Corsair SF450 Power Supply Review

[Guest]

Corsair enters the SFX PSU market with its new SF series consisting of two models at 450W and 600W capacities. Both power supplies are fully modular, promise high performance and come with 92mm fans to minimize noise output.

Corsair SF450 Power Supply Review : Read more

 

[joz]

"No berg connector," is a con? And this is why Johnnyguru is the better website.

 

[spdragoo]

Interesting...a small-factor PSU with enough power & PCIe connectors for those with a prebuilt system that want to upgrade their GPUs without having to rebuild the entire system from scratch.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

"No berg connector," is a con? And this is why Johnnyguru is the better website.

I find it hard to believe you actually read power supply reviews, because on Jonnyguru OklahomaWolf always scores against having a berg connector. Also, Jonnyguru only tests a few things compared to Aris's reviews on Tomshardware and Techpowerup.

Edit: I just realize I misinterpreted what you said. I do apologize, it was my mistake. I did not realize the word "not". Yes, Aris and Jonnyguru have different reviews on berg connectors. I still don't think that just because a berg connector is a good thing means that Jonnyguru is a better review site. That seems to be an extremely minor detail to judge one whole review site to this one.

 

[Onus]

Hmmm, looks like the only thing not to like is that all the SATA connectors are on one cable, which could be a problem even in some small cases where this would be used; the optical drive might not be near the other drives.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Hmmm, looks like the only thing not to like is that all the SATA connectors are on one cable, which could be a problem even in some small cases where this would be used; the optical drive might not be near the other drives.

And that is easy to solve since you will probably be able to buy cables and change the molex out for another SATA cable, like all Corsair PSUs.

I wish this was out when I rebuilt my HTPC. Would have preferred it since what was available at the time was just meh and nowhere near the performance.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Just finished review. Great unit, wonderful. I'd take this over one of the Silverstones any day.

 

[Aris_Mp]

"No berg connector," is a con? And this is why Johnnyguru is the better website.

Some components still need a berg connector ( e.g. sound card panels, fan controllers, etc.) And it costs almost nothing to add a berg adapter into the bundle.

 

[JQB45]

Exciting to see more SFF power supplies of good quality. Now I have even less reason not to buy a mini-itx case next time.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

"No berg connector," is a con? And this is why Johnnyguru is the better website.

On second read of your post, I misinterpreted what you said, and I do apologize. I thought you were upset that including a berg connector was a con, I'm sorry I misinterpreted it. Yeah, this unit doesn't have a berg connector. Here's the thing: you have OklahomaWolf who scores against having berg connectors, and you have Aris who likes to see berg connectors. Two complete opposite subjective standpoints. What I don't understand is how this makes Jonnyguru a better site.

Whenever I read power supply reviews, I always ignore the conclusion page. I usually don't read it. The information is all there for you to judge. Whether or not the author thinks a berg connector is good or bad is an opinion, but it does not detract from how professional Aris's reviews are. I mean, come on, Jonnyguru does not test transient response, hold-up time, AC_LOSS to PWR_OK, 1500 crossload possibilities, extensive efficiency and fan RPM, etc. tests. I just can't see how Jonnyguru can be a better review site because they only do a fractional amount of testing.

Jonnyguru's resources are limited, so it's understandable. I think some people like Jonnyguru just because of how "fast" one can fly through the reviews. It takes me a solid 25 minutes of thorough analysis to read Aris's reviews, I can go through a Jonnyguru one in under 10 minutes. There is just so much information here, so why is it you think Jonnyguru is a better site?

 

[AlistairAB]

Thank you Tom's Hardware for highlighting the lack of the SFX adapter bracket. It can be purchased directly from Corsair at the following link:

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/sfx-to-atx-psu-adapter-bracket

This was also mentioned in a newegg.ca review, and received many down votes. Perhaps this is because of American focused reviews, so most people think it is not a big deal to order a $5.99 adapter directly from Corsair or through a 3rd party.

