NZXT C1000 Gold review: Clean power for AMD Threadripper PC builds

When it comes to the power supply, one must spend enough to ensure a reliable product is purchased from a reputable brand. NZXT is one such brand that is making moves in this segment with the launch of the C-series of power supplies, and the most recent model to become available is the C1000.

This 1000W AC-DC power plant is a monster of a PSU, capable of supplying enough clean power for PC builds with an Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor. Overclocking requires a beefy unit to provide enough power, and the NZXT C1000 is more than capable of handling such loads.

Could this be worthy of a spot on our best power supplies list?

Price, availability, and specifications

The NZXT C1000 Gold is the flagship model for the C-series of power supplies from the company. This makes it the most expensive choice of the family, costing $179.99. It's a fair chunk of change to part with for a Gold-rated power supply, but you are getting a Seasonic build with high-quality components for a stable supply of DC electricity.

NZXT supplied Windows Central with a review sample of the NZXT C1000. This power supply is part of the same series of power supplies as the NZXT C650 we also reviewed.

NZXT C1000 Gold: What I like

NZXT is renowned for making some of the most exquisite-looking PC cases out there. The H-series of chassis is among the best if you're wanting solid build quality, minimalist design, and best-in-class cable management. Like many PC brands within this space, NZXT is venturing into new product categories, including PSUs.

Because NZXT doesn't have years of power supply manufacturing experience, the company teamed up with Seasonic. If you're not familiar with Seasonic, you can locate and buy branded PSUs but the company specializes in producing products for other brands, including NZXT. They also happen to be among the best-rated power supplies.

The C1000 Gold is the latest power supply from NZXT to join its other C-series PSUs, including the C550, C650, C750, and C850. All power supplies within this family are 80 Plus Gold rated, and the NZXT C1000 is no exception. It shares the same design as other NZXT C-series power supplies; namely, it's a slab of black metal with subtle dark branding.

At the rear of the power supply lies a zero RPM fan-mode button that lets the PSU remain silent when at a low enough load. Once a set threshold of load and temperature has been met, the single 135mm fan will kick in to keep all the high-quality Japanese components cool enough to prevent one of the many safety features from kicking in.

To push this power supply, we used our AMD Ryzen 9 5950X testbench, which was overclocked, with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and 32GB of DDR4 RAM. Firing up benchmarks and allowing the components to draw upwards of 600W, the C1000 had no problem supplying clean and stable energy to keep everything running at peak performance.

And you can connect most hardware to the NZXT C1000, thanks to the array of cabling included:

• 1x 24-pin ATX (600mm)
• 2x 4+4-pin CPU (700mm)
• 6x 6+2-pin PCIe (650mm + 150mm)
• 6x SATA (500mm + 150mm)
• 6x Peripherals (500mm + 150mm)

The cables themselves are not braided, meaning you'll need to buy aftermarket cables to add a premium touch to your PC build. There's far more grunt here than most PCs will require. Even pushing the limits of what a 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 processor can handle has little effect on the C1000 Gold.

NZXT C1000 Gold: What I don't like

The NZXT C1000 is slightly on the pricey side, placing it out of reach for those on tighter budgets. Should you be able to overlook the price and want a reliable power supply that can provide plenty of clean power, this is one to consider. For everyone else, you will want to search elsewhere, especially if you desire better than the Gold efficiency rating.

NZXT C1000 Gold: Competition

There's plenty of competition out there for power supplies. Companies like EVGA, Seasonic, and Corsair have been in the business of making PSUs for many years. It all boils down to what you need from the power supply and how much you're willing to spend. The EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W is one of our favorite power supplies in general.

For the direct competition, you'll be looking at the exceptionally good be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12. It's more expensive, but you're getting one of the most efficient PSUs around, thanks to the 80 Plus Titanium rating. 1000W power supplies, in general, are overkill for most PC builds, so these should only be considered if you truly require it.

NZXT C1000 Gold: Should you buy it?

You should buy if ...

• You want a modular power supply
• You want a high-quality, safe power supply
• You plan on overclocking your PC components

You shouldn't buy if ...

• You don't need a modular power supply
• You won't overclock any of your components
• You don't have $180 to splash on a PSU