Thus far in our ongoing look at the first generation of ATX 3.0 power supplies, we've seen a lot of high-end units from both the big names and smaller names in the power supply industry. But those flagship, high capacity power supplies have also tended to fetch pretty hefty prices in the process. For better or worse, power supply vendors have worked out that power supply buyers will bear quite a bit for top-of-the-line models, and these days it's rare to see a cheap flagship unit.

So what's a buyer to do when they still want a high-end power supply, but can't justify the cost of a flagship PSU? Thankfully, these days, we're seeing more and more high-end units hit the market that, although are not quite as over-the-top as their flagship counterparts, deliver much of the same quality without the over-the-top price tags. Often specced to meet 80Pus Platinum efficiency levels, these high-end units fill a much-needed spot between mass-market midrange units, and the uber-powerful flagship models.

Tying that to today's review, today we're looking at one such high-end design from XPG, the CYBERCORE II 1300W. Compared to the flagship Fusion series PSU we took a look at a couple of months ago, the CYBERCORE II family is a bit more modest – it's still high-end, but not to the tune of $750 for a power supply. As outstanding as the Fusion may have been, XPG knows that actual demand for such high-tier products is low and that the bulk of the market lies elsewhere, and this is where lines like the CYBERCORE II family come in.

True to its name, the CYBERCORE II PSU lineup is an upgrade of the previous CYBERCORE series, which XPG is in the process of supplanting. The CYBERCORE II series currently consists of just two units, rated at 1.0 kW and 1.3 kW respectively. On paper, there are very few differences between the CYBERCORE II and Fusion series, with the most prominent being the 80Plus certification (Platinum vs Titanium), the lack of a digital interface, and a reduced number of 12VHPWR connectors (one vs two).Even with some scaling back, the CYBERCORE II is still intended to be highly competitive within the broader high-end PSU market.

But, perhaps most importantly, the price tag of the CYBERCORE II units is less than half that of the respective Fusion units. This makes the series a very viable option for enthusiasts who are in the market for a very powerful PSU, but are not on a limitless budget.

Packaging and Bundle

XPG supplies the CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU in a strikingly red cardboard box. The box itself is very sturdy and thick packaging foam protects the unit during shipping. Basic compliance and performance information can be found printed on the sides and rear of the packaging.

The CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU is a fully modular design, allowing for the removal of every DC power cable, including the 24-pin ATX connector. All of the cables are completely black, with the ATX, PCI Express, EPS, and 12VHPWR cables wrapped in nylon sleeving, whereas the Molex and SATA power cables are bare ribbon-like black wires.

Besides the typical AC power cable and four mounting screws, XPG also bundles several cable ties and a sheet with decorative stickers alongside the CYBERCORE II PSU.

The XPG CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU

External Appearance

Externally, the XPG CYBERCORE II hardly stands out aesthetically, featuring a subtle matte all-black design without any extravagant modifications. Its chassis is 160 mm long, which is a bit longer than what the typical ATX design guide dictates, but also typical for high-output PC PSUs – and actually very compact for a PSU with such a high power output. A closer look also reveals that the fan is slightly smaller than what the vast majority of high-end PSU designs are using. If not for the punched triangular shapes on its sides and its stickers, one could easily mistake this unit for a run-of-the-mill PSU.

XPG placed the large sticker with the unit’s electrical specifications and certifications on the top side of the chassis. Simple decorative stickers featuring only the company and series logos can be found on both sides of the chassis, placed between two punched triangular shapes.

The rear side of the CYBERCORE II PSU is basic, with only the typical IEC C14 power connector and a regular on/off switch. There is a flat surface where a sticker or decoration can fit but nothing has been installed from the factory. The front side of the unit is littered with the connectors for the modular cables, with the EPS and PCI Express connectors covering more than half of the surface area. There was not much room left for a legend so XPG painted basic headers directly on the chassis and simple lines grouping each set of connectors.

Internal Design

As we mentioned before, the fan responsible for cooling the CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU is a bit smaller than the 135 mm fans we usually find in high-output units. The 120 mm fan inside the CYBERCORE II however is made by Nidec, one of the most reputable manufacturers across the globe. This particular model is a dual-ball bearing engine fan that Nidec certifies for 60.000 hours at 60°C, which is extremely impressive. It has a relatively high maximum speed of 2150 RPM and is partially covered by a plastic shield in an effort to manipulate airflow. The ball-bearing engine and the plastic shield will increase noise output when the unit is loaded. Still, XPG covers these units with a 10-year long warranty and, therefore, obviously had to focus on long-term reliability.

