CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC PSU

[pcslookout]

Please help me understand more about this power supply. Can it handle SLI and is it a better quality 500 watt power supply than a normal one ?

http://www.corsair.com/us/power-sup...00-80-plus-bronze-certified-power-supply.html

Some are saying it has 750 Watt of power but I think there wrong.

 

[lehtv]

CX500 can't handle SLI. It has roughly 450W of power on the +12V rail, of which 350W is safely usable in the long term.

I'm not sure what you mean by "is it better than normal". It's not super high quality, but it's reliable for the output capacity it's designed for.

What hardware are you planning to power? To recommend a unit we need details in order to make sure it's compatible and has all the appropriate specs. It would also help to know where you're buying the power supply from.

 

[pcslookout]

I had a feeling it couldn't handle SLI. Thanks.

Oh I bought it from Best Buy about 2 years ago why ?

 

[lehtv]

Oh you already have it. Nevermind then.

If you bought it two years ago, it's not the same unit as the one you linked. The new (about 6 months old) CX500 is 80+ Bronze and with a +12V output rated for 456W. Yours is 80+ standard, with a +12V output rated for 408W.

 

[pcslookout]

Oh you already have it. Nevermind then.

If you bought it two years ago, it's not the same unit as the one you linked. The new (about 6 months old) CX500 is 80+ Bronze and with a +12V output rated for 456W. Yours is 80+ standard, with a +12V output rated for 408W.

Ok thanks I will have to check it in my tower whenever I feel like it. Wish there was a easy way to know exactly what PSU you have from software online like with temps and such.

 

[pcslookout]

Good news I found out my power supply is a Corsair GS500!

My mom's is the other one which she doesn't need much because she doesn't game.

 

[hackerballs]

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

and then add your future SLI card in and then Double the result approx. This will give you your needs.

and then you should make sure it is a single rail 80+ certified

and make sure it has enough plugs for 2 gpu's

and I would not use a 500W for SLI

 

[pcslookout]

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

and then add your future SLI card in and then Double the result approx. This will give you your needs.

and then you should make sure it is a single rail 80+ certified

and make sure it has enough plugs for 2 gpu's

and I would not use a 500W for SLI

I will never SLI so don't worry.

 

[lehtv]

If you will never SLI, why create this thread... ?

 

[hackerballs]

lol, it was your question

 

[lehtv]

*edit* You mean pcslookout right? It looks like your post tries to be an answer to my question. My question was aimed at pcslookout

 

[pcslookout]

I wanted to make sure my power supply had a lot of buffer room.

 

[lehtv]

OK... Well, any power supply that can reasonably be called SLI compatible has enough buffer even with SLI. If it didn't it would make no sense to call it SLI compatible.

Similarly, even though your unit is not SLI compatible, it doesn't mean it lacks sufficient headroom for your PC.

 

[pcslookout]

OK... Well, any power supply that can reasonably be called SLI compatible has enough buffer even with SLI. If it didn't it would make no sense to call it SLI compatible.

Similarly, even though your unit is not SLI compatible, it doesn't mean it lacks sufficient headroom for your PC.

Ok thanks so the GS500 really supports SLI ? Wow

 

[lehtv]

What? You're making no sense

 

[pcslookout]

What? You're making no sense

I am surprised a 500 watt GS500 power supply supports SLI. Seems like to little of a power supply for SLI.

 

[lehtv]

What is GS500? You've only referred to CX500 before.

Who said GS500 supported SLI? No 500W unit fully supports SLI, no matter what the advertising says. Some high end units can be capable enough to drive two mid range cards in SLI but those are definitely exceptions.

Sorry but you're still not making sense

 

[pcslookout]

What is GS500? You've only referred to CX500 before.

Who said GS500 supported SLI? No 500W unit fully supports SLI, no matter what the advertising says. Some high end units can be capable enough to drive two mid range cards in SLI but those are definitely exceptions.

Sorry but you're still not making sense

Oh I figured out my mom has a CX500 but she doesn't game. I built her the computer.

I have a GS500 I found out!

 

[Nec_V20]

Stay away from Cosair CX series PSUs like the plague.

I love Corsair PSUs but not these ones.

 

[pcslookout]

Stay away from Cosair CX series PSUs like the plague.

I love Corsair PSUs but not these ones.

Then good thing I was mistaken and don't have a Corsair CX series!

 

[Torn Mind]

He is actually exaggerating the degree of awfulness in the CX series, which is currently on its third iteration.

For the tier the CX series PSUs are targeted at(the sub $50 market), they are probably the best in that tier. Many other so-called budget are much worse than it. The biggest concern from those units are premature failure and erratic performance on a certain percentage of units, which I speculate is due to a combination of high volume shipped and sold and less tight quality control.

 

[Nec_V20]

He is actually exaggerating the degree of awfulness in the CX series, which is currently on its third iteration.

For the tier the CX series PSUs are targeted at(the sub $50 market), they are probably the best in that tier. Many other so-called budget are much worse than it. The biggest concern from those units are premature failure and erratic performance on a certain percentage of units, which I speculate is due to a combination of high volume shipped and sold and less tight quality control.

There is all that you have said, and the fact that they catch fire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj8-wNmYJvM

But I do appreciate your attempt to make lemonade out of lemons - best of a bad lot indeed

 

[lehtv]

So there's one video on youtube showing one CX600 catching fire, and that means Corsair CX series catch fire. Right. The video doesn't even show that it is indeed a CX600, and it doesn't mention which revision it is.

How come the review units have never blown up? Because the unit in the video is faulty and as such doesn't represent the rest of CX600 manufactured.

 

[Nec_V20]

So there's one video on youtube showing one CX600 catching fire, and that means Corsair CX series catch fire. Right. The video doesn't even show that it is indeed a CX600, and it doesn't mention which revision it is.

How come the review units have never blown up? Because the unit in the video is faulty and as such doesn't represent the rest of CX600 manufactured.

I like the Corsair AX series of PSUs and my AX850 survived a surge in our house that took out the PSU of two of my neighbours.

Now you can look on YouTube and the moans and groans about the AX series are trivial.

Aside form anything else I cannot understand - nor respect - people who cheap out on PSU when the difference in price between a potential IED and a good PSU is negligible compared to other computer hardware.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2335096

 

[Nec_V20]

So there's one video on youtube showing one CX600 catching fire, and that means Corsair CX series catch fire. Right. The video doesn't even show that it is indeed a CX600, and it doesn't mention which revision it is.

How come the review units have never blown up? Because the unit in the video is faulty and as such doesn't represent the rest of CX600 manufactured.

In reviews the PSUs are tested for a short time. For this reason they are inadequate.