Verdict: Come on, feel the noise

Cooler Master is best known for its huge range of cases and CPU HSFs, but the company has recently diversified into PSUs as well.

Cooler Master reckons this PSU can output 550W, with the 3.3V rail rated at 20A, the 5V rail at 25A, and the three 12V rails rated as follows: 12V1 and 12V2 at 12A ,and 12V3 at 6A.

The 12V1 rail powers the motherboard and Molex connectors, while the 12V2 powers the CPU(s), and the 12V3 powers the S-ATA connectors. There are also six Molex, one FDD, one PCI-E and three S-ATA connectors.

Also provided is a 3.5in bay-mounted device, which is supposed to show power consumption, but, as it displays neither the input or output wattage, it isn't of much use. The Real Power provided a stable output on all five of its primary rails, even at 100 per cent load, and is also very efficient, averaging 77 per cent. This means it was drawing 715W to produce 552W.

However, the temperature-controlled 120mm fan makes a hell of a racket - so much so that we could hear it down the corridor with the lab door closed. Despite its stable outputs, the Real Power isn't a realistic choice for a home PC, unless you're deaf.

• Cases - 21st November 2008
• Motherboards - 24th October 2008
• Gaming Headsets - 26th September 2008
• Dream PCs - 24th September 2008
• Headphones - 12th September 2008
• Media PC components - 22nd August 2008
• PSUs - 14th July 2008

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