TechReport's 11 High-End PSU Roundup

[AmberClad]

Linky

Highlights:
- The PCP&C Silencer and the HX620 both got Editor's Choice awards.
- SPCR types like me will find Page 19 useful -- about half of the PSUs didn't register on the noise meter at idle, the other half were in the range of 40-48 db.

 

[MichaelD]

I'm confused about the Corsair HX620. In the PS review/roundup, they say that it has 2 x 8-pin PCI-E connectors.

However, Corsair's own instruction manual clearly states 2 x 6-pin PCI-E connectors. See link to manuals in upper right-hand corner of this page.

So which is it? 6 or 8-pin?

 

[AmberClad]

Apparently the newer revisions of the HX620 have the 6-pin+2-pin type of PCIe connector. The older ones only had the 6-pin variety. Pictures here.

I have no idea how you'd go about making sure you get the newer version of the HX620 though. Isn't there a pirate guy here on the forums that's a Corsair company rep? Blackbeard or Yellowbeard, or something along those lines?

 

[Yellowbeard]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Apparently the newer revisions of the HX620 have the 6-pin+2-pin type of PCIe connector. The older ones only had the 6-pin variety. Pictures here.

I have no idea how you'd go about making sure you get the newer version of the HX620 though. Isn't there a pirate guy here on the forums that's a Corsair company rep? Blackbeard or Yellowbeard, or something along those lines?

LOL...my beard is Yellow

A couple of months back, we switched to including the 8 pin connectors in the box. The pictures have not yet been updated. I'll jingle someone in marketing. All current HX PSUs have the 8 pin connectors included. If someone buys a PSU and it does not have the 8 pin, we'll provide the 8 pin free of charge with the customer paying only shipping. Most any you find in channels today will have the 8 pin.

I really like that award we got too :thumbsup:

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Apparently the newer revisions of the HX620 have the 6-pin+2-pin type of PCIe connector. The older ones only had the 6-pin variety. Pictures here.

I have no idea how you'd go about making sure you get the newer version of the HX620 though. Isn't there a pirate guy here on the forums that's a Corsair company rep? Blackbeard or Yellowbeard, or something along those lines?

LOL...my beard is Yellow

A couple of months back, we switched to including the 8 pin connectors in the box. The pictures have not yet been updated. I'll jingle someone in marketing. All current HX PSUs have the 8 pin connectors included. If someone buys a PSU and it does not have the 8 pin, we'll provide the 8 pin free of charge with the customer paying only shipping. Most any you find in channels today will have the 8 pin.

I really like that award we got too :thumbsup:

:laugh: This is pretty cool; AmberClad remembers "things" the same way I do. "Don't we have some pirate guy? Beardy-something-or-other?" :laugh:

The BEST part is that it caught your eye. :thumbsup:

OK, so tell me: Does "Most any I'd find in channels today" include Newegg? They're famous for not telling you squat when you call and specifically ask for revision/stepping/etc. I'd imagine all etailers will want to get rid of old stock first.

How "new" is the 8-pin PCI-E version of the HX620?

 

[Yellowbeard]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Apparently the newer revisions of the HX620 have the 6-pin+2-pin type of PCIe connector. The older ones only had the 6-pin variety. Pictures here.

I have no idea how you'd go about making sure you get the newer version of the HX620 though. Isn't there a pirate guy here on the forums that's a Corsair company rep? Blackbeard or Yellowbeard, or something along those lines?

LOL...my beard is Yellow

A couple of months back, we switched to including the 8 pin connectors in the box. The pictures have not yet been updated. I'll jingle someone in marketing. All current HX PSUs have the 8 pin connectors included. If someone buys a PSU and it does not have the 8 pin, we'll provide the 8 pin free of charge with the customer paying only shipping. Most any you find in channels today will have the 8 pin.

I really like that award we got too :thumbsup:

:laugh: This is pretty cool; AmberClad remembers "things" the same way I do. "Don't we have some pirate guy? Beardy-something-or-other?" :laugh:

The BEST part is that it caught your eye. :thumbsup:

OK, so tell me: Does "Most any I'd find in channels today" include Newegg? They're famous for not telling you squat when you call and specifically ask for revision/stepping/etc. I'd imagine all etailers will want to get rid of old stock first.

How "new" is the 8-pin PCI-E version of the HX620?

Neweggs volume is HUGE. I seriously doubt that they have any of the 6 pin only stock left. They have been shipping with the new cables for about 1.5 - 2 months now.

 

[AmberClad]

Oh bother. Looks like I got my HX520 from Buy.com right before they started transitioning to the new cable then. I might need to order one of those 8-pins at some point...if only to give the Nvidia/AMD engineers a lashing with for this ridiculous GPU power trend.

