Corsair HX1000i 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Power Supply Review

Corsair added Link tech to their HX series of power supplies, giving birth to the HXi series, proving once again they have some of the best PSUs available.

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Manufacturer: Corsair
8 minutes & 6 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 93%
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The Bottom Line

Corsair's HX1000i is a great buy for enthusiasts wanting a power supply that performs very well and provides some of the latest features without completely breaking the bank in the process.

Introduction & Specifications, Availability and Pricing

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Ever since the introduction of the AX1200i from Corsair, we've envisioned real-time monitoring of power supplies becoming a mainstream feature for enthusiasts and power users alike. It has been two years since the introduction of Corsair's Link software with their power supplies and since then, we've seen this feature spread throughout their product line. It started with lower wattage units in the AXi series and eventually to the RMi series of power supplies.

The problem, as it always is with new technology, is that it is cost prohibitive for users to adopt these new features right away. The bleeding edge eventually trickles down to those who couldn't afford it when it first became available and that is exactly what is happening with the HXi series from Corsair. It integrates the digital monitoring features that are available with Corsair Link to the analog units used. These new units are exactly what consumers need to bridge the gap from enthusiast only to mainstream use.

Corsair has also placed a high level of importance in creating a low-noise unit. This goes beyond having a silent fan, and starts at the design level of the power supply to increase heat dissipation and airflow. Component selection also plays a role here as even the non-moving parts can create noise. Corsair spent a lot of time in selecting the proper components to deliver the performance we've come to expect from them while giving us less noise, or so they say.

That's exactly what we want to test so let's look into what the HX1000i has to offer.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing

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I/O specifications are quite standard for a 1000W power supply. The HX1000i features a single 12V rail that is rated for 83.3A or 99.9% of the rated output of the entire power supply. Both the 3.3V and 5V minor rails are rated at 25A each with a combined maximum output of 150W. The HX1000i has a 3.0A 5VSB rail rated for 15W. Combined maximum output of the HX1000i is 1000W.

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Corsair doesn't play around when it comes to features. They know what is important when it comes to features and prove that with the HXi series. All power supplies feature a full suite of protections including SCP, OVP, OCP, OPP, and OTP. The HX1000i is rated for 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency. The power supply is fully modular and all cables are of the flat ribbon type. Finally, the HXi series is rated for 100% continuous output at 50C.

The units that we have seen to this point that integrate with Corsair's Link software have all been digital power supplies. The HXi changes this up a bit and gives us access to the features of the Link software, but utilizes an analog power supply. Corsair says that it features a built-in analog to digital bridge to communicate vital information to the Corsair Link software via USB or I2C. This allows the user to monitor and log fan speed, current and voltage of the +3.3V, +5V and + 12V rails, monitor power out, display power in and efficiency, and enable/disable OCP on the +12V rails.

Corsair has an MSRP of $229.99. Considering what you get with the HX1000i, it isn't a bad price at all. In fact, the unit is very competitively priced just from a performance and quality standpoint. Once one figures in the added features such as the Corsair Link integration and low noise focus of the HX1000i, it becomes a very enticing unit. Corsair will stand behind the HX1000i with their industry leading 7-year warranty.

PRICING: You can find the Corsair HX1000i High Performance Power Supply for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Corsair HX1000i High Performance Power Supply retails for $199.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The Corsair HX1000i High Performance Power Supply retails for CDN$273.00 at Amazon Canada.

Package & Inside the Box

Package

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Corsair doesn't have anything special going on with their packaging. The front of the box gives us a glimpse of the unit, while covering a few of the important such as wattage, warranty, and efficiency.

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The left half of the back shows a few charts that indicate efficiency and noise levels. Note the unit is noiseless until about 40% output.

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The other half gives some information about the Corsair Link software and the I/O specifications.

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This end presents us with the number of connectors and length of them.

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A few more bullet points in numerous languages are on the other side. Corsair states that hand selected components are used but I would find that to be quite the stretch considering these come from mass production.

Inside the Box

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Everything is safe and sound on the inside. There is plenty of padding all around for the power supply. The box provides more than ample protection for the rest of the unit.

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The top of the power supply houses the I/O specification label. We can also see the texturized black finish on the unit.

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The HX1000i logo can be found on both sides of the unit with the opposite side being inverted for installation in either the top or bottom of a case.

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Spinning around to the front, we find the modular connections for the unit. All of the connections are clearly labeled. There are two connections for the Corsair Link software and you can use either one. There is also a fan test button to check fan functionality.

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There is a heavy duty on/off rocker switch with AC input on the back of the unit. Ventilation is provided via the honeycomb mesh grill. There is also an informational sticker here that informs you of the silent operation of the unit and to not be alarmed when the fan does not spin upon powering on.

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The bottom shows off the white fan that Corsair uses to provide the active cooling to the unit, along with the wire grill covering it.

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Also included with the unit are the mounting screws, cable ties, a case badge, and AC input cable.

