[SOLVED] Corsair CX for $1300 R9-3900X Build, alternatives?

[a_w2020]

I am planning a Ryzen 9 3900X build with a GTX 1660S GPU. The estimated wattage is 340W, but I've read that it is good to keep about 200W more than that so I am looking for a 550-650W PSU. Preferably it should cost less than 100 US dollars. I found the Corsair CX550 (2017 model) 80+ Bronze to be a good candidate, but after that I read in multiple places that there are quality issues and that it does not last long. Is there a big difference in quality between the CX and CXM models? Are there alternative sub-100 models for 550W that have better reliability? And no, it does not have to be modular. Thanks!

I might overclock the CPU and GPU at some point (not very heavily, though) which is why I would like reliability.

 

[King_V]

While it's a mid-level GPU, you're talking a high-end CPU.

Corsair's CX is the good budget option, and preferable to the CXM), but, it IS a BUDGET option.

Given the (currently) elevated prices, I would absolutely say DO NOT limit yourself to $100 for the PSU budget. I would go at least TX/TXm, or RX/RXm. RM/RMx (<-- edit because I'm a fumble-fingered idiot)

A Seasonic Focus/Focus Plus, or Prime/Prime Plus, are also good options.

 

[jonnyguru]

I found the Corsair CX550 (2017 model) 80+ Bronze to be a good candidate, but after that I read in multiple places that there are quality issues and that it does not last long.

REALLY?!?!?

Where did you hear that?!????

Unfortunately, people like to bully the CX series. It's the best selling PSU in the world, so even though the PERCENTAGE of failures are lower than other PSUs, the NUMBER OF USERS and therefore NUMBER OF FAILURES are higher than others as well. Then people just take that information and magnify it and repeat it. It's sad really.

Let me give you an example: Someone in Brazil was saying DON'T BUY THE CX! and pointed to a forum thread that showed six people in those forums that had CX PSUs fail on them. I immediately had someone contact Kabum (the sole distributor for Corsair in Brazil). They were selling 4,500 units PER MONTH! That's over 1000 a week!!! Six people is less than .001%! But here they are on a forum making all sorts of noise telling people not to buy CX series!

The CX is a solid PSU. It's actually better than the CX-M due to the topology, but the CX-M is still a good PSU and it's semi-modular to boot.

 

[a_w2020]

While it's a mid-level GPU, you're talking a high-end CPU.

Corsair's CX is the good budget option, and preferable to the CXM), but, it IS a BUDGET option.

Given the (currently) elevated prices, I would absolutely say DO NOT limit yourself to $100 for the PSU budget. I would go at least TX/TXm, or RX/RXm.

A Seasonic Focus/Focus Plus, or Prime/Prime Plus, are also good options.

Okay. You mention that the non-modular CX is preferred over the CXM. Is this also the case with the TX and TXM? I found the TXM ($100) to cost 10 dollars less than the Seasonic Focus (not plus, $110). Both are 550W. Is there a difference in quality between the two?

 

[a_w2020]

REALLY?!?!?

Where did you hear that?!????

Unfortunately, people like to bully the CX series. It's the best selling PSU in the world, so even though the PERCENTAGE of failures are lower than other PSUs, the NUMBER OF USERS and therefore NUMBER OF FAILURES are higher than others as well. Then people just take that information and magnify it and repeat it. It's sad really.

Let me give you an example: Someone in Brazil was saying DON'T BUY THE CX! and pointed to a forum thread that showed six people in those forums that had CX PSUs fail on them. I immediately had someone contact Kabum (the sole distributor for Corsair in Brazil). They were selling 4,500 units PER MONTH! That's over 1000 a week!!! Six people is less than .001%! But here they are on a forum making all sorts of noise telling people not to buy CX series!

The CX is a solid PSU. It's actually better than the CX-M due to the topology, but the CX-M is still a good PSU and it's semi-modular to boot.

Oh! So that's why there are so many people angry about it. I didn't know they sell so many. Anyway, since the percentage of failures is actually quite low, is there a good reason to pay the extra $20 and go with the TXM?

 

[jonnyguru]

Oh! So that's why there are so many people angry about it. I didn't know they sell so many. Anyway, since the percentage of failures is actually quite low, is there a good reason to pay the extra $20 and go with the TXM?

Higher efficiency and semi-modular.

That's about it.

I mean, if you jump up to the RM, you get full modular, much quieter, longer hold up time... the list goes on.

 

[King_V]

^^^ exactly this. The CX is a budget unit, but it's a good budget unit. Going to a higher end is my preference for something that's a higher-up build, which I consider your system to be.

 

[King_V]

Okay. You mention that the non-modular CX is preferred over the CXM. Is this also the case with the TX and TXM? I found the TXM ($100) to cost 10 dollars less than the Seasonic Focus (not plus, $110). Both are 550W. Is there a difference in quality between the two?

Also, to answer this question - they're both solid units. Hard to argue with either one of them.

Still, jonnyguru and Darkbreeze are the serious experts, and I rely on their knowledge to fill in the gaps (and there are a LOT of gaps) in my own PSU knowledge.