The OEM behind the creation of the CYBERCORE II PSU is Channel-Well Technologies, commonly known as CWT. It is the same OEM that was behind the first CYBERCORE series and the CYBERCORE II is based on a similar, but not quite the same, platform. This platform is a hybrid with a mix of digital and analog controllers, with the former controlling most of the unit’s major functions.

The filtering stage of the CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU is a little extended over typical units, with a total of six Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. There is two input rectifying bridges that have their own small heatsink sandwiched in between them. The APFC stage is monstrous, with two Rubycon 420V/680μF capacitors and two large inductors as its passive components, each connected to one converter. The circuitry forms two APFC converters that operate in parallel that, according to CWT, improve the electrical performance of the unit. The active components of the APFC circuit are placed on the large heatsink seen across the edge of the PCB.

Four Alpha & Omega TF29S50 transistors form a full-bridge inversion topology at the primary side of the unit. The large transformer output is connected to a vertical PCB with eight On Semiconductor power MOSFETs (5C612N) that generate the 12V rail. The 3.3V and 5V lines are being generated via the DC-to-DC conversion circuits found on a separate vertical PCB right next to the PCB housing the converters, which have been upgraded since the first version of the CYBERCORE series. Multiple shielded copper strips can be seen around the PSU, providing both electrical and electromagnetic isolation between the high-frequency components. Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-Con supply the electrolytic capacitors, while FPCAP and United Chemi-Con supply all of the polymer capacitors.

Cold Test Results (~22°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high-precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox, and various other bits and parts. For a thorough explanation of our testing methodology and more details on our equipment, please refer to our How We Test PSUs - 2014 Pipeline post.

The XPG CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU meets the 80Plus Platinum efficiency certification requirements and does so regardless of the input voltage. Manufacturers commonly target their designs to meet the 80Plus certification requirements with an input voltage of 115 VAC due to the lower certification thresholds, frequently failing to meet the certification’s requirements with an input voltage of 230V. This is not the case here, as the CYBERCORE II does reach efficiency figures high enough to meet the 80Plus Platinum requirements regardless of the input voltage. With an input voltage of 115V, the CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU has a top efficiency of 93.1% and an average nominal load range (20% to 100% of the unit's capacity) efficiency of 92.2%. Switching the input voltage to 230 VAC increases the top efficiency to 94.1% and the average efficiency to 93.4%. We should also note that the efficiency is slightly improved over the first generation CYBERCORE units that we reviewed last year.

The cooling profile of the CYBERCORE II PSU is unconventional, and even significantly different from the first version of the series. It has the fan sitting immobile until the load hits around 600 Watts, even with an ambient temperature of 26°C, a figure that would trouble all passive PSU designers. When the fan does start, it immediately speeds up to about 1200 RPM, instantly reaching audible sound pressure levels that sharply increase with any increase of the load beyond 700 Watts, with the fan reaching its maximum speed when the CYBERCORE II 1300W unit is fully loaded. This cooling profile does cause high internal temperatures while the fan is deactivated but will keep the CYBERCORE II entirely quiet while any system is idling (and, in many cases, even while the system is loaded).

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

As is the case with all PC PSUs, the overall performance of the CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU drops as the ambient temperature rises. With the ambient temperature above 45°C, the energy conversion efficiency drops by almost 0.5% across the nominal load range regardless of the input voltage. Regardless, the drop is almost entirely evenly distributed across the entire load range and not significantly higher at higher loads, suggesting that there is practically no significant thermal stress on the components.

The high ambient temperature forces the thermal control circuit to start the fan when the load is at roughly 350 Watts, as the unit strives to maintain safe operating temperatures. We notice that the engineer who programmed the thermal control circuit has it trying to maintain its main component temperatures under a certain temperature threshold, as the component temperatures hardly change between 20% and 80% of the unit’s rated capacity. When the CYBERCORE II 1300W is fully loaded for prolonged periods of time, the temperature will rise and does reach uncomfortably high figures, but running such a PSU continuously at maximum load is not a feasible real-world scenario.

