Cooler Master V1200 Platinum Power Supply Review

Conclusion

Being the most powerful and advanced unit that Cooler Master currently offers, the V1200 Platinum has clearly been developed to be the company's pinnacle power supply. A 1200W 80 Plus Platinum certified unit is a good selection for a top-tier product nowadays, as more powerful 80 Plus Titanium certified units are either too pricey or come with special requirements (e.g. specific cases or higher amperage household plugs). There is very limited market potential for such units, so their sales are a mere fraction of the overall income that Cooler Master will receive from their entire PSU division. Nevertheless, their influence on the reputation of the manufacturer is very significant, which is probably why Cooler Master chose one of the most reputable OEMs for their forerunner product, Seasonic.

Although the performance of the V1200 Platinum looks outstanding, it actually would be problematic for a rather large number of users. On one hand, the V1200 Platinum has excellent energy conversion efficiency and outstanding power quality output, as well as very low operating temperatures. Due to the behavior of its cooling system however, the V1200 Platinum tends to become very loud when heavily loaded for prolonged periods. This makes it virtually unsuitable for users with very advanced gaming systems that try to keep them as quiet as possible, as the V1200 Platinum will greatly contribute to the overall noise of the already numerous coolers and fans present in such a system (or it will generate a significant amount of noise on its own with a quiet water-cooled rig).

Ironically, the V1200 Platinum is entirely silent when the load is low, making it a very good (and overpriced) choice for a less powerful gaming system that will not draw over 800 Watts. On the other hand, the high quality and low operating temperatures make it ideal for use in systems and environments where acoustic comfort is not a major concern, such as for servers or cryptocurrency mining.

In conclusion, the Cooler Master V1200 Platinum offers great quality, excellent electrical performance and very low running temperatures for advanced users that do not mind the elevated sound pressure levels at high power draw. The modular design adds to its value, as does the outlandish seven-year warranty. There is just one problem - the retail price. The V1200 Platinum can be currently found retailing for about $300. This is not terribly high for a 1200W 80 Plus Platinum certified product, but the nearly identical Seasonic SS-1200XP³ retails for $240.

Cooler Master's minor modifications, the most important of which appears to be the transfer of the fan cooling profile switch to an expansion slot bracket, hardly justify such a price difference. If the price of the V1200 Platinum drops, it could be a good choice for systems that require a lot of power and operate under harsh conditions, as well as for gamers and professionals that do not prioritize low-noise operation over reliability and power quality. Right now, it has the unenviable job of going up against the ODM's own product that has essentially equal performance at a much lower price.