Corsair CX750 750W Power Supply Review @ [H]

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FrgMstr

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Corsair CX750 750W Power Supply Review - The Corsair CX750 is, "An ideal choice for value-conscious system builders and upgraders." So when saving a few bucks and buying a Corsair Bronze rated power supply do you still get a PSU that can deliver clean power under load? We are hoping that fewer bells and whistles does not equate to less quality in the wattage department.
 
That's really too bad and not very encouraging. I'm a fan and about 1/2 of the parts in my PC are Corsair...so hopefully they can right the ship.
 
Ouch, Great review I wish you did this review about a year ago! I ran the CX750M for a while, never had a problem with it
 
SpDFre@k said:
I know, lets take a product rated for 30c and test it at 45c and when it fails I will be a HERO! If you want to compare it against other products that is reasonable, but testing a product above and beyond its specs then saying "it failed" is pretty misleading.

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/cx750-80-plus-bronze-certified-power-supply
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The fact that it's rated at 30 C makes it a fail.

Other PSUs of the same power rating and the same price passed just fine. This is shoddy work on Corsair's part. And something they've been doing more of lately, not a good trend for Corsair IMO.

I think their conclusion sums it up quite nicely:

The Corsair CX750 is an entry level product from Corsair and, today, it performs a good bit below even those standards given that Corsair used to produce quality products from top to bottom. This unit’s current product placement is readily apparent from the outset as the build quality has issues, particularly noticeable since these are coming from a "name brand" and not a "no name" company. The 3 year warranty support is probably trying to tell us something as well. The unit is not very quiet, and the performance just falls flat as it can not complete testing.



Sure, someone will point out that this is an entry level product and we are reviewing it like it was a "quality" product. Fair enough, but we did the same thing recently to the Rosewill Capstone 750W and that unit thrived, so entry level priced units can indeed be quality units and that is truly what users want. On top of that, for the current $89.99 you pay for this unit you can get that Rosewill Capstone 750W with money to spare, you can get the FSP Raider 750W (not a good choice but it is a better choice than this), and you can get Antec TP-750C today for $54.99 after $30 MIR.



The bottom line is simply this; there is absolutely no reason ANY user should buy a Corsair CX750 as you can get better performing, better built, and better supported products for about the same price or even for much less money. That is unfortunate since Corsair has such a dominate position in etail and retail and users are snapping up lots of these kinds of products based on the name brand only to end up with a product less capable than other options.
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SpDFre@k said:
I know, lets take a product rated for 30c and test it at 45c and when it fails I will be a HERO! If you want to compare it against other products that is reasonable, but testing a product above and beyond its specs then saying "it failed" is pretty misleading.

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/cx750-80-plus-bronze-certified-power-supply
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If you read the Paul's Thoughts and The Bottom Line sections of the review, we specifically addressed the concern you raised. We knew this criticism was coming when the review was done, and I think we thoroughly "defended" our conclusions and overall feelings about the CX750.
 
I too have noticed Corsair's quality going down the tubes. I had to return 3 H100i's before I got one that worked as expected...an even then, it rarely shows up in Win 8.1 so I can control the stupid fans or monitor temps. Plus it doesn't play nice with other monitoring software OR any overclocking software, constantly crashes! Corsair has known about this for years, and yet they have done little to improve their product. That's not really the way to stay in business, EA take note.

On the other side of the coin, I had an HX750 that performed very admirably and lasted for years with absolutely no issues, had to upgrade to that when I went 290 CF. I've used the SP/AF series fans and like them, their Vengeance series RAM has never failed either. So, if they can spend a little more time listening to customers and improving those products, they can start winning again. As is, I won't buy a PS or AIO from them again...until reviews start getting better.
 
Corsair should have just stuck with making RAM. I find all of their other products from CPU coolers, cases, to PSU's to be cheap and uninteresting. Their focus seems to have gone from making quality products to flashy products. They truly have become the ricers of the PC world.
 