As expected, the high ambient temperature changed the fan’s cooling profile, forcing it to start earlier. The fan reaches >40 dB(A) figures almost instantly once it starts and its speed keeps increasing as the load increases, managing to keep the unit’s temperatures almost entirely stable across the majority of the load range. The fan reached 100% of its speed when the load was just over 1 kW, after which point the noise stays stable but the internal temperatures of the CYBERCORE II will rise if the load persists for long periods of time.

Power Supply Quality

As part of our testing, we also check output parameters are within specifications, as well as voltage ripple and line noise.

The electrical performance of the XPG CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU is very good, although not in any way extraordinary for a unit of this class. It displays very tight voltage regulation on all voltage lines, at about 0.7% on all of its major voltage outputs, which is very good for such a powerful unit. Voltage filtering is fair, with a maximum ripple of 44 mV on the 12V line under maximum load, which technically is very good and less than half of what Intel’s Design Guide dictates, yet not an excellent result for a unit of this class and higher than what the previous version of the CYBERCORE could accomplish.

As part of our standard testing, we test the primary protections of all PSUs we review (Over Current, Over Voltage, Over Power, and Short Circuit). All of the protections of the XPG CYBERCORE II 1300W PSU engaged normally. Even the OCP and OPP protections, which are frequently set a bit too high on ATX 3.0 compliant units to avoid issues with the high power excursion requirements, kicked in quite quickly, immediately shutting down the unit at less than 115% of the unit’s rated electrical figures.

Conclusion

In terms of quality, the XPG CYBERCORE II 1300W demonstrates commendable build quality, incorporating high-quality Japanese electrolytic and solid-state capacitors alongside high-performance active components. The layout and assembly quality is excellent. Additionally, the inclusion of the NIDEC 120mm fan with its highly reliable dual ball bearing engine ensures its cooling and enhances the unit's long-term reliability. The OEM/ODM for the XPG CYBERCORE II is Channel Well Technologies (CWT), the same manufacturer as the previous generation. The second generation CYBERCORE units are based on a platform similar to the first but it has been significantly upgraded to fully comply with ATX 3.0 requirements.

Electrical performance is perhaps the primary selling point of the XPG CYBERCORE II series. It delivers very tight voltage regulation, whereas the filtering is fair but not high for a unit of this class. Its trump card lies with the energy conversion efficiency, where the unit easily meets the 80Plus Platinum certification requirements regardless of the input voltage. The high efficiency allows it to operate without having to rely on its cooling fan at all while the load is low, having the CYBERCORE II unit operating passively with loads as high as 600 Watts.

The thermal performance of the XPG CYBERCORE II is a bit complex – as the fan is disabled at lower loads, the temperatures will get high. Nevertheless, the temperature never reaches dangerous figures that would immediately impact the longevity of the unit, and the thermal control circuitry will force the fan to start whenever that is necessary regardless of the unit’s loading. Users that may find the operating temperatures uncomfortably high should consider that XPG covers the CYBERCORE II units with a 10-year long warranty, a warranty period that they'd have a tough time meeting if there was any significant thermal stress occurring. Noise levels are practically zero at low to medium loads, thanks to the fan remaining inactive when the load is below 50% of the unit's capacity at room temperature. However, under heavy and prolonged loads, the fan will become loud. Nevertheless, the overall noise performance is outstanding for a unit with that kind of capacity.

Overall, the XPG CYBERCORE II presents a well-built and reliable power supply option, offering good power quality, efficient thermal management, and highly competitive noise levels. Although not yet available in the US/EU markets, the XPG CYBERCORE II 1300W unit is expected to be released here at an MSRP of $319.99. But looking at retailers over in Asia, where the PSU is already available, the price is closer to $280 at current exchange rates; if XPG can do better than their official MSRP and match those prices here, then they'll have a hot commodity on their hands with a reasonably priced option for those seeking a high-end ATX 3.0 PSU. But even with its expected pricing, the CYBERCORE II is priced very competitively for high-end 80Plus Platinum designs, making it poised to become a compelling choice for users demanding high-end performance from their ATX 3.0 power supply units without breaking the bank.