Corsair AX1600i PSU Review

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Load Regulation, Hold-Up Time & Inrush Current

To learn more about our PSU tests and methodology, please check out How We Test Power Supply Units. 

Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

Load Regulation testing is detailed here.

Hold-Up Time

Our hold-up time tests are described in detail here.

The hold-up time we measure is long, and the power-good signal is accurate. There is nothing more we could ask for.

Inrush Current

For details on our inrush current testing, please click here.

Thanks to an innovative design (and a couple of NTC thermistors), inrush current is kept low in all cases.

Load Regulation And Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests reveals the stability of the voltage rails and the AX1600i's efficiency. The applied load equals (approximately) 10 to 110 percent of the PSU's maximum load in increments of 10 percentage points.

We conducted two additional tests. During the first, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load, while the load at +12V was only 0.1A. This test reveals whether a PSU is compatible with Intel's C6/C7 sleep states or not. In the second test, we determined the maximum load the +12V rail could handle with minimal load on the minor rails.

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Test #12V5V3.3V5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyFan SpeedPSU NoiseTemps (In/Out)PF/AC Volts
111.495A2.003A1.994A1.001A159.81392.213%0 RPM<6.0 dB(A)42.57°C0.957
12.026V4.992V3.305V4.980V173.30938.28°C115.10V
224.021A3.001A2.994A1.206A319.74594.148%0 RPM<6.0 dB(A)42.93°C0.988
12.026V4.990V3.304V4.975V339.61938.50°C115.11V
336.896A3.509A3.509A1.406A479.75894.364%0 RPM<6.0 dB(A)43.37°C0.995
12.025V4.989V3.302V4.972V508.41238.80°C115.11V
449.765A4.012A3.996A1.610A639.57194.017%0 RPM<6.0 dB(A)44.79°C0.997
12.024V4.988V3.299V4.970V680.27539.97°C115.10V
562.290A5.011A5.002A1.811A799.38893.656%561 RPM8.5 dB(A)40.17°C0.998
12.023V4.986V3.298V4.966V853.53445.47°C115.09V
674.826A6.019A6.004A2.015A959.34393.242%653 RPM13.3 dB(A)41.00°C0.999
12.022V4.984V3.296V4.962V1028.87346.47°C115.58V
787.360A7.021A7.012A2.215A1119.21392.660%739 RPM17.0 dB(A)42.56°C0.998
12.021V4.983V3.293V4.958V1207.87648.34°C115.38V
899.902A8.035A8.016A2.421A1279.23591.933%861 RPM21.5 dB(A)44.32°C0.998
12.020V4.981V3.293V4.954V1391.48950.41°C115.34V
9112.869A8.538A8.540A2.421A1439.26791.217%1490 RPM37.8 dB(A)45.22°C0.999
12.020V4.978V3.289V4.953V1577.85051.93°C115.11V
10125.387A9.054A9.037A3.545A1599.13990.471%1796 RPM42.5 dB(A)46.86°C0.999
12.018V4.975V3.286V4.936V1767.58053.85°C115.15V
11138.709A9.056A9.043A3.545A1759.09089.717%1956 RPM45.4 dB(A)48.25°C0.996
12.017V4.973V3.284V4.934V1960.71555.66°C115.15V
CL10.098A22.032A19.997A0.005A177.92988.526%819 RPM19.2 dB(A)44.53°C0.969
12.023V5.007V3.321V5.030V200.99148.75°C115.18V
CL2133.259A1.003A1.003A1.002A1615.16490.736%1784 RPM42.5 dB(A)47.11°C0.999
12.021V4.977V3.281V4.964V1780.06452.48°C115.12V

Let's start with those amazing efficiency numbers. The only test where this PSU drops below the 80 PLUS Titanium's requirements is the 50% load one. The gap is pretty small though, and we test at much higher ambient temperatures than 80 PLUS. Efficiency under full load is perhaps the most impressive data point here: Corsair achieves close to 90.5% efficiency at 47°C with a 1600W load! High efficiency translates into lower energy losses, so the AX1600i's fan doesn't have to cope with taxing thermal loads. Naturally, this helps keep output noise down. It's only during the full and 110% load tests that the fan exceeds 40 dB(A). Corsair built a PSU with monstrous capacity and top performance, then granted it quiet operation.

The load regulation on every rail is super-tight, with the +12V rail steady at its nominal voltage throughout our tests. This is enabled by the use of digital control, which reacts faster than an analog circuit, is more accurate, and can weigh a lot more variables at a time. The minor rails also feature tight load regulation. However, the old AX1500i still fares better in a direct comparison. Corsair's AX1600i does register a clear victory with its 5VSB rail, though.

You will find several screenshots of the Corsair Link software below, which we took during our test sessions.

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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a contributing editor at Tom's Hardware, 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