Cooler Master, renowned for its pioneering role in cooling technologies, has evolved into a key player in the PC components industry, extending its expertise to include cases and power supply units (PSUs). The company's current catalog is a testament to its commitment to diversity, featuring over 75 PC cases, 90 coolers, and 120 PSUs, all designed to cater to the evolving demands of tech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

This review focuses on the Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU, a key offering in Cooler Master's power supply lineup that embodies the brand's vision of combining quality and value. The MWE Gold V2 series is engineered to offer solid performance and reliability at a price point that appeals to system builders and gamers looking for an entry-level to mid-range solution. As a result, various versions of the MWE Gold 750W have been a consistently popular offering within Cooler Master's catalog, often cycling in and out of stock depending on what sales are going on. This makes the PSU a bit harder to track down in North America than it does Europe, and quick to vanish when it does show up.

Packaging and Bundle

We received the MWE V2 Gold 750W PSU in relatively subtle packaging, with purple sidewalls and its artwork based on a picture of the PSU itself. The walls of the cardboard box are very thick, offering ample shipping protection. Technical details regarding the performance of the PSU are printed on the rear side of the box.

Cooler Master supplies only the bare minimum items required to install and operate the PSU. Inside the box we only found four typical M3.5 mounting screws and an AC power cable. The MWE V2 Gold PSU is a fully modular design that allows for the removal of every DC power cable, including the 24-pin ATX connector. All of the cables are bare, ribbon-like, with black wires and black connectors. There is no floppy connector, or an adapter.

The Cooler Master MWE V2 Gold 750W PSU

External Appearance

The chassis of the Cooler Master MWE V2 Gold 750W PSU measures 86 mm × 150 mm × 160 mm (H × W × D), making it 20 mm deeper than a fully ATX-compliant design. This form factor has the MWE Gold V2 750W fitting comfortably within the vast majority of modern PC cases, designed to accommodate high-performance power supplies. However, its precise measurements may still present a compatibility challenge with certain compact or small footprint case designs, where space is at a premium.

Cooler Master did not invest too much into the external appearance of the MWE V2 Gold PSU, in an obvious attempt to keep the manufacturing costs as low as possible. It is using a standard chassis with a typical wireframe finger guard, sprayed with a matte black paint. A sticker with the unit’s certifications and specifications covers most of the unit’s left side and a decorative sticker with the series logo covers the right side. The top of the chassis is entirely plain.

A typical on/off switch can be seen at the rear side of the unit, right next to the standard AC power receptacle. A significant portion of the front side of the unit is covered by the connectors for the modular cables, with a basic legend printed above each connector. There is no 12VHPWR connector on this unit as it is not ATX 3.0 compliant.

Internal Design

The cooling fan responsible for the cooling of the MWE V2 Gold 750W PSU is made by Hong Hua, a reputable manufacturer. It is a simple, all-black fan but, aesthetics aside, it is of very high quality and with an Hydro Dynamic Bearing engine. Despite the chassis having the space for a larger fan, Cooler Master went with a 120 mm model, which will reduce the acoustic performance of the PSU a little compared to a 135 mm fan of equal quality. Still, the company was very reserved with the fan’s choice, as the installed fan can reach a speed of just 1500 RPM, a low speed for a 120 mm fan.

The OEM behind the creation of the MWE V2 Gold 750W PSU is Huizhou Xinhuiyuan Technology, a company often employed by Cooler Master to create their power-related products. It is not a very popular OEM among advanced PC PSU suppliers, but that says nothing about the quality of the performance of the unit all by itself.

In terms of design, the MWE V2 Gold is based on relatively aged but proven topologies, which is to be expected of a product designed with value and reliability in mind. The filtering stage begins at the rear of the AC receptacle, with a total of two Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. A rectifying bridge can be seen attached to its dedicated heatsink. The larger heatsink across the side of the PCB holds the active components of the APFC circuitry. Elite supplies the large 450V/560μF APFC capacitor.

Right after the APFC circuitry, on a fairly sized heatsink, two transistors form a full-bridge LLC inversion topology. A full-bridge topology is a large surprise in a product supposedly designed to keep the retail cost as low as possible. These four transistors are the CS10N50F from Huajing Microelectronics, a Chinese manufacturer, with good on-paper specifications.

Four P16N04S transistors on the secondary side generated the 12V line, supplied by Excelliance, another Chinese manufacturer. These are mounted on the underside of the PCB, with only the heatsinks visible from the top side of the board. The 3.3V and 5V lines are being generated via the DC-to-DC conversion circuits. Everything, power and signals alike, are being transferred from the main PCB to the secondary PCB housing the cable connectors via cables, creating a bit of a mess on the side of the PSU. The polymer capacitors on the secondary side are supplied by FPCAP (Nichicon) but the electrolytic capacitors are supplied mostly by Elite, with just a couple LTec capacitors hidden under the wiring. 

Cold Test Results (~25°C Ambient Temperature)

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 80Plus Gold certification demands less stringent efficiency levels compared to the Platinum tier, requiring over 87% efficiency at 50% load on a 115 VAC input and over 90% on a 230 VAC input. The Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W meets the certification requirements with an input voltage of 115 VAC but fails to do when the input voltage is 230 VAC. The average nominal load range efficiency (20% to 100% of the unit's capacity) for the Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W is 89.3% when powered from a 115 VAC source and 90.8% when powered from a 230 VAC source, good but not unexpected figures for the class of the unit.

The Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU lacks a "hybrid" fan mode, meaning the fan activates as soon as the power supply is turned on. Despite this constant operation, the fan speed is kept fairly low across the first half of the load spectrum, ensuring that the PSU operates quietly at room temperature under typical usage. The speed of the fan arises sharply when the load exceeds 400 Watts, combating the rising thermal losses of the unit. Overall, the internal temperatures of the PSU are a bit higher than what we usually expect from an 80Plus Gold certified unit with this kind of power output, but not to the point they pose a threat to the PSU’s long term reliability.

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient Temperature)

The Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU exhibits significant efficiency degradation under high ambient temperatures, including notable thermal stress when operating at its peak capacity. This reduction in efficiency across its load range, particularly at maximum load, highlights the challenges the PSU faces in dissipating heat effectively under strenuous conditions, as well as the resilience of its active components against that high heat. Such signs of thermal stress suggest that while the PSU is capable of handling typical loads with relative ease, its performance and efficiency are compromised when pushed to its limits, underscoring the importance of considering thermal management in high-demand scenarios.

The thermal control of the Cooler Master MWE V2 Gold 750W reacts to the high ambient temperature and significantly increases the speed of the cooling fan, even at minimal load. The speed of the fan increases almost linearly with the load, reaching its maximum speed when the unit operates at about 85% capacity. It will be audible even when the load is low and becomes loud very quickly, even with a load of just 300 Watts.

Even with the thermal control circuitry forcing the fan to run at relatively high speeds, it can hardly cope with the thermal losses of the unit, resulting to relatively high internal temperatures. The temperatures get uncomfortably high when the load is above 90%, where the fan has reached its maximum speed and is unable to do more to assist with the cooling of the PSU, but they do not reach the OTP trigger point. Even though the unit is rated for operation at 50 C, such temperatures would severely diminish its long-term reliability.

Power Supply Quality

The electrical performance of the Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU is creditable within its price bracket and category, though it does not notably stand out from its peers. Voltage regulation across the nominal load range for all voltage rails is maintained around 1.2% for the 12V line, and slightly worse for the 3.3V and 5V lines, showcasing a level of precision that is particularly noteworthy as many manufacturers often overlook the performance of the secondary 3.3V and 5V rails. The power quality across these voltage lines is passable, with maximum ripple values recorded at 54 mV for the 12V line, 22 mV for the 5V line, and 20 mV for the 3.3V line. The power quality is significantly better while the unit is not heavily loaded, which is another hint that the active components of the PSU are experiencing thermal stress when pushed hard, yet the figures are very well withing the recommended design guide limits.

During our routine evaluation, we examine the fundamental protection features of all power supply units we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). The Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU successfully passed all these tests, demonstrating appropriate and timely responses in critical situations to safeguard itself and the connected components. The OCP protection of the 3.3V/5V voltage rails is less sensitive than that of the 12V rail, triggering at 134% and 118% of their maximum rated current respectively.

A more significant point of concern, however, was observed with the OPP mechanism, which allowed the PSU to momentarily sustain outputs nearing 885 Watts (considering its rated 750W capacity) before initiating a shutdown. This threshold is notably high, especially given the potential for high temperatures under heavy loads that this PSU may encounter.

Conclusion

The Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU emerges as a significant offering from a brand that has expanded its horizon beyond cooling solutions to establish a robust foothold in the power supply sector. Despite Cooler Master's reputation for innovation, the MWE Gold V2 750W PSU represents a cautious approach, leveraging established design topologies rather than pioneering new ones. This decision underscores a preference for reliability and proven performance over the allure of untested technologies.

However, this strategy raises questions about the PSU's competitiveness. The use of cost-effective active components to reduce manufacturing costs, albeit practical, potentially compromises the unit's performance ceiling and long-term reliability, suggesting a balance struck between affordability and optimal performance. With that in mind – and for peace of mind – Cooler Master covers this unit with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty.

The PSU's overall build and electrical performance, while solid, reveal areas of concern. The decision to opt for a smaller, slower 120 mm fan instead of a larger variant does limit acoustic performance, a critical factor for users prioritizing a quiet operation. Furthermore, the reliance on an OEM not renowned for designing high-end power supply units raises subtle questions about long-term reliability and performance under peak loads. The electrical performance, characterized by fair voltage regulation and ripple suppression, meets the baseline for its 80Plus Gold certification but does not exceed these standards, pointing to a product that performs adequately within its expected operational envelope but does not excel.

Thermal management and noise levels present a mixed bag. On one hand, the PSU operates quietly under typical conditions. However, under heavy load or high ambient temperatures, the unit shows signs of thermal stress, with efficiency and electrical performance taking a hit. This behavior underscores a potential oversight in thermal design, where the pursuit of lower manufacturing costs may have overshadowed the need for robust cooling under adverse operational scenarios.

The PSU's value proposition, characterized by a competitive price point and a five-year warranty, presents a compelling case for system builders and entry-level gamers. Yet, the critical lens reveals that while the price is attractive, the performance compromises and potential thermal limitations may deter more demanding users. The balance between cost, performance, and thermal efficiency seems tilted towards the former two, leaving room for improvement in managing heat dissipation without compromising noise levels.

In conclusion, the Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 750W PSU stands as a testament to Cooler Master's ability to produce a power supply unit that strikes a balance between cost-efficiency and reliable performance. However, as popular as the PSU has been over the years, the unit's reliance on what are now older design philosophies and cost-saving measures gives us pause. Though pragmatic, these design trade-offs may not fully satisfy the expectations of enthusiasts seeking top-tier performance and thermal efficiency. Still, at $94/€89, the MWE Gold V2 750W does fill a niche within its target market; but its critical assessment suggests that there is untapped potential for innovation and improvement that could elevate Cooler Master's offering from good to exceptional within the fiercely competitive PSU landscape.