Corsair CX600M Review - Are all Cheap PSUs bad?

[AlTech]

Once upon a time, i was new to PCs and the like. When I was preparing to buy components for my first build, the reviewers at the time suggested and showed that it was Ok to buy cheaper PSUs. The effect of this was unknown until recently and that's when reviewers and dedicated consumers alike went to find to the truth. The truth is not very well known despite all of this.

 

And so I will tell you the truth. First, a rather thorough history lesson and some context. Most companies that sell power supplies do not necessarily make their own. They buy PSUs from OEMs and then handle the customer warranty and support for those PSUs. It's very uncommon for a OEM to also sell PSUs to consumers directly.

 

The OEMs are Seasonic, Flextronics, Channel Well Tech, SuperFlower and some others. Despite the fact that the companies selling them are Corsair, Cooler Master, EVGA, XFX and what have you. 

 

Are all PSUs built equally? No. Of course not. OEMs work with their clients (the companies selling PSUs) to negotiate prices and/or specs. Not all PSUs are good quality. Some are simply bad.

 

 

How does this impact the CX600M sold by Corsair? Well for starter's it got 3 year warranty (this is the first place where alarm bells should be ringing in your head and tell you it's a bit dodgy and not worth the risk). On top of that it has 80+ Bronze efficiency. Something that I wouldn't ever recommend for a new build as it's simply just not efficient enough. This being an M power supply would mean that it's Semi modular which makes life a bit easier. 

 

Now back to that OEM and power supply seller idea. You see, this product is sold by Corsair and is made by Channel Well Tech. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how they managed to achieve a price of $99 USD on launch. It's a cheap unit using Low quality components and is generally an overall bad power supply. It's fan makes plenty of noise. It uses low quality 30 or 50 degree Taiwanese capacitors (not sure which 30 or 50) instead of Japanese 105 degree capacitors.It is designed for Office Use and casual gaming according to Corsair's old website. But they've removed that and some other things from it. At $99, could you go wrong if you bought one? Yes if you tried to do more than casual gaming on it. In fact, i found I got better framerate with my GTX 770 and i5-4570 when using an RM850i. A framerate boost which is more in line of what i expected for a GTX 770. SO that proves power delivery isn't up to scratch.

 

 

In conclusion, the CX 600M (and the CX series in general) is a bad apple in the power supply industry. There are plenty of better PSUs both for the same price and for more money. Seasonic and Antec make and sell better PSUs and so if you're on a tight budget go for a Seasonic or Antec (or if your not).

 

Sorry Corsair, I just can't recommend this product to anyone. And even worse, I no longer have the same confidence in your products that I once had. And even worse still! I have one of your bad CX 600Ms lying in a drawer never to be used for gaming again.

 

Thanks for reading this. Leave a comment below! 

 

And as always I'm AluminiumTech and until next time, Happy Gaming, reading and buying
 

[ThinkWithPortals]

 

Yup, sounds about right. Not a good PSU at all.

Nice review, BTW. You should put this in your sig.

[AlTech]

Yup, sounds about right. Not a good PSU at all.

Nice review, BTW. You should put this in your sig.

LOl, i was just doing that as you were doing that as you said it

Thanks

 

I love the effort and and taking initiative since the CX line is controversial on the forums, but did you actually buy it, test it, and use it? That's what makes a review - not basing it off specifications. I'd much rather see if what people say IS true than theoretically prove so

Yeah it was my original Power Supply. i recently replaced it. I can tell you that before it, my rig was making a lot more noise. The only thing I changed was the power supply and damn was there a big a difference. 

Thanks

[OAcesync]

Agree expect for the efficiency rating part as long as it's 80+ Bronze it really makes little impact when choosing a PSU for a new build.

[AlTech]

How was it when you used it? Seems like it kinda failed on you a couple of times.

It never failed on me but I was told that it could fail on me based on the fact that i was using it in a way that it was never meant to be It simply isn't good enough and reliable enough to do gaming except on a casual level and occasionally. people said it was only a matter of time before it would die.

