Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 power supply review

Cooler Master Technology Inc., established in 1992 and headquartered in New Taipei, Taiwan, is a renowned manufacturer of PC computer hardware with decades of experience under its belt. As the name suggests, the company began as a PC cooling solution manufacturer but soon began diversifying towards anything PC power and cooling related, as well as PC-related furniture and peripherals. Alongside its retail business, Cooler Master is also an original equipment manufacturer of cooling devices for other manufacturers.

We look closely at the MWE Gold 850 V3, Cooler Master’s latest iteration in the MWE series of PSUs. The unit is rated at 850W and compliant with the ATX 3.1 standard, which, alongside its 10-year warranty and reasonable retail price, creates an excellent future-proof package that will not break the bank. The highlight of this unit, however, probably is its three different efficiency certifications (80Plus Gold, PPLP.info Gold, Cybenetics Platinum) and unique components. Its cost-effectiveness and versatility make it one of the best power supplies on the market.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 is packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with a black and purple design highlighting the unit’s certifications. The power supply itself is enclosed in a protective nylon pouch and secured with paper inserts to ensure safe transport.

Included in the box are just the essential items - mounting screws and an AC power cable. There are no cable straps, ties, or any accessories to be found.

The MWE Gold 850 V3 comes with all-black cables, most of which are flat and ribbon-like, lacking external sleeving. The exception is the 12+4 pin connector, which features nylon sleeving and a 90-degree connector on the device side. The power supply also includes four 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors and two CPU connectors, ample for an 850-watt unit.

External Appearance

Cooler Master made an effort to make the MWE Gold V3 aesthetically pleasing without altering the standard rectangular chassis. It is sprayed with a satin black chassis paint that is a bit prone to fingerprint marks, and a decorative sticker covers the left side of the unit. The sticker with the electrical specifications and certifications covers the right side of the unit, whereas a large company logo is found at the top of the chassis. The unit measures 160 mm in length, substantially exceeding the ATX standard limit of 140 mm, which necessitates checking case compatibility.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

At the front side of the unit, we can find only the typical AC cable receptacle and on/off switch. Even though this unit has a hybrid fan mode that will have the fan stopping entirely when the load is low, there is no way to disable it. The rear side is home to the modular cable connectors, with a very subtle legend printed next to them. The fan finger guard is part of the chassis, with a dense honeycomb design pattern.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Internal Design

The Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 is cooled by a 120 mm Yate Loon D12BH-12 fan with a ball-bearing engine, which is known for its reliability but can produce more noise at higher speeds. According to the manufacturer, this fan has a maximum speed of 2300 RPM. It is strange that Cooler Master did not opt for a larger 135 mm fan, even though the chassis can easily fit it.

The OEM behind the creation of this power supply is LITEON, a Taiwanese manufacturer with a huge product portfolio. LITEON was founded back in 1975, making it one of the oldest electronics OEMs on the planet. They have been in the PC market ever since its birth, designing and producing PC power supplies for over four decades now.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The power supply's filtering stage includes two Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two inductors, which is acceptable but also the bare minimum recommended for effective suppression. There are two rectifying bridges mounted on a small heatsink right after the filtration stage. The active components of the APFC circuitry consist of two "60SC120" MOSFETs from a manufacturer unknown to us, plus one diode. These are mounted on the large heatsink next to one enchased inductor and one TK 680 μF capacitor, which are the passive components of the APFC circuitry.

The backbone of the primary inversion side are two Great Power GP28S50YERD MOSFETs, which are part of a half-bridge LLC topology, mounted on the same heatsink as the APFC components. On the secondary side, six Nexperia PSMN2R2 MOSFETs found on the underside of the main PCB generate the primary 12V line. DC-to-DC circuits on a vertical daughterboard generate the 3.3V and 5V lines.

The secondary side capacitors are a strange mix of TK, APAQ, and Elite/Chinsan products. These companies are not commonly found in quality power supplies, but they are reliable, established manufacturers. The heatsinks are relatively small and very simple, considering the unit's power output. It is also noteworthy that the power transfer between the main PCB and the connectors PCB is being done via thick cables, something behind the times for an ATX 3.1-compliant unit.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of power supplies, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox, and various other bits and parts.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

During cold testing, the Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 demonstrated solid efficiency performance. At 115 VAC, the unit achieved an average nominal load efficiency of 90.5%, while at 230 VAC, the efficiency rose to 92.8%. The unit performed particularly well in the lower load range, maintaining good efficiency even under minimal load conditions.

