Thursday, December 20th 2012

Corsair Unveils VS Series Entry Level Power Supplies for 220-240VAC Markets

Corsair launched the VS line of entry-level PSUs for markets with 220~240VAC electricity, which strikes out 100~120VAC markets, such as the US and Japan. Available in 350W, 450W, 550W, and 650W models priced at the equivalent of $40, $50, $60, and $70, respectively, the PSUs feature completely fixed cabling, compliance with most modern PSU technologies (except 80 Plus efficiency certification), and features most standard protection mechanisms against over/under voltage, over-load, and short-circuit. The four use a single +12V rail design. The 350W and 450W models feature single 6+2 pin PCIe power connectors, the 550W and 650W feature two.
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25 Comments on Corsair Unveils VS Series Entry Level Power Supplies for 220-240VAC Markets

#1
Prima.Vera
I really don't understand this. My old PSU has 100-240V input, works in any country. What is this BS ?!??
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#3
Tarkhein
Prima.VeraI really don't understand this. My old PSU has 100-240V input, works in any country. What is this BS ?!??
It's designed to be an absolutely cheap PSU that still works. By taking out parts that are certified for a wide voltage range and replacing them with 220-240V certified parts, they can make it cheaper without sacrificing quality (which they are already sacrificing a lot of, given it can't even meet 80 plus standard).
de.das.dudebut i have seen the VS series on Flipkart before!
Flipkart appears to be an Indian store and India uses 220V if wikipedia is not wrong.
Posted on Reply
#4
itsakjt
Right. India uses 220-230 V as house hold AC line voltage.
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#5
de.das.dude
Pro Indian Modder
TarkheinIt's designed to be an absolutely cheap PSU that still works. By taking out parts that are certified for a wide voltage range and replacing them with 220-240V certified parts, they can make it cheaper without sacrificing quality (which they are already sacrificing a lot of, given it can't even meet 80 plus standard).



Flipkart appears to be an Indian store and India uses 220V if wikipedia is not wrong.
i dont understand the point that you were trying to make :confused:
Posted on Reply
#6
LTUGamer
It is not new PSU because is aviable in selected markets a long time ago

This is the same PSU as Chieftec GPA (same OEM) but cost more for Corsair brand and black paint... However FSP Hexa costs almost same but it is much better. So no point to buy this however Corsair brand will attract people because they will think that this is better than others...
Posted on Reply
#7
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
damnit, if they met 80 plus i'd be interested as a cheap option for budget office machines.
Posted on Reply
#8
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
So these don't have Active PFC then. I'll stick with the CX series unless these are really cheap.
LTUGamerThis is the same PSU as Chieftec GPA (same OEM) but cost more for Corsair brand and black paint...
Same OEM does not mean the same PSU. They still have to be built to Corsair's standards, and generally Corsairs standards are pretty high, even for their budget units.
Posted on Reply
#9
LTUGamer
newtekie1So these don't have Active PFC then. I'll stick with the CX series unless these are really cheap.



Same OEM does not mean the same PSU. They still have to be built to Corsair's standards, and generally Corsairs standards are pretty high, even for their budget units.
Corsair standarts? :wtf: So if CWT make PSU and one of them give Chieftec brand, the other Corsair brand so there is these magical Corsair standarts. If OEM would be modified maybe something will be better but it looks that these PSU are identical. Corsair almost haven't own products. Them memory, PSUs and SSDs is manufactured by other companies so itt looks that they are making just cases. And that is why them "high standarts" means "good marketing" and "good choise of partners".
Posted on Reply
#10
McSteel
Prima.VeraI really don't understand this. My old PSU has 100-240V input, works in any country. What is this BS ?!??
It boils down to a cheaper primary. Seeing how Power = Current x Voltage, using parts that are of lower current capability means you need more voltage, hence the PSU is 220V only. The bridge rectifier, the primary switchers, the APFC choppers, they're all noticeably cheaper if they are only required to deal with 3-4 amps, instead of 6, 8, 10...
newtekie1So these don't have Active PFC then. I'll stick with the CX series unless these are really cheap.

