Hiper Type-M 800W Power Supply Review

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Hiper Type-M 880W Power Supply Review​

Product Number: HPU-4M880-PS
Price: $180-$200CAD
Fan: 1x 140mm
Warranty: 3-Year
Availability: Now
Manufacturer Product Page: Products - Power - HPU-4M880



Hiper isn’t a very well known company in North America and especially here in Canada since they have mainly focused on the European market for the past few years. However, they have recently started an aggressive expansion into the domestic market with the release of several extremely interesting products. The last time we looked at a product from Hiper, it was their amazingly sexy Anubis case that we fawned over. Not only was it unique but it still remains the best case I have had in my hands. However, this review will be taking a bit different route since it will rotate around their new Type-M 880W power supply.

Aside from being the highest wattage power supply I have tested to date, this is also the first Hiper power supply I have had the pleasure of reviewing. To tell you the truth, my expectations are quite high since this power supply is made by CWT which is the same company which built some of the better performing units we have seen in the last few months. Even though Hiper hit the ground running here in North America, finding stock of their products here in Canada is a lesson in futility but things do look a bit better for our friends south of the border. That being said, the pricing here in Canada for the Type-M 880W looks to be between $180-$200 which puts it in line with other high performance power supplies like the Antec Truepower Quattro 850W.

It should also be noted that Hiper has different classes of power supplies to appeal to different consumer needs. They have the Type-R series which focuses on modular cables, the Type-S series which is their budget-oriented lineup and finally the Type-M series which are higher-end, non-modular units. Within the Type-M and Type-R series there are products with and without USB ports (yes, USB ports) directly on the power supply. Confused yet? Well to clear things up, let’s just say that the Type-M 880W power supply we are reviewing here is non-modular and does not have any tacked-on USB ports.

The Hiper Type-M 880W comes with a 3-year warranty which isn’t too bad but I would have liked to have seen a bit longer warranty offered. A 5-year warranty is quickly becoming necessary to keep up with the competition but if the performance of this power supply is above-average, the warranty will be something which is quickly forgotten.

 

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Specifications / Packaging & Accessories

Specifications

Packaging & Accessories

While I am by no means a card-carrying member of Greenpeace or anything, a gesture of “going green” from a manufacturer is never lost on me. I really have to appreciate the box Hiper used for the Type-M 880W since it is made out of 100% recycled cardboard. Personally, I don’t need flashy packaging to sell me on a product. Even though it is made out of recycled materials, the box itself holds all the information you would want to know about this power supply. A welcome addition is the inclusion of a printed piece of cardboard on the back of the box which even holds cable length information.

Oddly enough, even though the exterior packaging shows a move to environmentally friendly materials, the interior holds the usual Styrofoam and plastic. These can hardly be considered ecologically friendly materials and there inclusion here is a bit mind boggling considering the sacrifices Hiper made with the rest of the box. With an extremely long decomposition time and the fact that it can contain hazardous chemicals, Styrofoam is pretty far down the list green products.

Ok, time to put my green flag down. With all of that out of the way, I have to say that the Type-M is well protected against any rough handling.

With the Hiper 880W power supply you get a quick installation manual, mounting screws, a couple of Hiper stickers and an extremely think power cord. You also get cable extenders and some other adaptors which I will touch a bit more on in the Cables and Connectors section.

 

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Exterior Impressions

Exterior Impressions

Hiper has kept the stealthy black look from their Anubis case and carried it over into the design of this power supply. The inclusion of a single 135mm fan is quite nice but I find that the chrome-like fan grille does not keep with the overall design very well. We can also see that Hiper has chosen a different location for the AC input plug: smack in the middle of the Type-M’s back. Since the on/off switch is right next to the input plug, this location makes getting to it on the back of your case a bit harder than if it was in the usual location.

The odd thing about the Type-M is that even though it is not a modular power supply, it is a good one and a half inch longer than a standard non-modular unit. This may cause some problems in more cramped cases where the cables could conflict with the installation of your topmost disk drive.

The Type-M 880W has a very unique cable layout for a non-modular power supply. All of the cables are broken up into groups of two or three and placed in their own separate areas on the power supply. While this is an interesting solution to the mess we usually encounter with non-modular cables, I don’t know if I am entirely sold on it. The reason for this is that the cables still tend to get tangled and it is a bit harder to “bundle” all of the cables together at the top of the case. That being said, I really like the fact that each opening has a rubber grommet to protect the sleeving on the cables.

The top and two of the sides of the Hiper 880W use perforated panels which are supposed to help with ventilation within the power supply. Both sides hold very faint imprints of the Hiper logo that you will probably miss unless you look very carefully. I have to say, I really like this finish and it definitely gives the Type-M a unique look and feel.

