Introduction
Contents
Cooler Master released recently a new power supply series called iGreen, currently available in three flavors: 430 W, 500 W and 600 W. We took an in-depth look at the simplest model from this new series, 430 W.
Figure 1: Cooler Master iGreen Power 430 W.
Power supplies from iGreen series have active PFC and are RoHS compliant and that’s why this series is called “iGreen,” since both features in theory help the environment. While active PFC (Power Factor Correction) provides a better usage of the power grid, RoHS compliance means this power supply doesn’t use any hazardous material listed on the European environmental law. To be honest, both features have more to do with the ability of Cooler Master to sell this power supply series in Europe than actual benefit to the environment. You can read more about PFC on our Power Supply Tutorial and more about RoHS on our tutorial about this subject.
This power supply uses a very good cooling solution. Instead of having a fan on its back, its fan is located at the bottom of the unit, as you can see in Figure 1 (the power supply is upside down). A mesh replaced the back fan, as you can see. Since the fan used is bigger than fans usually used on power supply units (120 mm), this unit is not only quieter than traditional power supplies, but also provides a better airflow.
In Figure 1 you can also see that this power supply doesn’t have an 110V/220V switch, feature available on power supplies with active PFC.
This power supply provides one 20/24-pin motherboard connector, one ATX12V motherboard connector, one PCI Express auxiliary power connector, one floppy disk drive power connector, four peripheral power connectors and four Serial ATA power connectors, see Figure 2.
Figure 2: Connectors provided by this power supply.
As you can see in Figure 2, the wires are grouped and protected by a plastic sleeving, which helps organizing the cables inside your PC, preventing it from overheating. The peripheral power connectors use a new mechanism that is being adopted by several high-end power supplies, known as “quick release connectors.” This kind of connector provides two latches that when pressed disconnect the plug from the device with ease.
This power supply uses a very simple mechanism to convert its 24-pin main power connector into a 20-pin one, see Figure 3.
Figure 3: Its 24-pin power connector can be easily transformed into a 20-pin one.