Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W PSU Review

1. Introduction2. Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W (Bundle/Cables)3. Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W (External)4. Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W (Internal)5. Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W (Super High Res Gallery)6. Testing Methodology & Results7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

Antec's high end power supplies have earned a good reputation over the years and today we look at the latest addition to their High Current Pro Platinum range – a powerful 1,300 watt rated model. High capacity power supplies are currently selling out everywhere, due to the expanding user base who use their system for mining. The Pro Platinum 1300W is a pure modular design and Antec are claiming a 94 percent efficiency.

Hard core miners are going to love the Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W. Not only does it have four powerful +12V rails, but you can use the OC Link feature to connect two HCP Platinum power supplies to operate in tandem. If you need 2,600W with 217A of power, then look no further!

Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W features:

• 1300W Continuous Power – Guaranteed 1300W of Continuous Power from Antec
• 80 PLUS® PLATINUM certified – Up to 94% efficient, to reduce your electricity bill
• Save Energy and Money – Reduce your electricity bill by up to 25%
• AQ7 – Antec Quality 7 year warranty and lifetime global 24/7 support
• 16-pin Socket – Industry-leading 16-pin sockets double the modular connectivity by supporting 2 different 8-pin cables per socket and allow for future connector changes
• 28(20+8)-pin MBU socket – World's first socket for possible future MBU connectors
• 135 mm DBB Silence – Whisper-quiet high-quality double ball bearing fan with long lifetime
• Thermal Manager – An advanced low voltage fan control for optimal heat & noise management
• High Current Rails – 4 High Current +12V rails with high load capabilities ensure maximum CPU & GPU compatibility
• 100% +12V – Output for maximum CPU & GPU support
• Multi PCI-E – 10 PCI-E connectors for multiple GPU support
• OC Link™ – Allows 2 HCP Platinums to work in tandem to power the most demanding systems
• CircuitShield™ – Full suite of industrial grade protections: Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Under Voltage Protection (UVP), Short Circuit Protection (SCP), Over Power Protection (OPP), Over Temperature Protection (OTP), Surge & Inrush Protection (SIP), No Load Operation (NLO) & Brown-Out Protection (BOP)
• All Japanese Heavy-Duty Caps – All high-performance Japanese capacitors ensure tightest DC stability and regulation
• PhaseWave™ Design – A server-class full-bridge LLC design with a synchronous rectification based on a DC-DC topology
• Stealth Wires – All wires darkened for minimal visibility in chassis

The Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W ships in a large box highlighting most of the main selling points. Ideal for a retail store environment.

Inside the box is a thin user manual, along with screws for mounting and some cable ties.

Full marks for packaging – Antec are using thick foam to protect everything inside. The modular cables are all protected inside a soft felt bag (top left). The Antec High Current Pro Platinum power supply is also protected inside a felt bag (top right).

The quality of the cables is very high, although they are quite ‘rigid' and may take a little effort to bend and route in some cases. We like how Antec have attached labels to some of the cables to help guide the user during the install phase.

Cable	Connectors
ATX 20+4 pin	x1 (560mm)
6+2 pin PCIe	x4 (550mm)
6+2 Pin PCIe	x6 (550mm + 145mm)
4+4 pin EPS12V/ATX12V	x2 (645mm)
SATA	x9 (550mm + 150mm)
MOLEX / FDD	x3 (550mm + 150mm) /x1 (+150mm)
MOLEX	x3 (550mm + 150mm)
OC LINK CABLE	x1 (550mm)

No shortage of PCIe connectors – with ten included in the bundle. There are also two EPS connectors and all of these can be used simultaneously if needed. I was quite surprised however to see only 9 SATA connectors available – I would have expected at least 12 with such a powerful unit.


The Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W is an attractively finished unit. Antec are using a thick ‘anti scratch' paint on the surface and it works extremely well. It passed our ‘screwdriver' test with flying colours. This involves running the head of a Philips head driver down the side of the chassis with light to medium force. After all, how many times have you accidentally connected with a power supply during a system build?