 

And so I replaced it with the RM850i. SO far i have not regretted my decision and I'm very happy with my recent purchase.

[Blebekblebek]

idk where you from, but $119 for 600w low quality PSU is overpriced

you can easily get something better for the same amount of money (or less)

example:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/enermax-maxpro-the-quietest-long-runner.html

[Interfectorem]

You forgot to mention SuperFlower in the OEM list, they make most of EVGA's PSU's. Also, saying it is $120 at launch is not relevant, it is $65 USD on Newegg right now. The average price on Amazon is $68. http://camelcamelcamel.com/Corsair-Series-Modular-Bronze-ATX12V/product/B00ALYOPSS?context=browse

[AlTech]

idk where you from, but $119 for 600w low quality PSU is overpriced

you can easily get something better for the same amount of money (or less)

example:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/enermax-maxpro-the-quietest-long-runner.html

It appears their usual price is actually $99 but they are temporarily on discount and are $65

[Blebekblebek]

I think you meant to quote other person not me

[harrynowl]

I'm not sure if they changed hardware supplier but my ~2013 CX600M is fine with a pair of 7950s and a 6 core Sandy-EP/X Xeon, all overclocked.

 

Admittedly I don't load all 3 at once often.

[Samfisher]

I fail to see the point of the review, as anyone who has asked has been told that it's not for any serious gaming.  Does that make it bad?  Of course not.  It was made for a purpose and serves that purpose very well.  It's like saying you used RON 95 fuel in a Ferrari and complained that RON 97 would be better for your usage....

[AlTech]

I think you meant to quote other person not me

I made a mistake with the price and was amending it. You said it was bad for $119. It turns out the regular price $99.

 

 

I'm not sure if they changed hardware supplier but my ~2013 CX600M is fine with a pair of 7950s and a 6 core Sandy-EP/X Xeon, all overclocked.

 

Admittedly I don't load all 3 at once often.

They were designed to survive in one scenario and that is office work or casual gaming. With that kind of heat they won't last that long.

[Patrick Bateman]

"Review"

[AlTech]

You shouldn't review based on what people tell you and read online. Yes, specs are important and precedent should be of influence, but review based on your experience with it - whatever that may be. Otherwise, it's kinda bogus

 

I had a CX600M with a 290X and an i5 2500K OC'ed. Worked fine for me for about 4 months before I sold that computer.

I OWNED  a CX 600M and i'm telling you the facts and my own experience. It was loud. It was cheap, it didn't deliver very clean energy and it could have died. I simply replaced it after a year of using it on my rig and now I'm sharing my experiences with it.

[harrynowl]

They were designed to survive in one scenario and that is office work or casual gaming. With that kind of heat they won't last that long.

Been fine for the best part of 3 months

 

When I got it the only alternative was the OCZ ModExtreme 650W which was only 80+ I believe (or an Antec Basiq). 80+ Bronze was considered fine back then as really you didn't get gold without spending 40% more and they weren't that much better. PSUs have improved a lot since. 

 

My brother runs a HD6970 + FX8320 on a CX430, for a year now

 

I must just have lucky CX units then as none of mine have exploded.

[AlTech]

"Review"

It is a review, it consists of facts, opinions, real world usage and experiences with it. And reaches a conclusion. 

[Patrick Bateman]

It is a review, it consists of facts, opinions, real world usage and experiences with it. And reaches a conclusion. 

you said that it has poor power delivery. yet you didnt show any results or evidence to prove that. 

[AlTech]

you said that it has poor power delivery. yet you didnt show any results or evidence to prove that. 

I came to that conclusion based on the fact that my performance was better. I changed nothing but the power supply and I got far better framerate. 

[Guest]

My friend's entire rig was completely fucked due to one of these PSUs either this or a cs series. Still too low end. I will never even think about buying one of these. 

