So when is a box not a box? Check out the box Hiper uses for the Type-R series PSU’s. That is a plastic utility box, both solid and sturdy, with a flip lock on the front like a toolbox and a handle on top. Inside we have a compartmentalized tray which at first holds some of the modular cabling but the great thing about this box is that once you have installed the PSU, you can then re-use the box for whatever you want it for. I personally think I’ll be transferring my PC tools into mine. First impressions last as they say, and while I would be errant as a reviewer to follow that expression to the letter, some manufacturers do go that little extra to make first impressions good ones.

Inside the box everything is bagged, wrapped, and securely packed with Styrofoam. You also get a black silver embossed manual, and while I’ve seen better manuals, I do have to ask how many of you truly read a manual for a PSU? You plug it into your devices, into the wall and turn it on; theirs not much more to it, so while the manual isn’t the best, it’s relevance as a bad point is debatable. You get the info on the voltages, current, noise etc and a wiring list for each of the plugs which should be enough for most.

We’ll start our tour with the cabling. All of it is sleeved very carefully, and both zip ties and heat-shrink secure it. Hiper have included quite a selection of cables and there should be enough here for everyone to be satisfied. We have of course our standard 4 pin Molex connectors although we do have 3 different types to support the modular system and to facilitate ease of install/uninstall. The first is the standard 4 pin Molex you would expect to find, and like all of the connectors comes in a matching black. The second is again a standard 4 pin Molex but with a female pass thru to the rear, which can be used to extend the cabling using the appropriate included cables. The third, and designed to be used (as much as possible anyway) on the devices themselves are these EZ Grip connectors. If you’ve not used them before and you often have a need to remove your Molex connectors from devices (or often have difficulty removing them), you are missing out. Vantec sell these as part of a kit but you get cables with 7 of them in this package.

For standard 4 pin Molex connections we have four cables that feature a Molex with pass-thru on one end and an EZ-Grip Molex on the other. Two cables are included that each support one 4 pin Molex (of the pass-thru variety) and two SATA 15 pin power cables, allowing you to power your SATA devices directly and without taking up another Molex with an adaptor.

We also have a cable (again with a preceding pass-thru Molex) for a 6 pin PCIe, allowing you to power your graphics card. Hopefully you can purchase a second of these PCIe cables separately to use in an SLI configuration, however including only one will cater for the majority and keep costs lower. We also have a P4 connector, and while it wont support the EPS12V standard as seen on some 945/955 motherboards, again since this is a modular power supply, an upgrade/separate purchase could conceivably be offered at a later date. Should you need an 8 pin connector, it’s highly likely you will receive an adaptor with the motherboard. Lastly for the device connections, we have a singular floppy connector.

One thing you’ve probably noticed in some of the pictures and that I’ve not mentioned yet is the connectors for joining the cables to the PSU itself. These are round aviator style connectors which push into the front of the PSU in their respective ports and can be securely screwed into place; with the cables they form what Hiper call the OMNIGRID system.

While it won’t be a regular occurrence, you could accidentally pull a cable out but since the Hiper cables screw in, this isn’t going to happen easily with this PSU. These aviator style plugs also give you a nice, almost retro look which while subjective, some will find quite pleasing.

To the side of the six ports on the front of the PSU, we find the grommet for the ATX power connector in a matching round steel, aviator appearance. Like all of the modular cables the ATX power connector is also sleeved in black, and a feature that is becoming more and more common among PSU’s is a modular or breakaway 20/24pin ATX connector; a feature that the Hiper Type-R Modular 580w shares.

The unit is made from Japanese Steel; a Steel which is apparently lighter than everyone else’s Steel. Of course it is perforated to give the bottom and two sides a mesh appearance and it isn’t dragging around the weight of all the cabling too. Either way, it still looks as good as an aluminium unit and has a highly polished, titanium mirror finish.

The bottom features a 120mm fan with chromed blades and while the Red/Blue Label models feature LED lit fans, the Black Label model we have here doesn’t have any lighting. Using a 120mm fan offers you both performance and silence, however I do have to wonder where the air that is being removed from the area above the CPU socket is actually going since both sides of the PSU are basically mesh.

The rear features an 80mm fan which should be able to exhaust the air brought in by the 120mm fan at the bottom, although no doubt some will escape into the top of the case via the mesh sides. This will help to keep the PSU cooler than the 80mm exhaust fan alone could but that escaped heat will need to go somewhere. Like the 120mm fan, the 80mm fan is also chrome bladed. Just to point out the obvious here, but Hiper use a proper stainless steel grill on both fans and flush fit them; a much better option than pressing out the steel. Next to the rear fan is a red illuminating power switch and of course the power socket.

While the top is probably not going to be seen that often, I’ve taken a picture anyway as it does sport a label which gives you a rundown of the power outputs of the unit. Popping the hood of a PSU can often speak volumes as to the quality of a unit. My first thought when I got a good look inside was that … ahhh, here is where Hiper have saved enough money to offer this PSU for less than the competition; the Heatsinks for a 580W PSU are a little on the small side. But then I realised something else which you don’t see in this picture. What we are looking at is the bottom of the PSU, so the 120mm fan blows directly onto this area, albeit it with case temperature air, but we also have the mesh body and 80mm exhaust as well. We’ll see how this pans out later. I was also pleased to see that the cabling was nicely tied up and secured properly, and while it makes manufacturing easier/cheaper, I do have my doubts about the fact that Hiper have used connectors between the wiring inside providing a possible point of failure. I’m not too worried about it as it’s highly unlikely that anything could go wrong here (all the wiring is securely shrinked and tied) but I did want to mention it for the sake of a complete review.