Corsair AX 1200w ATX PSU Review
Cables, Connectors & Internals
Published: 25th June 2010 | Source: Corsair | Price: £264.99 |
Cables & Connectors
As you've probably guessed from the picture at the top of every page, the AX1200 is FULLY MODULAR! Very few manufacturers have managed to pull this off in the past with models from Silverstone and ULTRA receiving mixed press on the effectiveness of the connectors. Why Corsair had the sudden change of heart and decided to go fully modular for the AX series I'm not sure. After all, if you're planning to use the AX1200 as part of a 'normal' PC system you'll be needing the ATX connector at the very least anyway!
Corsair have, however, instantly improved on the fully modular design used by their competitors. Rather than the main ATX cable being a large 24-Pin connector, Corsair have split it into two connectors (10-Pin and 14-Pin) to help increase the strength of the mating and prevent situations when the pins at the edge of the connector lose contact due to the cable being bent at a tight angle.
Additionally, the whole modular experience has been simplified by splitting the connectors into two groups: Peripheral & SATA and PCI-E & CPU. Basically anything that runs on only 12v (Graphics Cards, Motherboard EPS) goes in one of the eight available 8-Pin connectors, while any other devices that make use of 3.3v/5v (Hard Disks, DVD..etc) go in any one of the six available 6-Pin connectors. Simples!
Plugging as many cables into the unit as possible leaves you with two unused modular cables. Obviously depending on whether your system uses more SATA or Molex connectors you can decide which ones exclude. Regardless of the combination you certainly won't find yourself short of connectors though with the AX1200 having a total of 16 SATA and 12 Molex connectors.
| Corsair AX1200 Connectors | ||
| ATX Connector | Modular | 1x 20+4 Pin |
| EPS-12v / P4-12v Connector(s) | Modular | 2x 4+4 Pin |
| Molex Connectors | Modular | 12x |
| Floppy Disk Connectors | Modular | 2x |
| SATA Connectors | Modular | 16x |
| PCI-E Connectors | Modular | 6x 6+2 Pin |
Much to my relief Corsair have stuck with the flat 'ribbon-style' modular SATA/Molex cables that have been made popular by their HX series. These have a much better bend radius than traditional 'bunched' cables in sleeving with the only slight downside being that they only bend in two directions. However, due to the sheer number of cables needed for EPS and ATX modular cables, Corsair has reverted to sleeving in order to keep them looking tidy. But fear not, there's no ugly rainbow coloured wires anywhere to be seen - so if you're not a sleeving fan, you can happily cut the sleeving off and keep the black wires bunched together using zip ties instead.
Internals
Now for the good stuff, and ooh-err this is just a tad different to any other PSU I've seen in the past. It's not a Seasonic, it's not a CWT, it's not a Delta. Could this mean that Corsair really have specc'd this unit from the ground up themselves? Time to put the cameras lens protector on so I can push it right up against some of these tasty looking components..
First things first, the insides of the unit are more tidy than a female porn stars rhododendron. Everything is perfectly positioned and there's absolutely no cables trailing across the internals or any of that sticky white...glue used to keep components from touching. While this accounts for little in the performance side of things, it does go to show that Corsair have put a lot of thought into the cooling pattern of the fan.
The AC receptacle at the rear of the unit features a built-in filter that should remove any transients coming in from the mains power line. This also serves as barrier for any noise produced by the transistors inside the PSU from returning back out to mains supply where it may cause interference on other electronic devices. The two main transformers for the unit are rather strange looking fellows too, but are actually part of the +12v VRM.
The 3.3v and +5v VRM's appear to sit at opposite sides of the PSU and each have a collection of solid state caps. Also pictured in the image on the right is the PCB responsible for a large part of the AX1200's safety features - namely OVP, UVP, OCP...etc.
The caps on the primary side of the unit are manufactured by Japanese company Nichicon and carry the specs of 470uF / 420v / 105°C. Interestingly over on the secondary side of the unit Corsair has switched to another Japanese manufacturer, Rubycon, for filtering the 12v output.
See those big 12 gauge wires? Well that's where the massive 100A 12v current is distributed to all of the modular connectors at the front of the PSU. Rather than using a standard traces design with the several wires soldered to the back of the PCB, Corsair have opted for solid metal rails that run along the top and down between each of the connectors. This is not only more efficient (as thick lumps of metal tend not to heat up as much as solder traces), but it also means that a considerable amount of amperage can be delivered to connectors that are in close proximity to each other.
Normally at this point I'd show you some pictures of the fan used to keep this beasty cool, but unfortunately I forgot to snap any shots *blushes*. Anyway, I can tell you that the fan is a Yate Loon D14BH-12 with the specs being available here.
Now to put the AX1200 through hell....
Most Recent Comments
oh btw you forgot a C in the title
It is truly epic. With a price-tag to match. Ouch.
But clearly if you want the best...
And, well, to the danger of 100A, we don't need to say anything, do we?
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Originally Posted by name='Stefan Payne'
Have you noticed any electronics noise?