SpDFre@k said:
Yes, that section does explain HardOCP's thoughts and processes very well. The unit does not match other products recently reviewed using HardOCP's test methods. Testing products at their rated specs as part of a review of that product while also adding HardOCP's testing I guess would be a lot of work.
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No, we COULD test easily at temperatures that the PSUs are rated at, but we CHOOSE not to.

And I would like to also state that our testing criteria in terms of temperature is above the specified operating temperatures of most units we review.

Our full testing specifications and equipment used is here, which we link in every review.

Also, we make this statement in every review. We do realize that our testing specifications are usually "above" what is the norm in the industry.

HardOCP’s testing methodology is intended to very much push power supplies to their advertised wattage rating in temperatures that will represent some of the hottest computer enthusiast cases. So if a unit passes all our testing it is definitely not something to take lightly. In fact we expect more power supplies to fail our testing than make it through unscathed.
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How did it fail the [H]100% load test while passing the 100% 80+ test?

What's the big difference?
 
SpDFre@k said:
Yes, that section does explain HardOCP's thoughts and processes very well. The unit does not match other products recently reviewed using HardOCP's test methods. Testing products at their rated specs as part of a review of that product while also adding HardOCP's testing I guess would be a lot of work.
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That does not change the fact that this unit abysmally failed their testing where previous Corsair units passed with flying colors, and where current units of the same price and better features passed as well. It is a fail in every sense of the word. Overpriced, low quality, poor engineering.

ianken said:
How did it fail the [H]100% load test while passing the 100% 80+ test?

What's the big difference?
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Room temperature (about 25 C) vs 45 C ambient.
 
Tsumi said:
That does not change the fact that this unit abysmally failed their testing where previous Corsair units passed with flying colors, and where current units of the same price and better features passed as well. It is a fail in every sense of the word. Overpriced, low quality, poor engineering.



Room temperature (about 25 C) vs 45 C ambient.
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Hell, less then that, it looks like it was on 20c.

Bought EVGAs for the last three customer builds. I think Corsairs about had it.
 
I maybe a Corsair fan....OK I am.

To claim that Corsair should simply throw up their hands and call it a day is simply a stupid thing to say.

This PSU failed the torture test, ok, fine.
How will it do in a basic build for a business machine that simply runs word processing or the like?
Just fine I'd say.
It won't run a gaming rig worth a damn I'll agree, but who would buy it for that?

I'll still buy Corsair units for my high-end stuff as I will their RAM.
and if something breaks, they'll take very good care of me.:D
 
magoo said:
I maybe a Corsair fan....OK I am.

To say the Corsair should simply throw up their hands and call it a day is simply a stupid thing to say.

This PSU failed the torture test, ok, fine.
How will it do in a basic build for a business machine that simply runs word processing or the like?
Just fine I'd say.
It won't run a gaming rig worth a damn I'll agree, but who would buy it fir that?

I'll still buy Corsair units for my high-end stuff as I will their RAM.
and if something breaks, they'll take very good care of me.:D
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That's not the point though.

The point is that Corsair is using their brand name to sell cheap and inferior products compared to the competition. A business machine has no business using a 750 watt power supply in the first place. It will use a CX430, which has actually been proven as decent quality and is cheaper than the competition most of the time.

It's deception is what it is. These PSUs are being pitched at people who don't know the difference between Teapo and Rubycon. They see Corsair and buy it over Rosewill, because of the brand. IMO Corsair's name and reputation deserves to be tarnished by this practice.
 
ianken said:
How did it fail the [H]100% load test while passing the 100% 80+ test?

What's the big difference?
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Power supplies derate (lose capacity) as temperature increases (number vary but you can find ranges of 2-10W/C). The 80 Plus load tests are done at an unrealistic temperature range of 23C +/-5C per 80 Plus' guidelines. Our load tests are done at realistic operating temperatures of 45C.

