Antec High Current Gamer HCG-750 Power Supply

We have Antec's latest and greatest on the test bench today. How well does it perform?

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Manufacturer: Antec
5 minutes & 30 seconds read time

Introduction, Specifications, Availability & Pricing


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Introduction

Following the success of the HCP series of power supplies, Antec is releasing the new High Current Gamer series. The HCG PSU's are available in 420W, 520W, 620W, 750W, and 900W iterations. High Current Gamer series power supplies are not as feature rich as those of their HCP brethren, but still pack plenty of punch for those not in need of top of the line enthusiast features.

Antec asked us to take a look at the HCG-750 and we were more than happy to throw it on the bench to let you know what we thought of it. Keep reading to find out how Antec's latest faired and if it provides the quality that everyone expects from Antec.


Specifications, Availability and Pricing

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Antec uses a quad 12V rail configuration for the HCG-750 that's capable of 40A of power on each one. The total output of the power supply is 750W so you can't even come close to maxing all 12V rails out simultaneously, but it should allow for uneven loading of the rails without issue. The HCG-750 also comes with hefty 5V and 3.3V rails that will deliver a total of 150W.

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Antec gave us an estimated MSRP of $149.95 for the HCG-750. Taking a look at the features list, we see that Antec has dropped the modular cabling in favor of fixed cables and also doesn't give the HCG-750 a 50C rating either. Antec instead rates the HCG series at a modest 40C. The HCG-750 packs an 80Plus Bronze efficiency rating and Antec backs all of this up by a 5-year warranty.

After speaking with Antec directly, we were told that the release as of today is an imminent release. This means that while the product is not immediately available for purchase on shop shelves and online stores, they will show up for purchase very quickly. Final units are simply sitting on pallets waiting for orders to be made so that Antec can ship them out. Expect to see them in about a week!

The Packaging




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Antec keeps the front of the box simplistic, only displaying the name and wattage of the power supply with SLI and 80Plus logos displayed in the corner.

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Taking a look at the back side of the box shows that Antec has kept things simple here as well. There is a short list of all the major features of the power supply and a table that shows connector availability.

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Antec also keeps the sides of the box simple. One side displays a graph of the fan and its sound level while the other side shows logos associated with various features of the power supply.

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The top of the box is the only side that contains a picture of the HCG power supply and also lists the dimensions of it.

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On the bottom we finally find the output specifications of the HPG-750 as well as the warranty information.

Inside the Box




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Opening things up, we can see that Antec simply uses a couple of layers of cardboard to protect the HCG-750 during shipping. It isn't the best protection, however it works adequately as the power supply arrived undamaged during shipping.

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After removing the bag that the power supply comes shipped in, we can see the catchy red and black scheme that distinguishes the HCG-750. The sides simply show the Antec logo and have 750W stickers on them. Both sides are oriented in the same direction so it will be displayed upside down when mounted in an ATX chassis, but will be upright in a BTX chassis.

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There is nothing fancy on the back of the HCG-750. The standard honeycomb venting is used with the on/off switch and AC input located here as usual. There is nothing special about the front either, as it simply has the fixed cables coming out.

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The top contains the I/O specification label and serial number so that it is out of view once installed.

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Here we can see the large, quiet cooling fan and how the red accent wraps around the bottom of the HCG-750 from the sides.

Cabling Arrangement & A Look Inside


Cabling Arrangement

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Antec makes sure that you have plenty of connections with the HCG-750 since all the cables are native and not modular. Those with large towers who are looking to do cable management and hide the cables in their case might find that the lengths of the main connector and PCI-E connectors are a tad on the short side, so be sure and measure before buying.

It is nice to see the inclusion of only a single FDD connector instead of two. I haven't seen a floppy drive in a gamer's computer for nearly 5 years now (or new computer for that matter), so I'm not entirely sure why manufacturers are still including them. While I'm sure there are still quite a few legacy systems out there that contain floppy drives, I'm certain there are VERY few systems that would require such a high output from a power supply AND use a floppy.

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Antec makes it simple and easy concerning the 12V power distribution on the 4 rails. The first rail provides 12V power to the 24 pin main connector and all peripheral cables, while the second rail is strictly for the ATX 4+4 connector. The remaining two rails each power the pair of PCI-E 6+2 pin connectors.

Differentiating the rails is quite simple as the yellow wires for 12V are color coded. Rail 1 uses solid yellow, 2 uses yellow with a blue stripe, 3 uses yellow with a blue stripe, and 4 uses yellow with a green stripe.


A Look Inside

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Antec has kept clutter to a minimum inside the HCG-750. The heatsinks used are slim and the open spaces allow for fresh air to reach everywhere inside the power supply and permit excellent airflow.

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Antec uses 100% Japanese capacitors throughout the entire design of the HCG-750. On the primary side, we see a pair of Rubycon 105C caps.

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On the secondary, there is a mix of Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-con capacitors. All of these are rated for 105C as well.

Test Results & Final Thoughts


Test Results

Our load tests utilize a couple of FAST ATE active load testers and a variety of other equipment such as an oscilloscope, power conditioner, temperature probe and a power consumption meter. You can read more about our standard testing approach here.

The tests performed are based around six conceivable setups that are out there and progressively load down the PSU up to the power supply's limits or 1000W, whichever comes first. Since our test equipment's limits are greater than the Antec HCG-750, we can test it to the maximum.

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Overall, the Antec HCG-750 performed well throughout our tests and voltages stayed within specifications. Normally we see voltages drop across the board as output and loads increase, however with the HCG-750 they actually raised on the 3.3V and -12V rails. The 3.3V rail was also relatively high throughout the entire test and edging on the upper limits of ATX specifications. Efficiency for the HCG-750 was spot on as it is right where it should be for the 80Plus Bronze certification.


Final Thoughts

For years Antec has provided quality power supplies for gamers and enthusiasts alike, building quite the reputation. This quality and reputation has made Antec one of the industry leaders in computer power supplies. Antec's new HCG-750 continues in what has made Antec such a successful company and it performed solidly throughout our testing.

Throughout the entire review, I found it hard to find anything to fault the HCG-750 with. The few downfalls that it has are certainly open to opinion and needs. The HCG-750 is priced a tad high and places it very close to some of the more enthusiast level power supplies, but it lacks some of the additional features you would expect in that range such as modular cabling and a 50C rating.

One would also expect tighter tolerances for voltages when looking at the enthusiast level as well. However, Antec has priced the HCG-750 where it sits right in the middle of the entry level high power market and enthusiast market, so it gives a little extra while not giving too much.

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Zac provides professional IT support by day, but plays the role of enthusiast by night. He's been building high-end custom computer for the nearly fifteen years and writing PC hardware reviews for the better part of a decade. Aside from computers, he also dabbles in quite a bit of home A/V equipment. Throughout the years, Zac has picked up an extensive knowledge of power circuitry and leverages this to provide the PSU reviews. When not found testing or writing, you can often find him speeding through the winding countryside on his motorcycle.

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