SysOpt > Features > Cases & Power > Intelligent Protection: Cooler Master iGreen Power 500W Review

Intelligent Protection: Cooler Master iGreen Power 500W Review- Page 2/6
May 3, 2006
By Thomas Soderstrom

Fortunately, iGreen is not a color, but Cooler Master's name for a product that offers reduced power consumption (environmentally "green") and support for the latest power standards (ATX 12V 2.2 and EPS 12V 2.91) via intelligent circuit design. Among its intelligent features are over/under voltage protection, overheat and over-current protection, automatic fan control, EMI reduction on PCI Express power leads, and a "Double Forward Switching" circuit design boasting 81 percent to 85 percent efficiency, depending on load.

Just as impressive as the 85 percent peak efficiency is the fact that Cooler Master is able to pull this off while providing 0.99 Active PFC, a feature that normally reduces power supply efficiency in an effort to minimize the effect of load changes on the power grid.

Also, Cooler Master's 500W model designation is for continuous output, unlike less reputable brands that use peak output in model names. In fact, the iGreen Power series offers an exceptional 600W peak output in the "500W" model.

A honeycomb-mesh panel vents heat from a 120mm cooling fan rated at 17db...but only at its lowest speed. The actual color appears to be black-nickel, against a surface nearly smooth enough to call it a "mirror finish". Just below the power cutoff switch resides a fault LED which should light up whenever a voltage/current/heat fault has occurred.

System power connectors include a 20/24 pin convertible ATX/EPS power plug of the same type used by Antec, plus an 8-pin EPS12v, 4-pin ATX12v, and two 6-pin PCI Express supplemental graphics power connectors, all on separate leads. All leads have nylon sleeves secured with both cable ties and shrink wrap.

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