[Counter-Strike Player]

Been fine for the best part of 3 months

 

When I got it the only alternative was the OCZ ModExtreme 650W which was only 80+ I believe (or an Antec Basiq). 80+ Bronze was considered fine back then as really you didn't get gold without spending 40% more and they weren't that much better. PSUs have improved a lot since. 

 

My brother runs a HD6970 + FX8320 on a CX430, for a year now

 

I must just have lucky CX units then as none of mine have exploded.

 

Back in 2006, I bought an OCZ "StealthXStream" psu for my E6600 box before the 80+ certification was even a "thing." Served me well. But then I bought a gen-1 Vertex ssd from the same company in 2009 -- biggest mistake of my life, had a failure rate reaching gen-1 Xbox 360 levels, conveniently right after the warranty period ended.

[ShadowCaptain]

80+ Bronze efficiency. Something that I wouldn't ever recommend for a new build as it's simply just not efficient enough. 

 

 

80+ Bronze is perfectly fine

[STRMfrmXMN]

There's a bit of misinformation in here which I want to clear up.

 

 

Once upon a time, i was new to PCs and the like. When I was preparing to buy components for my first build, the reviewers at the time suggested and showed that it was Ok to buy cheaper PSUs. The effect of this was unknown until recently and that's when reviewers and dedicated consumers alike went to find to the truth. The truth is not very well known despite all of this.

 

Reviewers have known for a long time that cheaper PSUs are not "ok" per se, for every build. No reviewer will tell you it's a good idea to put a Corsair VS (old) in a system with two GTX 980s. In the past it used to be that you'd buy the highest wattage PSU you could afford which usually meant you were OK. Now, however, as consumerism has become more rampant in the tech industry, desktop PSUs have been significantly cheapened to the point where it's very easy to buy units that are cheap and also shitty. You can tell by looking at the internals of a Corsair CX that it won't last forever and that it should not be used with hot components and that it won't be the most reliable thing in the world for people in hot climates with hot systems. 

 

And so I will tell you the truth. First, a rather thorough history lesson and some context. Most companies that sell power supplies do not necessarily make their own. They buy PSUs from OEMs and then handle the customer warranty and support for those PSUs. It's very uncommon for a OEM to also sell PSUs to consumers directly.

 

The OEMs are Seasonic, Flextronics, Channel Well Tech, SuperFlower and some others. Despite the fact that the companies selling them are Corsair, Cooler Master, EVGA, XFX and what have you. 

It's not super uncommon. Nearly every OEM does it.... FSP, Super Flower, Channel Well, Delta, Seasonic, heck, even Etasis has their own units. 

 

But yes, many do have brands that source models from them.

 

Are all PSUs built equally? No. Of course not. OEMs work with their clients (the companies selling PSUs) to negotiate prices and/or specs. Not all PSUs are good quality. Some are simply bad.

 

How does this impact the CX600M sold by Corsair? Well for starter's it got 3 year warranty (this is the first place where alarm bells should be ringing in your head and tell you it's a bit dodgy and not worth the risk). On top of that it has 80+ Bronze efficiency. Something that I wouldn't ever recommend for a new build as it's simply just not efficient enough. This being an M power supply would mean that it's Semi modular which makes life a bit easier. 

 

 

Yes, a 3 year warranty isn't great, however, if put in a correct system this should be no worry. They're intended for office builds as they brand on their own website. And the efficiency thing? Commonly misunderstood. 80+ Bronze vs 80+ Platinum would save the average joe up to maybe $5 USD per year if they use a PC like I do. For someone folding@home all day then it makes perfect sense as you could save upwards of perhaps $70 per year which is pretty significant. However, even most gaming systems won't see a benefit from higher 80+ PLUS efficiency. Check out the link in my sig about it. It's also pinned on the PSU/Cases subforum. Very few people have any actual reason for higher efficiency apart from the security of knowing that it's at least trying to be efficient as well as the security of knowing that it's not made up of corn and bacon grease.