Originally posted by: MichaelD
:laugh: This is pretty cool; AmberClad remembers "things" the same way I do. "Don't we have some pirate guy? Beardy-something-or-other?" :laugh:

Those piratey guys are everywhere. There's a red-bearded one hanging out at HardOCP and another one at teh Egg's new forums.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Oh bother. Looks like I got my HX520 from Buy.com right before they started transitioning to the new cable then. I might need to order one of those 8-pins at some point...if only to give the Nvidia/AMD engineers a lashing with for this ridiculous GPU power trend.

Originally posted by: MichaelD
:laugh: This is pretty cool; AmberClad remembers "things" the same way I do. "Don't we have some pirate guy? Beardy-something-or-other?" :laugh:

Those piratey guys are everywhere. There's a red-bearded one hanging out at HardOCP and another one at teh Egg's new forums.

LOL...that's me at the Egg forums. And Redbeard is one of my partners in crime. He's really sharp and especially so on PSUs.

For an 8 pin cable, email CSGMarketing(at)corsairmemory.com

But, we have a nazi spam filter so use ONLY the subject line of; CORSAIR

Let me know if you don't get a quick reply.

 

[MichaelD]

Gotta love having an industry insider right here in our own backyard. :beer: Thanks, Yellowbeard. Or Redbeard. Or whoever the heck you are today.

 

[tomoyo]

Hey Yellowbeard, I just notice the vx450 showed up on the 80plus site, that's great to see. Are you guys going to get the rest of your lineup 80plus certified? Just adds one more marketing perk imho.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Originally posted by: MichaelD :beer: Thanks, Yellowbeard. Or Redbeard. Or whoever the heck you are today.

Actually, I shaved today :Q

Hey Yellowbeard, I just notice the vx450 showed up on the 80plus site, that's great to see. Are you guys going to get the rest of your lineup 80plus certified? Just adds one more marketing perk imho.

I'm not sure what the exact plans are as that is in the marketing end. I know those guys are supposed to be illustrating how "green" we are on the new models.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: tomoyo
Hey Yellowbeard, I just notice the vx450 showed up on the 80plus site, that's great to see. Are you guys going to get the rest of your lineup 80plus certified? Just adds one more marketing perk imho.

Might not be a bad idea. I know I would have went with the Seasonic S12 (great PSU in its own right) if someone here hadn't recommended I get the HX520 instead, when I posted a comment-on-my-build thread. I had originally used the NewEgg power search to look for high efficiency PSUs, and the Corsairs get filtered out because their efficiency is unlisted.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
I know I would have went with the Seasonic S12 (great PSU in its own right) if someone here hadn't recommended I get the HX520 instead

Either one is good since that particular Corsair is made by Seasonic.

 

[John]

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard
A couple of months back, we switched to including the 8 pin connectors in the box. The pictures have not yet been updated. I'll jingle someone in marketing. All current HX PSUs have the 8 pin connectors included. If someone buys a PSU and it does not have the 8 pin, we'll provide the 8 pin free of charge with the customer paying only shipping. Most any you find in channels today will have the 8 pin.

I was almost positive that Corsair offered upgraded PCIe cables with a 6-pin and 6+2-pin on each cable for a total of 4 PCIe connectors. I've seen Ramguy mention it before, but to be honest the only ones that I have seen are a single 6 pin or the new 6+2 pin; not a combination of both on one cable.

Is there a dual PCIe connector cable option available?

 

[gingerstewart55]

Read the article......just wonder how they got their results. Or, more specifically, how they constructed their "Beast" power supply tester and its readings.

For instance, they have the OCZ and Infiniti scoring generally low efficiency and the PCP&C scoring very high, while every other reputable testing site has just the opposite findings.

Second, they show low ripple from the GSX 700W and also VERY small drops in +12V voltage at 100% load for A-L-L of the units....and, again, the GSX 700W unit has historically and repeatedly shown very high to out-of-ATX spec ripple at full load by other testers, and the notion that every single power supply tested barely dropped their +12V voltages at full load is just stupid.....even the best drops its voltage, and quite a few of the tested power supplies aren't close to being the best, esp. at holding their +12V voltages at full load.

Makes one wonder..........

 

[John]

Originally posted by: gingerstewart55
Read the article......just wonder how they got their results. Or, more specifically, how they constructed their "Beast" power supply tester and its readings.

For instance, they have the OCZ and Infiniti scoring generally low efficiency and the PCP&C scoring very high, while every other reputable testing site has just the opposite findings.

Second, they show low ripple from the GSX 700W and also VERY small drops in +12V voltage at 100% load for A-L-L of the units....and, again, the GSX 700W unit has historically and repeatedly shown very high to out-of-ATX spec ripple at full load by other testers, and the notion that every single power supply tested barely dropped their +12V voltages at full load is just stupid.....even the best drops its voltage, and quite a few of the tested power supplies aren't close to being the best, esp. at holding their +12V voltages at full load.

Makes one wonder..........

You're not alone....

