Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Best PSU for PC Money Can Buy!
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2014
This PSU is undoubtably the best PSU for your PC. Efficiency level of at least 94% even at 100% load. Far as PSU goes, the only other Titanium grade option is mainly for servers, not for PCs. So this PSU from Corsair will be the BEST you can possibly get for your money. You get an abundance of connectors and thank God for the backward capabilities of the connectors. Unlike EVGA Classified PSU, which comes in Generation 1 and 2 where connectors for either generation is not compatible with the other generation, you can use the braided connectors sold by Corsair if you happen to have a set from your AX1200i. So if you're looking to upgrade from AX1200i to AX1500i, you can migrate all the connectors without problems. However, the connectors for all other Corsair PSUs are not compatible. It's also important to note that the connectors are long which indicates this PSU can easily support the current models of supertower PC cases. To give you an idea, I have had no problem using connectors on my CaseLabs STH10 with pedestals, which the PC case is over 4 feet tall. The lengthiest connector had to be the CPU connector and the distance from the PSU to the connector on the motherboard is approximately 3 feet, but the provided connector was long enough to cover the distance.
Compared to AX1200i, this PSU is about 10cm longer, so after installing all connectors you may face some cramped space in your PC case where PSU is located. Based on my experience, Corsair 900D case may run into this cramped space issue when you decide to install both 480mm AND 240mm radiators in the bottom chamber. In fact, you probably won't be able to fit 240mm radiator and this PSU on the same side because I struggled a bit when installing 240mm radiator and this PSU on the STH10 (it was tight, but I was able to get both components squeezed in while minimizing pressures on the connectors). So if I struggled with STH10, then my experience tells me that such an installation is not possible on Corsair 900D because the bottom chamber is smaller for this case when compared to that of STH10. But then again, this shouldn't be too much of a problem for people since the space issue can easily be resolved with smart build design modification. That being said, if you are building a PC anything less than a full ATX, no sli nor crossfire setup, maxed out RAM, extreme CPUs etc., you should probably go with other PSU models because this is clearly an overkill for anything less. My current build includes two R9 295X2. YES, TWO! And those who are aware, that VGA is power hungry. Yet, with this PSU there's still enough headroom. When my PC is on, the fan on the PSU does not even turn on. But the fan does kick in during heavy load, especially when gaming on 4k resolution and both VGAs are being fully utilized. Still, no shortage of power here.
My only problem is not directed at this PSU, but the option it provides. Specifically, the Corsair Link. Corsair really need to fix that God awful device or completely scrap the concept in its entirety. The software for Corsair Link is still unbearable to use and trying to get it to work properly is like pulling teeth. But to cover all basis, this PSU does allow the option to tap the Corsair Link functionality for monitoring power usage purposes. But I doubt most will connect this PSU to the Link especially since an alternative option is available - you can monitor either via Corsair Link or via internal USB which connects directly to your motherboard. I think most users will opt for the latter and the necessary USB connector is included. Strangely, Corsair did not include a Link adapter with this PSU, unlike AX1200i which does include the Link adapter and the connector.
