Review: Corsair VX450W PSU

Final thoughts, HEXUS.awards, HEXUS.where2buy, HEXUS.right2reply, further reading

The Corsair VX450W packs a lot of power for the price - a competitive £45 inc VAT.

The VX450W can provide its rated amperage over its single +12V rail - something that the ATX12V 2.2 specification advises against.

However, the ATX12V 2.2 specification appears to make allowances for manufacturers to make their own decisions on elements of the design, depending on the application.

So, given the positive results, it seems unfair to criticise Corsair for this especially since the PSU does still maintain strong, stable voltages.

And, the downside of adding a second +12V rail is that it would add complexity and increase the costs for components and manufacturing.

Our testing also shows that competitors' solutions that do have an additional +12V rail tend to suffer as a result - they supply a lower total load over the +12V rails. Also, with the exception of the be quiet! Dark Power 470W, they suffer more severely from voltage drop as the load increases.

By keeping with a single +12V rail Corsair is able to offer a powerful, efficient, power supply at a very competitive price. This, combined with Corsair's outstanding five-year warranty, makes the VX450W a compelling choice.

While it's not suitable for high-end systems - the VX450W's lack of dual PEG power plugs prohibiting the use of power-hungry graphics card solutions - it does offer ample power for mid-range PCs and has the confidence-inspiring warranty and apparent build-quality to suggest it should last the life of the system.

As with the HX620W, which marked Corsair's first entry into the PSU market, the VX450W offers strong performance and good value.

HEXUS Awards

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Corsair VX450W is available to buy from Scan for £45.83 inc VAT, with free delivery to members of the HEXUS.community (check out the details).

Price correct as of August 2, 2007.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS.net, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any of Corsair's representatives choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.

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