Corsair RM550x Power Supply Review

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Packaging, Contents, Exterior And Cabling

Packaging

The box features a dark background. Up front, there's a photo of the PSU with its modular panel showing. Right next to the picture, two icons depict the seven-year warranty and 80 PLUS Gold efficiency. The capacity description is below them, and even lower is the model name in large black letters on a yellow background.

On the sides of the box, Corsair provides a short feature list in three languages. Up top, there's a graphical depiction of the available connectors along with cable length. Around back, you'll find some interesting product details, including efficiency and fan noise curves, the PSU's dimensions and a power specifications table.

Contents

Under the outer sleeve of the box we find a sturdy cardboard, which should protect its contents sufficiently. Inside the box, everything is placed and separated adequately, as is the case for all of Corsair's high-end products. Although, instead of the usual thick pieces of packing foam a more eco-friendly material is used. Two cardboard spacers surround the PSU, which is stored inside a nice cloth bag.

The bundle includes a case badge, an AC power cord, several zip ties, a set of screws, a warranty guide and the user's manual. In addition, Corsair provides a pouch for storing unused modular cables.

Exterior

A label let's you know that the fan won't spin under light and moderate loads. This is definitely good to know, especially for builders who aren't familiar with semi-passive power supplies and might be inclined to think something is wrong with the RM550x. We should note however that the fan spins for a short period, every time the PSU is switched on.

The semi-matte finish looks good and doesn't attract fingerprints easily. There's a classic honeycomb exhaust grille up front; a small power switch is located next to the AC receptacle. On the sides of the unit, decals show the model number. A power specifications label is affixed to the bottom.

Around back, the modular panel includes only seven sockets. Two of them are reserved for the PCIe and EPS cables, while the main ATX cable monopolizes another two.

The PSU's dimensions are compact enough. We'd expect as much, given its modest capacity. The attractive fan grille's parallel lines are a distinct feature of all high-end Corsair PSUs. They're what break the boredom of the external design. Since the company seems to have performance handled, its people should spend some more time creating a unique look.

Cabling

All cables are stealth, and the ATX, PCIe and EPS ones feature capacitors to help reduce ripple on the rails. The SATA and peripheral cables are flat, so they don't interfere with airflow as much, allowing for cooler operating temperatures.

Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

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

  • Dark Lord of Tech
    I just wish they would get the price down , these are a great lineup \ RX.
    Reply
  • basroil
    From the performance it seems like CWT is finally something to consider... It's showing Leadex Gold/Seasonic levels of performance.
    Reply
  • Dark Lord of Tech
    I love the RMX and RMI series , price just keeps me away from the purchase , very very solid.

    Knock a little off the price and these would fly out of warehouses.
    Reply
  • William Henrickson
    They were on sale when new. I snagged an RM750i for $105 -w- shipping
    Reply
  • Dark Lord of Tech
    Yeah the 550w should be about 79.99 to 89.99 , no rebates.
    Then I would grab a few.
    Reply
  • JQB45
    Yeah the 550w should be about 79.99 to 89.99 , no rebates.
    Then I would grab a few.

    Corsair RMx 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
    http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cp9020090na
    $79.99

    $89.99 for the 650W version.

    UPDATE:

    Sorry thats with mail in rebates...
    Reply
  • Dark Lord of Tech
    I don't do rebates , takes to long , and maybe you get it maybe you don't , I'll wait for a newegg drop.
    Reply
  • Nintendork
    We really need more platinum/titanium PSU's at 300-500w. Most PC's stays near idle and with the efficiency focused gpu's/cpu's they rarely exceed 100w unless you tax them.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    Plus companies often don't even send you the rebates, sometimes they just say it was too late or some other bull crap like that. I agree with Blackbird. I've been waiting for a review of the 550 RMx, and what I get out of this review is that it trades blows with the 550 G2 that saying one or the other is better is just silly and extremely nit-picky. They are both incredible. Both offer a 7 year warranty, as only higher-wattage G2s offer the 10 year warranty. They are just so close, that when it comes to picking the better one, the cheaper one is better, and the G2 is cheaper.

    I've actually quit including rebates in my pcpartpicker lists. They are a pain and I don't think they reflect the true cost of an item.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    17653281 said:
    We really need more platinum/titanium PSU's at 300-500w. Most PC's stays near idle and with the efficiency focused gpu's/cpu's they rarely exceed 100w unless you tax them.

    I wish so, but unfortunately if this were to happen they would end up priced the same as any Platinnum/Titanium 650W unit. It's just the way it works. Quality low-wattage models are priced almost the same as the higher-wattage models. I would like to see something like a Titanium 250W model come out from Seasonic. Something like $40, fully modular. Will never happen, though.
    Reply