The Cooler Master V850SFX Power Supply is a small but powerful option for modern computer setups offering Cooler Master’s own take on small form PSU’s. Many desktops are built smaller nowadays, rather than the older times where bigger cases stole the show. Now, it’s all about minimalism and style, so it’s important to have a PSU that can handle all your components, at any size. If you are a Cooler Master junkie, or power hungry, you might have to buy this PSU, but it might be more than what you need.
Style / Feel / Build / Hardware
The V850SFX PSU, sized normally for market standards, provides less room for your hands to install cables due to how close the ports are together. The construction of the internal Japanese capacitors, and unique fan and cooling systems (see product specs for more details) inside must leave less spacing externally. I would rather have a bit more room for my hands, as competitors in this space seem to pull it off.
Cable clip locks were a bit unsatisfying, lacking an audible click (most of the time) to know that it is seated properly. I consistently unplugged and replugged power cables into the V850 SFX itself during the build process due to uncertainty. Not to mention, these cables were exceptionally a pain to remove as well, so just be aware of this when committing to seating cables and hardware.
The Cooler Master V850 is notably heavier than other SFX PSUs out there at around 3 pounds, which although can be less qualifying for a smaller, lighter build, we can expect higher quality materials which hopefully manage heat better. It is a toss up being I’m not an engineer, but usually a little weight doesn’t hurt, bringing about a placebo of premium. Too light, too plasticy.
The power supply unit (PSU) looks plain and uninteresting if you can’t see the fan and logo side. It’s just a simple matte black, like most PSUs.
Extremely quiet, unlike other fans typically pre-installed in a PC. The only noise I hear in the current build is GPU fans and a small hiss from aftermarket fans.
The PSU itself is really well-made, but the cables it comes with look pretty basic and not very exciting. I’ve gotten used to more modern-looking ones.
You have to use all the power cables that come with it, as we found out the hard way after spending an hour troubleshooting why our build wasn’t getting power. Turns out, we forgot to switch out the old SATA power cables, which messed things up. The voltage output and frequency need to match what the PSU requires.
This is one of the few PSUs I could find, especially in the SFX size, that supports the next-gen PCI 5 technology at 450W, which is a nice bonus. I’ve seen builds that need 500W, but this PSU gives you plenty of power to exceed that crucial 400W mark.
Performance / Hands-on-use / Features / User Experience / Analysis / Etc.
In our analysis of the Cooler Master V850 PSU, we installed a 3-pin 3080 GPU and tested it by playing the popular game “The Finals” at 144 frames per second on a 1440p display.
The V850 provided our 3080 GPU with a steady power level of around 80%, while the GPU was running at about 95% of its capacity, which is typical for this setup. This demonstrates how well the PSU and GPU work together, leaving room for overclocking and additional power if needed.
Based on our measurements, the GPU reached a maximum power usage of 380W. Even considering the power draw from our CPU, which averaged about 90W with occasional spikes up to 120W, there’s still plenty of power left over that the PSU can handle. This also leaves headroom for power spikes and more intense hardware.
This leads me to believe that unless you are buying a 40 series graphics card, granted this PSU is competitively priced around $150, it might be just a heavier (weight) option for those buying 30 series cards and under.
As expected, the PSU ran consistent to the power output needed by the hardware installed in the computer.
You can also refer to the images attached for idol wattages and speeds, but for reference, we have 3 monitors attached and minor background processes running, so idol watts might be slightly inflated, but still stable.
Conclusion
The Cooler Master V850SFX might still come out on top despite some small issues, and there are two key reasons for that. Firstly, it supports PCI 5 cabling, and secondly, it’s priced similarly to less capable PSUs on the market. Yes, it’s heavier than some others, but it offers more features for the same price, if you can overlook the extra weight.
It’s a bit contradictory – meant for portable PCs but heavier than many others out there. Still, it might be your best bet considering it offers more features than other PSUs including support for next-gen technology. Are you willing to sacrifice future-proofing your SFX build for a little extra weight?
You could probably get by with a 750W PSU with a 40 series card if it has PCI5 connections, but it’s unlikely manufacturers would make or sell units at that wattage, as we often end up buying more than we need. The V850 SFX PSU illustrates this dilemma well.
Although the Cooler Master V850SFX has some drawbacks like its tight layout, weight, and plain appearance compared to similarly priced options, none of them offer 450W GPU cabling. If Cooler Master keeps up with the pace in this new trend space, they’ll be tough competition for others in the market.
Noisy Pixel is giving the Cooler Master V850SFX Power Supply, an A-.
Post Statement
If SFX PSUs were more affordable or priced competitively with ATX PSUs, there would be little reason to opt for larger parts. Compact is the current trend, especially if performance remains equal, but the allure of a $100 PSU, even if it’s three times the size, is hard to ignore. Larger PSUs likely offer better heat management due to their size.
We can hope for advancements in micro-technology, but the market is likely hindered by material costs and practicality considerations. Time will tell, but holding a small PSU that can output 850W is truly impressive, especially for someone like me who’s been around the block a few times.
