Purchased an AX1200i PSU as part of some forward planning, what tier is this PSU?

[Desktopstu]

I know the AX1600i is high on the tier list but could not see any reference to the AX1200i, is it too old to be considered on the tier lists?

 

[Toothless]

First search without scrolling down.

It's an A tier and one of the best units made.

 

[Onasi]

Yeah… buying a more than a decade old model is a move, for sure. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great PSU… or was, but…
It is on the Cultist tier list. In F tier. Under this:

• Any units released more than 12 years ago, bought more than 10 years ago, or made for ATX spec v2.2 or earlier due to the age of design and components

First search without scrolling down.

It's an A tier and one of the best units made.

AX1600i and AX1200i are very different PSUs.

 

[Toothless]

Yeah… buying a more than a decade old model is a move, for sure. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great PSU… or was, but…
It is on the Cultist tier list. In F tier. Under this:

• Any units released more than 12 years ago, bought more than 10 years ago, or made for ATX spec v2.2 or earlier due to the age of design and components

AX1600i and AX1200i are very different PSUs.

OOOHHH I misread and stand corrected. In my defense it is ATX 2.4.

 

[Onasi]

OOOHHH I misread and stand corrected. In my defense it is ATX 2.4.

2.31 technically. And yeah, it’s still probably capable, it was an overbuilt beast back when it released. But I would not strap a new build to it in 2024, it’s just a very old platform. And I have no idea whether OP bought it new or used. Used is even more questionable. New would be impressive since I would be surprised that any even remained in circulation after all this time.

 

[Desktopstu]

First search without scrolling down.

It's an A tier and one of the best units made.

yes im aware of the list but the 1200i isnt on there, or if it is i havent seen it.

2.31 technically. And yeah, it’s still probably capable, it was an overbuilt beast back when it released. But I would not strap a new build to it in 2024, it’s just a very old platform. And I have no idea whether OP bought it new or used. Used is even more questionable. New would be impressive since I would be surprised that any even remained in circulation after all this time.

Bought it used, but looking at how clean it was, its not had much of a life. Came with all original box, paperwork and cables. Many of which were still sealed.

 

[BoggledBeagle]

So you want to put already 12 years old PSU in your 10 year computer build? Perhaps you may want to stretch it a bit more and have a functioning computer with 25 years old PSU coining a new Guiness world record???

 

[Desktopstu]

So you want to put already 12 years old PSU in your 10 year computer build? Perhaps you may want to stretch it a bit more and have a functioning computer with 25 years old PSU coining a new Guiness world record???

It was a reasonably priced psu, I believed it to be better quality than the existing GameMax Rampage 750w 80 bronze.
I have been considering it for the 10yp project but I don’t know enough about it other than the one review I found which rated it highly. Yup it’s an older psu, but I’m just curious as to where it would have sat in the tier list.

 

[Dragam1337]

I still use my ax1200i, which i bought in 2012... no instability or issues, even when i ran quad sli on it back in the day, or with the 4090 today.

But i will probably get a new psu with 5090, just to get that fire hazard 12 pin adapter out of my pc...

 

[Desktopstu]

I still use my ax1200i, which i bought in 2012... no instability or issues, even when i ran quad sli on it back in the day, or with the 4090 today.

But i will probably get a new psu with 5090, just to get that fire hazard 12 pin adapter out of my pc...

I see Corsair do a dual cable to 12 pin that works with type 3 and 4 modular cables, would that not work?

 

[Dragam1337]

I see Corsair do a dual cable to 12 pin that works with type 3 and 4 modular cables, would that not work?

Still just a dodgy adapter. You basically never wanna use adapters for high power.

And besides that, it's 12 years old, well past the warranty - so it's a safety precaution allround.

 

[#22]

I know the AX1600i is high on the tier list but could not see any reference to the AX1200i, is it too old to be considered on the tier lists?

