Cooler Master UCP 700 W can really deliver its labeled power at 50º C and provides high efficiency of up to 86.6%.
The manufacturer says this product can deliver efficiency of at least 87%, which is simply not true. The manufacturer, however, didn’t say how they measure this (probably at 230 V, where power supplies reach higher efficiency) and also didn’t say under which load (e.g., typical, full, etc).
Although this product is 80 Plus Silver certified, we got only 82.7% efficiency when pulling 700 W from it. It is important to keep in mind that we use a more rigorous methodology then the 80 Plus organization, especially regarding the temperature: they collect data at 23º C (a temperature impossible to be achieved inside a PC), while we collect data at a room temperature of at least double this number (which we consider more realistic; the higher the temperature, the lower the efficiency). This explains the difference.
One thing we didn’t like about this power supply was the video card cable configuration, which does not allow you to run three-way SLI or CrossFire with high-end video cards without using adapters, even though this power supply has six video card power connectors. This happens because the product has four six-pin connectors and two eight-pin connectors. Cooler Master should have used instead only six/eight connectors, what would solve this compatibility issue.
The bad about UCP 700 W is the high electrical noise level at +12 V when the unit is delivering 700 W, above the maximum allowed.
Even though it has a secondary design similar to Antec Signature, Seasonic M12D and Corsair HX (750W and up), it simply cannot deliver the same quality level, and this explains its lower price tag (USD 120 in the USA).
It is an attractive product because of its higher efficiency compared to other products on the same price range, even though it produces a higher electrical noise level compared to other products around. If you understand UCP 700 W limitations and they don’t bother you, it can be a good option.
