Performance (40% of the final score) - I am not an easy guy to rile. Sure, it does happen, but I'm pretty good at using bio-feedback to calm myself down again and go about my day. I'm having some trouble with my usual calm down methods today, for one thing above all is obvious to me: the Coolmax CUG-950B is not a 950W power supply. It is not an 800W power supply. It is not a 700W power supply. It's a drastically overrated decently performing 600W power supply. Even worse, it's nearly identical in almost every way as the CUG-700B I reviewed before. I gave that unit a reluctant 6 for performance, because it did ok for the most part. This unit has no excuse for the rotten efficiency above 600W, epic fail ripple, failure to even start up at 940W, and in general behaving like the second coming of the 700W model with absolutely none of the issues with that unit even having been addressed. I keep going back on forth on this, because I'm a soft hearted kind of guy, but every time I look at the load test results and scope shots I feel my blood boiling.
Coolmax, you sent me a 1350W unit once, and it ruled. But this unit is about as far from that one as you can get. Try again with a good 950W design, and then give me a call. This one gets a 0, because this is not a 950W unit. Not no way, not no how.
Functionality (20% of the final score) - although my head hurts from having to throw out my first goose egg, I do like the way modularity is implemented on the CUG series. While removal of the main ATX cable is unnecessary, it does make cable routing inside one's case a bit easier to manage. 9.
Value (30% of the final score) - Provantage is carrying this unit right now for $107.41. You know what? No. You can get the Corsair HX620 for around that price, and the CUG-950B does compete well as a 600W modular unit, but... this is supposed to be a 950W unit. I'll do 5, for actually being affordable as a 600W, but am taking five points off for being overrated by 350W by my estimation.
Aesthetics (10% of the final score) - the CUG-950B doesn't look too bad, though I must admit the off brown enclosure color and off gold fan grille doesn't really do a lot for me. 8.
Performance
0
Functionality
9
Value
5
Aesthetics
8
Total Score
4
Summary
Coolmax really disappointed me this time. I was hoping for something that performed like big brother 1350W, and instead got something that did well up to a certain point and then wet the bed big time at any load more than that. The CUG-950B performs very well at 600W, miserably at 700W, dangerously at 800W, and completely fails to even try for 950W. While this unit is hampered by inadequate cooling as much as anything, I have to believe the OEM never really intended the design to hit 950W. Epic fail ensued when I even tried for it. And it's just not cool that the CUG-700B looks to be the same unit, only an older revision.
Come on, Coolmax - you can do better than this. I know you can. I don't want to see another unit perform like this.
The Good:
fully modular
enough cabling for two high power video cards
well packaged
nice owner's manual
OCP worked... sometimes
The Bad:
can't do more than 700W at room temp
The Mediocre:
dangerously high ripple above 700W
can't cool itself well above 700W
very poor voltage regulation above 700W
very poor efficiency above 700W
innards look nearly the same as the CUG-700B
OCP/OVP/UVP did not step in when the ripple went nuts
