Cases & PSUs

Antec High Current Pro 1000W Platinum Review

David Mitchelson
August 22, 2012 9 Min Read
2 0

The new HCP-1000 Platinum is in our midst. This unit is 80 Plus Platinum, fully modular, and backed by a 7 year warranty.



Product on Review: HCP-1000 Platinum
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Antec
Street Price: £230 (At time of review)

Back in March Antec unveiled its upcoming HCP-1000 Platinum at CeBIT 2012. Upping the anti, Antec’s High Current Pro lineup is due for an overhaul, being equipped with 80 Plus Platinum efficiency and bringing in the full flexibility of being completely modular. The first unit to receive such a renovation is the 1000W variant.

HCP-1000 Platinum also comes with four +12V rails, a 135mm double ball bearing fan with low-voltage control, and is backed by a huge 7 years warranty. Having such lucrative features will surely entice enthusiasts’ who are planning to build a multi-GPU setup to opt for this PSU; so today we will be giving the low-down.



Antec on the HCP-1000 Platinum
Antec’s High Current Pro Platinum series is the pinnacle of power supplies. High Current Pro Platinum is fully modular with a revolutionary 20+8-pin MBU socket for the needs of tomorrow. By using a PSU that is 80 PLUS® PLATINUM & ErP Lot 6: 2013 certified, operating up to 94% efficient, you can reduce your electricity bill by up to 25% when compared to many other power supplies. HCP Platinum’s innovative 16-pin sockets create a new level of flexibility by doubling the modular connectivity, supporting two different 8-pins connectors and even future connectors of 10, 12, 14 or 16-pins. Backed by a 7 year warranty and lifetime global 24/7 support, the HCP-1000 Platinum embodies everything a power supply can accomplish today.

Technical Specifications

1000W Continuous Power
Guaranteed 1000W of Continuous Power from Antec

80 PLUS PLATINUM certified
Up to 94% efficient, to reduce your electricity bill

Save Energy and Money
Reduce your electricity bill by up to 25%

AQ7
Antec Quality 7 year warranty and lifetime global 24/7 support

16-pin Socket
Industry-leading 16-pin sockets double the modular connectivity by
supporting 2 different 8-pin cables per socket and allow for future connector changes

28(20+8)-pin MBU socket
World’s first socket for possible future MBU connectors

135 mm DBB Silence
Whisper-quiet high-quality double ball bearing fan with long lifetime

Thermal Manager
An advanced low voltage fan control for optimal heat & noise management

High Current Rails
4 High Current +12V rails with high load capabilities ensure maximum CPU & GPU compatibility

100% +12V
Output for maximum CPU & GPU support

Multi PCI-E
6 PCI-E connectors for multiple GPU support

CircuitShield
Full suite of industrial grade protections: Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Under Voltage Protection (UVP), Short Circuit Protection (SCP), Over Power Protection (OPP), Over Temperature Protection (OTP), Surge & Inrush Protecion (SIP), No Load Operation (NLO) & Brown-Out Protection (BOP)

All Japanese Heavy-Duty Caps
All high-performance Japanese capacitors ensure tightest DC stability and regulation

ErP Lot 6: 2013
Compliant to the toughest energy standard available

PhaseWave Design
A server-class full-bridge LLC design with a synchronous rectification based on a DC-DC topology

Stealth Wires
All wires darkened for minimal visibility in chassis

Packaging, Bundle & Cables


HCP-1000 arrives in an attractive box. Antec have done a great job on the graphics and design with the packaging. The front identifies the total wattage and significant features such as modular, continuous power, 94% efficiency (platinum) and 25% energy savings. The front also alludes to the impressive 7 years warranty that this unit is backed by.

Inside, there is more than adequate foam padding for the PSU and other items.


The box for HCP-1000 Platinum


With the items out of the box we can inspect the bundle. Along-side the PSU – which is covered in a protective bag, the modular cables are grouped together in the same manner, within a protective carry bag. Antec have also included documentation such as an overview and warranty leaflets and two cables ties with mounting screws.


The included items within the bundle


Being completely modular, HCP-1000 has an extensive cable-set – not only to include the common hardwired options but also because this PSU is high-end there are extras too such as additional PCI-E. Included cables consist of:




Included modular cables


All cables have been given Nylon sleeving which is semi-transparent. The sleeves do not completely conceal the yellow cables underneath which is somewhat of a disappointment to those wanting to keep the inside of the computer chassis looking sleek. Overall quality of this sleeving and the connectors is very good though.

Closer Look (External)


HCP-1000 is fairly non-descript; though it does have Antec branding on either side which stands out. Since you have an 80 Plus Platinum efficient PSU, I guess you want to show it off! Overall build quality with this unit is as per other Antec’s PSUs – excellent.


An overview of HCP-1000


The outer structure of HCP-1000 is matt black. Antec have covered the 135mm dual ball bearing fan with an aesthetically pleasing grill. In the very centre the Antec logo leaves you in no doubt who the designer is.


