Performance Analysis

The small differences between most PSUs of this calibre shouldn’t be taken to mean much unless we highlight them – it’s exceedingly rare to find genuinely bad (i.e. dangerous, out of spec, etc.) power supplies from trusted brands these days, but it’s still interesting to see how units stack up against each other.

The HCG Gold delivered solid performance across the board, never showing signs that it was anything but a very reliable unit. For example, the 12V rail never varied by more than one percent.

The EVGA and Aerocool PSUs in the charts are 80 Plus Platinum rated, so their lead in efficiency is no surprise. The Be Quiet! model, however, shares Antec’s 80 Plus Gold rating, and the two trade places depending on the exact wattage tested. In short, the Antec HCG Gold 850W delivers the expected levels of efficiency.

Be Quiet! has a small but noticeable edge in low-load efficiency, but this is unlikely to make any real dent in your electricity bill, even over prolonged periods, especially as it also costs considerably more than Antec's unit.

Ripple values are suppressed very nicely with this power supply. In fact, it’s on par with more premium 80 Plus Platinum models, which is a good showing.

Noise output was always a concern. A cramped chassis means a denser concentration of heat, and the 120mm fan has to work harder than the 135mm one in Be Quiet!’s PSU, for example. It is especially noticeable at full whack, so if noise is a primary concern you may want to switch to a bigger unit.

Conclusion

While it isn’t the very best value 850W 80 Plus Gold power supply on the market, the Antec HCG Gold 850W is certainly not overpriced. The build quality inside and out is high, the cable selection is sensible and generous, and it boasts full modularity as well as solid performance. It’s also more compact than most competing models, which will boost its appeal to a certain subset of users looking to maximise space. This does entail the downside of a smaller and thus noisier fan than much of the competition, but with its 10-year warranty and very low ripple values, the Antec HCG Gold 850W does enough to earn itself a shiny Recommended badge.