Antec HCG1000 Pro Platinum 1000W PSU Review

1. Introduction2. Bundle & Cabling3. External4. Internal5. Testing Methodology and Results6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

It has been some time since we last looked at a power supply from Antec, however today we analyse a new unit from the company – the HCG1000 Pro Platinum. This is a fully modular, ATX 3.1 Platinum rated power supply currently on offer via Scan for less than £180 in the UK. Today we will find out if you should be shortlisting this power supply for a new system build.

When speaking with Antec they told us ‘The Antec HCG Pro PSUs are crafted to deliver unmatched performance, reliability, and efficiency. Available in various wattages, these PSUs are ideal for powering the latest gaming rigs and high-end PCs. With a focus on quality and innovation, the HCG Pro line stands as a beacon of our dedication to supporting your passion for gaming and technology.'

Marketing speak aside, when we asked Antec who the OEM for the PSU was initially, they told us that it was Seasonic. To get the latest technical data, I asked Seasonic directly about the new ATX 3.1 update and they said the following:

‘Regarding the new HCG PRO Platinum series (1200W/1000W/850W):

• The series is manufactured by Seasonic and is based on the latest version of the VERTEX PX, which is ATX 3.1 (as detailed on our website).
• We plan to roll out this new version from Seasonic in the coming weeks for our own VERTEX Series.
  • This is why our website has been updated
  • A note shown regarding 12VHPWR or 12V-2×6 cables – as both will coexist on the market while the latest version take over.
• Antec has already received this new version for their own PSU. It is similar to the VERTEX PX ATX 3.0, with the primary difference being the new 12V-2×6 connector/cable.'

Hopefully this helps to clear up any confusion people may have, as this is a very recent update (at time of writing).

Key Features

• 80 PLUS® Platinum Certification: We strive for excellence, ensuring up to 94% efficiency to reduce heat and lower operating costs, because we believe in protecting both your system and the environment.
• ATX 3.1 Compatibility: Future-proofing your builds with the latest ATX standard.
• PhaseWave™ Design: Introducing our PhaseWave™ Design, with a server-class full-bridge LLC design featuring synchronous rectification based on a DC-DC topology, ensuring unparalleled power delivery efficiency and stability for your rigs.
• Full Modular Design: Flexibility and simplicity are at the heart of our design, allowing you to use only the cables you need, reducing clutter and improving airflow.
• Japanese Capacitors: Reliability and stability are paramount, which is why we use high-quality capacitors to ensure long-term performance.
• Hybrid Silent Fan Control: We value a quiet and seamless experience, providing silent operation under low to medium loads, with a quiet 120mm fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) fan that only ramps up under high load conditions.
• Fully Contained CircuitShield™ Protection: Your safety and that of your components is our priority, which is why we include OVP, SCP, OPP, NLO, and SIP protections.

The box artwork for the Antec HCG1000 Pro is really nicely designed – highlighting a handful of key selling points, such as Japanese capacitors, hybrid mode and the 10 year warranty.

The rear of the box highlights key features of the power supply – such as the high quality Japanese capacitors (again) , 80 Plus Platinum rating, ATX 3.1 capability, Zero RPM mode, and the use of 135mm Fluid Dynamic bearing (FDB) fan.

The box contains the power supply, alongside some literature on the unit, with cable ties (both felt and plastic) and some mounting screws. The cables are individually sleeved and high quality throughout.

This 1000W power supply comes with plenty of cables to cater for every system build.

The ATX cable is 610mm long. The high power PCIe cable is 700mm long. The older style, traditional PCIe cables are 750mm long. Overall, very happy with the cable quality and length.

The HCG1000 Pro Platinum power supply measures 160mm x 150 mm by 86 mm so it's reasonably compact for the class. It weighs around 3.4kg. It is neutral in regards to colour scheme, with only a hint of accenting in Antec orange/yellow on the side stickers and top bolts (see image below).

The fan is hidden behind a shroud – we know it is a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) fan, we will take a closer look when we open it later in the review. We are guessing a Hong Hua 135mm FDB fan, as this is one of Seasonic's favourites.

The modular bay is home to three rows of connectors, all labelled for ease of install during the build phase. The other side of the power supply has a power connector, switch, and semi-fanless operation switch called ‘hybrid mode'.

