Corsair HX750i Power Supply Review
by E. Fylladitakis on January 14, 2015 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Corsair
- PSUs
- HXi Series
Conclusion
Our opinion regarding the performance of the new HX750i can be summarized in one word – excellent. It is apparent that Corsair strives to uphold the reputation of the HX PSU series, which may not be their most advanced series anymore but it remains of special significance to the company. The HX750i that we reviewed here today may be the least powerful unit of the HXi series but it remains capable of easily powering a dual GPU gaming system or an advanced professional setup. With a reasonable power output and outstanding performance, the HX750i appeals to enthusiasts that wish to power typical performance and gaming computers but not triple or quad GPU monsters. Furthermore, the HX750i is visually subtle but appealing, and modular with all-black wires for every device, features that advanced system builders and modders will certainly appreciate.
In terms of quality, the HX750i does not disappoint at all. Essentially, the HX750i appears to be a "reinforced" version of the RM series high output units. Both units are based on the same platform and make use of the same cooling fan, but the components used to create the HX750i are of excellent quality – not that the RM series' components are bad, but moving to all-Japanese electrolytic capacitors tends to be reassuring for users. CWT does an excellent job on the assembly of the unit as well, as we cannot find any significant soldering or mechanical cohesion flaws. Corsair covers the HXi units with a seven-year warranty.
As for the performance of the PSU, the numbers speak for themselves. The HX750i is a unit that easily honors its 80 Plus Platinum certification, even when subjected to high ambient temperatures. The quality of the output is great, with superb voltage regulation and very good ripple suppression. Finally, the high efficiency results in low operating temperatures, which in turn result in very low noise.
In fact, the HX750i operates without its fan at loads lower than 300 Watts, meaning that the fan of the PSU will most likely remain off for as long as the system is performing typical everyday tasks, such as browsing the net, listening to music, or watching movies. Even when the fan starts, it never becomes annoyingly loud, not even when the HX750i is forced to operate at maximum load for prolonged periods. Inside a system capable of pushing a 750W PSU this hard, it is unlikely that the sound coming from the PSU would be noticeable over the noise generated by the cooling systems of the components.
There is really only one issue with the HX750i – the retail price of $170 is quite steep, even considering its performance and features. There are not many 80 Plus Platinum 750W-760W units currently available and the Corsair HX750i is the most expensive of them all. The strange part is that the AX760i, a unit with even better performance and more features, currently retails for $164 after rebate, making the very existence of the HX750i a strange situation.
It appears that Corsair shot themselves in the foot, as there is no reason not to prefer the AX760i to the HX750i, not even if the AX760i is selling at $184 without any rebate, let alone while it is cheaper than the HX750i. For a few weeks before Christmas, the HX750i was available for $130 after rebate, a much more reasonable price for this unit and strategically priced between the AX760i and the RM750. If the price falls to that point again, then the HX750i would be a good option for those seeking a PSU with a little better performance than an RM750 and greater value than an AX760i.
As long as the price of the HX750i remains near (let alone above) the price of an AX760i, there is no real reason for anyone not to go with an AX760i instead. It offers slightly better performance in a more compact chassis, with the result being that there's a lot of overlap right now. Eventually we expect the HX750i to end up priced right between the AX760i and HM750, closer to the $150 price point; considering both the HM750 and AX760i are selling well below MSRP while the HX750i remains at MSRP, it's bound to happen, and when it does the HX750i becomes a much better value proposition for those looking for an excellent 80 Plus Platinum PSU.
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HollyDOL - Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - link
Please note at what input voltage were the conversion losses and efficiency measured... Usualy 230V tends to be about 2% better than 115V...patrioteagle07 - Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - link
Yup... subpar review... I don't know what I am looking at here.Meaker10 - Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - link
Would help if you read their link on how they measure power supplies rather than repeating it in every article:"Cold Test Results
For testing PSUs, we use high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox, and various other bits and parts. For a thorough explanation of our testing methodology and more details on our equipment, please refer to our How We Test PSUs – 2014 Pipeline post."
(The article links it in the text) they state:
"Our Extech 380803 power analyzer does a very good job at reporting the level of power that our PSU requires at any given time. We should note that all testing is being performed with a 230V/50Hz input, delivered by a 3000VA VARIAC for the perfect adjustment of the input voltage. Unfortunately, we cannot perform tests at 110V/60Hz at the moment, as that requires a high output, programmable AC power source. As a rough estimate, conversion efficiency drops by 1% to 1.5% when the input voltage is lowered to 110V/ 60Hz."
So try reading a bit.
Samus - Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - link
"It appears that Corsair shot themselves in the foot, as there is no reason not to prefer the AX760i to the HX750i, not even if the AX760i is selling at $184 without any rebate, let alone while it is cheaper than the HX750i."This is what happens when you saturate your lineup. Corsair, stop making so many god damn PSU's. You only need 3-4 Categories (80 Plus Bronze, Silver, Gold...and perhaps Platinum) and only a few models in each category. They shouldn't be dividing up the models by modular or fixed cables, either, since this creates inconsistency within the category (the modular category has various 80 Plus ratings!)
For the 80 Plus Bronze: 400, 550, 650 watt
For the 80 Plus Silver: 400, 600, 750
For the 80 Plus Gold: 550, 750, 900, 1200
For the 80 Plus Platinum: 500, 650, 800, 1000
Currently, their lineup is:
http://www.corsair.com/en-us/power-supply-units
They have 8 categories with a dozen products or so in EACH of them. I don't even understand why they have non-80 plus (VS series) products being that they want a reputation of delivering high quality products.
I didn't go to school for marketing, so I'm not an expert at this...but I question whether Corsair's marketing department went to school for marketing...their product lineup is all over the place and there is no consistency.
just4U - Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - link
I'd say cut the silver out all together. Not that it matters Corsair has gotten silly with PSU pricing anyway. Their value lineup is ok but once you hit the $100 mark and on up there are very good alternatives that corsair isn't matching price wise.Lukeroge - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
Honestly, AXi (aside from 1500i, which is newer) is worse. It has a pretty cheap mediocre fan, and many units have an issue where the fan makes a tapping sound every 13 seconds at idle. I returned my AX760i and swapped it for an HX850iStrangerGuy - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
This particular model that is being reviewed cost a flippin' 140 bucks at Newgg. Do they even know how much better stuff competitors offers at $140? 850W Evga G2 made by the best consumer level PSU OEM, Superflower.AnnonymousCoward - Thursday, January 15, 2015 - link
Love the revieweanazag - Friday, January 16, 2015 - link
I'm not aware of what the Corsair link USB junk does. It would help to cover that as it is a feature that not all PS's have. I'm suspecting it has been covered before in another article; linking that other article would work for me.Another thing I look for in power supplies is if it has two 8 pin 12V ATX CPU cables. Usually it is one 8 plus a 4+4 providing the second 8. This matters if you're going to be able to hook it up to a 2P board for servers. I like to buy power supplies I can use in a desktop or server. This feature can end up costing more like in the Antec HC gamer vs. HC Pro PS's. The Antec gamer lacks this, while the Pro is sporting it.
DanNeely - Saturday, January 17, 2015 - link
Some high end desktop boards are doing 8+4 or 8+4+6 as well; unless you normally replace your PSU with each build, it's something I'd recommend getting when specing out a new PSU for a high end enthusiast system.