I don't want to be a little rude, but it will be useful to you: if you need to ask questions like the title one, you should ask them before making buying decisions. Analogical to your plan of building computer to last ten years you have started with buying old platform and weak-even-then 10400F which already started being overhelmed by modern games.

Coming back strictly to the topic, there's not much sense of suggesting with reviews/tiers of old, used PSU. Mostly because you don't know to what point it's performance degraded over years of usage or if protections still work. So you can test it or trust it

 

[Assimilator]

If you'd actually done forward planning, you would've investigated the tier of the PSU before buying it.

I believed it to be better quality than the existing GameMax Rampage 750w 80 bronze.

Well no shit Sherlock, pretty much anything will be better quality than a PSU that has "game" in its branding. But do you know what be even better? A PSU that isn't more than a decade old.

I don't want to be a little rude

Why? This obsession with "not being rude" is so incredibly annoying and unhelpful, because people doing stupid things are generally too stupid to realise that those things are stupid unless you make it obvious to them. In short, by being blunt, you are doing them a favour.

 

[Waldorf]

yet, no one gets forced to respond to anyone..

if i would have the option to get the same unit for say 50$ from someone i know, and can assume use was limited,
i would still get it over any sub 100$ crappy white/bronze unit ppl (without a clue about hw) would be putting in themselves...

 

[Dragam1337]

yet, no one gets forced to respond to anyone..

if i would have the option to get the same unit for say 50$ from someone i know, and can assume use was limited,
i would still get it over any sub 100$ crappy white/bronze unit ppl (without a clue about hw) would be putting in themselves...

No doubt about that - especially if you run it with low power hardware, as it will barely tax the psu. And it runs passive below 50% load, aka below 600 watts.

And the whole 12 pin power shinanigans is only relevant with highend nvidia cards (shouldn't be used on any gpu though ! Nvidia made up a problem that didn't need to exist at all... )

 

[Veseleil]

Perfectly fine high-end PSU. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, today, tomorrow, in 5 years from now, even used. For use in systems without need of a new proprietary Nvidia connectors, and especially if this:

Bought it used, but looking at how clean it was, its not had much of a life. Came with all original box, paperwork and cables. Many of which were still sealed.

is the case.
BTW there's an actual Corsair AX1200i 1200 W Review here on TPU. Among many others.



Next time don't ask such silly questions and do your research. And please don't rely on any PSU tier lists, the one mentioned in the first replies is an example why. Realize that a lot of people here won't advise you to buy anything used, w/e condition or quality is in question.
Enjoy your new PSU. Cheers.

 

[Desktopstu]

Before this all gets a little out of hand let me explain why I bought this psu and why I asked the question in the original post...

I have a pc that has a moderate power consumption. Next year I plan to build something considerably more powerful (the much vaunted and ridiculed 10 year plan). The current PSU was an old second hand PSU that everyone knows and loves (to hate) the GameMax Rampage which while not letting me down to date is a well known cheapo PSU. As I plan to hold on to this pc for a year I thought id get a decent PSU to replace the GameMax. Despite what Assimilator may think I did do some research and had settled on the RM1000e (@£160) as this seemed to be a well thought of unit. However to fund my computer components I use money made from selling on marketplace which is cash in hand so when this psu came up on marketplace for £100 I did some research on it and read the review that Veseleil has kindly linked here before opting to purchase as a stand in for a year. I bought it to give me some pointers on what I want to purchase in 2025.

What did I like about it? Stop fan technology for starters. iCUE software so I can monitor the PSU performance. Fully modular with seperate GPU cables so I dont need to daisy chain graphics that need dual power plugs such as the ARC. The review did rate the PSU quite highly.

Soooo I came on here to ask where this PSU sits in the tier list as I couldnt find it in there but did see the AX1600i - which I know is not the same. For one thing it has ATX 3 while the 1200 has ATX 2.4, an older standard. I asked because I thought knowledgeable peeps on this forum would likely know the answer.

