Cooler Master GX III 850 Gold 850W PSU Review

Conclusion

Conclusion – the GX III 850 is a solid power supply with strong low draw efficiency levels

I’ll be honest. When this PSU came in my first thoughts were “ok, another 80+ Gold rated PSU”. To many of us, power supplies are not interesting products. Yes, they play a vital role within our PCs, but most of people’s interest in power supplies begin and end with one question “does it provide enough watts for my system?”. Power efficiency is a secondary factor for most of us, and for many enthusiasts, power supply efficiency is more about decreasing PSU fan noise than it is about lowering power draw.

Cooler Master has taken a bold step with their GX III Gold series of power supplies by moving beyond the 80+ efficiency rating standard. For too long it has felt like manufacturers have simply made PSUs to meet the needs of the 80+ standard, offering no more and no less than what’s necessary. With their new GX III Gold series, Cooler Master has went above and beyond what is required.

Increased efficiency at lower power draws

With over 92% efficiency levels at 20% loads, Cooler Master’s GX III 850W is 4 percentage points more efficient than what the 80+ Gold rating demands at 230V. That alone places Cooler Master’s latest power supply ahead of most of its competitors. That’s more than what’s needed for an 80+ Platinum rating at this load. Not bad for an 80+ Gold rated unit.

Yes, at higher loads this PSU does deliver Gold-rated performance. The GX III Gold’s increased efficiency levels are only at sub-50% loads. Even so, that is a big deal for most users. Let’s face it, our PSUs are not operating at 50+% loads most of the time. Low-load efficiency matters, and it is great to see Cooler Master focusing on this. If your PC is often under low loads, know that this PSU is more efficient than most 80+ Gold rated units under this type of load. If efficiency matters to you, this is a big selling point.

Aside from its focus on low-power efficiency, there is not much to say about the GX III Gold 850. It does everything it promises to do. This unit is quiet, it meets the latest power standards (ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0), and it has a lengthy warranty to back up its longevity claims. Honestly, this power supply gives us nothing major to complain about.

Cooler Master’s GX III 850 Gold is a solid power supply. It’s more efficient than your average 80+ Gold rated unit, it looks good, and is quiet under load. If you are in the market for an 850W power supply, this model is certainly worth considering.

You can join the discussion on Cooler Master’s new GX III 850 Gold power supply on the OC3D Forums.