Conclusion:
The CoolMax CTG-1000 is certainly one powerful power supply, there is no question about that. It will provide more than sufficient power to almost any system out there, and honestly most systems out there don't need this much power. As systems become more powerful, with dual core / dual processor setups and perhaps quad SLI, the demand for this type of power will become more real. I expect that we would then see more of these 1000W (or larger) power supplies.
The cables and connectors on this unit are superb! Each cable is neatly wrapped starting inside the power supply housing, and the 4-pin Molex connectors are easy to use with the easy release type plug. The inclusion of a fan controller helps keep the system cool and quiet, and even with the fans running at high speed they were quiet enough that I was not able to identify them over other noise sources in the system.
The biggest issue I have with the power supply is the lack of connectors. A 1000W unit should be expected to power many hard drives and other devices, and I expected to have between 15 - 20 connectors. Instead you are provided with five 4-pin Molex and four SATA connectors. Sure you can use splitters but that isn't optimal, adds additional cables, and just shouldn't be necessary. In addition to more Molex and SATA connectors, I'd like to see two additional PCI-E connectors. Other than the connectors, the low power voltages are a little concern, but not terribly, as they were well within the +/- 5% specification, and it could be that they needed even more of a load to operate as designed.
A search of PriceGrabber finds that this unit sells for between $349.99 and $499.00 (US) at the time this review was completed. While this seems like a steep price, you are getting 1000W, or one kiloWatt, of power, and it is in line with other 1000W power supplies on the market.
If you really need the power, keep the CoolMax CTG-1000 1000W ATX Power Supply in mind. Given the excellent features and more than ample power, I award the CTG-1000 the final rating of being "Recommended".
Pros:
» Active PFC
» 1000W of power
» Nicely wrapped cables
» Four +12V rails
» Multiple power protection features
Cons:
» Not enough power connections
» Low voltages (within +/-5%)
» More power than most will need
Special thanks to CoolMax USA for providing the CoolMax CTG-1000 1000W ATX Power Supply to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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