Same OEM does not mean the same PSU. They still have to be built to Corsair's standards, and generally Corsairs standards are pretty high, even for their budget units.
They do feature APFC, else they wouldn't be legal in the EU. These PSUs would actually work even at 100V, but they wouldn't be able to deliver their full rated power, especially the 550 and 650W models. As for Corsair standards, the CX series use cheap Chinese and Taiwanese caps, and no better soldering nor cabling than CWT's exemplar DSAII models. VS series will use the GPA/GPB platform, and I doubt we'll be seeing much improvement over CWT's own rendition. One thing is certain, though, the VS series will have much better cabling and more connectors than Chieftec's version of the platform.
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#11
buggalugs
OEM designs can be the same, or sometimes not, depends.

Even if they are the same, corsair offer a very good warranty, technical assistance and RMA service compared to most other cheap brands, so people trust them.
Posted on Reply
#12
McSteel
Remaining skeptical and critical towards their products, doing research and making informed decisions is what will force Corsair to remain Corsair and not become EVGA.

In other words, I'll believe it after a reputable review, or seeing for myself.
Posted on Reply
#13
de.das.dude
Pro Indian Modder
LTUGamerCorsair standarts? :wtf: So if CWT make PSU and one of them give Chieftec brand, the other Corsair brand so there is these magical Corsair standarts. If OEM would be modified maybe something will be better but it looks that these PSU are identical. Corsair almost haven't own products. Them memory, PSUs and SSDs is manufactured by other companies so itt looks that they are making just cases. And that is why them "high standarts" means "good marketing" and "good choise of partners".
first fix your english if you want yourslef to be understood properly. no need to hurry.

second stop arguing.

what i think you are saying is CWT can make a PSU for Corsair and instead sell it to some other brand. this is not true.

Say for example you have a factory which makes balls but you dont have the necessary funding to gather raw materials transport yourself. so you instead make balls for "corsair". Now corsair wants their balls to be unique so they add their own design which is better and a bit more expensive too. Now if you think you can take THAT design and sell it to someone else, it wont work because:-
1. they wont necessarily understand the value and hence not pay what corsair is paying (unless its a chinese company looking forward to reverse engineering)

2. There will be a legal dispute.


I know this dude who wanted to start up an alll in one water cooler kit company. He got pumps from Corsairs OEM, but as soon as the OEM found out that he was going to use them to make products to rival Corsair, he had TO SHUT THE WHOLE FUCKING COMPANY DOWN!
Posted on Reply
#14
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
LTUGamerCorsair standarts? :wtf: So if CWT make PSU and one of them give Chieftec brand, the other Corsair brand so there is these magical Corsair standarts. If OEM would be modified maybe something will be better but it looks that these PSU are identical. Corsair almost haven't own products. Them memory, PSUs and SSDs is manufactured by other companies so itt looks that they are making just cases. And that is why them "high standarts" means "good marketing" and "good choise of partners".
Yes, Corsair sets the standards that CWT must meet when building these power supplies. That is why the V1 HX series were so good despite being CWT built. So going by OEM alone is no way to rate a power supplies quality. Corsair decided the quality. And saying one unit from the same OEM, even based on the same platform, is the same as another unit with some paint slapped on it is totally inaccurate. The components used, or flat out left out, can make a huge difference on how a units perform, even when they are based on the same platform made by the same OEM.
McSteelThey do feature APFC, else they wouldn't be legal in the EU. These PSUs would actually work even at 100V, but they wouldn't be able to deliver their full rated power, especially the 550 and 650W models. As for Corsair standards, the CX series use cheap Chinese and Taiwanese caps, and no better soldering nor cabling than CWT's exemplar DSAII models. VS series will use the GPA/GPB platform, and I doubt we'll be seeing much improvement over CWT's own rendition. One thing is certain, though, the VS series will have much better cabling and more connectors than Chieftec's version of the platform.
You're right, but my point was that Corsair decided the quality and what components that go into the unit, CWT has to abide to those standards. Corsair choose to put questionable caps in the CX series made by CWT, but great caps in the HX series by CWT, but that was Corsair's decision.
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#15
Ravenas
newtekie1So these don't have Active PFC then. I'll stick with the CX series unless these are really cheap.
$70 for a 650w from corsair isn't too bad.
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#16
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
Ravenas$70 for a 650w from corsair isn't too bad.
I think I'll have to see some reviews before I say that. Now the CX600 is €50, add €15 and you'll get the modular one, and that range is littered with decent, cheap units. Are these meant to replace the CX series or what? Becuase otherwise they make no sense.
Posted on Reply
#17
Ravenas
FrickI think I'll have to see some reviews before I say that. Now the CX600 is €50, add €15 and you'll get the modular one, and that range is littered with decent, cheap units. Are these meant to replace the CX series or what? Becuase otherwise they make no sense.
Agreed. However, for the most part I have seen very good products from corsair. Lets hope these PSUs follow suit.
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#18
agent00skid
Not saying that their efficiency is 80 plus levels, but I do believe that this type of power supplies are only tested at 115v from the 80 plus organisations, making certification for these impossible due to non-compliance with that voltage.
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#19
jitkilan
80+ efficiency without 80+ certification? :)
Posted on Reply
#21
TRWOV
jitkilan80+ efficiency without 80+ certification? :)
A unit doesn't need the 80+ label to actually have >80% efficiency. This just means that Corsair doesn't want to pay $X for having the 80+ label on these budget PSUs.
Posted on Reply
#22
de.das.dude
Pro Indian Modder
Oh i should mention that these are designed on the old system of having high amps on the 5V rail instead of the 12V rail :p
Posted on Reply
#23
Covert_Death
corsair is a company I trust for high end power supplies... IF i wanted low end / entry level i would do research from scratch to see who preforms best in the budget category because generally it's NOT the guys who do well in the performance / enthusiast level.