The day that test was done the ambient temperature of the room was 20C which is within the 80 Plus parameters. When we ran our tests then at a realistic operating temperature of 45C the unit failed. That means there is a 25C difference in temperature between the two tests.

The reason this failure occurred is Corsair has chosen a set of design metrics such that this unit will not operate at full power at temperatures above about 30C/85F which is a very low temperature for the kinds of environments people advocate for these types of units (office builds with no maintenance, put it in and forget it for a family member, etc) let alone an enthusiast (or even in my office as temps here hit 27-28C in the room alone during the day not accounting for the temp inside the case). It is almost worse for products like this to be rated for full power at such low temperatures because when people use them in those kinds of areas the people using them DON'T know what they are getting as they tend to be less in the loop on hardware.

So, simply the unit completed the 80 Plus test but failed the real world test because it is incapable of running at full rated output at real operating temperatures. It is a very old way of fooling customers. Corsair did not do this in the past though, it used to be a Corsair branded power supply on the low end would work at real world temps and be well built. Those days are, sadly, gone and today if you buy on the low end this is what you get and you should be buying something else.
 
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lol, Unfortunately I had to purchase this PSU when my Antec 1200w psu went out last November.. and I needed a quick solution because I work from home, I couldn't wait for a overnight. Now I have a Evga super Nova 1200w.. I love it.

I have been coming to hardocp every single day since the 90s and I don't remember a fail award, lmao.
 
ApeXiTT said:
lol, Unfortunately I had to purchase this PSU when my Antec 1200w psu went out last November.. and I needed a quick solution because I work from home, I couldn't wait for a overnight. Now I have a Evga super Nova 1200w.. I love it.

I have been coming to hardocp every single day since the 90s and I don't remember a fail award, lmao.
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Uh, look harder... They're there
 
I just blew a CX750M through partly my own doing. Had my FreeNAS box sitting on carpet for an hour or so while I set it up. Got careless and started copying data to the zpool and POP went the PSU. It did die gracefully without killing anything else, at least. And Corsair shipped a brand new in box replacement 12 hours after receiving the unit I shipped back,without me paying for an expedited RMA.

I don't believe the competition would offer that level of service. The experience taught me to spend more on my next PSU but didn't scare me off the brand.
 
I've been a fan of Corsair memory and PSU for a long time, but I certainly am not going to buy another Corsair PSU if their quality keeps going downhill.

I really hope they realize what made them popular in the first place, and start making outstanding quality hardware again.
 
Now I have some more ammunition against recommending this PSU.
 
SpDFre@k said:
I know, lets take a product rated for 30c and test it at 45c and when it fails I will be a HERO! If you want to compare it against other products that is reasonable, but testing a product above and beyond its specs then saying "it failed" is pretty misleading.
Click to expand...

As it was stated by other forum members as well, as a customer, i would never wanted to buy a PSU that is rated only at 30c. :(
30c is a temperature that can easily be overpassed inside a desktop pc.
I very strongly agree with [H] testing methodology to test the product to more realistic enviroment. ;) I don't like at all the marketing tricks used by companies, trying to decieve inexperienced customers.

P.S. Paul, there is something i don't understand in your review. Since the unit is a single rail +12V, then why are there 4 +12V readings at 100v & 120v load testings?
Also, in both load testings, at test-3, at the 4th +12V reading you are writting N/A. What exactly does that means?
 
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the AX1500i got perfect from Johnyguru
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=378
HX1000i did well too
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=394
as did the HX750i
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=392

seems more there low end is going down hill but the HX an AX line seem to be great

what i do question is who buys a value line 750w psu? seems like a me too product and the build shows it
any one dropping the cash on a system that needs that much power should be looking at the HX line or TX at lest
 
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Hornet said:
I've been a fan of Corsair memory and PSU for a long time, but I certainly am not going to buy another Corsair PSU if their quality keeps going downhill.

I really hope they realize what made them popular in the first place, and start making outstanding quality hardware again.
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Their higher end stuff is fine, albeit somewhat pricier than what you can get from the competition. But I have to be honest, there is no reason for me to even consider buying their lower end PSUs. There's just better to be had from other manufacturers. So there it can seem like they're relying on their brand name.
 