And, well, to the danger of 100A, we don't need to say anything, do we? |
As for the single 12v rail, I can see where you're coming from. However I've not heard of any cases where a failure of a single rail PSU was any more catastrophic than a multi-rail PSU. At the end of the day 1200w is 1200w. Even if its split cleverly by OCP, it still has the potential to go wrong. Unless a PSU is physically split (different transformers etc) then it's naive to assume multi-rail is safer.
I did also get a gut feeling that the AX1200 was safer than a lot of other units I've tested before. It handled overloading extremely well and shut down gracefully without me wincing and expecting a *bang*. That is just a gut feeling though.
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Originally Posted by name='TH3 H4NGMAN'
Am I the only one who finds 6 pcie connectors lacking? Corsair's own 850W unit has 6, which has 30% less power. Antec's 1200W has 8 and the OC edition has 12!
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So maybe they want to prevent trying to power quad SLI reducing connectors to 6 though...I worked as an elictician for a time, so my belly hurts a little (more) when I have to see those 100Amps...
Have you tested the short circuit protection?
As for electronics noise: I tested the Corsair AX1200 on my P4 testsystem (an old FSC D1520 with a 2GHz Celeron) and it had quite notacible electronics noise, haven't tested anything else, though...
@Kartoff
The problem is that the AX1200 hasn't enough modular connectors for more than 7 eight pin PCie connectors, 'cause they're shared with the EPS12V one...
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Originally Posted by name='douglatins'
How much!!?!?!???!????
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And what a unit it is. It's the first time since the Antec Signature 850 (a Delta built unit) that I am actually impressed. It looks well engineered, only good quality components used and VERY much attention and care to detail.
This is THE one PSU to have, one PSU to rule them all. Until someone makes a better one... lol.
I also like that they finally sorted out the Ultra patent on modular PSUs, and I see they are getting their license worth.
Anyone knows of another Flextronics PSU out there? Maybe a sister model? We need to keep an eye on this new platform, it's just TOO good.
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Originally Posted by name='Sihastru'
The actual manufacturer of this unit is Flextronics. You know the guys that build videocards.
And what a unit it is. It's the first time since the Antec Signature 850 (a Delta built unit) that I am actually impressed. It looks well engineered, only good quality components used and VERY much attention and care to detail. This is THE one PSU to have, one PSU to rule them all. Until someone makes a better one... lol. I also like that they finally sorted out the Ultra patent on modular PSUs, and I see they are getting their license worth. Anyone knows of another Flextronics PSU out there? Maybe a sister model? We need to keep an eye on this new platform, it's just TOO good. |
1 x Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition Gulftown 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor
3 x ASUS ENGTX480/2DI/1536MD5 GeForce GTX 480 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express (3-way SLI)
1 x Western Digital VelociRaptor WD6000HLHX 600GB 10000 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
2 x OCZ DDR3 16000 2000MHZ Triple Memory Module KITS (12 G
1 x ASUS RAMPAGE III Motherboard
1 x NVIDIA 3D VISION GLASSES KIT (AVATAR Bundle)
1 x Alienware OptXTM AW2310 3D LCD Monitor [FONT="Comic Sans MS"]120 HZ BABY
1 x Microsoft WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 64-bit
AND MANY MORE GOODIES!!!!....
NOT TO MENTION THIS Corsair AX1200 BABY!!!
I do believe it will not let me down...
LET DA FRAGGIN BEGIN!!!
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Originally Posted by name='VTX1800C'
I just got me THIS Corsair AX1200 BEAUTY!!! [/FONT]1 x Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition Gulftown 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor 3 x ASUS ENGTX480/2DI/1536MD5 GeForce GTX 480 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express (3-way SLI) 1 x Western Digital VelociRaptor WD6000HLHX 600GB 10000 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 2 x OCZ DDR3 16000 2000MHZ Triple Memory Module KITS (12 G 1 x ASUS RAMPAGE III Motherboard 1 x NVIDIA 3D VISION GLASSES KIT (AVATAR Bundle) 1 x Alienware OptXTM AW2310 3D LCD Monitor [FONT="Comic Sans MS"]120 HZ BABY 1 x Microsoft WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 64-bit AND MORE MORE GOODIES!!!!.... NOT TO MENTION THIS Corsair AX1200 BABY!!! I do believe it will not let me down... LET DA FRAGGIN BEGIN!!! |
Regards
I will bring it in because that is a great idea...
I believe accordign to all my research on GTX480 that I will consume between 800~900 Watts. The reason i say this is because the GTX480's will draw 300W on a full load (75W 6-pin, 150W 8-pin, 75W PCI-e slot), however, in a 3-way SLI configuration which is what I build, all 3 GTX480 GPU's will never perform at full load because they will devide the demanded load among their GPU's. Which by the way GTX480 3-way SLI (3 GPU's) is much faster and better than ATI HD 5970 CrossfireX (which is actually 4 HD 5870 GPU's). I could give you benchedmark results but you should reaserch on your on so I dont favor my system. I did a bunch of research to decide on the components I bought.
