CP-850 Overview
The first thing you will notice about the CP-850 power supply is how big it actually is! The unit’s dimensions are 4.7” x 6.9” x 7.9”, which mean it is much bigger than the normal power supply. Check out the picture below as we compared it to the Thermaltake Evo_Blue 750W power supply.
Like most power supplies you have a list of max loads on the side and information. Moving around to the back of the power supply you have the power connector and power switch. The entire back of the power supply has a honeycomb design that will help air flow easily out of the unit.
The big thing to notice about the front of the unit is the large 120mm intake fan. This is one of the first times that I’ve seen a fan on the outside of a power supply. The CP-850 is only partially modular so there are 4 modular connectors on the front of the unit. The opening where the cables come out of the power supply is rolled steel so you don’t have to worry about any of your cables getting sliced.
So as far as the cables that are already attached to the power supply you have the 20+4 pin motherboard connector, 4 pin ATX, 8 pin EPS, 2x 6+2 PCI-E, 3x SATA and 3x molex. Included are 6 modular cables that include 6x SATA, 6x molex and 2x 6 pin PCI.
So before we get into installation why has Antec gone with this larger form factor? The reason for this is because with the extra room Antec is able to have a dual PCB layout inside of the unit. Most power supply have a single PCB layout. The dual PCB layout improves airflow and allows for heavy duty components.
I'm a fan of this new form factor. Too bad no other companies have followed suit with cases and PSUs opted for it.
I even wrote Antec an enquiry asking about their policies regarding this form factor, but got no reply. 🙁
hmmm…I have a dual core setup with two hard drives and one 9800GTX+ vid card (nothing else) – this PSU just seems to wind out all of the time and sounds unbearable. I have to get rid of it and get a decent PSU. I haven't had much luck with Antec's so called silent and silent'ish products.
Seems like you've got a bad specimen or don't feed it any fresh air.
All reviews I've read indicate this is one of the quietest PSUs around.
I recently built a i7 computer. I used the antec p183 case as well as the cp-850 psu. Not only has it performed without issues, running the cables was easy like they designed the psu and case to work seemlessly. This is by far the most powerful computer i have ever used and it is eerily quiet. I can't hear the hard drive at full spin or anything else.
I am a huge fan of antec and their products. I would definitely recommend this company.
i7920,ga-ex58-ud4p,gtx-260,6gigCorsair,1tb.caviar black,Cp-850, antecP183
Our system had a 4870 X2, 4 HDD's etc and the power supply was pretty quiet. Have you talked to Antec about the problem?