135mm dual ball bearing cooling fan


HCP-1000 prides itself in being full-modular. There are no hardwired cables coming from the unit, and so as a result there is an extensive modular panel on the inside of the unit. The red sockets are designated for PCI-E, there are a total of four rails split over five sockets.


HCP-1000 is full modular


On the alternate side to the cooling fan sits the specifications label. This details wattage for the rails as well as ampage. The HCP-1000 confidently affirms itself by having Continous Power. This unit has a total of 1000W available for multi-GPU configurations and each of the four rails has 40A.


The specifications label detailing ampage and wattage

Closer Look (Internal)


** Opening a PSU voids warranty and should be done at the user’s own risk **

Sliding the top panel off the HCP-1000 reveals the inner-workings of the unit. The layout is very tidy and takes the form of a server-class full-bridge LLC design with a synchronous rectification based on a DC-DC topology. HCP-1000 uses an extensive range of protective standards which include: Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Under Voltage Protection (UVP), Short Circuit Protection (SCP), Over Power Protection (OPP), Over Temperature Protection (OTP), Surge & Inrush Protecion (SIP), No Load Operation (NLO) & Brown-Out Protection (BOP).

HCP-1000 also takes advantage of two Japanese hold-up solid capacitors which are rated at 450v and 105C.


The internal layout of HCP-1000



Dual hold up CAPs are high-quality Japanese made


On closer inspection we can now identify what cooling fan Antec have chosen to go with a Delta AFB1312M which is 135mm dual ball bearing fan. Antec have given HCP-1000 a thermal manager that helps to keep noise and heat controlled during different load states.


The 135mm cooling fan is Delta branded

Testing Methodologies & Results


Our testing methodology for testing Power Supply Units is limited to the multi-meter to show each rail’s performance due to us not having access to an ATE load tester.

Although this does constrain us slightly we can still monitor fluctuations on the rails and give the unit a good assessment when we feature it in one of our builds. The way the testing will run is simple, voltages will be observed at idle wattage and then a single GPU will be installed within the system and a combination of OCCT and MSI Kombustor will be executed to provide simulation with just 1 GPU. This will be run for 10 minutes. We will also be adding in another two GPUs to allow for dual and triple card configurations with SLI in order to generate as much power consumption as possible. The CPU will also be overclocked to maximise power consumption and strain. This should give us a good indication of how the HCP-1000 will perform under gaming stresses and beyond.

System Components
CPU Intel Core i7 3570K (with OC 4.5GHz)
Motherboard MSI Z77A-GD65
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 480 X3
Memory 8GB Corsair Vengeance 2133MHz CL10
HDD 1x Kingston HyperX SSD 240GB
PSU Antec HCP-1000 Platinum


As I mentioned there is no ATE load tester available so generating as much power as possible is key to observing the fluctuations on the rails.

For voltage tolerance levels, ATX specify that a 5% variable fluctuation is acceptable. (Form Factors – ATX Specification PDF – Page 10). So what this means is:

3.3V Rail – 3.135V – 3.465V acceptable
5V Rail – 4.75V – 5.25V acceptable
12V Rail – 11.4V – 12.6V acceptable

Idle test – The system settles in windows without any applications or stressing. 1 GPU (165W)
Single GPU – OCCT/MSI Kombustor run for 10 minutes (382W)
Dual GPU – OCCT/MSI Kombustor run for 10 minutes (683W)
Triple GPU – OCCT/MSI Kombustor run for 10 minutes (1044W)

Conclusion


I have to admit, I’m quite a fan of Antec’s PSUs. Since the early days I’ve had a leaning towards their PSUs because of quality, price and customer aftercare. With any favouritism to one side, how does HCP-1000 Platinum fare?

Well I can report my findings are certainly positive. Packaging and build quality are both excellent and the range of modular cables ensure this product covers every possibility. Though there are plenty to choose from I would have liked to see the sleeves thicker so that underlying yellow cables are completely concealed.



Over to performance and again the HCP-1000 Platinum fared well here too. It kept within the ATX voltage specifications during 38%, 68% and even 104%. Although this unit is rated at 1000W it handled 1044W from the 3x SLI setup. Noise levels at 38% and 68% were very quiet, 104% was obviously noticeable but most would not run this unit at such a precarious operating level.

Priced at £230, HCP-1000 Platinum leads the way in the 1000W arena. Other units of the same calibre but with bronze, silver and gold efficiency are priced accordingly – some gold and silver PSUs only being £20-30 away. So the pricing for HCP-1000 Platinum is actually quite reasonable, especially when you consider this unit is completely modular, offering full flexibility and being backed by a huge 7 years warranty.

HCP-1000 Platinum is solid in its performance and build quality. It offers some great features such as 80 Plus Platinum efficiency, fully modular and comes with a very attractive 7 years warranty that no enthusiast will snub their nose at. As a result of our findings we are pleased to award this PSU with our prestigious Gold award.

Pros
+ Excellent build quality
+ Full modular
+ 80 Plus Platinum
+ Quiet during load
+ 7 years warranty

Cons
– Cable sleeves could be thicker
– Design is quite plain


Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.

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David Mitchelson