
- Silverstone SFX SX600-G (tested here)
- Silverstone Strider Essential 600 (tested here)
- Silverstone Strider Plus 600 (tested here)
- Silverstone Strider S 1500 (tested here)
- Silverstone SX-600 G (tested here)
- XFX TS-550 Bronze (tested here)
- XFX XTR 550 (tested here)
The consumption
Before starting, let’s take a look at the performance of the power supplies compared to the Cooler Master V550, indeed the different 80Plus certifications will directly influence the consumption, so this will be a good way to have concrete results. Only the S12 600 (this did not yet exist at the time of purchase (but the following versions of this power supply had the classic 80Plus certification, so 80% / 80% / 80% at respectively 20% / 50% / 100% of load)) and FSP Hyper M 500 do not have 80Plus certification.
No worries about consumption as we can see, the Cooler Master V550 fits very well into the list of 80Plus Gold power supplies in the comparison. With 76 Watts at rest for 347 Watts under load, there really is no need to worry about the efficiency of the beast! However, and like many power supplies tested in the comparison, it is not pushed to its limits but it perfectly represents what a current high-end gamer configuration consumes.
Note that the consumption was noted at the outlet and for the complete configuration , in load for example and on the 351 Watts “drawn” at the outlet the components only consume approximately 324 Watts of the 550 Watts available.
The tensions
Suffice to say that stability is essential here, indeed the 3.3V goes from 3.31V at rest to 3.30V in charge, the 5V from 5V to 4.99V and the 12V from 12.22V to 12.21V there is really strictly nothing to say or fear about the stability of the V550!
For the moment the Cooler Master V550 does not disappoint, far from it! There is only one point left to focus on, noise pollution! These gentlemen have thought of the little ears of potential customers with their Silencio FP (tested here), so it should only be a walk in the park, but without further ado let’s see it!
Noise pollution
Warning: Part to be taken with a grain of salt, unfortunately not having access to the appropriate equipment and using an android application to take the readings the measurements below are only indicative! The readings were taken 15cm from the feed.
The result has fallen, the silence is very present! Indeed at rest the power supply does not raise the sound level and everything remains at 31 dB, once in charge it is difficult to climb to 32 dB, which is, we can say, quite silent and it will not be done in no case hear over other PC components.
The fan emits no extraneous noise (motor, buzzing, sizzling) and is completely silent. The power supply itself also does not present any parasitic noise, no “Coil Whine” to report, and it is very good for all those who are sensitive to this kind of noise (like me for example!).
Here we are at the end of this test, what to say about the Cooler V550?
As much to say it right away Cooler Master signs here a very nice success, indeed the finish is excellent, the unit is very compact and will come to be easily installed in a mini ITX box, the cables are completely modular, the energy efficiency excellent and silence is very clear!
In addition to that Cooler Master equips its new V with 100% Japanese capacitors, a guarantee of quality, proof of this is the 5-year warranty that accompanies the animals. Offered at a price of around 120 €, it is 10 € more expensive than the excellent Corsair RM550x (tested here) which offers the same services but is 2 cm longer than the V550, so I declare a tie here! There is no doubt that the Cooler Master V550 will be a perfect starting point for a gamer configuration whether ATX or mini ITX!
Advantages
- Silence
- Stability
- Build quality
- 100% Japanese capacitors
- Compact
- 5 year warranty
A big thank you to Vincent from Cooler Master who allowed me to do this test.
Where to find the Cooler Master V series?
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