Corsair AX1600i PSU Review

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Performance, Value, Noise & Efficiency

Performance Rating

The following graph shows the AX1600i's total performance rating, comparing it to other units we have tested. To be more specific, the tested unit is shown as 100 percent, and every other unit's performance is shown relative to it.

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We have a new king! The AX1600i leaves its predecessor, the AX1500i, behind. This is the best-performing PSU for now, and it'll be difficult for any of Corsair's competitors to come up with anything notably better.

Performance Per Dollar

The following chart may be the most interesting to many of you because it depicts the unit's performance-per-dollar score. We looked up the current price of each PSU on popular online shops and used those prices and all relative performance numbers to calculate the index. If the specific unit wasn't available in the United States, we searched for it in popular European Union shops, converting the listed price to USD (without VAT). Note that all of the numbers in the following graph are normalized by the rated power of each PSU.  

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Despite its extraordinary performance, the AX1600i's high price tag doesn't leave much room for a value argument. Corsair managed though to keep the same price with its predecessor, providing a great asset to the new model.

Noise Rating

The graph below depicts the cooling fan's average noise over the PSU's operating range, with an ambient temperature between 30°C and 32°C (86°F to 89.6°F).

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This is a massive-capacity PSU that keeps noise output in check. Corsair's high-end offerings are the only ones that stay below 30 dB(A) overall noise.

Efficiency Rating

The following graph shows the PSU's average efficiency throughout its operating range, with an ambient temperature close to 30°C.

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The AX1500i was starting to show its age; several competing power supplies passed it in this comparison (though not by much). So far, the AX1600i is the only high-capacity model in our charts to achieve >92% overall efficiency. 

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Contributing Editor

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

  • Dark Lord of Tech
    Excellent review , thanks!
    Reply
  • wklerken
    Excellent review. But I cannot view the video's, what format do you use?
    Reply
  • Quaddro
    all of we need is 500w class digital titanium++ psu with this advance technology..
    Well, pc is much more efficient right now..

    I wonder how many people will use it anyway...
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    Videos working fine here.

    PCs are more efficient, however graphics cards once pushed are not and many users tend to overclock their GPUs. Moreover, those units are intended for multi-GPU systems.
    Reply
  • tom10167
    niceeee
    Reply
  • SoerenHedemand
    Do you do you fan and noise measurements with 110V or 220V? That should make a difference in this case at least.
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    20574970 said:
    Do you do you fan and noise measurements with 110V or 220V? That should make a difference in this case at least.

    115V but I also take noise measurements with 230V because of Cybenetics.

    115V: 23.25 dB(A)
    230V: 23.29 dB(A)
    Reply
  • SoerenHedemand
    Specifically at what point does it change from passive to active cooling using either 110V or 220V?
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    please check the CL noise graph of the review.
    Reply
  • ptlin.ece90g
    Primary DSC should be NXP Freescale MC56F8236
    Secondary DSC is Texas Instruments UCD3138064A
    Reply