Corsair TX550M Power Supply Review

[siopao1984]

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Corsair TX550M Power Supply Review by VR-Zone.com

It appears that the latest TX-M series which Corsair released a few weeks ago will be a great success for the company, as the market demand of the new units is very high and enthusiasts seem to embrace the idea of high performance, partly modular power supplies. It was only a few weeks ago that we had a look at the TX750M 750W unit, which offered great overall performance and quality for the price. Today we are going to examine and review the performance of the TX550M, the weakest and most affordable power supply of the series, which also comes only in the M (modular) variant.

Manufacturer’s features and specifications

· Conforms to the latest ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 standards, and is backward compatible with the ATX12V 2.2 and ATX12V 2.01 standards

· A dedicated single +12V rail offers simple configuration and maximum compatibility with the latest graphics cards and other components

· An ultra-quiet, 140mm double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow with exceptionally low noise levels by varying fan speed in response to temperature

· Complies with the European Union ErP Directive (2009/125/EC) so the power consumption of the whole system, in either standby or off mode, can be less than 1W when used with a properly configured, ErP-compliant motherboard

· 80 PLUS® Bronze certified, delivering up to 85% energy efficiency under real-world load conditions

· Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) with PF value of 0.99

· Universal AC input from 90~264V

· Over-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, and short circuit protection provide maximum safety for your critical system components

· High-quality capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability

· A five year warranty and lifetime access to Corsair's legendary technical support and customer service

· Safety Approvals: cTUVus, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TÜV, CCC, C-tick

http://vr-zone.com/articles/corsair-...iew/13836.html

It appears that the latest TX-M series which Corsair released a few weeks ago will be a great success for the company, as the market demand of the new units is very high and enthusiasts seem to embrace the idea of high performance, partly modular power supplies. It was only a few weeks ago that we had a look at the TX750M 750W unit, which offered great overall performance and quality for the price. Today we are going to examine and review the performance of the TX550M, the weakest and most affordable power supply of the series, which also comes only in the M (modular) variant.

Manufacturer’s features and specifications

· Conforms to the latest ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 standards, and is backward compatible with the ATX12V 2.2 and ATX12V 2.01 standards

· A dedicated single +12V rail offers simple configuration and maximum compatibility with the latest graphics cards and other components

· An ultra-quiet, 140mm double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow with exceptionally low noise levels by varying fan speed in response to temperature

· Complies with the European Union ErP Directive (2009/125/EC) so the power consumption of the whole system, in either standby or off mode, can be less than 1W when used with a properly configured, ErP-compliant motherboard

· 80 PLUS® Bronze certified, delivering up to 85% energy efficiency under real-world load conditions

· Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) with PF value of 0.99

· Universal AC input from 90~264V

· Over-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, and short circuit protection provide maximum safety for your critical system components

· High-quality capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability

· A five year warranty and lifetime access to Corsair's legendary technical support and customer service

· Safety Approvals: cTUVus, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TÜV, CCC, C-tick

[siopao1984]

The TX550M PSU is supplied inside a robust cardboard box with a black-yellow theme, identical to that used for the rest of the series. The artwork on the packaging is simple and but there is a wealth of information about the unit itself around the sides of the box.



Inside the package, the power supply is very well secured between Styrofoam pieces and is enclosed inside a black pouch instead of a standard bubble bag, which pouch you can reuse for any purpose you see fit.



The bundle that is supplied with the TX550M PSU is simple and straightforward. Except from the black pouch which protects the PSU and the standard AC power cable you will also receive several short black cables ties, four black 3M screws and a warranty guide. You will also receive the modular cables but inside a mere nylon bag. There is no storage pouch specifically made for the cables or anything similar inside the package; you can use the large black pouch enclosing the PSU if necessary. Two of the cables are not sleeved but a ‘flat’, entirely black cable. The thicker cables are entirely black but sleeved as well, as well as all of the cables hardwired to the PSU.

[siopao1984]

The TX550M shares the exact same chassis with the more powerful TX750M unit. It is an all black power supply, sprayed with a matte black pain and Corsair enhanced it aesthetically via a better fan grill and embossments on all sides.



Corsair’s usual decorative stickers with the unit’s model and company logo can be still found at both sides of the power supply. The embossed chassis also forms a frame around the stickers, creating a much higher quality visual effect.



The sticker with the unit's electrical specifications can be found at the top of the chassis and there is no frame surrounding it, which is understandable as it will not be visible at all inside most cases.



The rear is entirely perforated to allow for the air pushed by the cooling fan to escape towards the outside of the case. The unit uses a standard AC power cable and there is a standard rocker on/off switch at the rear, as well as a tiny sticker with the unit’s model logo.



