NZXT HALE82-850-M 850 W Review 1

NZXT HALE82-850-M 850 W Review

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Introduction


We would like to thank CaseKing.de for supplying the review sample.

NZXT is a company specialized to provide what gamers need and according to their claims their products put consumers first. Since they design products for hardware enthusiasts and gamers, it was essential to include some PSUs in their offerings so they started with a high-end line, the HALE90, from which we have reviewed the 750W model in the past and now they decided to release a new line, HALE82, which targets the budget oriented users/gamers.

The HALE82 PSUs feature 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency, a semi-modular cabling design and contrary to the HALE90 units they have a black finish, however the fan is still painted in white. In this review we will test the HALE82 850M which, as its name implies, has 850W capacity while the “M” letter most likely stands for “Modular” meaning of course the modular cabling design the unit features. This PSU has a single +12V rail which can deliver nearly its full power, consequently the minor rails are generated from +12V via DC-DC converters. The use of VRMs in a Bronze unit means that the design is contemporary so we should expect decent, to say the least, performance and high efficiency regardless the relatively low 80 PLUS rating. You will find out more about the unit’s performance on the following pages.

Specifications

NZXT HALE82 850M Features & Specs
Max. DC Output850W
PFCActive PFC
Efficiency80 PLUS Bronze
Operating temperatureno info
ProtectionsOver Voltage Protection
Under Voltage Protection
Over Current Protection
Over Power Protection
Over Temperature Protection
Short Circuit Protection
Cooling120 mm Double-Ball Bearing Fan
Dimensions150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 160 mm (D)
Weight2.2 kg
Complianceno info
Warranty5 years
Price at time of review (exc. VAT)$135.91

Efficiency rating is not so high for today's standards but we shouldn't forget that Gold and Platinum efficiency PSUs play in the expensive category and NZXT obviously targets the lower-end market with HALE82 series. It may have only Bronze efficiency but this doesn't mean that it isn't equipped with all possible protections, on the contrary even the rare OTP is present. As always we are very pleased to see OTP, a protection of major importance for every PSU. Also the five year warranty, which comes with the unit, will ensure the future buyers' peace of mind. The unit's long lifespan is also supported by the exclusive use of Japanese capacitors and the double-ball bearing fan. Unfortunately NZXT doesn't provide any info about the operating temperature range and the standards (ATX, EPS) the PSU is compatible with. Finally price is quite high and regardless performance of the unit we are pretty sure that the price/performance ratio will be crippled. NZXT should lower the price in order to boost the unit's sales and competitiveness.

NZXT HALE82 850M Power Specs
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power25A25A70A3A0.5A
150W840W15W6W
Total Max. Power850W

There is only one, pretty strong, +12V rail which can deliver almost the full capacity of the PSU. This is a clear indication that the minor rails are generated through DC-DC converters from +12V, an approach which boosts efficiency. The max combined power of the minor rails is high enough at 150W and 5VSB also has sufficient power with 3A max.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

Native Cables
ATX connector (550 mm)20+4 pin
4+4 pin EPS12V/ATX12V (550 mm)1
6+2 pin PCIe (550 mm+100 mm)4
Modular Cables
4+4 pin EPS12V (550 mm)1
6+2 pin PCIe (550 mm+100 mm)2
4 pin Molex (550 mm+150 mm+150 mm) / FDD (+150 mm)6
SATA (550 mm+150 mm+150 mm)6
SATA (550 mm+100 mm)2

There are plenty of PCIe connectors for the capacity of the unit while the SATA and the peripheral connectors are sufficient, although a few more SATA connectors would be very welcome. Also it is noteworthy that there are no FDD connectors (who needs them anyway).
The main ATX cable along with the EPS and PCIe ones surely are not short, but 50mm additional length would be ideal. Thankfully the distance among the SATA/peripheral connectors is the recommended one. The PCIe connectors have only 100mm distance among them but in all VGAs, that need two PCIe, the sockets are very close to each other so there will be no compatibility problems. All connectors use 18AWG wires which is the recommended wire gauge according to ATX spec and the modular cables are flat, something that greatly helps in cable management.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail we do not have anything to comment about its power distribution.

Packaging


On the face of the box the capacity of the unit is highlighted in big white fonts and right beneath it the series name, HALE82, is written. Right next to the yellow stripes there is a small window which provides view to the white cooling fan while on the front bottom side we find several icons describing crucial features like the 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency, the exclusive use of Japanese capacitors, the single +12V rail, the 120mm cooling fan and finally the five year warranty period. On the rear side of the box we find much more detailed info about the unit and a close shot of the fan along with an internals photo showing the two APFC capacitors, which are provided by Nippon Chemi-Con. On the right side of the box there are two interesting graphs showing the efficiency curve and noise the fan emits at various load levels. With over 40dBA noise output at full load we can't classify the fan as inaudible, that's for sure.

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May 7th, 2024 12:59 EDT change timezone

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