Review Cooler Master USNA 95 Universal Power Supply

Power-Up. The ultra slim Notebook Adapter 95, (abbreviated USNA 95), from Cooler Master, is a very skinny universal power supply which is compatible with 10 different manufacturers and various classes of hardware. An integrated USB-Port can be used to re-charge peripheral devices. Price: 59 Euro (RRP).

The Ultra Slim Notebook Adapter 95 is the 4th universal power supply for notebooks made by the Taiwanese manufacturer Cooler Master. Compared to other units in its class, the distinguishing feature of this model is its incredibly compact design. Measuring 104 x 62 x 17 mm (W x D x H), this unit only weighs in at 165 grams. If you add the cables and the adapter on this increases to 285 grams. This makes it a serious competitor for the power supplies of the laptop manufacturers which are often more chunky. It cannot compete with netbook power supplies however as these usually weigh around 180 grams (incl. cables).

The design is pretty minimalistic and looks good with its matt black finish and dark gray base. The USNA 95 managed to win the IF Product Design Award 2010 (which has been handed out since 1953), without actually having any eye catching features. The finish of the small housing is incredibly robust and gives the impression of a high quality product.  The contents is impressive considering its price tag of 59 Euro (rrp). Besides the unit itself, one also receives the necessary cables and adapters for more than 10 manufacturers. In addition there is a small clip to help keep the cables tidy and a small bag made from soft fibers.

The nine adapters, which are included, are easy to attach to the end of the cable and have a secure fit. The connectors are standardized with 2 prongs and switching from one to the other is done in a matter of seconds. The packaging lists all the most common manufacturers. Only some netbooks such as the current Eee PCs from Asus, are not supported. Besides the adapter, one must also pay special attention to the loading charge of the unit in question.  No matter what type of unit it is, netbook, notebook or subnotebook, they must support a charge of 19 Volts. In 99% of cases this information can be found stuck to the underside of the unit.

Besides its main purpose as a power supply, it can also be used to charge peripheral units (power supply + USB charger can be used at the same time). Charging through the USB interface will be approximately 30% faster than the USB ports which can be found on a laptop. A small status LED on top of the unit indicates if only a notebook is being charged (green), or whether there is also a peripheral unit attached (red).

The USNA 95 offers a maximum of 95 Watts, to the end unit. This might not be enough for some gaming machines, but it is more than most multimedia units will require. Cooler Master has given us some specifications which we will analyse more closely.

At maximum load the adapter produces about 101 Watts of which 90 can be used by the end unit. The 11 Watt difference is "lost" through heat. The fact that the housing stays very cool is a tribute to the efficiency of this unit.  If the losses were greater, so would be the temperature of the housing.  Even at an intermediate rate of 52 Watt, only 6 are lost through heat which results in a staggering efficiency level of 89 percent.