Kingwin Mach 1 Exterior

At first glance, the Kingwin Mach 1 ABT-800MA1S 800W Modular PSU appears to have a whole new look to it. When Benchmark Reviews visited the 2008 CES in Las Vegas there were many new products at the exhibition booths, but not many offered anything more than an updated look on an old model. Kingwin appears to be onto something positive, since there are more than a few features which qualify as brand new to the collective design of power supply units.

The exterior paint coating is what I would describe as gunmetal gray, with a light texture and semi-gloss finish; although Kingwin calls it a nickel plated finish. The recently reviewed Hiper Type R Mk II series proved that while a mirror-finish is attractive; it had better have a design feature to alleviate fingerprints or else it becomes a hassle. Kingwin has cleverly designed the finish on the ABT-800MA1S to be both attractive and appealing, while at the same time being functionally effective and finger-print friendly. The gunmetal gray textured finish does an excellent job of making prints, smears, and smudges disappear; while at the same time offers a great looking alternative to a simple black paint job on a square steel chassis.

From the image above, the matching gunmetal gray protective grill shields a blue LED fan measuring 140mm wide by 25mm tall. Once the system is powered on, the dark blue light fills your computer case and offers a nice "wow" factor. Also notice that the fan blades are not your average 14cm design, but actually a swooping fin which moves more air with less noise. Pair this to a built in auto fan-speed sensor, and you have yourself the opportunity to avoid the "white noise" most high performance computers emit.

At the corner of the Kingwin Mach 1, the native cable group exits the chassis with a unique style of sleeving that I don't recall seeing used elsewhere. There is a single generic zip-tie collecting the native cable group, which doesn't exactly improve the otherwise upscale appearance. If you're seriously picky about your gear and the way it looks, this would be the first thing changed. Until Kingwin puts a nice ferrite core choke or similar device in its place, you can simply remove it.

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