The power supply can deliver 25A on both minor rails and 83A on the primary +12V rail (996W).

The unit (as expected) uses a Hong Hua fan – the HA13525H12F-Z in particular. This is a high quality FDB fan (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) fan rated 0.50A, 12VDC. These fans can be bought for around £15 online now – a quality fan, rated to 2,300rpm maximum rotation.

This is a full bridge topology design based on the Seasonic Vertex PX Platinum platform. This specific unit is similar to the VERTEX PX ATX 3.0, with the primary difference being the new 12V-2×6 connector/cable. An LLC resonant converter is adopted for lossless switching and improved efficiency levels.  The 12V powers a pair of DC-DC converters to generate the minor rails. The power supply is well designed, to be able to allow air to flow through the components. Heatsinks are quite small, but due to the high rated levels of Platinum efficiency there should be no concerns.

This unit is populated with quality 105c rated Japanese capacitors from Rubycon, Nippon Chemi Con and Nichicon. The two primary Nippon Chemi Con capacitors are rated 330uF and 560uF to produce a total of 890uF. Seasonic have adopted an array of polymer and electrolytic capacitors on the modular PCB to help with ripple suppression.

Overall, a very well made, quality design with excellent soldering across the boards.

Correctly testing power supplies is a complex procedure and KitGuru have configured a test bench which can deliver up to a 2,000 watt DC load.

We test ambient temperatures at 35c in our environment to greater reflect warmer internal chassis conditions.

We use combinations of the following hardware:
• SunMoon SM-268
• CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V outputs)
• CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V1, +12V2, +12V3, and +12V4)
• Extech Power Analyzer
• Extech MultiMaster MM570 digital multimeter
• SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa)
• Digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC)

• Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA

We test in a single +12V configuration.

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB		-12V
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
100W	0.90	3.33	0.90	5.02	7.35	12.10	0.50	5.02	0.20	-12.01
200W	1.60	3.33	1.64	5.01	15.13	12.10	1.00	5.02	0.20	-12.02
500W	3.21	3.33	3.24	5.01	38.60	12.09	1.50	5.01	0.20	-12.01
750W	4.03	3.33	4.17	5.02	58.53	12.09	2.00	5.01	0.30	-12.00
1000W	5.45	3.33	5.51	5.01	78.13	12.08	2.50	5.01	0.30	-12.01

The load regulation of this power supply is superb across the board.

Antec HCG1000 Pro Platinum 1000 Watt	Maximum Load
	1222W

The power supply managed to deliver 1222W before shutting down safely.

Next we want to try Cross Loading. This basically means loads which are not balanced. If a PC for instance needs 500W on the +12V outputs but something like 30W via the combined 3.3V and +5V outputs then the voltage regulation can fluctuate badly.

Cross Load Testing	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		-12V		+5VSB
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
885W	2.0	3.33	2.0	5.02	72.0	12.09	0.2	-12.01	0.50	5.01
240W	20.0	3.32	23.0	5.01	2.0	12.11	0.2	-12.02	0.50	5.01

The HCG1000 Pro handled our cross load test very well, holding stable results across the range.

We then used an oscilloscope to measure AC ripple and noise present on the DC outputs. We set the oscilloscope time base to check for AC ripple at both high and low ends of the spectrum. ATX12V V2.2 specification for DC output ripple and noise is defined in the ATX 12V power supply design guide.

ATX12V Ver 2.2 Noise/Ripple Tolerance
Output	Ripple (mV p-p)
+3.3V	50
+5V	50
+12V1	120
+12V2	120
-12V	120
+5VSB	50

Obviously when measuring AC noise and ripple on the DC outputs, the cleaner (less recorded) means we have a better end result. We measured this AC signal amplitude to see how closely the unit complied with the ATX standard.

AC Ripple (mV p-p)
DC Load	+3.3V	+5V	+12V	5VSB
100W	13	14	15	15
250W	18	17	18	18
500W	22	18	20	21
750W	23	20	23	24
1000W	27	22	26	30

Noise suppression is pretty good via primary 12V rail, minor rails are not the best we have seen but still well within acceptable industry rated parameters.