Negatively, it does attract fingerprints easily, but a quick wipe with a cloth removes these.

Antec labels adorn both sides of the chassis, and the letter ‘A' is clearly visible in the center point of the fan grill. We will take a closer look at the fan once we crack the unit open.

The modular panel of the power supply is densely populated, but easy enough to work with. We like how Antec have detailed the specific rail that a socket is related to. You can therefore tune the system build to suit heavy system demands.

On the left side is the simple 2 pin OC link connector which lets the user connect two HCP-1300's together for parallel power. We can't imagine many people will need 2,600 watts, but the option is certainly welcomed.

The other side of the chassis is completely vented with an ‘Antec' badge positioned in the middle. Alongside is a power connector and switch.

Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W
DC Output	+5V	+3.3V	+12V1	+12V2	+12V3	+12V4	-12V	+5Vsb
Max Output	25A	25A	50A	50A	50A	50A	0.5A	3A
Max Combined Wattage	130W		1300W				6W	15W

It is difficult not to be impressed with the +12V rails. When these are combined they can deliver the full 1,300W. Even two AMD R9 295X2's in Quad Crossfire won't cause this unit to struggle under load.
Antec are using a high grade Delta fan, model number AFB1312M (12V, 0.38A). This fan is manufactured in China. We will measure noise on the next page.

The High Current Pro Platinum 1,300W is manufactured by Delta, one of the most respected power supply OEM's in the world. The HCP-1300 is built to the highest standards, using a full bridge topology and an LLC converter for lossless switching of the primary mosfets. The secondary side is using a synchronous rectification system and utilises a transformer to host the +12V fets.

Soldering on the main PCB is excellent.

The first section of the transient filtering stage is behind the AC receptacle. It consists of two Y caps and a single X cap. The main PCB is home to the remainder of the transient filtering components, including four Y caps, a single X cap, an MOV and two CM chokes.

The three layered modular PCB contains a series of Chemi Con electrolytic capacitors to help with ripple filtering to the DC outputs. Two DC-DC converters which generate the minor rails are on a PCB which is placed close to the modular PCB.

The design is using two ultra high grade Rubycon capacitors rated at 450V, 560μF each. These 105c rated capacitors will give a combined 1120μF delivery. The PFC controller is connected to a small PCB attached to the main PCB.

All in all, this is a fantastic design, using only the highest grade components throughout.
On this page we present some super high resolution images of the product taken with the 24.5MP Nikon D3X camera and 24-70mm ED lens. These will take much longer to open due to the dimensions, especially on slower connections. If you use these pictures on another site or publication, please credit Kitguru.net as the owner/source.







Additional technical assistance: Peter McFarland and Jeremy Price.

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. Due to public requests we have changed our temperature settings – previously we rated with ambient temperatures at 25C, we have increased ambient temperatures by 10c (to 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

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB		-12V
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
100W	1.55	3.32	1.75	5.12	6.65	12.25	0.50	5.02	0.20	-12.11
200W	3.13	3.32	3.50	5.10	13.50	12.24	1.00	5.00	0.20	-12.11
400W	6.40	3.32	7.05	5.10	27.50	12.22	1.50	4.97	0.30	-12.11
600W	9.80	3.32	10.77	5.10	41.70	12.19	2.00	4.95	0.30	-12.12
800W	13.25	3.32	14.55	5.08	56.40	12.18	2.50	4.92	0.50	-12.12
1000W	16.55	3.32	15.75	5.08	71.40	12.17	3.00	4.88	0.60	-12.12
1300W	20.55	3.32	20.60	5.07	93.00	12.16	3.50	4.87	0.80	-12.12

Load regulation is very good, although the +5VSB rail exhibited a little flucutation. Nothing to be concerned about however.

Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W	Maximum Load
	1405W

We managed to get another 105W from the power supply before the protection circuitry kicked in. The supply was undamaged and it was ready to fire up again when we dropped the load to a more realistic level.