While the efficiency peaks around 40% load, it drops significantly at higher loads. As a result, the power supply meets the 80Plus Gold certification requirements but fails to get a Platinum certification due to its low maximum load efficiency. PLPP.info, whose methodology appears to be a mix of average and minimum requirements (a mix of 80Plus and Cybenetics requirements, if we can simplify it down to that), also gave this unit a Gold certification. Cybenetics, whose certification is mostly based on average efficiency, granted this unit a Platinum certification.

The fan operates in zero-RPM mode until the load is a little higher than 200 watts but maintains a minimal speed - and noise levels - up to 500 watts. Beyond this point, the fan speed increases rapidly, reaching near maximum speed at full load, which can result in higher noise levels during sustained high-power operation.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

During hot testing, the Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 experienced a noticeable decrease in efficiency, with a 1.4% efficiency loss, yielding an average nominal load efficiency of 89.1% and 91.4% with an input voltage of 115 VAC and 230 VAC, respectively.

This reduction in efficiency is expected under higher ambient temperatures, as the power supply unit is rated for maximum output at 40 degrees Celsius. The efficiency loss becomes more pronounced as the load increases, suggesting that thermal stress is beginning to affect the unit's performance.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The fan also responded more aggressively under hot conditions, starting earlier and ramping up to near maximum speed when the load hit 680 watts. The internal temperatures of the unit went very high when subjected to prolonged high loads, but they remained within safe operating limits, not triggering the over-temperature protection (OTP).

Regardless, the power supply managed to output its full-rated power with an ambient temperature of over 45 degrees Celsius and maintained stable performance without any issues arising during the test.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 delivers reliable performance with solid electrical stability and power quality. Voltage regulation is very tight on the 12V rail but significantly relaxed on the secondary rails. Ripple suppression is very good for a unit in this class, with maximum ripple levels of 52 mV on the 12V rail, 22 mV on the 5V rail, and 22 mV on the 3.3V rail, all within acceptable industry standards for this tier.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.

The MWE Gold 850 V3's OCP is set to trigger at 140% for the 3.3V rail, 142% for the 5V rail, and 116% for the 12V rail, with an OPP threshold of 120%. The protection features work well, with the OCP protection on the 12V rail being very sensitive and sharp for an ATX 3.1-certified unit.

Bottom Line

The Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 impresses with a solid design and overall quality that aligns well with its performance and price point. The design is appealing without being extravagant, providing an aesthetic that suits a variety of builds. The 160 mm chassis is not too large and helps with thermals, yet it also warrants a compatibility check if a smaller case will be used.

Inside, we found a high-quality 120 mm fan, which was a very peculiar design choice considering that a 135 mm fan can fit. LITEON, one of the most experienced OEMs on the planet, is the OEM behind this unit. Although its components come from established manufacturers, almost none of them are companies whose products we typically see in high-performance PC PSUs. Nonetheless, LITEON is a very experienced OEM, and the 10-year manufacturer's warranty should alleviate any concerns.

In terms of electrical performance, the MWE Gold 850 V3 stands out with tight voltage regulation on the 12V rail and efficient ripple suppression that is well within acceptable industry standards. The unit performs well under nominal loads and earns the 80Plus Gold, PPLP.info Gold, and Cybenetics Platinum certifications.

Its efficiency is exceptional under low-to-medium loads, where this unit is expected to spend most of its lifetime, but significantly degrades under higher loads, suggesting the PSU is not best suited for sustained high-stress operations.

Acoustically, the MWE Gold 850 V3 operates in silence under lighter loads, thanks to its zero-RPM fan mode, with minimal noise up to around 500 watts in typical ambient conditions. Once the load surpasses this threshold, the fan ramps up significantly and can get loud if the unit is heavily stressed for prolonged periods of time. The unit’s heatsinks are fairly small, but the fan profile also is too aggressive, probably due to the designer wanting to ensure long-term reliability.

In summary, the Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 is a strong contender in the mid-range power supply market. With a competitive retail price of $105, it offers an attractive, future-proof solution with 80Plus Gold efficiency, solid electrical performance, and a robust feature set. It is best suited for users looking for a reliable power supply for typical gaming and productivity workloads, but it may not hold up as well under continuous maximum stress. For users looking for a balance of value, efficiency, and stability, this PSU is a worthwhile choice.

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