These tiny Cooler Master PSUs deliver an extreme gaming PC's worth of power
Over 1,000 Watts of power in a tiny package.
For a tiny and compact gaming PC, you'll likely need an SFX PSU. These are tiny PSUs with all the same connectors you need to power a gaming PC but without the bulking shape of a larger ATX model. They're often fit with a similarly shrunken wattage to match, but that's not always the case, as Cooler Master's new V SFX Platinum PSUs prove—these compact PSUs offer up to 1,300 Watts of PC power.
That's enough to power an RTX 3090, and then some, from a PSU that's just 10 x 12.5 x 6.4cm in size.
There are two models to choose from: the V1300 SFX-L Platinum, the 1300W model, and the V1100 SFX Platinum, a 1100W model.
Header Cell - Column 0 | V1300 SFX-L Platinum | V1100 SFX Platinum |
---|---|---|
Wattage | 1300 | 1100 |
Dimension | 100 x 125 x 63.5mm | 100 x 125 x 63.5mm |
PFC | Active PFC | Active PFC |
Fan size (mm) | 92 | 92 |
Fan bearing | FDB | FDB |
Efficiency rating | 80 Plus Platinum | 80 Plus Platinum |
Operating temp (°C) | 50 | 50 |
The connectors vary between the two, so check those before you purchase. Otherwise they're pretty similar. Both are rated to 80 Plus Platinum, which is right up there for PSU efficiency, and come with a 92mm fan to keep temperatures at acceptable levels. You won't have to waste precious space managing cables, either, as these are fully modular PSU designs.
Both models come with a 10-year warranty, which is what we hope to find with today's top PSUs.
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We haven't managed to confirm the exact PSU platform powering the Cooler Master V SFX PSUs, however, though we can confirm it's not Cooler Master's own platform. The company recently introduced its own PSU design with the XG Platinum PSU, meaning it's created entirely in-house, rather than relying on another OEM's design and construction.
The arrival of two high-wattage SFX PSUs comes as an exciting prospect for small form factor PC builders, anyways. With this much power under the hood, you needn't have to worry about hitting the power threshold of your PSU, just whether your components will actually fit in your choice of Mini-ITX case.
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In fact, it's going to be quite the job to stuff anything close to 1300W inside a Mini-ITX case. There's only one PCIe port on a Mini-ITX motherboard, and it's not like there's many headers for much else. That said, I'm sure someone will manage it: a truly overpowered PC, not much bigger than a loaf of bread.
If you're in the market for a new PSU and don't mind the size, we just updated our best power supply for PC gaming guide with some new 2021 entries. Otherwise, you'll have to wait a bit longer to pick up these SFX PSUs, as Cooler Master won't yet divulge the release date or price.
Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, and would go on to run the team as hardware editor. He joined PC Gamer's top staff as senior hardware editor before becoming managing editor of the hardware team, and you'll now find him reporting on the latest developments in the technology and gaming industries and testing the newest PC components.