Xigmatek Centauro 1000-watt Power Supply Review

Introduction

By now, most of our readers should be familiar with Xigmatek and what they have to offer. For those who don't, Xigmatek is a relatively new company that began by offering excellent thermal management products to enthusiasts. Xigmatek was launched as a branch of parent company Micro Technology in 2005 and they quickly expanded to offer more solutions for the DIY market such as computer cases and power supplies. Xigmatek's company philosophy is simple; ICE. This stands for Impressive, Creative and Essential.

The last time we took a look at a power supply, it was the NRP-MC1002 1000W power supply. It did rather well till the last test when it barely fell outside of ATX specifications for DC output quality. Xigmatek tells us that their new modular power supply offers quiet and efficient performance with increased voltage regulation and DC output quality, which is certainly something we will be watching.

We've got high hopes this time around as we take a deep look into the new Centauro 1000W power supply.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing

Xigmatek's new Centauro power supply utilizes a single 12V rail capable of 75A. This means the Centauro 1000W power supply is rated for 900W of 12V power and can deliver 90% of the power supply's capacity on the 12V rail. Both the 3.3V and 5V rails are rather strong. The 3.3V rail is rated for 28A while the 5V rail is rated for 30A. Combined total output for the two rails is 180W. The 5VSB rail is rated for 3A or 15W. Total combined output of the unit is 1000W.

Xigmatek delivers when it comes to features on the Centauro 1000W unit. Voltage, power, circuit and temperature protections are all present and accounted for. The unit is rated for 80Plus Bronze efficiency. All cables are fully sleeved on the Centauro power supply, both native and modular. Xigmatek also included an ATX 4+4 connector and EPS12V on the Centauro 1000W unit. Finally, Xigmatek rates the Centauro 1000W for 100% continuous output at 50C which is very nice to see.

Pricing for the Xigmatek Centauro 1000W is a bit vague at the moment, but there are numerous places selling it Europe and Germany between the equivalent of roughly $170 and $200 USD. This puts the unit squarely in the middle of the road on pricing for 1000W units. Warranty for the Centauro series is a rather short two years.