Corsair RM650x PSU Review

Reviews
By Aris Mpitziopoulos
published

Another Corsair PSU is in the lab, commanding our attention. We already reviewed the RM750x and RM550x, so we couldn't leave out the RM650x. It promises the same high performance as its siblings, along with super quiet operation.

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Pros, Cons And Final Verdict

Normally the RM650x's closest competitor would be EVGA's SuperNOVA 650 G2. But because of EVGA's aggressive pricing, the 650 P2 does battle against Corsair's Gold-rated contender. In fact, at the time of writing, EVGA's Platinum-certified solution is cheaper.

Compared to the 650 G2, Corsair's RM650x offers better performance and quieter operation. Meanwhile, the 650 P2 is a step above; it plays in another category altogether. But the RM650x is still a superb PSU with high performance. The only exception is the +12V rail's load regulation, which we'd like to see within 1%. Everywhere else, this Corsair PSU is great. It offers ultra-clean voltage rails, good efficiency levels, and outstanding performance with transient loads, which are the tests that represent more accurate real-life scenarios.

Corsair again proves it'll do anything to compete aggressively. A while ago, it increased the warranty on its high-end models from seven years to ten, matching EVGA's best effort. The next move was EVGA's; the company slashed prices on its best offerings. So now Corsair's 80 PLUS Gold-rated RM650x has to battle an opponent we'd normally find in a higher category, the EVGA 650 P2. Of course, we're expecting Corsair to respond soon.

One thing is for sure: this price and performance war is nothing but good news for enthusiasts. We only wish there were more companies doing battle at this level. In addition, we can't help but be troubled by Super Flower's availability issues. From the moment EVGA became popular in the power supply market, Super Flower couldn't seem to keep up. On the other hand, Corsair doesn't seem to have the same problem (at least so far) since its leadership thought ahead and collaborated with many OEMs instead of heavily relying on just one. Moreover, Channel Well Technology, the OEM responsible for Corsair's RMx, RMi, and HXi families, has higher manufacturing capacity than Super Flower.

To wrap things up, the RM650x is an excellent PSU featuring great performance and quiet operation, along with reliability backed by a 10-year warranty. Naturally it earns our editor's recommendation, even though EVGA's 650 P2 offers even higher performance at roughly the same price. But compared to EVGA's 650 G2 using 230V input and our older test methodology, the RM650x offers higher performance.

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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor at Tom's Hardware US, covering PSUs.

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27 Comments Comment from the forums
  • maxwellmelon
    for all the good listed in this article, this series of psu just gets bashed in the fourms, just interesting.
    Reply
  • basroil
    18305746 said:
    for all the good listed in this article, this series of psu just gets bashed in the fourms, just interesting.

    You're thinking of the older RM650, different design.

    The review here just made this unit be one of my recommended 650 models, tied with the EVGA G2/P2 and just below the Seasonic 660XP2!
    Reply
  • pjc6281
    I have had this PSU for my new Skylake build for 2 months. Its GREAT, quiet and even have it pushing my old dinosaur Nvidia 590 with no problems. My old power supply was a Corsair AX1200 that was rock solid as well. Nothing but good experiences with them. I know others differ.
    Reply
  • Dark Lord of Tech
    RMX doesn't get bashed , RMX and RMI are very very good. I own the RMX 850 , GREAT UNIT.
    Reply
  • TechyInAZ
    I'm glad the new RM series is much higher quality. All I remember Corsair having is a bunch of bad PSUs with select few good PSU (like AX and HX).

    I hope this same kind of quality intros into other models like the newly refreshed CX PSUs.
    Reply
  • 18305746 said:
    for all the good listed in this article, this series of psu just gets bashed in the fourms, just interesting.

    Yeah, I believe you are confusing the RMx and RMi with the older, mostly discontinued RM line. And of the old RM line only the 750w and 850w versions that were first made by Chicony Power Technology had the bad reputation. Anyone bashing the RMx and RMi doesn't know what they are talking about. Once misinformation gets out there it's hard to get it corrected though.

    Another great review Aris! :)
    Reply
  • Nintendork
    Why buy Corsair or EVGA when you can get a Seasonic?
    Reply
  • 18308072 said:
    Why buy Corsair or EVGA when you can get a Seasonic?

    Seasonic doesn't have a lock on quality. They also don't offer a 10 year warranty which both Corsair and EVGA do on some models. Just off the top of my head Flextronics, CWT and SuperFlower are all capable of making units that are at least equal to high end Seasonic quality. There are others as well.
    Reply
  • TechyInAZ
    18308188 said:
    18308072 said:
    Why buy Corsair or EVGA when you can get a Seasonic?

    Seasonic doesn't have a lock on quality. They also don't offer a 10 year warranty which both Corsair and EVGA do on some models. Just off the top of my head Flextronics, CWT and SuperFlower are all capable of making units that are at least equal to high end Seasonic quality. There are others as well.

    Plus, efficiency levels are typically better with EVGA than Seasonic.
    Reply
  • 18308342 said:
    18308188 said:
    18308072 said:
    Why buy Corsair or EVGA when you can get a Seasonic?

    Seasonic doesn't have a lock on quality. They also don't offer a 10 year warranty which both Corsair and EVGA do on some models. Just off the top of my head Flextronics, CWT and SuperFlower are all capable of making units that are at least equal to high end Seasonic quality. There are others as well.

    Plus, efficiency levels are typically better with EVGA than Seasonic.

    :??: Not sure what you mean. EVGA has a couple of 80 Plus Titanium models but Seasonic has Titanium models in their new lineup. I'm not sure if those new Seasonic models are available yet though. Other than that I've had an 80 Plus Platinum Seasonic ( 660XP2 ) for a couple of years and their Platinum line has been out since at least 2011.
    Reply