I build a lot of PCs.
Things I like about this power supply:
* Cosair name: They have never let me down. EVGA and Rosewill have. I can tell you Rosewill has good customer service, but only because I have needed. I can't tell you how Corsair's customer service is because I have never needed it.
* Price: I think $49.95 is a good price for a power supply of this quality, efficiency rating, and wattage.
* The sleeving quality is excellent. Between the all black wires, the appropriately flexible all black wires, and the proper use of shrink tube, the parts that are visible in the final build look perfect.
* I prefer having the ATX power connector be all 24 pins together as in this model rather than having a group of 20 and a group of 4 as many other power supplies have. This makes installation easier (especially when you have a tight case fight as in a mini-ITX or even some microATX builds) and makes one fewer things that can go wrong in the future. I have seen plenty of "dead": PCs that only have a lose 4 pin portion of the ATX portion.
* Same as above for the CPU power connector, except it is all 8 pins here as opposed to the more common 4+4 configuration. Note: If you are going to use this power supply with a motherboard that only requires 4 of the pins, make sure there is clearance for the unused pins.
* It can be hard to find a power supply in this wattage that has two 6+2 PCIe power connectors as this one has. Of course, if you are using both of these, add up your power budget carefully.
* This power supply has two separate SATA power cables, each with three connectors along with a completely separate molex chain. Some power supplies have mixed SATA power and molex which I don't care for as much. This supply will power up to six drives; more than most power supplies in this range.
* The 12V rail has plenty of amps; many to all cheaper ones don't.
Corsair CX Series 550 Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Non-Modular Power Supply (CP-9020121-NA)Corsair CX Series 550 Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Non-Modular Power Supply (CP-9020121-NA)
* Packaging quality was excellent.
Things I don't like about this power supply:
* It is not modular. This means that there will be excess cables that you need to tuck away at the end of your build. Not a big deal to me, but make sure you have the clearance for the unused cables in your build.
* It does not use the highest quality capacitors available. This is also minor; it is not reasonable to expect at this price. Of course, in a low abuse, high endurance application at a modest price, this is the way to go. But, if you really want the longest lasting possible, pay more money and look elsewhere for your power supply choice.
| Brand | Corsair |
|---|---|
| Series | CX |
| Item model number | CP-9020123-NA |
| Item Weight | 4.7 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 5.9 x 3.38 x 6.3 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 5.9 x 3.38 x 6.3 inches |
| Color | 80+ Bronze |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Corsair |
| ASIN | B01N9KIFWF |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | January 5, 2017 |
