Corsair CX400W review

Gallery

Verdict:

The fan's a little noisy, but if you want a cheap power supply for an entry-level computer, the CX400W is a good choice.

Review Date: 21 Sep 2009

Price when reviewed: £39

Supplier: http://www.microdirect.co.uk

Reviewed By: Alan Lu & Kat Orphanides

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

For an entry-level PC that will only be used for basic tasks, Corsair's CX400W 400W power supply unit (PSU) should do the job. At just £38 including VAT, it's fantastic value.

The cables are built into the unit (captive) rather than detachable (modular), so you'll need to tuck any spares out of the way. There are plenty of connectors for all the devices you'd want to power, including the new eight-pin PCI-Express graphics connector.

By today's standards 400W isn't much power, but the CX400W handles it with style. It managed to deliver the full 400W and was just under 84 per cent efficient at full load. This is slightly less efficient than the higher-power PSUs, but better than a generic unbranded one. A 135mm fan keeps it cool, but is a little noisy.

This no-frills PSU is a great choice for a low-power PC, but OCZ's slightly pricier ModXStream Pro 500W is a better choice.

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