After spending all this $$$ into this High-End GAMING machine I really do not care about the electric bill, which I pay by the way.
I just got tired of playing the new games on 10 year old technology.
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Originally Posted by name='silenthill'
If you have a wattmeter could you please measure how much power your pc is consuming when it is in full load.
Regards |
I will bring it in because that is a great idea...
I believe accordign to all my research on GTX480 that I will consume between 800~900 Watts. The reason i say this is because the GTX480's will draw 300W on a full load (75W 6-pin, 150W 8-pin, 75W PCI-e slot), however, in a 3-way SLI configuration which is what I build, all 3 GTX480 GPU's will never perform at full load because they will devide the demanded load among their GPU's. Which by the way GTX480 3-way SLI (3 GPU's) is much faster and better than ATI HD 5970 CrossfireX (which is actually 4 HD 5870 GPU's). I could give you benchedmark results but you should reaserch on your on so I dont favor my system. I did a bunch of research to decide on the components I bought.
After spending all this $$$ into this High-End GAMING machine I really do not care about the electric bill, which I pay by the way.
I just got tired of playing the new games on 10 year old technology.
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Originally Posted by name='VTX1800C'
I do but is @ WORK.
I will bring it in because that is a great idea... I believe accordign to all my research on GTX480 that I will consume between 800~900 Watts. The reason i say this is because the GTX480's will draw 300W on a full load (75W 6-pin, 150W 8-pin, 75W PCI-e slot), however, in a 3-way SLI configuration which is what I build, all 3 GTX480 GPU's will never perform at full load because they will devide the demanded load among their GPU's. Which by the way GTX480 3-way SLI (3 GPU's) is much faster and better than ATI HD 5970 CrossfireX (which is actually 4 HD 5870 GPU's). I could give you benchedmark results but you should reaserch on your on so I dont favor my system. I did a bunch of research to decide on the components I bought. After spending all this $$$ into this High-End GAMING machine I really do not care about the electric bill, which I pay by the way. I just got tired of playing the new games on 10 year old technology. |
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Originally Posted by name='silenthill'
I’m just curious because I’ve got two GTX 480 and CORE I7 SYSTEM at full load it consumes around 700 watts my power supply is the 1000W Corsair 1000HXUK so if I add another GTX 480 would my power supply be capable of handling the load.
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To avoid any damage to your system I recomend that you do upgrade your PSU.
There are many out there from 1,200W-1,600W.
Any 1,200W PSU is enough to power 3 GTX480 GPU's + Intel i7 + any drives you have.
I chose Corsair AX 1,200W because of its QUALITY.
AND ITS EFFICIENCY @ LOWER LOADS (any load of maximun 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 80%) ITS AMAZING!!! = less power cosumption = less $$$ on electric bill.
BTW,
if you research the diference between 2-way SLI vs 3-way SLI the results are improved on many games/tests/graphics.
>ONLY DO UPGRADE to 3-way SLI (3 GTX-480) if you play games that demand the hardware power.<
I say this so you dont spend the xtra $$$ if you really dont need it.
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Originally Posted by name='silenthill'
If you have a wattmeter could you please measure how much power your pc is consuming when it is in full load.
Regards |
3 GTX480 GPU's in 3-way SLI @ full load = 937 Watts x 0.89% efficiency = ~834 Watts (actual)
GPU Operating temperature @ full load = 96° C
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Originally Posted by name='VTX1800C'
Results in...
3 GTX480 GPU's in 3-way SLI @ full load = 937 Watts x 0.89% efficiency = ~834 Watts (actual) GPU Operating temperature @ full load = 96° C |
The black wiring is something I wish more comapnies would do!
~Bex
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Originally Posted by VTX1800C
Results in... 3 GTX480 GPU's in 3-way SLI @ full load = 937 Watts x 0.89% efficiency = ~834 Watts (actual) GPU Operating temperature @ full load = 96° C |
the reason im asking is that i can't find out what to buy, Corsair AX1200w ore the Silverstone Strider 1500w?
Albeit the Silverstone provides more power the Corsair is more efficient
I would be looking at do you need all that or are you after it for bragging rights?
im not that kind of type that need to be bragging, im 33 years old
i have kids and a wife hehe.are you in North America or Europe?
If you are in North America AX1200 is on sale with MIR!
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Originally Posted by AMD_PBz
That explains it .are you in North America or Europe? If you are in North America AX1200 is on sale with MIR! |
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Originally Posted by AMD_PBz
Well there's your answer Here in Canada $269 + tax or 259 after $20 MIR |
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Originally Posted by The Terrible Puddle
Possible to sleeve those cables individually? |
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Originally Posted by Zeals
They already have Corsair sleeving, which is really high quality, the only reason to change the sleeving is if you want to put UV ones. So don't bother |
Or am I wrong?
The gold award from Jim and the fact its fully modular means i can sleeve all he cables i need without voiding the bloody 7 year warranty lol....friggin 7 years u gotta love a bit of that!
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