Corsair HX850 Gold Power Supply Review

Conclusions

The new Corsair HX850 Gold performed slightly better on our tests than the original HX850. Efficiency was higher at full load (at other loads it remained about the same), but the biggest advantage of the new version is that we didn’t see the high noise level on the +5VSB output that we saw with the original HX850. While noise levels with the original HX850 were very low, with the new HX850 Gold they were even lower. Voltage regulation was the same, with all positive voltages within 3% of their nominal values, i.e., closer to their nominal values than required by the ATX12V specification.

Another highlight of this power supply is its cable configuration, which allows you to install three high-end video cards that require two auxiliary power connectors each out of the box.

The suggested price for this unit is USD 200, and we know vendors sell power supplies for less than the suggested price. For example, the Corsair AX850, which is an 80 Plus Gold-certified unit with a full modular cabling system, has an MSRP of USD 230, but it is sold for USD 190 at Newegg.com. Therefore, it is fair to assume that the Corsair HX850 Gold will have a price tag of USD 180 or below, making it a very good buy for its performance and features, as well as being less expensive than its main competitor, the Seasonic X-Series 850 W.