The Corsair HX1500i meets the competition more efficiently than its small sibling, the HX1000i. Still, the performance difference with the flagship AX1600i is significant, but the price difference between these two models is also vast, at 210 dollars. The HX1500i achieves high enough overall performance, although I expected more from its semi-digital platform. The iCUE compatibility also provides it with several interesting features, including the option to set up a custom fan speed profile, should the default not fit your needs. I am not sure how many users will bother with the complex iCUE app, but the options are there for those who have the patience to fiddle with them.

The lack of a 12VHPWR connector from the factory should not bother you, Corsair already provides this cable as an optional purchase. The future HX1500i packages will most likely have it included in the bundle. This PSU is not ATX 3.0 compatible, but NVIDIA stated that its upcoming GPUs won't require ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0-ready PSUs to operate correctly. This is good news for all of you having capable but older generation PSUs, since you can skip the PSU replacement. It would be best if you keep in mind that PSUs outlast many GPU generations, so investing in a future-proof unit is ideal. Many brands have announced ATX 3.0 PSUs with 12VHPWR connectors, but there is nothing available yet in the high-capacity region (1500 W or more), and there is no information on when Corsair will update the AX1600i to meet the ATX 3.0 spec. That said, PSUs with 1500 W or more maximum power most likely won't have issues with any GPU you throw at them, even if they cannot technically cope with power spikes at 200% of their max-rated capacity. If we do ever see consumer systems with up to 3000 W power spikes, this will be a considerable step backward for computer technology!