Corsair has officially refreshed its high wattage HXi power supplies for 2022, with the introduction of the new HX1000i and HX1500i. These PSUs offer up to a Platinum-certified 91% efficiency rating and have completely digital circuitry for faster responding power adjustments. These units could be the perfect match for Nvidia and AMD's highly rumored next-generation GPUs that are expected to have power figures of 450 watts or more, depending on the model.
To differentiate these new units from their predecessors, Corsair has implemented a new color aesthetic with a pure black label accompanied by white lettering for the Corsair badge and model name. This will give customers an easy way to identify the new 2022 variants and ensure they are getting the latest model. Previous models had a combination of either grey labeling or black-on-blue and black-on red-color themes.
Both 2022 models are built with 100% industrial-grade Japanese electrolytic capacitors rated for up to 105C, and feature three EPS12V connectors for compatibility with a wide range of motherboard models. These features along with the already mentioned fully digital platform should make these units some of Corsair's highest quality PSUs to date.
Both units also support 0db mode with a 0RPM fan mode for ultra quiet operation at low to medium loads. When the PSU needs to output higher loads, a 140mm fluid dynamic bearing fan is present that should keep fan noise as low as possible. Other features include the addition of Modern Standby support, for super-fast wake times, and full monitoring support within Corsair's iCUE software. That lets you monitor power consumption coming from the PSU as well as control RPMs on the built-in fan.
Unfortunately, one highly expected feature missing from both units is the addition of the new 16-pin power connector that will be used on next-generation GPUs. It will likely coexist with the current 6-pin and 8-pin power connectors we have today, at least for a while, but where the 8-pin connector is rated for up to 150W, the 16-pin connector can provide a whopping 600W of power.
This new connector is something we expected on Corsair's new flagship units, with other PSU brands already implementing the 16-pin several months ago into their new PSU models. This shouldn't be a huge problem, since 8-pin to 16-pin adapters will likely ship with most of the upcoming GPUs to make the transition easier on older PSUs, but such adapters are messier than native PSU support for the new standard.
The updated HX1000i and HX1500i should be great for high-end builds, though they don't cater to lower budgets. The HX1000i has a $259.99 MSRP, while the HX1500i comes priced at $399.99. Competing 80 Plus Platinum PSUs start at around $170 for 1000W models, while 1500W PSUs match Corsair's $400 MSRP.
