INTRODUCTION

   When many of us first started using PCs in the early 90's power supply units were probably the last hardware component we cared or knew anything about and that didn't change until many years later. As a matter of fact, up until the turn of the century we'd all spend large sums of money on pretty much every single hardware component such as CPU's, RAM, HDDs, optical drives and graphics/audio/storage controller cards but literally no one I know gave a second thought about what PSU was in the system back then. Granted back then we didn't have power hungry systems so any PSU in the market regardless of output and features would do fine (which is also why we didn't have many models to choose from - also features and outputs were limited at best). That however has long changed so today not only are power supply units extremely important but there are countless models out there with different power outputs and features. Antec recently revamped their High Current Gamer line of power supply units and after testing its lower output brothers today with us we have the flagship model the High Current Gamer Extreme 1000W (HCG1000 Extreme).

   Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in the industry and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

   As clearly stated by its name the High Current Gamer 1000 is a power supply unit that features a continuous power output of 1000W (maximum/peak power output of up to 1139W) thus making it ideal even for multi-GPU configurations (depends on the models however). The HCG1000 Extreme also features an 80 Plus Gold Efficiency Certification (up to 92% efficient), PhaseWave server-class design, fully modular design (future-proof), flat modular cables (increased airflow levels and easier routing), 135mm fluid-dynamic bearing fan with hybrid mode (completely off at low loads), server-grade temperature rating (up to 50 degrees Celsius ambient), 100% Japanese primary heavy-duty capacitors, single +12V powerful rail (83A) which can use almost 99% of the units total rated power output (996W) and the CircuitShield array of electrical protections OVP/OCP/UVP/SCP/OPP/OTP/SIP/NLO). The High Current Gamer Extreme line currently includes two models (850/1000W) both of which are covered by Antecs Quality 10 year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Antec packs the HCG1000 Extreme inside a rose gold and black box that has the model name at the front right beneath the company logo and the above the main product features.

The units electrical table is located on the left side of the box just over its available power connectors.

A product picture is located on the right side of the box.

The product features are listed at the base of the box in 8 languages and at the rear.

Typically, the unit is placed inside two black foam spacers while the rest of the bundle is placed in plastic bags and a cloth pouch.

Along with the HCG1000 Extreme PSU and its power cord in the box you will also find the modular cables placed inside a cloth pouch, 12 cable ties, 3 cable wraps, 4 mounting screws, product overview paper and a warranty information paper.

THE HCG1000 EXTREME EXTERIOR

Antec has used both sleeved round and flat power cables.

The HCG1000 Extreme is fully modular and just like its box it features a rose gold and black enclosure.

At the top we find the 135mm fluid-dynamic bearing fan.

Both the company and model names are placed on both sides of the enclosure.

The electrical table is placed on a sticker located at the base of the unit.

All of the modular connectors are tagged and different in shape to avoid any possible mishaps.

Most of the rear is perforated and has the power port, on/off power switch and the hybrid on/off button (when on the fan will not spin at low temps).

THE HCG1000 EXTREME INTERIOR

To access the interior of the HCG1000 Extreme you will first need to remove the aluminum rose gold covers.

The 135mm FDB fan used is manufactured by Hong Hua and can spin up to 2300RPM (unfortunately we couldn't find more information on the fans airflow and noise levels).

In terms of layout the HCG1000 Extreme is very clean and the OEM should once again be Seasonic.

The primary capacitor is manufactured by Hitachi and is certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius.

Secondary capacitors on the other hand are manufactured by both nichicon and united Chemi-Con and are again certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Using a dedicated measurement instrument such as a Chroma or a SunMoon to test power supply units is without doubt the most ideal and accurate way (not to mention the fastest) to do that currently. However, it's certainly not the only way there is and so pretty much anyone can test a power supply unit just by using a computer. Certainly, limitations do apply and so you can't really test a 1000W power supply if your system only uses 500W at peak loads and that's why many years ago i put aside certain hardware components for the purpose of building a dedicated PSU test rig. True it may not be as accurate as the above mentioned solutions but it comes really close and is in fact closer to real world usage. So as always, we ran several games with maximum graphic options enabled at a resolution of 2560x1600 in order to stress every hardware component and increase the overall power demands of the system. The Passmark BurnIn Test was also used to overstress the components in an effort to provide the most accurate results possible. As a final test we also used the latest OCCT 4.4 software and its dedicated PSU testing suite since it can really bring a power supply to its knees after inside a few minutes.

     Rail stability was checked/measured with the CPUID Hardware monitor and a Metex multimeter which also recorded the system load in idle and in load. As always try to remember that the power consumption numbers listed in the graph are the highest (Peak) ones recorded during the entire duration of the tests and not the average ones. Noise levels coming from the fan were recorded using the high precision HD600 ExTech Sound dBA Meter from the rear of the unit and at a range of no more than 5-10cm. Readings under load are recorded the exact moment we manually switch the fans of all graphics cards from full speed to almost zero, that way the fan of the power supply does not have enough time to slow its RPM and so by doing this we get very accurate noise level readings. Needless to say, in order to get 100% accurate readings, you need to have a noise isolated room for that exact purpose, something which is quite impossible unless you are working inside a real lab (some people use very small noise insulated boxes but due to their size both heat and noise exceed normal levels and so the results can't really be considered to be 100% accurate). Also, do take into account that since all noise measurements take place from just 5-10cm away the final noise levels to reach your ears will be considerably less.

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   When Antec first announced the HCG1000 Extreme last year we were surprised to see that they chose to go with a rose gold and black enclosure and till this day that hasn’t changed. Sure, that color combination does make the HCG1000 Extreme look somewhat unique but rose gold and gaming rigs don’t really mix well (for female gamers however yes this could be an eye catcher). Color combination aside however the HCG1000 Extreme gets near excellent scores both in rail stability and noise levels two aspects which are very important. On top of that add the single powerful rail, hybrid mode, fully modular design, server-grade topology, array of electrical protections and the 10-year limited warranty and the HCG1000 Extreme is a solid PSU. Unfortunately for a flagship model we did expect it to be 80 Plus Platinum certified but Gold is not bad either (besides the electrical efficiency is far from the most important feature of any PSU).

   With a current price tag set at USD175.07 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 198Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the High Current Gamer 1000W Extreme (HCG1000 Extreme) by Antec retails just a tad higher than what we were expecting. That being said unlike most 1KW units out in the market the HCG1000 Extreme focuses a lot on quality and for some people what will probably be worth it. Overall thanks to its power output, rail stability, server-grade topology and components and low noise levels the HCG1000 Extreme is without doubt one of Antec’s best models to date and for that it certainly deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Rock Solid Rail Stability
- Fully Modular Design (Future Proof)
- Size
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- CircuitShield Electrical Protections (OVP/OCP/UVP/SCP/OPP/OTP/SIP/NLO)
- Peak Output (1139W)
- 10 Year Warranty
- Zero RPM Feature
- Noise Levels

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Color Combination (For Some)