Introduction

I would like to thank Caseking.de & Overclockers UK for supplying the review sample.

NZXT is a company with gaming-inspired products that share a unique design and great looks. The new HALE90 V2 PSUs follow this tradition, and the fully modular design, along with some visual enhancements, grants them a very appealing appearance many gamers and modders will appreciate. The internals have changed as well since a new OEM built the HALE90 V2 units. As it seems, NZXT gave up Super Flower and trusted in FSP to handle their top-of-the-line PSU products.

The new HALE90 V2 series currently only consists of three units with capacities ranging from 850 W to 1200 W. All have Gold efficiency, which is strange since the competition in this high-end category already offers Platinum efficiency. The HALE90 V2 does, though, contrary to the older HALE90 units, feature a fully modular design for a cleaner and nicer look. Speaking of looks, the new HALE90 surely stands out in that regard, since the combination of the white casing, black modular panel, and the black stripe that runs along the front and the sides of the unit combines to deliver a pleasing package.

In this review, we will test the middle member of the HALE90 V2 line-up. It has a capacity of 1000 W and is equipped with six PCIe connectors, so it can support up to three high-end VGAs. In a snap, this unit features an innovative white and black PCB with better isolation and, according to NZXT, better identification, although we aren’t quite sure what they mean by that. Someone can identify the components on this PCB better due to its color? Probably. Continuing with the unit’s features, it has a single +12V rail, Japanese capacitors, a double ball-bearing fan (to be frank: we would highly prefer a HDB fan instead), and a five-year warranty. So far, all of the above looks promising, but until we press the load button on the Chroma loads (actually through the software that controls them), we can’t tell whether the HALE V2 1000 W will keep its promises, and does it have the guts to face the tough competition? But we better not tally any longer. Let’s cut to the chase.

Specifications

Regardless of the fact that the HALE90 V2 is now the flag series of NZXT, efficiency remains Gold. However, Gold efficiency cannot be considered low, yet it would have been nice of NZXT to follow the same road as its competition offering Platinum units at similar or even lower prices.

The maximum operating temperature at which the unit can deliver its full power continuously is 50°C, which is as the ATX spec recommends. All protection features are available to ensure the safe operation of the unit and the integrity of the system that it powers. The cooling of the PSU is handled by a double ball-bearing fan with a 135 mm diameter. It is a middle to high-speed fan that is thermally controlled and operates at all times since the unit doesn't feature a semi-fanless mode.

The dimensions of the PSU are quite large with a length of 19 cm. This means that you should first check if your chassis is able to accommodate it. The warranty is set at five years, which is a pretty long period, although some of the competition offers up to seven years with their similarly priced products.


The single +12V rail is powerful and can deliver almost the full unit's power by itself. The minor rails are very strong and the 5VSB rail can provide enough juice with its 4 A maximum current output.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

The unit is equipped with a large number of connectors, including six PCIe and two EPS connectors that are all available at the same time. Each PCIe cable only has a single PCIe connector, but that number can easily be increased with a couple dual-PCIe cables. The number of SATA connectors is adequate and the 4-pin Molex ones are numerous, especially for a contemporary system that only uses them for peripherals like lights, fans, pumps (water cooling), etc.

The length of the 24 pin ATX and the EPS cables will suffice in most cases, although its EPS cables could be a little longer. The PCIe cables and all others are adequately long; however, we would like to see larger distances between the 4-pin Molex connectors. Here, we should also note that every cable except the one holding the 24-pin ATX connector, is flat and stealthed (they consist of black wires). Finally, all connectors use the standard 18AWG gauges.

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

Packaging

The white package is quite large because the PSU's dimensions are bigger than usual. The front has a small window through which the white fan can be seen. All badges and texts on the front are small, except for the capacity description that is highlighted in large black fonts.


The most important thing on this side is the power code list depicting what power cord the unit is equipped with. Our sample came with the European variant.


A table describing all available connectors is given on this side. Two graphs also show the acoustic level of the fan and the efficiency of the PSU throughout its entire operational load ranges.


The back of the box exploits a black background and includes interesting information. It holds the power specifications table and a series of photos showing the internals of the PSU. We highly appreciate when a manufacturer is confident enough to show some photos of the internals and a brief description of them on the package; it gives us a clear idea of what to expect from the unit before we even open the box. NZXT also lists the key features of the PSU on this side to outline how this unit will meet its competition eye-to-eye.