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Published: Mar 28, 2009 Author: Michael Chiu Editor: Amber Lupala Provider: Coolmax Share this article:

Installation and Testing

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Installing the power supply turned out to be a bit of a challenge; while the unit fit into the case nicely, I had trouble installing some of the modular cables into the supply. The SATA cable took some force to install, and the peripheral connectors were very close together. Tip for other builders: install the cables before inserting the supply into the case. Also, I found the cables to be a little on the short side; thankfully I was installing the supply into a mid-sized tower; I suspect the cables would be have a tough time reaching all the components in a full-sized case.

After turning on the computer, I was satisfied with the overall sound performance of the supply. Thanks to the large 120mm fan, the operation doesn’t generate much sound. There are no LEDs on the fans, so no extra bling-bling for the supply.

Testing

Testing was done by measuring the voltages at the connectors with a multimeter. Idle voltages were taken running Windows and full loads were taken while running 3dmark2005. Results of similar tests on a previously reviewed FSP Power Mods 750W PSU and the Corsair TX750W PSU are included for comparison.

Setup:
AMD Phenom II 9850 Quad Core Processor
4GB OCZ DDR2
ASUS M3A78-EM Motherboard
Radeon HD 4830 Video Card
Western Digital Velociraptor 150GB hard drive
Western Digital Caviar 640GB hard drive
Sony DVD reader/writer

3.3V testing

The 3.3v rail performance wasn’t as stable when compared to the other units, but it was well within specification.

5V Testing

The 5V rail also has solid performance. I didn’t see any fluctuations in this voltage range at all.

12V testing

Similar impressive results for the 12V rail were found. A little higher nominal voltage but well within the ATX specification and very minimal fluctations.

As you can see, the Coolmax CU-700B 700W PSU delivers solid performance that did not vary greatly under loaded conditions. I have used this supply in various loading conditions for a while and haven’t found any issues.

Conclusion:
The Coolmax CU-700B 700W PSU is a solidly performing power supply, and, at ~$70 USD, is easy on the wallet as well. However, I thought the design of the modular cables could have been improved by making them longer, more spread apart on the supply, and offering more peripheral/4-pin cables. If you’re willing to overlook these issues and are looking for a decent supply on a budget, you may want to give this supply some consideration for your next build.

Pros:
+ Solid performance
+ Dual SLI ready
+ Semi-modular design
+ Decent price

Cons:
- Modular cables are short
- Hard to connect the modular cables when supply is installed
- Could use more peripheral cables