Packaging

The packaging is identical to that of the AX760 unit, so its front is mostly occupied by a close shot of the fan grill that doesn't follow the unique design of the AXi line-up. The model description is given in large red and white letters, and the Platinum efficiency bade, which is strangely small, resides right below the model description.


There is, as you can see, nothing of interest on this side.


The rear has a description of connectors and a useful cable-length list. There are also two graphs illustrating the unit's efficiency and the noise of the fan. According to the latter graph, the fan engages after 60% of the PSU's maximum-rated-capacity load, so the PSU will spend most of its operational time in fanless mode inside a normal system; that is, if that specification stands. Finally, the power-specifications table is given in the bottom, right corner. It also provides information about the power input the PSU is compatible with.

Contents

The contents of the box, especially the PSU, are well protected. The unit is totally surrounded by packing foam and is stored inside a velvet-looking and a nylon bag. Corsair was extra cautious with its packing, and they deserve praise for this.


A large pouch holds all modular cables and the rest of the bundle includes several zip ties, a chassis badge, the essential AC power cord, two pamphlets with installation and warranty instructions, and a set of fixing bolts to mount the unit onto the chassis.

Exterior

The first thing that strikes the eye is the PSU's compact footprint that is pretty uncommon to this category. This unit apparently hides more than meets the eye! The finish is of excellent quality; however, its overall design is nothing unique. We would highly prefer it if Corsair used the AXi casing with its nice-looking fan grill, but they most likely sought to provide their AXi units with a uniquely visual cue. The most interesting part of the AX860 is definitely its rear where all the modular connectors reside. Corsair provided descriptions on all sockets to help inexperienced users, but there are only two different socket types, the six and eight-pin ones. Finally, the small specifications label can be found on the bottom of the PSU.


You can toggle between hybrid (semi-fanless) and normal operation through this small switch. A very interesting feature for those of you that prefer the fan to constantly spin and remove heat out of the PSU's internals at even low loads to keep the stress on sensitive components like capacitors low at all times; however, we think that this switch would be much more useful at the front, since it can, in its current position, only be reached through the internals of the chassis.