1200W PSU Roundup 2014

Antec HCP-1300 High Current Pro Platinum 1300W Review

Manufacturer: Antec
UK price (as reviewed): £199.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $273.99 (ex Tax)

Antec has the highest rated PSU in this round-up; this High Current Pro Platinum power supply can deliver up to 1,300 watts, most of it over its four 12V rails. Antec is one of the few remaining manufacturers that sticks tenaciously to the multi-rail philosophy; most of the rest of the market adheres to the single-rail paradigm. Supposedly, the latter is superior for overclocking, but Antec has a feature that is also of interest to that particular audience. Using something called OC Link, you can connect two of these behemoths for a grand total of 2,600W, far outstripping even the most capable PSUs out there at the moment.


Looking at features, the HCP-1300 has a copious but not boggling amount of connectors. Seven Molex and nine SATA and of course eight 6/8-pin PEG connectors. Four graphics cards? Not a problem. Cable lengths are middling to reasonable, and although we would have preferred a longer ATX-cable, at 57.5cm it is not even the shortest in this test.


Cooling is done courtesy of a 135mm fan, and at 195mm this PSU is pretty much par for the course in the depth department, as all of the models on test are between 190 and 210mm deep.


Performance is good to very good. The HCP-1300 really can deliver its rated power and it does so with extremely stable voltages, with minimal ripple and great efficiency. It lacks a semi-passive mode, but it operates very quietly, even under load. It’s not the cheapest PSU on test, but it's hardly the most expensive either, as it can be had for about £200, which is decent value for what's on offer.