Corsair CX750F RGB (750W PSU) review Introduction

Corsair CX750F RGB (750W PSU) review Introduction

We’re putting the new Corsair CX750F RGB power supply on our test bench today. It received 80 Plus certification already mid-June 2020. We reviewed one of its predecessors back in 2013 (CX600M). This time, it’s a 750-Watt model with an 80 PLUS? Bronze certificate, which means that it’s 88% efficient at 50% load @ 115 V and @ 230 V. This is important because the energy consumed does not go to waste (at least not in a significant amount), and that affects your energy bill. The Corsair CX750F RGB is an ATX power supply, and a rather typical one at that (but without a semi-passive mode, unfortunately). It’s a fully modular PSU with a flat cable design. Even the motherboard connectors are not attached permanently to the housing, but you still have to use most of them anyway. Nearly all cases have a power supply shroud now (at least ATX-sized ones do), so the unit and the cables will be hidden in most. The most significant innovation/selling point (?) here is the RGB fan (this is the first model from Corsair that has that). Corsair are well known for their love of that kind of lighting, and you most likely already know what iCUE is, correct? If you don’t, it’s their software that allows synchronizing LEDs between Corsair products such as chassis, peripherals, and even PSUs. There are two color variants:

Black (as the one provided for the review)
White
So, you should be able to match them with the rest of your system easily. The RGB (eight individually addressable LEDs) can be controlled via a CORSAIR iCUE RGB Lighting Controller (sold separately) or by the motherboard, via the included 5V ARGB adapter for advanced RGB lighting control. There is also the option to select one of ten lighting modes at the push of a button.

A 650 W and a 550 W variant of this PSU are available as well. Both should be more than enough for most users (as long as they don’t use an RTX 3080). So, there’s nothing left to be desired in the department of wattage choice, right?
The fan is a 120 mm one with eight individually addressable RGB LEDs. Corsair’s marketing materials don’t say what kind of bearing was used here, but we‘ll check that later. It would be best to have an FDB, but a rifle bearing should also be ok (certainly better than a sleeve bearing). The CX750F RGB is built with high-quality 100% Japanese primary capacitors that provide enhanced reliability and durability.

The main unit itself is very compact, given the provided wattage, measuring 140 mm x 86 mm x 150 mm.
A 5-year warranty backs corsair’s CX750F RGB. This is good for this segment, so no major complaints here.
As for the pricing, it’s as follows:

Corsair markets the CX750F RGB series as their 80 Plus Bronze power supplies. Certification is performed by an organization called 80 PLUS. But what does this mean “on paper”? It’s a program introduced in 2004, and is intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Only products that offer more than 80% efficiency at 20, 50, 100% load, and a power factor of 0.9 or more, are eligible. This means that the PSU will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat, reducing power consumption and bills compared with less efficient designs.

As you can see above, there are 80 Plus, Bronze, Silver, Gold (these three are from 2008), Platinum (2009), and Titanium (2012) certificates. Nowadays, most computers with a single GPU don’t need more than a 600-650 W PSU, as power consumption has dropped over the years. The PSU tested today is the most efficient at 50% load (375 W), but the differences above and below this threshold are not significant. You don’t need to keep it precisely at half load, but for better noise performance, longevity, etc., it’s best to stay below the maximum wattage. The reviewed sample is 80 PLUS Bronze certified – up to ~85% efficiency @ 115 V (at 20~100% loads) – and has active PFC with a power factor of up to 0.99. It consumes < 0.3 W in its off-mode, complying with the ERP standard. If you want to check the Corsair CX750F RGB’s measurements taken by the 80 Plus organization, you can have a look at them here.