 

[SerpentRoyal]

One can poke a lot of holes in that article. Where's the output load with 50C ambient? I'd give that article a C-. Those Corsair units a good, but WAYYY overpriced. The best bang for your bucks is the Antec Eartwatts 500. I paid $30 AR for a 12V single rail capable of 34A continuous. This PSU has plenty of juice for any single GPU rig without breaking the bank.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Linky

Highlights:
- The PCP&C Silencer and the HX620 both got Editor's Choice awards.
- SPCR types like me will find Page 19 useful -- about half of the PSUs didn't register on the noise meter at idle, the other half were in the range of 40-48 db.

SPCR???? pray tell whats that?

ohhh......that`a the site that rates a quiet PSU higher than a PSU that is built better and not as quiet...lol

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: gingerstewart55
Read the article......just wonder how they got their results. Or, more specifically, how they constructed their "Beast" power supply tester and its readings.

For instance, they have the OCZ and Infiniti scoring generally low efficiency and the PCP&C scoring very high, while every other reputable testing site has just the opposite findings.

Second, they show low ripple from the GSX 700W and also VERY small drops in +12V voltage at 100% load for A-L-L of the units....and, again, the GSX 700W unit has historically and repeatedly shown very high to out-of-ATX spec ripple at full load by other testers, and the notion that every single power supply tested barely dropped their +12V voltages at full load is just stupid.....even the best drops its voltage, and quite a few of the tested power supplies aren't close to being the best, esp. at holding their +12V voltages at full load.

Makes one wonder..........

Actually it doesn`t make you wonder if you think about it...
When was the last time on these forums you heard of the site techreport.com??
They are not exactly one of the sites that i would use if I was going to purchase a PSU and needed accurate well thought out information!!

At present there are maybe 4 or 5 sites that I would even look to for accurate information.
Sorry but techreports IMO is not in that list!!

Peace!!

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal
One can poke a lot of holes in that article. Where's the output load with 50C ambient? I'd give that article a C-.

That article is not at the level of the best PSU articles elsewhere, but it isn't bad for a start. Besides, I still encounter "reviews" of power supplies where the reviewer just puts the PSU into their über gaming system, sees that it doesn't blow up and then proceeds to give the PSU a site editor's award.

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Apparently the newer revisions of the HX620 have the 6-pin+2-pin type of PCIe connector. The older ones only had the 6-pin variety. Pictures here.

I have no idea how you'd go about making sure you get the newer version of the HX620 though. Isn't there a pirate guy here on the forums that's a Corsair company rep? Blackbeard or Yellowbeard, or something along those lines?

LOL...my beard is Yellow

A couple of months back, we switched to including the 8 pin connectors in the box. The pictures have not yet been updated. I'll jingle someone in marketing. All current HX PSUs have the 8 pin connectors included. If someone buys a PSU and it does not have the 8 pin, we'll provide the 8 pin free of charge with the customer paying only shipping. Most any you find in channels today will have the 8 pin.

I really like that award we got too :thumbsup:

that's funny, I missed the 6+2 pin connector when I got my hx620. I'm using it for now in my opteron 180 file server with a fanless 7300gt...I know, I know, don't worry, it'll get put to good use soon enough ...anyway, I just pulled out the package to verify and sure enough, it has them! It has 2x 6 pin and 2x 6+2 pin.

 

[MichaelD]

Doesn't Seasonic make all of Corsair's HX line? That's the impression I am under.
For the same or less money, what's better than the HX620? I agree it is expensive, but I also know that 99% of the time, you get what you pay for.

 

[tomoyo]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Doesn't Seasonic make all of Corsair's HX line? That's the impression I am under.
For the same or less money, what's better than the HX620? I agree it is expensive, but I also know that 99% of the time, you get what you pay for.

Yes Seasonic makes all of the HX line, the lower power VX and TX too.

 

[tomoyo]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Linky

Highlights:
- The PCP&C Silencer and the HX620 both got Editor's Choice awards.
- SPCR types like me will find Page 19 useful -- about half of the PSUs didn't register on the noise meter at idle, the other half were in the range of 40-48 db.

SPCR???? pray tell whats that?

ohhh......that`a the site that rates a quiet PSU higher than a PSU that is built better and not as quiet...lol

Uh I definitely disagree. SPCR is focused on silence, but they'd never rate a badly built psu well.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: tomoyo

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Linky

Highlights:
- The PCP&C Silencer and the HX620 both got Editor's Choice awards.
- SPCR types like me will find Page 19 useful -- about half of the PSUs didn't register on the noise meter at idle, the other half were in the range of 40-48 db.

SPCR???? pray tell whats that?

ohhh......that`a the site that rates a quiet PSU higher than a PSU that is built better and not as quiet...lol

Uh I definitely disagree. SPCR is focused on silence, but they'd never rate a badly built psu well.

your playing word games.....
They regularly rate the quiter PSU better than they rate the PSU that might be marginally built better!!

Note you said badly built.......

Peace!!