However this is actually a serious mistake, as ordering this to Canada from Corsair requires over $50 USD in shipping. Total cost for the bracket after shipping and taxes is over $80 CAD which is absolutely ridiculous for a part with no retail availability or alternatives that should have been included in the box.

I talked with Corsair support this morning and opened a ticket, and they provided exemplary customer service and have now promised to send the adapter to me in Canada for free. Perhaps this will work for some of you having the same problem.

There are many small form factor cases that accept ATX PSUs that need this bracket (Silverstone and Lian Li cases), where the short cable lengths don't pose a problem.

 

[jonnyguru]

Thank you Tom's Hardware for highlighting the lack of the SFX adapter bracket. It can be purchased directly from Corsair at the following link:

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/sfx-to-atx-psu-adapter-bracket

This was also mentioned in a newegg.ca review, and received many down votes. Perhaps this is because of American focused reviews, so most people think it is not a big deal to order a $5.99 adapter directly from Corsair or through a 3rd party.

However this is actually a serious mistake, as ordering this to Canada from Corsair requires over $50 USD in shipping. Total cost for the bracket after shipping and taxes is over $80 CAD which is absolutely ridiculous for a part with no retail availability or alternatives that should have been included in the box.

I talked with Corsair support this morning and opened a ticket, and they provided exemplary customer service and have no promised to send the adapter to me in Canada for free. Perhaps this will work for some of you having the same problem.

There are many small form factor cases that accept ATX PSUs that need this bracket (Silverstone and Lian Li cases), where the short cable lengths don't pose a problem.

True. Shipping costs from Corsair.com can be quite high. But an SFX to ATX bracket is not a proprietary item or anything of the sort. You can buy them from several outlets from $5 to $7 and often with free shipping.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

If you're purchasing an ITX machine that takes an ATX PSU, I see no reason to purchase an SFX unit personally. I guess if you "upgrade" to an ATX PS2 type of case, then you may be in trouble with not having the adapter. But part of the premium costs this unit has is simply because it is the SFX form factor which has little competition. In an ATX case, there are cheaper 450W ATX units that'll perform the same.

 

[AlistairAB]

True. Shipping costs from Corsair.com can be quite high. But an SFX to ATX bracket is not a proprietary item or anything of the sort. You can buy them from several outlets from $5 to $7 and often with free shipping.

Sorry, maybe my post wasn't clear about the fact that you can't order one in Canada easily from anyone. So you'd be stuck with the Corsair one at over $80. I just did a quick search of the major retailers (ncix, newegg, etc.) and none of them sell an adapter in Canada, that I can see. In fact I haven't yet found a generic one from any store.

In an ATX case, there are cheaper 450W ATX units that'll perform the same.

That's just it, there aren't any ATX units that will perform the same in terms of noise etc., that are actually ATX in size (the official 140mm, required for many small cases). All Corsair gold PSUs with silent operation are 160mm or longer. EVGA has the GS series at 150mm long. I purchased a Silverstone one, but it made weird noises at sparse intervals (rising tones, fan crunching etc.). Also only the Corsair model actually works right, and keeps its fan off at low temperatures. The EVGA and the Silverstone both turn on at idle even though my case is only 35 degrees, with the video card off. It's a kind of pseudo-silent mode for marketing purposes that doesn't actually work most of the time.

This SFX PSU from Corsair is vastly superior in quality and has a functioning silent mode. Read the Tom's Hardware review to see how superior it is. With it I'll be able to add and remove video cards and SSDs in my Lian Li mini case, without having to spend an hour tidying up afterwards. (Just because a case supports 150mm or smaller, doesn't mean it will be easy to use it. The SFX one will be a breeze to use).

(quick note: typo earlier, Corsair have now promised...)

 

[nukemaster]

Great review.

If my FSP 300 dies at least I have an extra option. The fan would never run at idle

 

[powernod]

"No berg connector," is a con? And this is why Johnnyguru is the better website.

1)If you don't need it you can throw it away!!
2)On the other hand, whoever needs a berg connector, and the package doesn't include one, then he/she must spend extra time to buy one.
Which one of the 2 solutions do you think it's better for the customer?