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All cables are of the ribbon type and all are black in color.

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Rounding out the contents of the box are the paper materials. These include a user manual, safety manual, and warranty guide.

Cabling Arrangement & A Look Inside

Cabling Arrangement

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The HX1000i has quite a list of cables. There is a fantastic mix of short and long cables to help make sure that you don't have extra wiring that you have to tame laying inside your case. Corsair also includes the cables necessary for use of their Link software, whether you are plugging directly into the power supply or using one of the adapters.

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Rail distribution is as simple as it gets with a single 12V rail. There is no need to worry about load balancing here.

A Look Inside

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Normally we would expect to see quite a bit of passive cooling in a unit that is fanless up to 40% load, but that isn't the case. Corsair's open design combined with high efficiency reduces heat and this is the result of that. Once the fan kicks in, it can provide plenty of fresh air to permeate the entirety of the unit.

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High quality Rubycon capacitors can be found on the primary side of the HX1000i.

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Nippon Chemi-Con caps take care of the remaining capacitors on the secondary side of the power supply.

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Corsair uses their NRP135P fan to provide the active cooling for the HX1000i.

Test Results & Final Thoughts

Test Results

Our load tests utilize a couple of FAST ATE active load testers, and a variety of other equipment such as an oscilloscope, power conditioner, temperature probe, and a power consumption meter. You can read more about our standard testing approach here.

The tests performed are based around six conceivable setups that are out there, and progressively load down the PSU up to the power supply's limits, or 1000W; whichever comes first. Since our test equipment's limits are lower than that of the Corsair HX1000i 1000W power supply, we can test it to its maximum.

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The above tests represent typical loads that we have measured from various systems, and are meant to give a rough idea of where your computer might fall in line with our tests. Please keep in mind that each system is different, and actual loads can vary greatly, even with similar hardware.

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Let's start by taking a look at the voltages, to see how well this unit did during testing. Starting with the 12V rail, we see 2% regulation from start to finish, with a total drop of .16V. The 5V rail managed to stay within 1% of specification, with a total drop of .06V from start to finish. Moving towards the 3.3V rail, we see that regulation was within 2% of specification, with a total voltage drop of .04V.

DC Output quality for the Corsair HX1000i was excellent, and well within specifications. During Test One, we saw 12mV of noise on our scope at 22% load. When we increased the loads in Test Three, the ripple climbed to a mere 22mV at around 56% load. Increasing loads even further showed that the noise on the 12V rail climbed to 31mV at 1000W.

The Corsair HX1000i is rated for 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency. This means that the power supply must perform at 90% / 92% / 89% efficiency, at 20% / 50% / 100% loads respectively. As you can see, the Corsair HX1000i is performing exactly as would be expected to reach these levels of efficiency.

Final Thoughts

It goes without saying that Corsair has some of the best power supplies on the market. The AX1200i and AX1500i power supplies have redefined what it means to be the best of the best, and they have proven to be the closest we have ever seen to being a perfect power supply. The problem with this is that it costs a lot of coin to get your hands on the best of the best. The HXi series from Corsair bridges the gap and provides an excellent blend of price, performance, and new technology.

The HX1000i performs exactly as you would expect when you combine new tech with great performance, while keeping the price down. Voltage regulation stays within 2% for the 12V and 3.3V rails, while staying within 1% of specifications for the 5V rail. DC output quality comes in very good and shows only 31mV of noise on the 12V rail. The efficiency for the HX1000i is exactly where it should be for an 80PLUS Platinum rated unit.

The big score for this unit is the price combined with the digital monitoring that it offers. With an MSRP of $229.99, it is very competitively priced with other 1000W Platinum rated units. Add in the digital monitor that is provided by the Corsair Link software, and this unit scores a clear win above almost all of the competition. Corsair sweetens the deal even more by providing a seven-year warranty on the unit, so while this may not be the absolute greatest power supply available, it is certainly one of the best that you can get given the price.

PRICING: You can find the Corsair HX1000i High Performance Power Supply for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Corsair HX1000i High Performance Power Supply retails for $199.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The Corsair HX1000i High Performance Power Supply retails for CDN$273.00 at Amazon Canada.

TweakTown award
Performance 92%
Quality including Design and Build 95%
General Features 93%
Bundle and Packaging 92%
Value for Money 95%
Overall 93%

The Bottom Line: Corsair's HX1000i is a great buy for enthusiasts wanting a power supply that performs very well and provides some of the latest features without completely breaking the bank in the process.

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

USUnited States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com

UKUnited Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk

AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

Zac provides professional IT support by day, but plays the role of enthusiast by night. He's been building high-end custom computer for the nearly fifteen years and writing PC hardware reviews for the better part of a decade. Aside from computers, he also dabbles in quite a bit of home A/V equipment. Throughout the years, Zac has picked up an extensive knowledge of power circuitry and leverages this to provide the PSU reviews. When not found testing or writing, you can often find him speeding through the winding countryside on his motorcycle.

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