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	3.32	2.0	5.12	72.0	12.17	0.2	-12.11	0.50	5.02
240W	20.0	3.32	24.0	5.05	2.0	12.23	0.2	-12.10	0.50	4.99

The Antec power supply delivered a great set of results in the demanding Cross load test, shown above.

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	10	10	15	5
200W	10	10	15	5
400W	10	10	15	10
600W	10	10	15	10
800W	10	10	15	10
1000W	10	15	20	15
1300W	10	15	20	15

Ripple supression is absolutely stellar. All of the rails exhibit very low ripple, although we expected this due to the fantastic design and high grade components used throughout.

Efficiency (%)
100W	84.3
200W	88.2
400W	92.4
600W	94.0
800W	93.6
1000W	92.7
1300W	91.9

Low load efficiency isn't the best, however the overall efficiency results are superb, peaking at 94% at 600W. This drops to 91.9% efficiency at full load, still a very impressive result.

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 Refridgerator
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
200W	28.0
400W	31.3
600W	32.3
800W	34.8
1000W	37.4
1300W	42.2

The Antec power supply is quiet until around 800W when the fan starts to spin up rapidly to ensure adequate cooling performance. By 1000W it is clearly audible, and by 1,300W it rates as very loud. It isn't realistic to be running at 1,300 watts however. Under normal 800W load conditions it is a fairly quiet unit.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
100W	35	40
200W	35	42
400W	37	44
650W	43	52
800W	45	54
1000W	47	58
1300W	50	64

Temperatures are well controlled as the fan spins actively once load hits 800W load and beyond.

Maximum load	Efficiency
1405W	90.5

Pushing the power supply above its rated limits generates an efficiency level of around 90.5%. This is not a viable ‘real world’ situation, but its interesting nonetheless.
Antec's long term relationship with Delta has been very fruitful over the years. The High Current Pro Platinum 1300W is almost a faultless design capable of delivering immense power for the most taxing of environments.

First impressions are positive. The power supply ships protected between thick layers of foam, and is wrapped in a soft Antec branded felt bag to ensure no surface marks are transferred to the paint during rough shipping.

Antec have finished the HCP 1300W power supply with a special anti scratch paint, and it proves extremely resilient. It passed our screwdriver scratch test with flying colours and is clearly implemented to last a very long time. The modular panel is densely populated however Antec have labelled both the cables and connectors to ensure that inexperienced system builders will not get confused.

Technically the unit is extremely capable. The internal build is to an extremely high standard incorporating only the finest Japanese capacitors and mosfets throughout. As Delta designed the unit, they are able to include one of their own high grade fans for cooling. The AFB1312M is relatively quiet until around 800 watts load, however it does get a little noisy after the load exceeds 1000 watts.

Load regulation is excellent and the unit dealt with our intensive cross load test without a hiccup. Noise suppression is absolutely class leading on all rails – easily some of the best results we have ever recorded.

Technically it is hard to find fault with the HCP 1300, and the full modular design will appeal to system builders aiming to optimise their cable management for highly visible builds.

As we would expect, the Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W power supply is expensive. It is actually one of the most expensive power supplies we have tested to date, coming in at £297.76 inc vat from SCAN computers in the UK.

The audience wanting the ultimate power delivery for mining duties, or even to power two AMD R9 295X2's should definitely be shortlisting the Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1300W. It is one of the finest power supplies that money can buy and is a showcase of just how good Delta designs can be.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Pros:

• class leading noise suppression.
• fully modular.
• anti scratch paintwork.
• high grade cabling.
• best quality components inside.
• monster +12V output.
• ten PCIe connectors!
• delivered over 1400 watts.

Cons:

• Its £300.
• A few more SATA connectors wouldn't go amiss.

Kitguru says: If money is no problem and you need the best high power supply that money can buy, then this should be right at the top of your shortlist.

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