I wouldn't expect BMW to make a nice entry level car simply because the reason they are NOT budget cars is because of the extra mile they put into building a top of the line product. when you take that aspect away they don't know how to do entry level stuff as well because it's not their element.

companies that have been in the entry level market for a while KNOW from personal experience where to cut corners and where not to to give the customer a decent PSU
Posted on Reply
#24
LTUGamer
de.das.dudefirst fix your english if you want yourslef to be understood properly. no need to hurry.

second stop arguing.

what i think you are saying is CWT can make a PSU for Corsair and instead sell it to some other brand. this is not true.

Say for example you have a factory which makes balls but you dont have the necessary funding to gather raw materials transport yourself. so you instead make balls for "corsair". Now corsair wants their balls to be unique so they add their own design which is better and a bit more expensive too. Now if you think you can take THAT design and sell it to someone else, it wont work because:-
1. they wont necessarily understand the value and hence not pay what corsair is paying (unless its a chinese company looking forward to reverse engineering)

2. There will be a legal dispute.


I know this dude who wanted to start up an alll in one water cooler kit company. He got pumps from Corsairs OEM, but as soon as the OEM found out that he was going to use them to make products to rival Corsair, he had TO SHUT THE WHOLE FUCKING COMPANY DOWN!
Sorry for my bad English

Please read my previous post. It looks that platform isn't modified so it is same thing. Price difference isn't big enouth to gain serious improvements.

However this corsair haves no posibilities against Enermax Naxn and FSP Hexa
Posted on Reply
#25
McSteel
de.das.dudeOh i should mention that these are designed on the old system of having high amps on the 5V rail instead of the 12V rail :p
That's simply not true. The GPA/GPB series are meant to be a replacement/evolution for the PUFP/PUF series. The latter have proven to be a disaster, so they were rescinded by CWT, and GPA/B offered instead. There are still some PUF-based PSUs on the market, some of the lower-end Enermax NAXN and Chieftec Arena (ANP) series... Either way, it's a modern 12V-centric design, and not an old ATX 1.3 5V-heavy design.
jitkilan80+ efficiency without 80+ certification? :)
TRWOVA unit doesn't need the 80+ label to actually have >80% efficiency. This just means that Corsair doesn't want to pay $X for having the 80+ label on these budget PSUs.
It's not only that, Ecova Plugload Solutions (the certification company behind 80 Plus program) doesn't allow for 220V testing for 80+ compliance in consumer units. Only some server units are allowed to be tested at 220V, but they must also be capable of running at 110V. So even if Corsair wanted to pay for the 80+ badge, they wouldn't get it.
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