Introduction

We would like to thank Antec for supplying the review sample.

Antec’s High Current Gamer line was getting old and urgently needed new additions in order to keep up with the tough competition in the mid-PSU category. Antec thankfully decided to act, releasing several new modular units that look really interesting. With the new additions, the revamped HCG-M line consists of five units with capacities ranging from 400 W to 850 W, covering the most popular market segments and most user needs; but we think that a PSU with a capacity of 1 kW or more would really top the series off well.

All HCG-M units utilize 16-pin sockets to support two different 8-pin connectors along with 10-16 pin connectors in the future, making them, according to Antec, future proof should the need for new connectors emerge. The model that we will evaluate today is the HCG-750M. It is the second strongest of the series. Its characteristics look promising because it is equipped with Japanese capacitors and a double ball-bearing fan with LED lighting that can be toggled on/off, and the unit is also equipped with a full set of protections to ensure its safe and reliable operation under all conditions.

The new HCG-750M's biggest asset is probably the fact that is made by Seasonic, an OEM we highly respect for its top notch products; that said, they are usually not of the affordable kind. Well, you can't have dead low prices as a first priority if you want one of the best OEMs to build your product. It is also much better to invest some extra money into a PSU from a well-respected company as the unit feeds every other part in your system with power, and you don’t play with the component that feeds everything else given very bad things can happen if something goes wrong; it really is as simple as that. But enough with the prologue. Let's skip to the next page and take a look at the unit’s specifications.

Specifications

Efficiency is Bronze in an effort to restrict cost, since the components needed for Gold and Platinum efficiency are still expensive. Also, the unit features modular connectors, and is, according to the results of our test sessions, Haswell ready, but there is unfortunately no word on the operating temperature range; we still strongly believe that the unit can operate flawlessly at its full power at up to 50°C.

Antec was very generous with the protection features, so all of them equip the unit and, therefore, the system it powers. The cooling fan uses double ball-bearings and features LED lighting that can be toggled on/off via a switch at the front of the PSU. Also, its low efficiency rating doesn't allow for a semi passive operation as that requires the thermal characteristics of a Gold or Platinum unit. The PSU is pretty large and weighs a little over two kg.

When we saw the packaging of the HCG-750M, we noticed a weird thing. Antec claimed that this unit is ATX v2.32 compliant, but to the best of our knowledge no such version of the ATX spec exists. We unraveled this mysterium after a short discussion with Antec's PM. The ATX spec was revamped with some changes/upgrades after v2.31 but Intel stopped increasing revision numbers for their own reasons. So there have actually been several revisions after v2.31, hidden in the design system guides. In an effort to highlight that the HCG-750M uses a newer revision than the initial v2.31 spec, Antec improvised with the v2.32 numbering scheme which, however, isn't 100% correct. Intel thankfully, and for the good of us all, manufacturers and reviewers included, decided to start using the ATX spec numbering scheme again, so the newest iteration is v2.4.

With five years, warranty is pretty long on the new HCG-M units, so the user will enjoy a fairly long peace of mind. The price is high, something we were expecting given Seasonic is a pretty expensive OEM.


The two +12V rails can deliver almost the unit's full power, indicating that DC-DC converters are utilized for the generation of the minor rails. The latter are pretty strong, too, with 150 W combined power. Finally, the 5VSB rail is a bit stronger than that of other PSU's with a similar capacity, as 2.5 A is usually the norm.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

The EPS cable is sufficiently long, but we would like to see at least 550 mm on the ATX one. The other connectors are installed on long enough cables, and the distance amongst connectors is ideal. There are enough PCIe-, SATA-, and peripheral connectors for the capacity of the unit, but the single EPS connector troubled us; we expect there to be two in a PSU with a capacity of 750 W. We also liked the idea of adding a single 4-pin Molex connector on the SATA cables. Finally, all cables consist of the standard AWG18 gauges as these provide low enough voltage drops along with the necessary flexibility.


Antec was kind enough to put descriptions of the rails on the modular panel, but you had better take a look at the table and the text below to figure out the optimal sockets for all the PCIe cables.


Even connecting all modular cables to the HCG-750M will leave one of the two 16-pin sockets vacant. You had better connect both PCIe cables to the left 16-pin socket because the 12V2 rail feeds the EPS connector; that is, if you don't want to mix them up, which could trigger the unit's OCP. Taking into consideration the only two +12V rails, we think that power distribution is good, but users should follow the aforementioned advice to avoid any problems.

Packaging

The packaging is large and follows the classic design lines that Antec uses for their products. These include the dark background, the yellow strip on the right, and the angled close-up of the product right in the middle of the front. The front's bottom side also has several icons describing the unit's capacity, the LED fan, and the modular cables. Also, there is an icon for continuous power, but Antec forgot to mention at which maximum temperature the unit can output its full power continuously. Near the top-right corner are two badges for the 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency and SLI certification.


On this side is a list with the available connectors. We would highly appreciate it if Antec also mentioned cable lengths.


Two tables on this side refer to the power input and output specifications of the unit. You will also find the contact details for Antec's RMA support in three different continents here.


A features description in two languages and a small scheme depicting the dimensions of the PSU can be found on this side.


Three schemes on this side describe the CircuitShield, a reference to the protection features this unit is equipped with; the LED fan, and the 16-pin sockets of the modular panel. A small badge in the bottom-left corner also points to the five-year warranty the unit is covered by.


The rear has a multilingual features description and a series of badges in the top-right corner.