Corsair AX1200i Digital ATX Power Supply Preview

Performance Summary: In lieu of a thermally controlled PSU testing environment and specialized tools to monitor actual power output, we tested the Corsair AX1200i Digital PSU the way the vast majority of you reading this would—we connected it to a few systems and beat on the unit to see if it would fail.For the last couple of weeks, we’ve had the Corsair AX1200i connected to an overclocked Core i7-3770K-based system running at 4.4GHz, outfitted with 16GB of RAM, a 10K RPM HDD, and an overclocked GeForce GTX 680. The unit was also connected to a dual-CPU powered beast outfitted with two Intel Xeon 5680 processors (12 physical cores total) running at 3.9GHz, 24GB of RAM, dual SSDs in a RAID configuration, a 2TB HD, and a pair of Radeon HD 6970 graphics cards running in CrossFire mode.

The overclocked Core i7-based system would readily consume over 400W when running games, while the dual-CPU monster had no trouble breaking the 800W mark for extended periods under load. Throughout all of our testing, the Corsair AX1200i worked flawlessly. We never experienced any instability and the PSU’s cooling fan always remained quiet. Even though the AX1200i’s fan did have to spin up considerably when in the dual-Xeon powered rig, there was no way it could be heard over the pair of graphics cards.

While these tests don’t quantify ripple, noise, or output quality, they do show that the Corsair AX1200i is perfectly capable of powering some immensely powerful systems, without issue.

The fully-modular, Corsair AX1200i Digital ATX Power Supply

The Corsair AX1200i Digital PSU should be available right away at your favorite e-tailers for a price around $349. With that kind of asking price, the AX1200i is certainly one of the more expensive power supplies on the market, although not the most expensive in its class. While we would love to see the features of the AX1200i trickle down to more affordable, lower-power models, at its current price, the AX1200i is still compelling in light of competing offerings. We dig the fully-modular cables on this unit, appreciate the low-noise fan, and think the features and capabilities afforded by the DSP and Corsair Link software set the AX1200i apart in the enthusiast PSU space. We also like the fact that the unit never faulted, even when being taxed by a 2P, dual-GPU powered beast of a system.

Users in the market for a high-end power supply will be well served by the Corsair AX1200i. Even if you don’t plan to use the Corsair Link Dashboard software and tinker with the unit, the AX1200i is still a killer power supply. Factor in its high-output, stability, efficiency, quiet operation, and innovative features though, and you’ve got an enthusiast-class power supply that’s worthy of consideration for any high-end PC build.