Corsair SF450 Platinum SFX PSU Review: Best of the Best

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Teardown and Component Analysis

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General Data
Manufacturer (OEM)Great Wall
Primary Side
Transient Filter4x Y caps, 2x X caps, 3x CM chokes, 1x MOV
Inrush ProtectionNTC thermistor & relay
Bridge Rectifier(s)1x GBU25KH (800V, 25A @ 125°C)
APFC MOSFET1x Infineon IPZ60R099C7 (650V, 14A @ 100°C, 0.099Ω)
APFC Boost Diode1x Infineon IDH06G65C6 (600V, 6A @ 145°C)
Hold-up Cap(s)1x Nippon Chemi-Con (420V, 420uF, 2000h @ 105°C, KMW)
Main Switchers2x STMicroelectronics STP24N60DM2 (650V, 14A @ 100°C, 0.2Ω)
Driver ICSilicon Labs Si8230BD
APFC ControllerChampion CM6502UHHX & CM03AX Green PFC controller
Resonant ControllerChampion CM6901X
TopologyPrimary side: Half-bridge & LLC resonant controller Secondary side: Synchronous rectification & DC-DC converters
Secondary Side
+12V MOSFETs2x Infineon BSC014N04LS (40V, 100A @ 100°C, 1.4mΩ)
5V & 3.3VDC-DC Converters: 4x Nexperia PSMN2R0-30YL (30V, 100A @ 25°C, 2mΩ) PWM Controller: Anpec APW7159C
Filtering CapacitorsElectrolytics: 2x Nippon Chemi-Con (4-10,000h @ 105°C, KY), 1x Rubycon (3-6000h@ 105°C, YXJ) Polymers: Nippon Chemi-Con
Supervisor ICIN1S429I -SCG
Fan Control MCUPIC16F1824
Fan ModelCorsair NR092L (92mm, 12V, 0.22A, 3950 RPM, rifle bearing)
5VSB Circuit
Rectifier1x CSD18534 FET (60V, 69A @ 25°C, 7.8mΩ)
Standby PWM ControllerInfineon ICE5QR1680AG

This platform was recently upgraded to facilitate higher efficiency and better performance. On the primary side, we find a half-bridge topology and an LLC resonant converter. The secondary side sports two FETs regulating the +12V rail and a pair of DC-DC converters handling the minor rails. There are very few electrolytic capacitors, since the majority of ripple filtering is taken care of by polymer caps.

Plenty of clearance on the secondary side allows for lots of airflow and lower fan speeds. Many parts are installed on the PCB's solder side, including the +12V FETs, so the top side isn't overpopulated. We're glad to see that Great Wall avoided using power transfer wires, which severely affect airflow.

The small PCB holding the AC receptacle also hosts a single choke, two Y caps, and one X cap. The EMI filter continues on the main PCB with the same number of caps, plus two chokes and an MOV.

A bypass relay supporting the NTC thermistor, providing inrush current protection, is installed below the APFC's X input cap.

The single bridge rectifier is a GBU25KH.

The APFC converter uses a single Infineon IPZ60R099C7 FET, along with a IDH06G65C6 boost diode provided by the same manufacturer. Nippon Chemi-Con provides the bulk cap; its capacity (420uF) is high enough that the SF450 Platinum achieves a greater-than 17ms hold-up time.

Two STMicroelectronics STP24N60DM2s arranged into a half-bridge topology serve as the main switching FETs. They are supported by an LLC resonant converter that boosts efficiency by limiting switching losses. The main FETs' driver is a Silicon Labs Si8230BD IC.

Champion's famous CM6901X is this PSU's resonant controller. The APFC controller is a Champion CM6502UHHX, and it's supported by a CM03AX Green PFC controller. All those ICs are installed on the main PCB's solder side.

This is a picture of the PSU's main transformer.

Two Infineon BSC014N04LSs function as the +12V FETs. Empty pads for four more FETs are populated on Corsair's SF750.

There are only three electrolytic caps on the secondary side, one of which belongs to the 5VSB circuit. Ripple filtering is mainly handled by polymer caps provided by Nippon Chemi-Con.

A PIC16F1824 fan control MCU is installed on the same PCB that hosts the DC-DC converters. Those utilize four Nexperia PSMN2R0-30YL FETs, and the common PWM controller is a Anpec APW7159C.

The standby PWM controller is an Infineon ICE5QR1680AG, and the secondary rectifier for the 5VSB rail is a CSD18534 FET. Most platforms use a Schottky barrier diode (SBR), but a FET is much more efficient.

On the front of the modular PCB, a number of polymer caps suppress ripple on the rails.

We cannot find any information on the supervisor IC, an IN1S429I-SCG. 

Great Wall's soldering quality is very good, just as we'd expect from a high-end power supply. 

Corsair uses the same rifle bearing fan as the one found on its 80 PLUS Gold-rated SF450. There is no need to change it, since it performs well, is quiet, and seems to be reliable.


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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

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