Corsair’s latest TX850W PSU is targeted towards value conscious users who want a high capacity power supply with stable outputs and high efficiency. Check out the review to see if it delivers!

Introduction

Corsair Micro continues to expand their PC power supply offering with the addition of an 850W model to the popular TX series.  With a combined focus on pricing and performance, Corsair’s TX series is designed to deliver stable voltages, high efficiency and quiet operation for value conscious users who are looking for a PSU in the 650W, 750W or 850W range. 

(Courtesy Corsair Micro)

All three Corsair TX series power supplies feature a single, powerful +12V rail, energy efficient circuitry, and a large 140mm (120mm on TX650W) diameter, temperature controlled fan for quiet operation.  The TX850W power supply supports multiple high-end graphic cards and comes with four 6/8-pin PCI-E connectors.  And Corsair continues to back all of their power supplies with a 5-year warranty!

Corsair CMPSU-850TX PSU Key Features:

•    850 watts continuous power output (up to 50°C)
•    Supports the latest ATX12V v2.2 standard and EPS12V 2.91 standards
•    Dedicated single +12V output (up to 70A/840W)
•    High quality 140mm variable speed fan
•    80%+ Energy efficiency (at 20%, 50% and 100% loads)
•    Active PFC with Universal AC line input
•    High quality Japanese capacitors for uncompromised performance and reliability
•    Compact chassis size: 5.9” (W) x 3.4” (H) x 6.3” (L); 150mm x 86mm x 160mm
•    Over current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection
•    MTBF: 100,000 Hours
•    5-Year warranty and legendary Corsair customer service

The Corsair TX850W power supply arrived securely packed inside a colorfully printed black and yellow box showcasing the unit’s features and specifications.  The power supply is protected by thick foam inserts and wrapped in a fancy black felt bag with the Corsair logo.

In addition to the power supply the box also contains a power cord, mounting screws, wire ties, Corsair case badge, and a printed User’s Manual.

Establishing an accurate load is critical to testing and evaluating a PC power supply.  PCPerspective’s power supply test bench can place a precise 2,000 watt DC load on the PSU under test.  Each power supply is tested under controlled, real-world conditions up to its maximum rated load (at 40ºC), using both 115 VAC and 240 VAC line voltage.  Our current suite of tests includes:

•    DC Load Regulation
•    DC Line Regulation
•    DC Cross-load (unbalanced load)
•    AC Ripple and Noise
•    Power Factor
•    Efficiency
•    Differential Temperature
•    Noise

The Corsair TX850W power supply was evaluated on both features and performance.  A full range of equipment was used to test the power supply under controlled load conditions. 

•    (2) CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V ouputs)
•    (4) CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V1, +12V2, +12V3, and +12V4)
•    FLUKE 87-III True RMS digital multimeter (Accuracy ±0.05%)
•    Extech 380803 Power Analyzer (Accuracy ±0.5% of full scale)
•    Hitachi V-650F 60 MHz dual trace oscilloscope (Accuracy ±3%)
•    Powerstat Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA, 0-140 VAC
•    FLUKE  52-II digital thermometer (Accuracy ±0.3ºC/0.5ºF)
•    Extech Model 407738 digital sound level meter (Accuracy ±1.5 dB)
•    Custom Lian Li PC60 enclosure to simulate real-world operating conditions