 

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Cables & Connectors

Cables and Connectors

- Molex: 3 Connectors
o 1x 24” length (1 Connector)
o 1x 16” length (1 Connector)
o 1x 12” length (1 Connector)

- SATA: 4 Connectors
o 2x 24” length (2 connectors each)

- PCI-E 8-Pin: 2 Connectors
o 1x 20” length
o 1x 17” length

- PCI-E 6-Pin: 2 Connectors (on same cable as 8-pin PCI-E)
o 1x 22” length
o 1x 19” length

- 24-pin ATX Connector: 23” length

- 4-Pin CPU Connector: 22” length

- 8-Pin CPU Connector: 22” length

ExTender Cables:

Molex ExTender:
4 Cables, 6” Length

8-pin PCI-E to 6-Pin PCI-E ExTender:
2 Cables, 3” Length

Molex to Floppy ExTender
2 Cables, 6” Length

In terms of cables and connectors, I find that Hiper has cut a few corners in this area. Some of their decisions were good while others really need to be addressed with new revisions of this power supply. First of all I find that the 8-pin PCI-E connectors are quite short if someone wants to them to reach their GPUs in a full-tower case. Since this is a high-end power supply, one would assume it would be installed in a suitably beastly case and in that situation, 22” is the bare minimum needed. It is also mind-boggling why Hiper decided for one PCI-E cable to be shorter than the other since they are so short to begin with. The number of the SATA connectors is a bit depressing as well since there are many enthusiasts out there that use more than four hard drives.

While most of the main cables of the Hiper 880W are of a good length, there are some interesting things going on with the Molex cable lengths. You can see that instead of having full-length Molex cables with multiple connectors, Hiper has cut down on this area and has three cables each with a single connector. I actually have to agree with Hiper on this decision since these connectors are quickly becoming extinct. Yet, if you still need Molex cables the Type-M has a solution for you.

Hiper supplies four Molex “ExTender cables which can be linked together to extend the length of the Molex cables and also add connectors if needed. To tell you the truth, I find this a bit of a sloppy solution but it definitely does the job if you need to add to the length and number of Molex connectors. These ExTender cables are also used for other connectors as well and a huge plus about these cables is that it cuts down on the amount of cable clutter in your case.

The floppy connectors can also be attached to the Molex connectors if you need them. All of these “add on” cables are fully sleeved like the main cables of the Type-M.

The PCI-E connectors are set up a bit differently from what we have seen in the past since there is an 8-pin and 6-pin on the same cable. If you are using an HD2900XT card this setup looks perfect until you realize that the wires going to the 6-pin connector are almost too short to connect both the 8 and 6-pin connectors at the same time. After a bit of tugging and a lot of cursing, eventually both connectors will fit.

Since there are two 6-pin connectors which are attached to the 8-pin connectors Hiper adds a pair of 8-pin to 6-pin adaptors so you can use a pair of 8800GTX cards and add some much-needed length to the PCI-E cables.

 

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Interior Impressions

Interior Impressions

Upon first glance we can see many similarities between the Hiper Type-M 880W and other Channel Well-built power supplies I have reviewed in the past. Actually, aside from the purple PCB and purple wrapping around the coils, its innards are identical to those of the Corsair TX750. I looked high and low and for the life of me, I couldn’t find ANY difference between this power supply and Corsair’s 750W unit.

Both the primary and secondary sides are well-appointed with high quality components but I find it hard to believe that this Hiper power supply can keep its output clean up to 1040W. Unfortunately, I will not be able to test this theory of mine since I don’t have the equipment necessary to push this unit that far.

Like we have seen before with this particular Channel Well design, there is a single 105*C rated Matsushita cap on the primary while the secondary is decked out with Nippon Chemi-Con caps. Both of these capacitor manufacturer choices are top-notch and I can’t see any problems popping up with them during long term use.

All of the chokes and coils of the Hiper Type-M 880W are covered in a purple sleeving that is supposed to help with heat dispersal and cut down on any noise these components may make. This is something that we have seen on every CWT-built power supply we have tested.

There is a secondary vertical PCB that holds the connector for the fan as well as +5V traces which I could not trace back to the primary PCB.

One of the more interesting things on the custom purple PCB is the silk-screening of the various outputs this CWT design can be used for. With different combinations of components, this PCB can be used for power supplies ranging from 630W all the way up to 980W.

 

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Performance Tests

Performance Tests

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 3.5Ghz (B3)
Memory: 4GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 @ 1600Mhz (Thanks to Corsair)
Motherboard: Asus Blitz Extreme
Graphics Cards: 2X Gigabyte HD2900XT 512MB
Disk Drive: Pioneer DVD Writer
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 320GB SATAII
Fans: 5X Yate Loon 120mm @ 1200RPM
Monitor: LG Flatron L2000CN-BF (1600X1200)

For our complete power supply testing methodology, please go here: Hardware Canucks Power Supply Testing Methodology


Efficiency Testing

The Hiper 880W displayed good efficiency but at times it was less than the similarly-built Corsair TX750. The one thing that I did not find particularly endearing was the fact that when the system was turned off this power supply still consumed 18W.


