Introduction

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

Corsair has hammered the PSU market with new products these last couple months. In a sudden move a few days ago, they released the RM series sitting right between the HX and TX line. All units of this series are, according to Corsair, optimized for silence, and their fully modular, low-profile, and all-black cabling solution also allows for fast and clean builds. The latter admittedly sounds a little strange since the higher HX series doesn't utilize a fully modular cabling design, but the "lesser" RM units do, and they are even Gold certified, sporting the same efficiency as the HX units. This particular setup will probably cause some internal competition, but such competition always benefits the end consumer. The series consists of six members with capacities ranging from 450 W to 1000 W, covering all market segments from mainstream to high-end. All units are Gold certified and feature a fully modular cabling design, which boosts their usability drastically.

The main subject of today's review will be the RM850, which, as its model number implies, has a capacity of 850 W, making it the second-strongest RM unit. Corsair says to have equipped this and all other RM units with low-noise capacitors and transformers, and a semi-passive operation, a nowadays often sought-after feature to drastically reduce noise output. Its fan is also custom-designed to operate quietly—Corsair states it to be whisper quiet, even at high load. Our dB meter will clearly show whether this holds true.

Another interesting characteristic of all RM units is their compatibility with the Corsair Link system, though you have to buy it separately. Corsair Link, coupled with its appropriate software suite, allows you to monitor both fan speed and +12V current directly on your desktop. However, there is a catch: You can only monitor the fan speed and not control the fan’s operation, which would definitely be useful. But the need for special circuits would also increase production cost.