Thoughts and rating

Corsair has updated its popular HX850 Professional modular power supply three years after the introduction of the original model. The anemic pace of PSU development is exemplified by the incremental update from one generation to another. The new HX850, known as V2, as reviewed here, features a modernised Channel Well Technology (CWT) design and, keeping up with other models in the range, silent operation until load hits 170W or so.

Cabling remains excellent, performance is solid everywhere and pricing, at around £140, is reasonably competitive against other modular, 80 PLUS Gold-rated supplies, though £20 higher than the first-generation (Silver-rated) model it effectively replaces. Impressive as it is, the updated HX850 doesn't represent a huge leap in performance over a three-year-old design, which, if we're being even-handed, is more of an indictment of PSU development than Corsair/CWT's engineering.

Backed by a seven-year warranty and putting out solid numbers everywhere, we can recommend it to the enthusiast who needs smooth power to a myriad of graphics cards and storage devices.

The Good

Excellent cabling, as usual
Very solid performance
Silent at up to 170W load
Seven-year warranty

The Bad

Being ultra-critical, marginal improvements over an already-excellent supply

HEXUS Rating

Corsair Professional Series HX850 V2 PSU

HEXUS Awards

Corsair Professional Series HX850 V2 PSU

HEXUS Where2Buy

Corsair Professional Series HX850 PSU is available from Scan Computers*.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.

*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.

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Pricing-wise, this seems to be on a par with the AX Gold series, although the latter seems to be Corsair's premium product. Doesn't that rather price the new HX out of the running? Or does the new HX effectively become “top dog” replacing both HX and AX?

AX-series is still the better supply out of the two in terms of pure performance. This one costs around £15 less and, for what it's worth, has a few captive cables, whereas the AX does not.

I am guessing though the AX is due to be upgraded to the AXi which no doubt will see the AXi range become more expensive making the price difference of the new HX v2 range bigger.

Brewster0101
I am guessing though the AX is due to be upgraded to the AXi which no doubt will see the AXi range become more expensive making the price difference of the new HX v2 range bigger.

I couldn't possibly comment on your correct assumption. :P

Irien
Pricing-wise, this seems to be on a par with the AX Gold series, although the latter seems to be Corsair's premium product. Doesn't that rather price the new HX out of the running? Or does the new HX effectively become “top dog” replacing both HX and AX?

You can't go by MSRP. Rarely does anyone sell at MSRP. Even if they do, it just takes a matter of time for the product to get out onto all of the store shelves, competitive pricing begins, and you start to see a drastic drop in pricing.