Voltage Regulation Testing

+3.3V Regulation

Since my system puts very little strain on the +3.3V rail, all of the results look very good.


+5V Regulation

Once again, without much load on the +5V rail, the results are quite positive. Just remember, there are not too many computer components out there that would put a large load on either the +5 or +3.3V rails.


+12V Regulation

The +12V regulation shown by the Type M 880W was very good throughout the tests. There were some dips that brought the voltage to below what we saw with the TX750 but they were so minor, they don’t even warranty a second look. However, it should be noted that overall this is a very stable power supply when it comes to +12V regulation.


+12V Ripple Suppression

The Hiper 880W definitely displayed some interesting traits in this test. At first it showed extremely good ripple suppression but when the System Stress test was run, the traces began dancing to a different tune and ripple went up above 60mV. While this is still far below the ATX specified 120mV it does seem to show that the platform Hiper is using for this power supply begins showing stress at loads far below 880W. On the positive side, this 880W power supply shows that it can hold up very well under the “normal” operating conditions a high-end system will throw at it. However, the large jump in ripple/noise seen in our testing makes me concerned that if this unit was pushed to its limits it may violate the ATX specified 120mV. I definitely look forward to seeing the results of tests which are able to push this unit to its full output in order to see if my concerns are valid.


Heat and Noise

Overall, the Hiper Type-M 880W was extremely quiet eve though the fan speed began to increase quite a bit during the System Stress test. This was expected since that particular test puts a fair amount of stress on even an 880W power supply.

The fan design used on this power supply seems to be paying off since its operation stayed silent while moving enough air to keep in interior of the Type M relatively cool. Even during the most stressful hour test there was not much hot air coming out of the back of the power supply. This may also be due to the perforated side panels used on the housing.

 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

All in all I would have to say that the Hiper Type-M 880W is a good power supply that needs a bit of work in a few areas. If you are in the market for a higher-end power supply, this product warrants a look since it displayed good voltage regulation and efficiency at all of the loads I put it under. I also happen to like the layout of the Molex connectors even though I find that two single cables would have been much better than three. Even the overall design of the unit itself is unique and in my eyes it looks damn good if you install it into a black case. It just blends in with its surroundings which I find is a must for any power supply.

I mentioned that there were some areas which needed improvement and those areas conspire to bring this power supply’s rating down in my eyes. First of all is its slightly worrying performance in the +12 ripple tests where I saw spikes in the Type-M’s traces during the higher-load tests. To me these results show a platform which has been pushed to near its limit but once again, only further testing from other sources will be able to confirm this. Yet in the scope of this review, Hiper’s 880W did quite well. There is also the slightly minor issue of it having a longer housing but there should not really any worries of it getting in your way.

I also have to scratch my head at the packaging included with this power supply. I know this may seem like I am nitpicking but to see a box completely made out of recycled cardboard only to open it up and see Styrofoam is a bit disappointing. If you are going green, do it properly without packaging material that takes several hundred years to decompose. It should also be mentioned that while their warranty looks good at a full 3 years, searching high and low I could not find any mention of people’s experiences with Hiper’s customer support or RMA procedure. On the other hand, since Hiper has recently opened a North American office I would hope things go smooth on this front.

Mention also has to be made about the sad state of the cable lengths. While the ATX and CPU connectors are long enough to reach any area of literally any case, the PCI-E connector lengths are depressingly short for an 880W power supply. The inclusion of a mere four SATA connectors on an enthusiast power supply is also a faux pas in my books and I haven’t been entirely sold on the notion of “ExTender” cables either. They do come in handy but trying to route a daisy-chained Molex cable is a pain in the ass which you have to experience to believe.

Finally, there is the issue of price. As is usual for any product, the price of the Hiper Type-M 880W seems to vary wildly from one retailer to another and at $180 to $200CAD, Hiper is competing with better-known companies such as Antec and Silverstone in terms of price and performance. This in itself may prove to be the biggest hurdle Hiper has to face when trying to sell this power supply.

Overall, the Hiper Type-M is a power supply sporting performance that was good but not impressive and cable lengths that left me wanting. Knowing this, I have decided to give this power supply a rating of 3.5/5.

Pros:

- Good efficiency & voltage regulation
- Quiet
- Interesting design



Cons:

- Lackluster ripple suppression at higher loads
- Only 4 SATA connectors
- Short PCI-E connectors
- 3-Year Warranty
- Limited availability in Canada

Thanks to Hiper for providing us with this power supply​