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- Date:
- Tuesday , September 02, 2008
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Xigmatek NRP-HC1001 1000w Power Supply
The "No Rules Power NRP-HC1001," complies with the newest Intel standard ATX 12V V2.2 and SSI standard EPS 12V V2.91 simultaneously. So this PSU actually follows more rules than others? Should you care and does an extra standard give you anything at 1000 watts?
Build Quality
As we already know the Xigmatek NRP-HC1001 features a single 140mm fan design. 140mm fans are in the same vein as 120mm fans in that they can provide for quiet cooling environments due to the ability to move a larger volume of air at slower speeds than a smaller diameter fan. The 140mm fan is the almost the largest diameter fan we are likely to see in ATX power supplies given the physical constraints of the form factor. While great for quiet computing environments the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient, not necessary it’s sound level or form factor.
External Build Quality
Cosmetically the Xigmatek NRP-HC1001 resembles the Thermaltake Toughpower 1200w to some degree with its flat slightly textured drab finish, although this time the fan grill is a screw down one as opposed to die cut grill. This fan grill covers a very large 140mm fan that dominates the top of the power supply. The unit features a modular design, though the ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin AUX/P4 connectors are fixed, with the modular cables sheathed in black mesh. Unlike the Thermaltake Toughpower 1200w the exterior label does not indicate which modular connector is fed by which 12v rail, rather the actual cables are labeled and color coded. So while not as simple of a solution as Thermaltake’s it certainly is an appreciated feature for a unit that has multiple 12v rails. Otherwise, this unit is a fairly stock APFC unit externally.
The Xigmatek NRP-HC1001 comes in at a lengthy 7 3/4 inches long with the fixed cables reaching out to ~20 inches at the first or only connector and the modular cables reaching out to ~18 inches at the first or only connector. The fixed cables are all sleeved but the unit has a partially unfinished look as the fixed cables sleeving doesn't go all the way into the unit and the individual wires for the cables are exposed as we have seen previously from other CWT built units.
Internal Build Quality
Once we open the NRP-HC1001 we are left looking at a very familiar power supply design. The NRP-HC1001 is built on the same CWT PUC platform that the Thermaltake Toughpower 1200w, Corsair HX1000W, and Koolance PSU-1300ATX-12N are built on (however the NRP-HC1001 does not have the same upgrades we saw on the HX1000W). The first thing we notice, like with the Toughpower 1200w, Corsair HX1000W, Koolance PSU-1300ATX-12N, is that the unit is actually made up of three power supplies with the main PCB being dominated by two straight 12v power supplies sitting side by side. The third power supply is situated at the back of the unit on the small PCB and is a dedicated +5vsb power supply that carries the PUC series number on it. The primary capacitor on this power supply is a Nippon Chemi-con rated at 3300uF and 10v while the secondary capacitors are also all Nippon Chemi-con’s. The fan charged with cooling all three power supplies is a 140mm Yate Loon fan rated at 0.70A at 12v.
Given the layout of the CWT PUC design the input filtering is actually on the primary side as it was with the HX1000W, Toughpower 1200w, Koolance PSU-1300ATX-12N with the majority of it housed behind the AC receptacle behind the plastic sheet along with the back edge of the main PCB. The first add-in PCB we see here is part of the APFC for the unit while the second actually houses the OCP/OVP/fan controller and is part of the secondary. On the other side of the power supply we see the rectifying bridge sitting under the +5vsb power supply attached to a small black heatsink. Finally, from the top of the unit we see the main input capacitors are located right next to the main transformers and are the Hitachi’s we saw on the box rated at 420v 300uF 105c. There are just the two transformers in this unit, in addition to the +5vsb transformer, as each half of the power supply generates a truly independent 12v source which is then converted to the minor rail that is also fed by that side. The secondary of the NRP-HC1001 is filled out with standard electrolytic capacitors provided by like on the Toughpower 1200w and Koolance PSU-1300ATX-12N as opposed to the solid ones on the HX1000W. Also on the secondary here we see that the modular interface is exceptionally well constructed although the solder points could be a bit neater.
Build Quality Summary
The overall build quality of the Xigmatek NRP-HC1001 is very good like all the previous CWT PUC power supplies before it. Cosmetically it shares many features with the Thermaltake Toughpower 1200w with the exception of the modular label and fan grill. This does however give the unit the same almost faux military color scheme as that unit. The internal build quality of the Xigmatek NRP-HC1001 is also identical to the other CWT PUC power supplies that use the strictly reference design with the “three power supplies in one” setup (+5vsb and 2 12v power supplies with DC-DC VRM's for the minor rails). The capacitors used in this unit are all the very good Nippon Chemi-con while the construction is also very good/clean like we have seen from all of CWT's recent builds. All in all this is a very well built unit but unlike the Corsair HX1000W and the Koolance 1300w it does nothing to differentiate itself from the rest of the brands on the market using the CWT PUC design so far. Maybe this will change in the load testing section coming up next.