Sith'ari said:
P.S. Paul, there is something i don't understand in your review. Since the unit is a single rail +12V, then why are there 4 +12V readings at 100v & 120v load testings?
Also, in both load testings, at test-3, at the 4th +12V reading you are writting N/A. What exactly does that means?
Click to expand...

I must have edited out the header that I use when you see that. On some units there is a large variation between 12v rail(s) output at different connectors for a variety of reasons. When that occurs, even on single 12v rail units, I give you what each connector was reporting. The N/A in the fourth slot means it did not deviate from the first 12v row so there was no difference to report.

Edit: Typically you see this more with really large units, but these had the same issue.
 
Elios said:
the AX1500i got perfect from Johnyguru
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=378
HX1000i did well too
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=394
as did the HX750i
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=392

seems more there low end is going down hill but the HX an AX line seem to be great
Click to expand...

The HX and AX lines aren't exactly "great". They are functional, but out performed and out priced by the competition.

what i do question is who buys a value line 750w psu? seems like a me too product and the build shows it
any one dropping the cash on a system that needs that much power should be looking at the HX line or TX at lest
Click to expand...

If no one buys it Corsair wouldn't sell it. Who buys a CX750? Well, lots of people as they get recommended for "office" or "basic" systems with rather good frequency here in the forums and elsewhere based on the Corsair name. The problem is, people recommending them are doing people a disservice as the product is poor and the price is high.
 
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I wonder if this is becoming a problem of trying to be everything for everyone and are spreading themselves too thin.

They started out targeting high level enthusiasts. Maybe that wasn't paying the bills. They certainly had a rather meteoric rise from being mainly known as an enthusiast memory company.

Is it fair to say that the AX1200 and AX850 from 4-5 years ago has been their zenith to this point?

I still have an HX620 in the shrink wrap that I bought at liquidation price from CompUSA. I haven't been a big fan of their external design recently either..not sure copying Chrysler is a good thing ;)
 
Hmm, I have the CX750M that I had to pick up a couple months ago during a slightly budget oriented snap decision oh shit my psu died moment. I hope the M is at least slightly better. :(
 
Paul_Johnson said:
The HX and AX lines aren't exactly "great". They are functional, but out performed and out priced by the competition.



If no one buys it Corsair wouldn't sell it. Who buys a CX750? Well, lots of people as they get recommended for "office" or "basic" systems with rather good frequency here in the forums and elsewhere based on the Corsair name. The problem is, people recommending them are doing people a disservice as the product is poor and the price is high.
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that 1500i seemed to blow every thing else away did you even read the review its the ONLY 80+ Titanium on the market thats over 400w
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=378
and as said a 750 isnt going in a "office" or "basic" system
 
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HOOfan_1 said:
I wonder if this is becoming a problem of trying to be everything for everyone and are spreading themselves too thin.

They started out targeting high level enthusiasts. Maybe that wasn't paying the bills. They certainly had a rather meteoric rise from being mainly known as an enthusiast memory company.

Is it fair to say that the AX1200 and AX850 from 4-5 years ago has been their zenith to this point?

I still have an HX620 in the shrink wrap that I bought at liquidation price from CompUSA. I haven't been a big fan of their external design recently either..not sure copying Chrysler is a good thing ;)
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the new AX1500i is go look at Johnnyguru review
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=378
 
Elios said:
that 1500i seemed to blow every thing else away
and as said a 750 isnt going in a "office" or "basic" system
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Considering your current psu (HX850), i think that probably you should focus at PSU's performance close to your wattage category.
To admire a 1500 watt PSU, that you will probably never need/use, is somewhat pointless i believe.
 
Dekoth-E- said:
Hmm, I have the CX750M that I had to pick up a couple months ago during a slightly budget oriented snap decision oh shit my psu died moment. I hope the M is at least slightly better. :(
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It'll be fine as long as your not loading it to its limits in a very hot case. Which I'm guessing is very unlikely.
 
