Antec High Current Gamer Extreme X850 Power Supply Review

A Closer Look

While the product packaging tends to follow the standard branding of the HCG range, there are more than a few hints as to what to expect from the power supply from the colour pallet used. No hints just yet, but bear this in mind. The front of the packaging in terms of information tells you everything you could want to know. Admittedly, the information is perhaps better legible by someone who understands power supplies, but since I do, I approve heartily!

The rear of the packaging provides further details on the key features. This is provided in a bullet-point style and is very easy on the eye. They could have perhaps gone a little larger in the font size, but that’s just nit-picking.

The sides give you additional information which is again, useful. You are provided with the power output method, the cabling which is included as well as an image (and dimensions) of the power supply. It is perhaps a little disappointing that only a singular image of the power supply appears and the background colours don’t help emphasise what I think it one of it’s biggest assets.

On the whole, however, the packaging is excellent. It tells you everything you could possibly need to know and does so clearly and concisely.

What’s In The Box?

In terms of what you get out of the box, this is (in terms of accessories) rather limited. You are given a regional power cable, a manual, and the warranty information. All the information provided is, as above, nice and clear. A pleasant bonus, however, is that Antec has also included a number of branded (and unbranded) cable ties to help you get your system build as clean as possible.

The power supply cables are all kept within a canvas bag which looks nice by itself. While the bag itself isn’t uncommon to those seen by many manufacturers (except, of course, the addition of branding) it is always a handy means of storing your spare cables for another day/build.

As a nice final touch, the power supply itself is contained within a branded canvas cover. The cover itself is a little unusual as it doesn’t quite cover the entire power supply. Exactly why this is, is unclear. Perhaps, however, it’s to give us a teaser to the aesthetics.

The Power Supply

Out of the packaging, the first thing that struck me was the fantastic aesthetics of the design. The gold and black design looks absolutely fantastic, especially on a system component that is (by many manufacturers) often rather plain. The colour pallet used, however, is fantastic. Particularly the unique ‘wrap around’ design the metal to the sides has.

Trying not to be blinded by the truly pretty design, this is still a high-performance power supply designed to do a job. The top of the power supply, therefore, has a fantastically large 130mm fan designed to optimise the airflow throughout. As this incorporates a hybrid design, however, the fan should only be utilised when temperatures/performance deem it absolutely necessary.

A closer look at the exhaust vents shows nice large spacing. This should help promote airflow. Particularly since (as above) a key emphasis is placed on its passive performance. You will note the hybrid mode button and there will be more on the fans operation later in this review.

The cable input ports for the power supply are labelled to make things a little easier for you. Particularly when matching up to the cables which are also labelled to tell you which end goes where. The spacing between the ports is nice and, as you can see, you have plenty of room to fit all your PCI-E and SATA components.

At the risk of sounding gushing though, in terms of design and aesthetics, I love the Antec HCG Extreme X850. As above, power supplies are often very bland and boring. Particularly those that have been created with a sole focus on performance. Antec has, however, put in more than a little effort to make this look good and it’s certainly not wasted on me!

Interior

Claiming to have 100% Japanese capacitors is (without referring to the efficiency rating) the ‘gold’ standard of power supply design. Put simply, Japan makes the best capacitors in the world and if they’re used in an electrical product, you know that more than a little care has gone into ensuring it is well made.

In terms of the general internal layout, there are no major concerns to be had here. The components are well spaced, including the heat sink banks. This should help optimise the passive airflow and ultimately ensure the fan runs as minimally as possible.

A closer look at the main capacitor does indeed confirm that it is a Japanese product. The Nichicon 105C capacitor is one regularly used in the best power supplies and it’s more than a little reassuring to see it on display here.

If there is a criticism to make, there is only one, and a minor one at that. There are areas of the PCB where the glue application is a bit excessive and untidy. While this isn’t uncommon in a power supply, it isn’t impossible to achieve its purpose (including vibration control) without having to dump it on like it came out of a tube of toothpaste.

It’s purely aesthetical, but this could have been tidier.

Overall Thoughts

Everything we have seen so far indicates that the Antec HCG Extreme X850 is going to be an excellent power supply. It carries all of the main key features you want to see from a power supply, but also has a fantastic design aesthetic that makes it more than a little visually appealing. It is, however, more critically important to know how this performs in testing.

Let’s get to it!

Important – Please Read

To understand the results on the new few pages, please take the time to read our detailed testing methodology page. The next page of this review will help you understand what the results of our testing mean, and educate you on the various qualities we look for in a good PSU.