Corsair RM650 Power Supply Review

[Apoptosis]

Corsair is perhaps the most active company in the PSU market this year, which may be slightly ironic, as they originally were a memory manufacturer that diversified into the PSU market just a few years ago. Apparently, the tens of products which they have been marketing via their six PSU series were not enough, leading Corsair to develop a seventh, new series. Today, the company’s new power supply series, the RM, is a fact, bringing 6 new units into their already crowded power supply ranks. The smallest power supply of the series starts at 450 W and the most powerful version reached up to 1000 W. Today we are having a close look at the RM650 which, as the name implies, is the 650 W version.



Article Title: Corsair RM650 Power Supply Review
Article URL http://www.legitreviews.com/corsair-rm6 ... iew_124802
Pricing At Time of Print:$119.99 MSRP

[Major_A]

I have a power supply efficiency question if anyone wants to throw out an answer. First off, I am terrible with math/numbers. I seem to suffer from some sort of number dyslexia that makes me transpose numbers all the time (math was the reason it took me so long to get my BBA). Anyway, here's my question/example.

Example:

I have a PC that pulls 300W, so I buy a 600W PSU to keep it in the high efficiency zone. I pay $.10 a KW/H and run the computer for 12 hours a day. In the real world how much am I actually going to save over the course of a year? Basically is buying a silver over a bronze, etc... worth it?

[sgkean]

I'm no expert at it, but with the efficiency, if your computer actually USES 300W, then it would be whatever the loss in efficiency is plus the 300W.
70% = 390W (would computer would be pulling)
75% = 375W
80% = 360W
85% = 345W

At $0.10 per KWh, 12hrs per day, 30 days per month...
70% = $14.04
75% = $13.50
80% = $12.96
85% = $12.42

Heck, I could be totally off base...

Now, if it's pulling the 300W, need to know what efficiency you're currently at to make any guesses :D Looks like every 5% you save about $0.50 per month.

Get a Kill-A-Watt and find out exactly what it pulls, and use this calculator to see what you're paying...and I take no responsibility for it's accuracy
http://www.maximintegrated.com/design/t ... y-cost.cfm

[Major_A]

If you are right with your calculations it would take years for the upgraded (platinum, silver, etc) power supply to pay the difference of the upfront premium. I have a Kill-A-Watt and if memory serves me correctly it pulls on average about 150W and if I put a full load on it I think it was 380W. Thanks for the site, pretty cool.

[sgkean]

Yea, I agree that it looks like it would take a long time to pay off the difference. The tree huggers make it sound like it's a huge feat for the higher efficiencies...Of course if you look at the grand scale, or a company with 1,000's that little bit starts to make a difference. The energy "saved", take it by 5 computers currently in my house, and then even grander for your neighborhood, city, state...

It's like the high efficiency fridge's, washers, individually they'll save you $10-$15 per year. But for the power company times 100,000 it starts to take the load off a little.

I certainly don't run out to get a higher efficiency appliance or power supply, but if I have to buy one, I take it into account and weigh the price difference between the two.

[GratianHarris]

Other than that they want to address a wide variety of users with the RM Series, which ranges from entry-level to high-end.