 

[Andi lim]

I must agree with turkey3_scratch, that Aris_Mp reviews much more informative and detail compare to jonnyguru. The only lack of Aris_Mp review i can find, that the review lack of joke .
Btw, the APFC boost diode is 4A 600V, not 6A ( CREE C3D04060A )

 

[bettsar]

I was looking at this as a replacement for a noisy industrial SFX supply, and a discrepancy came up in the dimensions. It looks like the exterior side (back) of the power supply is 63.5x125mm. The SFX standard has more than one size configuration. The supply I'm replacing has an exterior dimension of 70x100mm. Make sure you're looking at the right power supply for your case.

 

[Aris_Mp]

The SFX dimensions according to Intel's SFX12V guidelines are 125x63.5x100mm (WxHxD). Anything with larger or smaller dimensions either belongs to another form factor or it isn't SFX compatible.

 

[bettsar]

The SFX dimensions according to Intel's SFX12V guidelines are 125x63.5x100mm (WxHxD). Anything with larger or smaller dimensions either belongs to another form factor or it isn't SFX compatible.

The standard SFX power supply dimensions are defined in Appendix D of the SFX12V Power Supply Design Guide. It's dimensions are 100x63.5x125mm (WxHxD).

There are other variants specified in the other appendices. The Corsair supply in this article conforms to Appendix C, which calls out 125x63.5x100mm (WxHxD). A quick search of Newegg shows that the majority of supplies are designed to the Appendix C dimensions.

 

[Aris_Mp]

Indeed this is the reduced depth SFX (SFX12V V3.3 guidelines) where the SF450 belongs. In the other ones the Width and the Depth are just the other way around. All SilverStone SFX units have the same dimensions as well.

 

[chromakey]

@Aris_Mp - Aris I always find your PSU reviews to be very informative and thorough, but I'm confused over current draw maximums, esp. on say the 12v rail; for instance, this one says 37.5A maximum (I guess I = P/V?), but surely if my house is on say a 15A socket ring main, I'm gonna blow the RCD immediately if it spikes this high on say a high demand graphics card?

 

[bettsar]

@Aris_Mp - Aris I always find your PSU reviews to be very informative and thorough, but I'm confused over current draw maximums, esp. on say the 12v rail; for instance, this one says 37.5A maximum (I guess I = P/V?), but surely if my house is on say a 15A socket ring main, I'm gonna blow the RCD immediately if it spikes this high on say a high demand graphics card?

You're looking at a switching supply, so power in (current times voltage) = power out times efficiency. So if you're going from 120v down to 12v, you draw ~1/9 if the current out.

 

[nukemaster]

@Aris_Mp - Aris I always find your PSU reviews to be very informative and thorough, but I'm confused over current draw maximums, esp. on say the 12v rail; for instance, this one says 37.5A maximum (I guess I = P/V?), but surely if my house is on say a 15A socket ring main, I'm gonna blow the RCD immediately if it spikes this high on say a high demand graphics card?

You're looking at a switching supply, so power in (current times voltage) = power out times efficiency. So if you're going from 120v down to 12v, you draw ~1/9 if the current out.

Even a basic step down transformer based unregulated power supply will allow much higher currents to flow at lower voltages. It is just a fact of how things work.

It is easy to figure out the amperage from wattage alone. This will not take into consideration efficiency because it just adds more to do.

lets use 120 watts as a base number.

@ 240 volts it would be 120 / 240 = 0.5amp
@ 120 volts that is easy 120 / 120 = 1amp
@ 12 volts it is 120 / 12 = 10amp
@ 5 volts it is 120 / 5 = 24amps
@ 3.3 volts it is 120 / 3.3 = 36.36amps

It is all 120 watts, but you would need larger wires at 3.3 and 5 volts than at 12. This is why computers use the 12 volt rail so much, older ones that did not require so much power made use of the lower rails. This is also why older power supplies may not suitable for modern systems(not enough of the overall power on the 12 volt rail).

 

[JQB45]

@nukemaster - thanks for the electrical 101 course.