Sith'ari said:
Considering your current psu (HX850), i think that probably you should focus at PSU's performance close to your wattage category.
To admire a 1500 watt PSU, that you will probably never need/use, is somewhat pointless i believe.
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that 1500 is more efficient at 10%(and it goes up from there) then my 850 at ANY LOAD....
 
The simple point that is missed is......

This after all IS a Corsair product.
If it's bad, sucks, falls apart, burns up or explodes you know Corsair will be there to help you out and they stand behind their products. I buy a ton of Corsair stuff and I've only had two RMAs with them ever, both were painless and quickly resolved.

Obviously you have to question buying a product that is not up to the standard you expect from Corsair in the first place.

I agree that you shouldn't have to think that way, the product should be better, it should cost less if it is as crappy as [H] makes it out to be, and last is over-kill power for an office or family desktop computer. So where is it's place in the computer world, anyway?
 
magoo said:
.......... So where is it's place in the computer world, anyway?
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That's the most interesting question!!
-Apparently this model is not suited for gaming systems.
-Also it is obviously overkill (*based on the total wattage) for just office-work PCs.
So really, i can't see a reason for existence for this PSU, but one:
That Corsair is trying to exploit its famous past, selling this model to inexperienced pc users (*who only care for Corsair logo ) focusing on gaming, misleading them with the 750 watt theoretical power & the lower price compared to high quality 750 models.
 
Dekoth-E- said:
Hmm, I have the CX750M that I had to pick up a couple months ago during a slightly budget oriented snap decision oh shit my psu died moment. I hope the M is at least slightly better. :(
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Same here!!! :eek: It replaced an 800W Thermaltake and the day I put it (Corsair 750m) in, my GPU's (280x and 7950 in CF) had much more noticeable coil whine, to a point of annoying if I don't wear my headset... :rolleyes: I've ordered a refurb Corsair GS800 and I hope when I swap it in, I'll go back to "quiet mode" with the GPU's at full load....
 
Elios said:
the AX1500i got perfect from Johnyguru
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=378
HX1000i did well too
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=394
as did the HX750i
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=392

seems more there low end is going down hill but the HX an AX line seem to be great

what i do question is who buys a value line 750w psu? seems like a me too product and the build shows it
any one dropping the cash on a system that needs that much power should be looking at the HX line or TX at lest
Click to expand...

So? It doesn't matter, CoolerMaster gets the same crap for having both crappy lines and great lines. At least CoolerMaster's recent offerings have been price-competitive, which Corsair seems to be no longer interested in doing. Besides the low end CX430 and 500 models. Which actually passed hot box testing.

Point is, shame on Corsair for putting this piece of junk out there. Even more shame on them for using their brand name to sell an overpriced piece of junk. Corsair built its high end business on integrity with enthusiasts. Now they are starting to whittle away at the trust they have built (it's not only this, it's also the RGB keyboard, Corsair Link, etc).
 
Dekoth-E- said:
Hmm, I have the CX750M that I had to pick up a couple months ago during a slightly budget oriented snap decision oh shit my psu died moment. I hope the M is at least slightly better. :(
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Nope. Corsair's -M series tends to be of lower quality than their non-modular brothers. Otherwise, how else could they get the CX750M to be around the same price as the non-modular CX750? Even Redbeard, Corsair's rep, acknowledged years ago that adding modular cables adds about $15 to $20 give or take to the overall cost of the PSU.
 
magoo said:
So where is it's place in the computer world, anyway?
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Well, good RMA procedures apart (which I can't confirm, since I don't have to deal with the manufacturer directly in my country, because the e-tailer is responsible for honoring the warranty in its entirety), I have to say it has no place here. I can get the XFX ProSeries Core 750W for the exact same price, which has all Japanese caps and overall better quality. I believe it got a Silver award here.
 
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