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Dec 15, 2009 by Mike Vass
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Product
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Corsair Power 400W (CMPSU-400CX)
Computer Power Supply |
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Brand
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Corsair |
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Market Price
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US$50 - $65 |
Corsair has been offering power supply units, based on Seasonic and Channel
Well platforms, for the past three or so years. SPCR reviewed a handful of them
— the VX450W,
TX650W, and
both the HX520W
and HX620W — and reported consistently excellent performance. Naturally,
the lineup has expanded, mostly upwards to the kilowatt level... but the CX400W
is a counterpoint to the rest of the Corsair power line, with just 400W maximum
power at a very modest price. As you might expect, Corsair claims the CX400W
makes no sacrifices on performance.
A 400W-rated PSU is generally seen today as a "low-end" model, though
we've seen in the
past that many very capable systems don't draw more anywhere close to 400W.
It's the inclusion of high end gaming cards, particularly two or more such cards,
that makes the power demand jump. Some manufacturer rebates have pulled the
price of the CX400W under $50 this holiday season, so it really does compete
in the lowest price category of power supply units.
Like the VX450W and TX650W, but unlike the HX520W and HX620W, the power cables
on the CX400W are permanently attached. This is expected for such a low cost
model, and has the theoretical advantage of reducing overall voltage drops through
the cabling.
PACKAGING & FEATURES
The box features minimalistic artwork, with less focus on feature listings
compared to previous Corsair models.
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| Features |
Our comment |
| Supports the latest ATX12V v2.2 standard
and is backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.01 systems. |
Good to see. |
Rated up to 400W of continuous power output
at 40ºC
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Notice the 40ºC: A realistic operating
temperature. |
| Extra long fully sleeved cables to support
full tower chassis and assist with flexible cable routing. |
In leiu of modular cables, this is a
nice feature to have. |
Ultra-quiet 120mm double ball-bearing fan
delivers excellent airflow at an exceptionally low noise level by varying
the RPM in response to temperature.
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Of course, the airflow has to turn 90º to exhaust, but this is
pretty typical. Hopefully the fan is indeed "ultra-quiet"
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High efficiency topology to ensure energy
savings.
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The CX400W is branded basic 80Plus, so expect good efficiency, not
stellar efficiency.
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| 99% Active Power Factor Correction
provides clean and reliable power to your system. |
This is important if you
buy by the Volt-Ampere, rather than the Watt. |
| Universal AC input 90~264V automatically
scans and detects the correct voltage. No more hassle of flipping that red
switch! |
Nice to know about the switch. Notice
the 90V lower limit. This is very good. |
| Dedicated single +12V rail offers maximum
compatibility with latest components |
The honesty about a shared 12V line
is nice! |
| Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection,
Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety
to your critical system components. |
OK. |
| Standard ATX PS/2 size: 5.9"(W) x
3.4"(H) X 5.5"(L); 150mm(W) x 86mm(H) x 140mm(L) |
Yep, this is pretty standard. |
| MTBF: 100,000 Hours |
11.4 Years. I like the optimism! |
SPECIFICATIONS
Power specifications are shown on a convenient sticker right
on the top of the unit:
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Corsair CMPSU-400CX (CX400W) Specifications
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AC Input
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100-240V - 7A 50/60Hz (Differs from website) |
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DC Output
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3.3V
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5V
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12V
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-12V
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5Vsb
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20A
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20A
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30A
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0.8A
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2.5A
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130W
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360W
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9.6W
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12.5W
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400W
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Strangely, the AC Input specifications vary with respect to
the website's specs for the same supply: 100-240V - 7A - 50/60Hz written on
the label, versus 90-264V - 5-9A - 47-63Hz on the website. That 10VAC on the
lower end could make a difference in brownout conditions.
Our sample lacked any 80 Plus labelling, but it is clearly among
Corsair passed models listed
at the 80 Plus web site. Keep in mind that the testing for 80 Plus
approval is done at normal ambient room temperature. The 80
Plus Testing Guidelines (PDF) specify only that "ambient temperature
shall be maintained at 23°C ± 5°C throughout the test."
In contrast, the ambient temperature of the SPCR test system is directly proportionate
to the load. At low load, the air intake is at or just above room temperature,
but as load is increased, the temperature rises steadily. Typically, with
a fan-cooled PSU, the intake temperature in our test system reaches 45~50°C
at >600W loads. This is an extremely tough test condition, as PSU efficiency
naturally drops off at high and low loads; combine high load with high temperature
and it's essentially a torture chamber. It does replicate reasonably well
the conditions that prevail in a typical tower PC. For full details, please
refer to SPCR's PSU Test Platform
V4.1.
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