 

[Waldorf]

@Desktopstu
why not going with the RMx series?
basically a stripped RMi, with bigger fan/better components than the RMe series..

pcpartpicker

 

[Onasi]

@Desktopstu
It’s a FINE PSU. Good even. It was absolutely the top of the line when it released. But it IS old. And that’s why it’s not ranked as anything on any modern tier list - it’s end-of-life and was superseded by newer AXi models. It absolutely will work fine with modern components (although how well it would handle transients of modern GPUs is questionable). I will still absolutely not recommend it for a 10 year build. The RM1000e you originally chose is actually probably a significantly better overall platform by modern standards. New RMx are even more so.

 

[Knight47]

I know the AX1600i is high on the tier list but could not see any reference to the AX1200i, is it too old to be considered on the tier lists?

How much does the AX1200i cost?

Still just a dodgy adapter. You basically never wanna use adapters for high power.

And besides that, it's 12 years old, well past the warranty - so it's a safety precaution allround.

So instead of the sturdy 8pin you want the firehazard 12pin on the psu too?

 

[Dragam1337]

@Desktopstu
It’s a FINE PSU. Good even. It was absolutely the top of the line when it released. But it IS old. And that’s why it’s not ranked as anything on any modern tier list - it’s end-of-life and was superseded by newer AXi models. It absolutely will work fine with modern components (although how well it would handle transients of modern GPUs is questionable). I will still absolutely not recommend it for a 10 year build. The RM1000e you originally chose is actually probably a significantly better overall platform by modern standards. New RMx are even more so.

Handles 4090 at 600w np.

How much does the AX1200i cost?

So instead of the sturdy 8pin you want the firehazard 12pin on the psu too?

Using a psu made for 12 pin is alot less of a fire risk than using 8 pin to 12 pin adaptors...

Though as i said, no one should be using 12 pin in the first place, as it is a sh1tty connector... but nvidia in their infinite wisdom is forcing it on people now...

 

[Desktopstu]

@Desktopstu
why not going with the RMx series?
basically a stripped RMi, with bigger fan/better components than the RMe series..

pcpartpicker

Fair question. I will do some research between now and 2025 and decide later. Its likely the next graphics card will need a 12 pin so the PSU will need to factor that in and be ATX 3.0 compliant.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

investigated the tier of the PSU before buying it.

This is what most people with advanced PC skills do, that doesnt mean larger is better when it comes to quality. Most people nowadays just look at the star ratings on amazon before buying, "oh its almost got a full 5 stars Ima buy it".

Buying used is always hit or miss, you always roll the dice regardless of its tier rating. Buying a PSU 5+ years old begins increasing odds of failure with each passing day.

 

[dirtyferret]

I know the AX1600i is high on the tier list but could not see any reference to the AX1200i, is it too old to be considered on the tier lists?

tier lists are done by fan boys trying to pass off other peoples work as theirs and often biased and flawed. Go read a review on the PSU on TPU, Toms, anandtech kitguru, etc.,

 

[Desktopstu]

This is what most people with advanced PC skills do, that doesnt mean larger is better when it comes to quality. Most people nowadays just look at the star ratings on amazon before buying, "oh its almost got a full 5 stars Ima buy it".

Buying used is always hit or miss, you always roll the dice regardless of its tier rating. Buying a PSU 5+ years old begins increasing odds of failure with each passing day.

In my limited defence I did look up the Cultists tier list before purchasing, i knew the PSU was not on it and I guessed it was due to its age, I only asked where in that tier list it would sit. Maybe I should rephrase that to where it would sit in relation to whats there now.

Im one of those people that checks out every review I can find before purchasing any PC part, I dont rely on amazon reviews as so many are clearly biased or paid for. I was aiming for a PSU at around 1000w not because bigger is better but because the best efficiency rate is around 50% load and between now and 2025 knowing me I am likley to add various pieces of hard ware to this build. The AX1200i just came along at the right priice and right time, and in the right condition.