September 2012

Corsair AX1200i

The metallic black power supply measures in at 7.87 inches long (a little over 9 inches when you include cable bend), so doublecheck that your case can accommodate it. On the plus side, Corsair designs the AX1200i with a completely modular design,and many of the modular cables are flat to make them easy to route inside the case. The 1,200W PSU offers six 6+2-pin PCI-E cables and two 4+4-pin EPS12V cables for compatibility with high-end systems.The inclusion of 16 SATA and 12 Molex connectors also means youll have plenty of power for system peripherals. We tested the AX1200i in a system featuring Intels Core i7-3770K, with graphics power delivered by two ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580s SLI. To max the load, we simultaneously ran POV-Ray 3.7 Beta and Aliens vs. Predator benchmarks. The result backed up the Corsairs claim of impressive design and efficiency. At peak, the AX1200i hit a maximum wattage of 632, a power factor of .993, a max voltage of 118.4, and a max amperage of 5.38. The move to a DSP provides the AX1200i with a number of notable benefits over the competition. In particular, enthusiasts looking to actively control the power going into their components will like the Corsair Link Dashboard capabilities. And with 1,200 watts of power, the AX1200i can handle most any high-end build.

n the world of power supplies, there are a lot of incremental design changes.Sure, there are accommodations for new connectors and more efficient units, but the basic methods of power delivery remain the same. With the AX1200i, Corsair uses a DSP (digital signal processor) to provide your desktop PC hardware with digitally controlled power. The new design is a significant improvement and offers many benefits for enthusiasts. One of the AX1200is key performance advantages is that the DC voltage regulation on the +12V, +5.5V, and +3.3V rails will operate within 1.5% over the whole load range. Additionally, the digitally controlled AX1200i will automatically adjust for voltage drops that may occur in the DC output cable. Another benefit is that the DSP design reduces the amount of discrete hardware within the PSU, which Corsair indicates results in less loss in the circuit and better efficiency. The AX1200i meets the 80 PLUS Platinum standard and boasts a maximum efficiency of 92%. The AX1200is digital control also lets the power supply integrate with Corsairs Link Dashboard software. Youll be able to view, in real-time, the internal temperature,fan speed, efficiency, and current power input and output. Youll also be able to modify some power supply settings. In particular, you can switch the AX1200i from a single rail power mode to a virtual multi-rail setup where you can select the individual overcurrent protection levels for each rail. You can also adjust fan speed profiles to balance your performance needs with the power supplys noise output. The 140mm fan built into AX1200i only begins to spin when the load on the PSU reaches 30% of its maximum rated power, so it works in a silent, fanless mode until needed. Corsair also includes a self-test switch so you can ensure that all of the AX1200is DC output voltage rails are working and quickly rule out the PSU when troubleshooting a dead system.The AX1200i offers protection against overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, overtemperature, and short circuits.

AX1200i $349.99 Corsair www.corsair.com