 

Yes, the M means it is semi-modular. The M also implies that it's one of the CX that have a higher temperature tolerance (I believe of either 42C or 37C) and are actually not built terrible inside at all. The third-generation CX series are the same as the M-series. This does mean that, if a seller doesn't properly check the SKU of the PSU their selling that you could end up with a first or second-gen one that is inferior when you paid for a better product. 

 

Now back to that OEM and power supply seller idea. You see, this product is sold by Corsair and is made by Channel Well Tech. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how they managed to achieve a price of $99 USD on launch. It's a cheap unit using Low quality components and is generally an overall bad power supply. It's fan makes plenty of noise. It uses low quality 30 or 50 degree Taiwanese capacitors (not sure which 30 or 50) instead of Japanese 105 degree capacitors.It is designed for Office Use and casual gaming according to Corsair's old website. But they've removed that and some other things from it. At $99, could you go wrong if you bought one? Yes if you tried to do more than casual gaming on it. In fact, i found I got better framerate with my GTX 770 and i5-4570 when using an RM850i. A framerate boost which is more in line of what i expected for a GTX 770. SO that proves power delivery isn't up to scratch.

 

Again, it's not "bad," it's just that people see "Corsair" on the side and assume it's better than it is because many assume Corsair makes the power supply which they don't. This doesn't make it bad, it means that people haven't properly read into what they're buying which happens with millions of other products like cars, for example. It has a mix of capacitors (the 3rd gen and M-series) that are capable of either 85C or 105C depending on what part of the PSU they're on. The PSU still doesn't like high temperatures but the point is it isn't the caps that cause it to struggle at high temps.

 

Corsair still brands it for office PCs

 

 

CX-M and CX Series PC power supplies are an excellent choice for basic system builds and desktop PC computer upgrades

 

It's entirely possible that, if your GPU were starved of power that you might have framerate issues, however I'm willing to bet that it was more a placebo effect of buying a better PSU.

 

 

In conclusion, the CX 600M (and the CX series in general) is a bad apple in the power supply industry. There are plenty of better PSUs both for the same price and for more money. Seasonic and Antec make and sell better PSUs and so if you're on a tight budget go for a Seasonic or Antec (or if your not).

 

Sorry Corsair, I just can't recommend this product to anyone. And even worse, I no longer have the same confidence in your products that I once had. And even worse still! I have one of your bad CX 600Ms lying in a drawer never to be used for gaming again.

 

 It's not a bad apple. It's a poorly misunderstood unit. If you put it in the right system, as I've said many times before, then it will be fine. You can find better PSUs for the money for not much more (Antec HCG, EVGA B2, Seasonic/XFX units). The lower-wattage units are the ones that fit a proper value spectrum, like the CX430M which may be better for somebody who will see no tangible difference. Once you get into CX500M and up territory then it can make a difference, of course. 

 

If you can't recommend it to *anyone* then you've also misunderstood this unit in its entirety. It's not for systems with GTX 770s like yours. It's for no-GPU or 750ti systems. You just misused it. 

 

 

Thanks for reading this. Leave a comment below! 

 

And as always I'm AluminiumTech and until next time, Happy Gaming, reading and buying
 

Comment left.

 

And also, this isn't a Reddit AMA. This is a tech forum, OK?

[werto165]

I made a PC for a friend about a week ago and he's had no issues in terms of performance using a CX600M(amazon fucked us over we were going to get a seasonic PSU to begin with it was the same price and was fully modular and it was 80+ gold) he's got a 4690k and a 970, I tried my 970 in his PC and I saw no performance losses/gains. 

[Godlygamer23]

Power supplies do not affect frame rate. If the unit is delivering the required current, the frame rate should be the same. I know you mentioned it in another thread, but I just don't buy it.

[STRMfrmXMN]

Power supplies do not affect frame rate. If the unit is delivering the required current, the frame rate should be the same. I know you mentioned it in another thread, but I just don't buy it.

I mean, if he had an absolutely decrepit unit that refused to give rated wattage but, for some reason didn't cause random BSODs then sure, but yeah, I don't buy it.