Certification and efficiency
Energy efficiency certification
Corsair markets the CX750F RGB series as their 80 Plus Bronze power supplies. Certification is performed by an organization called 80 PLUS. But what does this mean “on paper”? It’s a program introduced in 2004, and is intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Only products that offer more than 80% efficiency at 20, 50, 100% load, and a power factor of 0.9 or more, are eligible. This means that the PSU will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat, reducing power consumption and bills compared with less efficient designs.
|
80 Plus test type |
115 V internal non-redundant |
230 V EU internal non-redundant |
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|
Percentage of rated load |
10% |
20% |
50% |
100% |
10% |
20% |
50% |
100% |
|
|
80 Plus |
|
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
82% |
85% |
82% |
|
|
80 Plus Bronze |
|
82% |
85% |
82% |
|
85% |
88% |
85% |
|
|
80 Plus Silver |
|
85% |
88% |
85% |
|
87% |
90% |
87% |
|
|
80 Plus Gold |
|
87% |
90% |
87% |
|
90% |
92% |
89% |
|
|
80 Plus Platinum |
|
90% |
92% |
89% |
|
92% |
94% |
90% |
|
|
80 Plus Titanium |
90% |
92% |
94% |
90% |
90% |
94% |
96% |
94% |
|
As you can see above, there are 80 Plus, Bronze, Silver, Gold (these three are from 2008), Platinum (2009), and Titanium (2012) certificates. Nowadays, most computers with a single GPU don’t need more than a 600-650 W PSU, as power consumption has dropped over the years. The PSU tested today is the most efficient at 50% load (375 W), but the differences above and below this threshold are not significant. You don’t need to keep it precisely at half load, but for better noise performance, longevity, etc., it’s best to stay below the maximum wattage. The reviewed sample is 80 PLUS Bronze certified – up to ~85% efficiency @ 115 V (at 20~100% loads) – and has active PFC with a power factor of up to 0.99. It consumes < 0.3 W in its off-mode, complying with the ERP standard. If you want to check the Corsair CX750F RGB’s measurements taken by the 80 Plus organization, you can have a look at them here.
Quite surprisingly, the actual results were above the listed specification, and the Bronze unit achieved figures in the range of the Silver certificate. Technical Specs below:
|
Max. DC Output |
750 W |
|
PFC |
Active PFC |
|
Efficiency |
80 PLUS Bronze |
|
Modular |
Yes, Flat Black cables |
|
Protections |
OVP/UVP/OCP/SCP/OPP/OTP |
|
Cooling |
120mm |
|
Semi-passive operation |
Yes |
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
140 mm (L) x 150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) |
|
Warranty |
5 years |
As for the provided cables, you’ll find this information in the unboxing section of the review. The street price of the reviewed unit is xxx.xx USD. Let’s see if it’s worth it. Next page, please.
