The Corsair RM1000x and RM1000i 1000W Power Supply Review
by E. Fylladitakis on September 30, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Corsair
- RM Series
- Corsair Link
Corsair might have started off as a computer memory manufacturer, but today they sell a number of components for PCs. One of their most active product lineups is their computer power supply units (PSUs) business, with the company offering dozens of products through six different series. Each of their PSU series has been designed with a specific target group in mind, ranging from the low-cost VS series to the top-performance AX series. Amongst them, the RM series consists of units with modular cables that have been designed with low noise operation in mind.
We had our first take on the RM series one and a half year ago with the review of the RM1000, which was the pinnacle of the RM series at the time. A few months ago, Corsair upgraded the RM series, presenting the RM-i series that also featured Corsair's Link interface. This week, the company is further releasing the RM-x series, which are an upgrade of the original RM series, receiving essentially the same upgrade as the RM-i units but leaving out the Corsair Link support. Corsair has provided us with an RM1000i and an RM1000x for evaluation, both of which we will have a look at in this review.
| Power specifications ( Rated @ 50 °C ) | |||||
| AC INPUT | 100 - 240 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz | ||||
| RAIL | +3.3V | +5V | +12V | +5Vsb | -12V |
| MAX OUTPUT | 25A | 25A | 83.3A | 3A | 0.8A |
| 150W | 1000W | 15W | 9.6W | ||
| TOTAL | 1000W | ||||
Packaging and Bundle
Corsair supplies the RM1000i and the RM1000x into large, tough cardboard boxes. The packaging is virtually identical, with the only major difference being the main color, which is white for the former and black for the latter. A lot of information regarding the PSU has been printed on all sides of the box, in multiple languages.
The company kept the bundle simple, supplying only the standard AC power cable, a manual and four black mounting screws, as well as a case badge and a few cable ties.
Both of the new RM units comes with the same number of cables and connectors, with the exception of the extra internal USB cable that the -i variation has for the Corsair Link interface. The SATA/Molex cables are flat, ribbon-like cables, while the thicker ATX/EPS/PCI-E cables are sleeved. All of the wires are black.
The following table lists the number of connectors.
| Corsair RM1000x/RM1000i | ||
| Connector type | Hardwired | Modular |
| ATX 24 Pin | - | 1 |
| EPS 4+4 Pin | - | 2 |
| EPS 8 Pin | - | - |
| PCI-E 6+2 Pin | - | 8 |
| PCI-E 8 Pin | - | - |
| SATA | - | 12 |
| Molex | - | 11 |
| Floppy | - | 2 |
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HOOfan 1 - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Looks like you may have been getting 80 Plus Platinum efficiency from itHOOfan 1 - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Nevermind, I see you were using a 230V input, but it still exceeded 80 Plus Gold by a decent amountBearmann - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Excellent review! Noted a couple of typo's in the board layout discussion. Regarding the capacitors, I think you meant "whopping". I'm sure you meant to say "coil whine" within the quotes.E.Fyll - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Thank you Bearmann. The spellchecker/auto-correct are not as smart as they should be sometimes. :)Cow86 - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
There is another difference between the RMi and RMx series that the author is apparently unaware of: The RMi series uses a Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan, whilst the RMx series uses a Rifle Bearing fan, same as the RM series. The latter is supposed to not last as long, and also potentially be a little noisier. The difference is marginal though, so I think it's still very much justified to buy the RMx series if you don't need the Corsair Link. I'll definitely be looking at it for my next build :)E.Fyll - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Although the "reviewer's guide" that I received says so as well, both of the units that I received had an NR135P fan installed. Perhaps the fan of the lower wattage models is different or Corsair ran out of NR135L's while making our samples. :)Cow86 - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Seems strange, as the FDB fan would be superior normally, so if they're saying it has it, and it then doesn't, that seems like false advertising even to me. I mean, it's not huge, but getting a different (and potentially inferior) fan to what you're supposed to be getting is not cool. Maybe all the production models have the FDB fan (the NR135L I guess) though in the RMi series...I'd hope so.Oxford Guy - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Actually it is huge. FDB fans should never be advertised and then switched out for crappier fans. Ever.Cow86 - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
You're right, and having thought about it a little more I feel more strongly about it now too. This is false advertising if these are making it to customers like this. You're paying a premium for Corsair Link AND the longer lasting FDB fan, so it should damn well have it. @E.Fyll: Any chance of a follow-up with Corsair on that?jonnyGURU - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
The RMi shouldn't have had a rifle bearing fan. Let me see what happened there.