Cooler Master B500 V2 – Hardware Review
It has been a while but finally we got the chance to test another Cooler Master product. This time it’s a power supply. Cooler Master’s B series is aimed at mainstream users for basic systems. Here we have the B500 version 2, a refreshed version of the B500. Is this budget-friendly PSU worthy of powering your system?
Specs
- Model: B500 V2
- Wattage: 500 Watts
- Compliancy: ATX12V V2.3
- Efficiency: ecoPSU level 85 (>85% @ typical load)
- Dimensions: 86 mm (H) x 150 mm (W) x 140 mm (D)
Exterior Design
There’s only so much you can do to make a power supply look unique or different. The B500 V2 does not attempt to do that. It’s completely matte black with only the side containing Cooler Master branding and specs. The bottom of the PSU of course features the fan covered with a grill. The back has honeycomb shaped ventilation holes with of course the on/off switch and a power cable connection as well. The cable itself is also included together with 4 screws for attachment to a case.
Cables
The B500 V2 is a non-modular PSU meaning the cables attached are non-removable and the unit is non-expandable. Sadly only some of the cables have extra black sleeving. Luckily the most important ones are covered (24pin and 8pin motherboard connectors). The other ones are simply coloured red, orange, black and yellow. This makes this PSU not really ideal for windowed cases where the cables would be visible. It does however have the added benefit of the cables being easier to flex and bend. Besides the motherboard power cables, there are two 6 + 2 GPU power connectors as well as 3 wire harnesses offering a variety of Molex, Floppy and SATA connectors.
Performance
This power supply has the ecoPSU level 85 label meaning at a typical load of 50% it works at an efficiency of 85%. While it’s not an extremely high efficiency, it should make a difference when upgrading from an older power supply. Not only will it save you money on your power bill, a higher efficiency also reduces the amount of heat that is generated when converting AC power to DC power. The efficiency and amount of Watts are sufficient for any modern system with a single GPU. The integrated fan is a 120mm one with intelligent fan speed controller. While it’s not extremely quiet, it shouldn’t overpower any of the fans already in your system.
Own opinion
I probably would not opt for this unit myself for my personal system. That is because I prefer using modular power supplies with fully sleeved cables. I use a windowed case and like my cables to be fully black. I would however use this PSU when building a low or mid-end system for someone who doesn’t really bother about the interior looks of their case. I also really liked working with the cables as they are easy to bend around corners to get to those hard-to-reach connectors.
Conclusion
No flashy specs, no extreme performance and not the most efficient power supply ever. The B500 V2 does however deliver enough for basic systems. Its 500 Watts should be enough and at around 85% efficiency it’ll allow you to save a bit on your power bill. It’s clean design will match most systems but some cables are not sleeved so this PSU probably shouldn’t be used in windowed cases. The B500 V2 is ideal for the PC-builders who are going for a simple system or people who are doing their first build and want something easy to work with.
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