NZXT HALE90 850w Review
Conclusion
Published: 1st October 2010 | Source: NZXT | Price: £152 |
Conclusion
So, here we are. It's time to sum up everything we've seen over the past few pages and try to draw some kind of bottom line conclusion on whether the NZXT Hale 850w is a wolf in sheeps clothing, or just a sheep abused by its farmer.
Starting with the obvious - it's painted white. The finish is certainly good and the colour is crisp and clean rather than the 'smokers ceiling' kind of white that I was expecting. However, given that the PSU is often one of the most hot and dusty parts of a PC system I'll be very interested to see just how the unit looks after a few years of service.
Then there's the performance. The efficiency is certainly up at the top of the scale with over 90% being recorded across all of the standard tests. The only thing that really lets the unit down is the performance of the +3.3v and +5v rails in both the voltage and ripple tests. Yes they're well within ATX specifications, but here at OC3D we're always on the lookout for the 'best', and unfortunately the NZXT Hale delivers little more than mediocrity. The +12v rail however is very strong and paved the way for us to push the unit up to a whopping 1088w in the max load test.
This is where I owe NZXT an official OC3D apology. Due to a mis-calculation with the load levels during the PSU testing, the HALE90 was stressed well above its rated output on the +3.3v and +5v rails. This caused a massive increase in the ripple results for the said rails, and a rather negative conclusion to the review from me. HOWEVER, after the issue was pointed out by a member of our forums, the PSU was re-rested on 3/10 and the results 2nd time round are MUCH better.
Efficiency levels increased to 93% at medium load levels, the +5v and +3.3v rails became much more stable and the ripple results from all rails was among the best for any PSU we've tested on OC3D to date. Add this to the fact that the NZXT is capable of holding a massive 1088w load and we have one extremely strong PSU regardless of its colour. At £152 over at Scan, it may be on the expensive side, but if you're after a PSU for your white PC case that doesn't compromise on performance. The HALE90 850w is right up your street.
The bottom line I guess, is that the NZXT Hale 850w is a great choice for those of you looking for a white PSU to match up with your modified PC. It gets the job done, it's not going to declare war on your PC components and it can deliver plenty more juice than its rated output if you ever happen to upgrade your rig. However, if you can make do with a black PSU, then the £152 that Scan are asking for the 850w Hale could potentially be better spent elsewhere.
The Good
- Crisp white finish.
- 12v Output is pretty stable.
- Can deliver up to 1088w!
- Over 90% efficiency at all loads.
- Plenty of modular cables.
- Excellent ripple suppression on all rails.
The Mediocre
- +3.3v could be a tad more stable.
The Bad
- Zilch
Thanks to NZXT for supplying the HALE 850w for review. Discuss in our forums.
Most Recent Comments
seriously if i want my PSU white, i'll paint it ..
And replacing the fan is just as easy as opening a trash can!
just be carefull when opening a PSU just don't do it after a few days of F@H (gaming) and then boom open
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Originally Posted by SnW
I guess paint isn't a option ? seriously if i want my PSU white, i'll paint it .. And replacing the fan is just as easy as opening a trash can! just be carefull when opening a PSU just don't do it after a few days of F@H (gaming) and then boom open |
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Originally Posted by hmmblah
It's a sexy powdercoat, not just a paint job...nice touch IMO. |
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Originally Posted by AMDFTW
what no OC3D certification? |
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
No mate the 3.3v rail did not pass our standards. You only get our stamp if the psu is above and beyond epic! |
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Originally Posted by AlienALX
Hmmm.. Seems amazingly over priced to me... |
seen the 1000w version go for $209 (£131ish) :/
at new egg
TBH and I hate to say it but inside it looks pretty cheap. Outside it looks nice but man, reading the review I find it worrying that a £150+ PSU can just about keep within the ATX spec.
I had no respect for NZXT whatsoever until they released the Phantom. I don't know what it's built like but it's very nice looking. Unlike the fan controller of theirs I bought in 2007 that -
A. Was really cheap and tacky.
B. Was too big to fit in the 5.25 bay it was designed for and literally had to be rammed in.
C. The screen on which was absolutely parp and it wasn't cheap to buy.
I hoped that lately they had come good, but after reading this review I have my doubts. It's very easy now to get an average PSU around the same wattage for £100, and this is decidedly average. It must cost less than £50 to get a powdercoat done on a PSU (I mean FFS it's tiny) therefore I can't see any real reason at all to pay £150 for this thing.
A black one would look nicer in your case any way, and take that from some one who has studied colour coding and has a lot of experience with black and white
check my project log "crysis extreme" for some pics
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Originally Posted by Todd
So when's the full review of the Phantom coming along? I hope it isn't a disappointment as well because I really had my hopes up for NZXT. |
when is the review of the 1095t coming out
I like it even more now
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Originally Posted by Todd
Sorry, Tom, I watched that video already. I was talking about the full- full review and conclusion as a month has passed. You still love it? |
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Originally Posted by silenthill
What a load of rubbish, if you give it to me for free I wouldn’t put it in my pc |
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
Its actually pretty good fella, Im currently using an 850w in my rig |
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Originally Posted by silenthill
I only do Corsair Guvnor when it comes PSU so everything ells is like pound land |
That said, I'm surprised the PSU didn't blow up with almost 200W load on the +3.3V & +5V combined.
i assume this anyway
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Originally Posted by jonnyGURU
You know you overloaded the +3.3V and +5V rails by test 3, right? No reason to complain that the ripple is too high when you tested those rails a good 80W more than what the label says it should do. That said, I'm surprised the PSU didn't blow up with almost 200W load on the +3.3V & +5V combined. |
I've just this second finished re-resting the PSU and have published the amended set of results. As everyone will be able to see, these are MUCH more favourable for the unit in every respect. Efficiency is increased, voltages are slightly more stable and most importantly the ripple is much lower.
Please everyone take a chance to re-read the review as I wouldn't like NZXT to suffer for my mistake.
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UPDATE 03/10/10: Further to a post by a member of our forum we have become aware of a mis-calculation in our load levels for this PSU. As a result, please disregard any negative comments about the ripple results of this PSU in this thread.