Introduction

We would like to thank Corsair for supplying the review sample.

The HX series is the second top-of-the-line PSUs from Corsair that, previously, met only the 80 PLUS Silver certification. But the company made a massive upgrade to the four products comprising this series which have since earned 80 PLUS Gold certification. The OEM of the HX units remained the same, which is Channel Well Technology or CWT, a company which has a close working relationship with Corsair and has so far provided them with many excellent platforms.

In this review, we will evaluate the second stronger member of the HX series, the HX850, which, as its name implies, has a capacity of 850 W, so it will easily power a high-end system with up to three power hungry VGAs installed. The new HX850 PSU features a quiet operation at low loads/operating temperatures, since its thermally controlled fan only spins when it's needed. This is a technique that becomes more and more popular lately and significantly reduces noise output at low loads since the PSU goes fanless when the thermal load is low. Finally, the new HX850 sports a new and better look, thanks to the redesigned fan grill.