Provided by: NZXT
No Compensation was received for review of this product.
Price Point
Price: $139.99USD
Class: Mainstream
At a price point of $139.99, the NZXT Hale82 850 Watt PSU is in the Mainstream category.
Performance
The NZXT HALE82 850 Watt Modular Power Supply performed exceptionally well under all loads. Voltage regulation was excellent on all rails with little fluctuation and falling well within spec, even under the heaviest loads with only a 1-2% variance.
Reviewer's Opinion
The NZXT Hale82 850 Watt PSU is a very well thought out unit and the design is executed extremely well. Niceties are not something generally associated with a PSU but, in cases like the Hale82, they deserve recognition. There is a lot that went into building the Hale82 to make it simply make sense, and to make building with it feel like a very professional experience, and it all shows. Adding these niceties to a very solid Seasonic built core makes it just that much better.
So, what are these well executed features? First, the cable lengths and distribution are well thought out and extremely versatile. The Hybrid Modular system used puts all of the necessary components wired directly to the Hale82, all using nicely sleeved 18g wiring. The lengths used on these are advertised as having full tower capabilities and they absolutely do. The 8 pin 12v EPS/ATX connector routes cleanly behind the MB and over the top, with a couple of inches to spare, in the Define XL, and this is the first PSU I have used that was able to do so. The PCIe cables each have two 6+2 connectors, which allows you to run a single cable to each video card for much cleaner cable routing. The modular cables are flat, yet far more flexible and easier to route than any of the other flat cables I have come across. The varying length SATA cables are a great touch for clean routing. You can use only the cable you need to match up with your system, no more 700mm 3 connector cables needed to power a single SATA drive that only requires a 300mm run.
Looking at the actual core of the unit, we find a Seasonic built 80Plus Bronze PSU. The build is rock solid with the clean internals we have come to expect from a Seasonic unit. All 105° solid Japanese caps are used, originating from Nippon ChemiCon and Rubycon, which have a proven track record for stability and longevity. DC-DC regulation is used for the secondary rails for greater efficiency. The 12v is handled by a single rail capable of 70A/840w, which will provide enough juice for just about any dual GPU build. On the inside, everything is done right....with the possible exception of the curiously undersized 120mm fan.
I was initially puzzled by the choice of a 120mm fan on this unit rather than the more common 130mm used on PSUs. It's a higher wattage PSU, so you can expect some serious heat, and the 130mm would move more air....and do it more quietly. I didn't experience any temperature problems during testing, but I can say that the noise was unexpected. Under load, the Hale82 is distinctly louder than my other bench units. During a cool down from a test, I actually thought my GPU fan wasn't spinning down....then thought that the fan control on my chassis fans wasn't working, but it turned out to be the PSU. The NZXT Hale82 is basically silent under normal operation, but under heavy load it's noticeable. Not necessarily distracting, but noticeable.
NZXT is taking a nice step forward in customer service with this unit. First off, there is a five year warranty, which is certainly a more than expected length. They are offering a service they call “Less Than Three” to greatly simplify the RMA process. Simply register your product at the NZXT site and print your RMA, pre-paid shipping label and all. That is a very welcome change to an area generally lacking across the entire industry.
Overall, the NZXT Hale82 850 Watt PSU is a winner. Performance was very strong with little voltage fluctuation on any of the rails, even when pushed 60 watts over its rating to 910 watts. Of course, the unit should not be expected to run at that wattage for maintained periods, but it is good to know it gives you ample headroom for peaks. Build of the Hale82 is excellent and cabling is extremely well thought out. Cable routing was very easy with the Hale82. The Hale82 has protection for any possible scenario (over/under voltage, temps, short circuit, power) to help keep it, and the rest of your build, safe. The looks of the Hale82 are non-descript, but clean, and a huge improvement over the Storm Trooper Hale90. The only knock I could give is the fan noise, and it's just really odd that NZXT stuck a 120mm fan in there. The Hale82 falls into a price class where it is competing with solid units from the likes of Corsair and XFX, but offers hybrid modular as an addition. All around, the NZXT Hale82 850 Watt PSU is a strong performer and comes highly recommended.
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