Corsair HX650w 650W ATX PSU
Conclusion
Published: 15th January 2010 | Source: Corsair | Price: £93.40 |
"If it aint broke, don't try to fix it...just update it". This phrase (although slightly modified) pretty much sums up what was going through Corsair's heads when they decided to release the HX650w. They knew that they already had one of the most respected PSU's on the market with the HX620w, so why change anything that didn't absolutely need it? The look of the unit was great, the size was just perfect, the modular connectors were a hit. All that really needed updating was the efficiency and maybe a few other minor performance tweaks to prevent any other manufacturer from knocking it off its perch.
And that's all they did.
The HX650w IS in simple terms a HX620w with ~6% higher average efficiency, slightly more stable voltages, and according to Corsair, lower noise output thanks to less energy being wasted as heat.
Additionally the tests over on the previous page also show that the HX650w has awesome ripple suppression, a working set of safety features that kick in at around 720w load and the ability to deliver pretty much its entire 650w output on the +12v rail alone.
As per usual the packaging is second to none, the 7 year warranty included with the HX650w is exactly whats needed to show people that a PSU purchase is for life, not just for Christmas (sigh) and the average retail price of £90-95 is more than acceptable for a PSU of this caliber.
So what is there not to like? Well, I cant deny not being every-so-slightly disappointed when I found out that Corsair didn't opt to use CWT as the OEM for this unit as they did for the amazing HX750w and HX850w models. Why? Simply because the HX750w for example has higher efficiency, even more stable rails and in my opinion a better modular connector interface. Of course, I've already mentioned that Corsair probably didn't want to run the risk of spoiling a good thing, and additionally the CWT units are generally quite a bit more chunky than similar wattage Seasonic variants - so the size of the casing may have not been able to stay the same.
But at the end of the day the HX650w is one great PSU and that's all there is to it.
The Good
- Stable voltages across all rails
- Reasonably high efficiency with an average of around 86%
- Great looks and tasty modular cables
- Excellent ripple suppression
- Max output around 720w
- All Japanese caps.
- 7yr warranty!
The Mediocre
- Not quite as efficient or stable as the HX750w or HX850w
- Didn't like one of the cross-load tests (but as I've said already 3 times, its not likely to be reproduced in real world)
The Bad
- Nothing.
Thanks to Corsair for sending their latest PSU in for us to torture. Discuss this review in the OC3D forums.
Most Recent Comments
Quote
Quote
CSS Valid