The Corsair HX850 shares many of the performance-orientated characteristics as its bigger and more expensive brother, the HX1000W. Both PSUs are based on Channel Well Technology’s designs but are heavily modified for better-than-default performance, according to Corsair. Both share a 140mm temperature-controlled, double-ball-bearing fan; are equipped with 105°C-rated capacities; use DC-to-DC conversion for the 3.3V and 5V lines, and are certified for three-way SLI.

Further, the modular cable-runs are flat, good for airflow and aesthetics. We like the fact that the PSUs are rated to a specified wattage with an ambient temperature of up to 50°C, intimating that they can be pushed farther in regular conditions.

There are a few differences between the two, however, reinforcing the fact that they’re not the same PSU rebadged as a lower-capacity model. The 750W/850W models use a single 12V source that’s shared for the wattage-hungry components, including graphics cards and CPU(s). One benefit of such an approach lies with the ability to provide power to components whose peak usage may well trip many-railed power supplies.

The mid-range models are also 20mm shorter than the HX1000 although the other dimensions remain the same. The warranty, too, is different, as Corsair ramps it up to seven-year cover instead of five. Lastly, the new HX-series PSUs are ATX12V 2.3 compliant, as opposed to ATX12V 2.2, and the main differences pertain to increased efficiency and a slight change to the CPU’s 12V requirements for the V2.3 spec.

As is typical for Corsair, they have gone decidedly overboard on the connectors for this unit. Just in case you have twelve PATA hard drives, they have you covered. In case you have twelve SATA hard drives, they have you covered. Need two 3.5″ connectors? They’ll give you two adapters. Need six 8 pin PCI-E connectors? Even there, they have you covered.

Overall, the Corsair HX850 is a modular power supply that currently etails for around $159.99 at Newegg Store, and the pricing is reasonably competitive with other big-name PSUs that also ship with modular connectors, aimed at the enthusiast space. Packaging and build quality are both excellent, thanks to good presentation and a range of connector-runs which should suit most folk. More good is to be found with the warranty on the HX850, now extended to seven years instead of five. Performance is very solid on all fronts, too, comprising of excellent efficiency, good 12V rail stability, and ripple-free performance.

[ source: Jonny Guru ]