There is nothing of interest at the front side of the chassis, save for the few connectors of the modular cables. This is a partially modular unit design with most cables still hardwired to the power supply. This unit offers the following number of connectors:

[siopao1984]

The cooling of the Corsair TX550M if taken care of by a 140mm fan which is commonly found inside the TX series units. The fan is made by Yate Loon, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, and it is a ball bearing fan with a maximum rotational speed of 2800RPM. A thin plastic sheet is covering about 20% of the fan's surface, which Corsair probably installed in an attempt to direct the airflow in a more efficient way.



The Corsair TX550M shares the same base design with its more powerful TX750M counterpart, a design developed by CWT (Channel Well Technologies). The two units are basically identical, save for the downsized parts.



The filtering stage is adequate, although not special. Starting at the back of the A/C receptacle and continuing on the PCB. It totally consists of four Y-type capacitors, two X-type capacitors, two coils and a surge suppressing MOV.



The primary capacitor of the power supply is supplied by Matsushita and is rated at 400V/330μF at 105°C. Nippon Chemi-Con supplies the secondary side capacitors.



The heatsinks of the TX550M are extremely small; they are nothing more than solid metallic bars with little heat dissipation surface and no fins at all. They did work well enough to keep the 750W model operational though, so we believe that they are more than adequate for the 550W model sharing the same design.

[siopao1984]

In order to provide you with the most professional and accurate reviews, we are using the following equipment to test the performance of power supplies:

Modified SECC steel case with thermal generation and control components installed
Custom USB controlled DC load, 2.2KW maximum power drain
3KVA VARIAC
Lutron DW-6091 Power Analyzer
USB Instruments Stingray Oscilloscope
SL-5868P digital sound level meter
CompuLAB interface
MyPClab thermal interface
Labjack U3-HV interface
Custom calibration box
Custom software
More information about our testing equipment and methodology can be found in this article.



The Corsair TX550M unit successfully completed all of our tests without any operational and/or performance problems. The electrical performance of the TX550M is exceptional and similar to that of its larger TX750M counterpart, which is to be expected since they are both based on the same exact platform.



It appears that the efficiency of the TX550M power supply is not as stable as that of the most powerful model, peaking at a magnificent (for an 80Plus Bronze certified unit) 88.1% but with a huge drop when the unit is lightly loaded.



Utilizing the same heatsinks and cooling fan as the more powerful 750W model, the better thermal performance of the TX550M was to be expected. Given the tiny heatsinks which Channel Well installed, the power supply operates at low temperatures and stays remarkably cool even under maximum load.



The TX750M unit had to rely on the powerful cooling fan and the TX550M is no different; however the lower power output allows the unit to run silent under nominal load. The power supply will become clearly audible only when it has to power a load higher than 70% of its power capacity.

[siopao1984]

Quality (30% of the total score)

Corsair is a company committed to quality and the TX550M is no exception. The power supply is very well made, with no manufacturing flaws and with very good components, although some hardcore enthusiasts may miss the all-Japanese design of the more powerful TX750M unit. Corsair covers their product with a 5 year long warranty, testament to their faith on this unit’s long term reliability.

Quality Score 9.5/10



Performance (40% of the total score)

The smaller power output actually improved the overall performance of the TX550M when compared to its more powerful counterpart. There is less heat generation which allows the unit to run considerably cooler and very quiet, while the excellent electrical performance of the design remains virtually unaffected. The efficiency of the power supply drops considerably below 30% load but we doubt that many enthusiasts would buy a 550W unit to power a <125W system.

Performance Score 9.5/10



Value (20% of the total score)


With an MSRP of 109.99$ USD (136$ SGD) at the time of this review, it appears that the greatest enemy of the TX550M power supply is competition, both internal and external. Many companies offer more powerful modular units at the same price and even the more powerful TX M series power supplies are just slightly more expensive. The TX550M is a great product and performs exceptionally well but the price could use a slight cut to make the unit more competitive.

Value Score 8.0/10



Aesthetics (10% of the total score)

Corsair did improve the base TX design aesthetically by installing the better fan grill and making the power supply partially modular. However, many of the wires are still hardwired to the unit and the “flat” SATA modular cable looks nothing short of funny when all other cables are merely sleeved. Unlike with the TX750M however, where the many hardwired cables were a serious problem, the partly modular design works like a charm with the fewer cables of the TX550M. Combined with the immaculate manufacturing quality and appearance of the chassis, the TX550M might become a mid-range modders favorite product.

Aesthetics Score 9.0/10

[butitoy]

tag pila kaha na bro?

[Sempron Guy]

medyo mahal ra jud most likely mo abot ni ug mga 4.5k diri sa pinas, daghan good alternative ana nga price.

[eXpLoDe]

mao ni usa sa mga payter in 550 watts category.