TechRadar Verdict
Simply a great PSU that we are happy to give a gold award to. If you can live without the 150W extra on the Enermax, this is the PSU you should choose
Pros
- +
Fantastic efficiency
- +
Non-modular improves lifespan
- +
Soft start is useful
Cons
- -
May not have the power some need
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The UCP 900W looks more like a cube of granite than an actual power supply, and cleverly, the logo is the right way up which ever way you install it. Great, if you like that kind of aesthetic detail.
Coming in at half the price of Enermax's Revolution, but only delivering 150W less power, it's an all-round winner. Admittedly, it can't be pushed as far as Enermax's muscular beastie, but for single or dual-GPU gaming the UCP 900W will provide a stable environment.
Rather wisely, Coolermaster has chosen to omit the modular design in favour of high quality cables connected directly to the power supply, which bodes well for its lifespan. The UCP of the title refers to 'Ultimate Circuit Protection', which, as the name suggests, protects the PSU's components.
It also includes unique soft-start circuitry which will prevent the inrush of current being too sharp, and as a consequence it achieved the best result in this area of the PSUs tested.
The quality components don't end there. Even the three-pin mains connector is of the chunkier variety that we're normally used to seeing on higher-rated power supplies, and the capacitors are reassuringly Japanese-made. It all adds up to a power supply that punches well above its weight.
Coolermaster's PSU was, in fact, the very first to be awarded with the 80 plus certification, and it provided over 85 per cent efficiency in all our tests. This would actually be enough to push it into the silver realms of the 80 plus scheme, making it the only one in our test to do so.
The UCP 900W also provided the lowest inrush current and standby power of the PSUs that we ran through the tests.
Standing pretty much right in the centre in terms of results, the UCP 900W wins the gold for being stable under a standard load, but still more than capable of being pushed that little bit further. It even comes with a five-year warranty, so it's going to see you through many, many years of gaming pleasure.
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