Corsair RMi series PSUs: quiet operation and digital control

[quest_for_silence]

Just FYI (a bunch of somewhat interesting reviews, interesting mainly because there are some fan and/or noise data inside):

• RM750i @ Tom's Hardware (quietest 750W they ever tested)
• RM750i @ JonnyGURU.com
• RM650i @ Eteknix
• RMi Series @ NL Hardware.info (Google Translator)
• RM750i @ Guru3D

[rhuebner]

I just hope they've done something to improve their quality control and robustness. Their current top AXi line, while having always gotten rave tech reviews, seems to be plagued with higher than normal early failure rates, to the point that their RMA process has often gotten backed up to a several weeks replacement delay. And when I recently checked out their platinum units on Newegg, about a third of them were refurbs or open box.

Actually, they may be phasing out their AXi line; their core AX760i and AX860i units have been increasingly scarce on major sites, and often only available as refurbs or stupidly-highly priced from third-party scalpers. Right now, the AX760i, surely one of the most popular units, is only available on both Newegg and Amazon from scalpers for like $70-$90 over the normal price. Corsair may be selling out their current stocks and bringing in this new RMi line as a replacement.

[quest_for_silence]

I just hope they've done something to improve their quality control and robustness. Their current top AXi line, while having always gotten rave tech reviews, seems to be plagued with higher than normal early failure rates

Though you are talking of rather different products (those AXi are their first series of digital PSUs, a nowadays relatively mature platform, probably the first digital PSU in the wild), that problem is more apparent than real: the problem is, likely, that customers of high-end PSU tend to make their complaints the most visible ones.

Actually the worst RMA rate in the Corsair lineup should belong to the Seasonic-based AX-series (they are based upon the Seasonic XP2), around 10%, mostly due to noise/whining issues, while the whole Flextronic-based AXi should be around a 3% RMA-rate.

Anyway, the RMi PSUs are made by an entirely different OEM, Channel Well Technology (rather than Flextronics).