Efficiency (%)
100W	89.4
250W	92.2
500W	93.7
750W	92.7
1000W	89.5

The efficiency results are decent for a Platinum PSU, peaking around 94% between 45-55% load. This drops to around 89.5% efficiency at full load. We have seen better from 80 Plus Platinum rated units in 2024, but the results are not concerning.

We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.

Today to test the Power Supply we have taken it into our acoustics room environment and have set our SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa) one meter away from the unit. We have no other fans running so we can effectively measure just the noise from the unit itself.

As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.

KitGuru noise guide

10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 Player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

Noise (dBA)
100W	<28.0
250W	<28.0
500W	31.9
750W	33.9
1000W	35.4

The high quality FDB fan only really spins up when the load gets to around 700 watts or so in our environment – it's basically inaudible at lower loads and when a system is idling. In the last 20% of power demand it spins up to compensate, but even then it is relatively quiet overall.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
100W	37	41
250W	38	45
500W	40	52
750W	45	57
1000W	46	60

The large fan and high levels of efficiency ensure good airflow across the components and good operating temperatures.

Maximum load	Efficiency
1222W	88.8

Pushing the PSU above its rated limits generates an efficiency of around 88.8. Not a practical situation in the real world of course.

The Antec HCG1000 Pro Platinum is a quality power supply that performed well in our testing. It is the newest revision of the Vertex PX range from Seasonic, which the company has yet to release themselves at the time of writing this review.

Technically, this HCG delivers great results across load regulation tests … around 1%. As we would expect from a Seasonic unit, it is very well built and the individual sleeved cables are high quality. The fluid dynamic bearing fan ensures that noise levels are minimised throughout the power delivery, and until 700 watts were demanded in our specific environment, the fan was running at very low speeds. Being a fully modular unit also means it will suit a lot of system builders in a variety of cases – no need to hook up cables you don't need.

Ripple suppression showed good results from the +12V rail, although the minor rails registered a little higher than some units we have tested in the last couple of years. Nothing of concern and well within industry rated parameters, just something to point out.

Build quality is excellent, and the HCG adopts high grade 105C-rated Japanese capacitors throughout. Primary stage capacitors in our test sample were from Nippon Chemi Con but like some other designs, sometimes this will vary depending on stock between Nichicon and Rubycon. All very highly regarded Japanese suppliers.

The interesting point to discuss about this new Antec power supply is that only Antec have the ATX 3.1 version of this supply on sale. Right now I am unsure if Seasonic have any of the ATX 3.1 supplies currently on the market. They told me that they plan to roll out the new version in the coming weeks and include ‘a note put regarding 12VHPWR or 12V-2×6 cables as both will coexist on the market while the latest version take over.' If you look at their webpage HERE it says ‘Update July 2024: The Seasonic VERTEX Series power supplies were initially shipped with 12VHPWR cables. As soon as the ATX standard was updated, we have begun replacing these with the new 12V-2×6 connectors. During this transition period, customers may receive either 12VHPWR or 12V-2×6 cables in the box. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.'

I don't normally delve into all this in a normal PSU review, but there is clearly some confusion around the Vertex PX brand right now, so I wanted to try and clear it up. One final point to make is we did notice that the Antec HCG warranty is 10 years (HERE), while Seasonic's appears to be 12 years (HERE). This may be important to you, so worth pointing out.

Right now Scan is offering the HCG1000 Pro Platinum on offer at £178.99 HERE. The ATX 3.0 (we think) version of this unit is £50 more expensive from Seasonic at £229.99 on Scan (HERE). If you don't mind the 2 year reduced warranty terms, this Antec HCG1000 Pro Platinum unit is a heck of a deal and one I wouldn't miss myself.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Runs cool.
• £50 cheaper right now than Vertex PX 1000 unit.
• Very quiet.
• 105C-rated Japanese caps throughout.
• 10 year warranty.
• ATX 3.1 version.
• FDB fan is quality.
• Quality cables.
• Fully modular.
• Excellent build quality.
• Tight load regulation.

Cons:

• Secondary ripple suppression is not class leading.
• Seasonic Vertex PX has a 12 year warranty.

KitGuru says: The Antec HCG1000 Pro Platinum is a quiet, fully modular ATX 3.1 power supply currently available at a highly competitive £180 price point from Scan in the UK. Technically it is an incredibly capable unit which performs to a very high level. Build quality is top drawer and it comes highly recommended.

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