Introduction

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We would like to thank Corsair for supplying the review sample.

The digitally controlled AX860i and AX760i PSUs are made by Flextronics, but their counterparts that miss the "i" are made by Seasonic. They use a conventional design to achieve the best possible performance; that is, if you can call such a high-end platform conventional. The price margin between the AXi and AX units is definitely noticeable, but is not crazily high, so it is up to the user to decide whether spending a couple extra bucks to get the shiny new platform with the monitor/control software as a cherry on the pie is worth it, or whether picking the already proven Seasonic platform that may lack all the digital gismos, while fully exploiting the conventional control ICs to achieve record breaking performance, would be a better choice. This is indeed a hard dilemma, but we are pretty sure that things will be crystal clear with solid test data results being available by the end of this review.

The main difference of the new AX760 unit to its predecessor, besides the slight increase in capacity, is the efficiency upgrade that is now compliant with the requirements of the 80 Plus Platinum specification. Its other specifications are almost the same since the PSU utilizes a fully modular cabling design, goes fanless at lower loads, allowing for the lowest possible noise, and because it can deliver its maximum power output at up to 50°C ambient. The warranty period does, on top of that, remain the same at seven years; a really long period, especially for a PSU. Its long warranty is a clear indication that Corsair is pretty confident about this product. They see no problem whatsoever in fully supporting the AX760 for such a long period of time. You can be sure of the unit's reliability if you have Seasonic or Flextronics (since the AXi units enjoy the same warranty period) making PSUs for you, especially if you set some of the specifications while also taking an active part in its evaluation process.

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Specifications

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2">Corsair AX760 Features & Specs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. DC Output</th>
<td align="center">760W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">PFC</th>
<td align="center">Active PFC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Efficiency</th>
<td align="center">80 PLUS Platinum</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Operating temperature</th>
<td align="center">0°C - 50°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Protections</th>
<td align="center">Over Voltage Protection<br />
Under Voltage Protection<br />
Over Current Protection<br />
Over Power Protection<br />
Short Circuit Protection</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Cooling</th>
<td align="center">120 mm Double Ball-Bearing Fan (9S1212F404)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td align="center">150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 160 mm (D)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Weight</th>
<td align="center">2.1 kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Compliance</th>
<td align="center">ATX12V v2.31, EPS 2.92</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Warranty</th>
<td align="center">7 years</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Price at time of review (exc. VAT)</th>
<td align="center">$199.99</td>
</tr></table>

Efficiency has been upgraded to Platinum from the Gold efficiency badge previous AX units featured. The operating temperature range also remained the same with a high 50°C limit for continuous maximum power output. The protection features only include the basics; OTP is missing. The 120 mm fan is thermally controlled and doesn't spin up at all with lower loads in order to minimize output noise levels.

Corsair states that the PSU is ATX 2.31 compliant, but this cannot be true since it only has one +12V rail, and this specification demands at least two. However, this is not important and doesn't affect the PSU's overall performance one bit. Finally, the warranty is extra-long with seven years; the usual warranty period for all AX(i) units. Its price looks quite stiff, even for a 760 W Platinum PSU.

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="8">Corsair AX760<strong></strong> Power Specs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Rail</th>
<td align="center">3.3V</td>
<td align="center">5V</td>
<td align="center">12V</td>
<td align="center">5VSB</td>
<td align="center">-12V</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th rowspan="2" scope="row">Max. Power</th>
<td align="center">25A</td>
<td align="center">25A</td>
<td align="center">63A</td>
<td align="center">3A</td>
<td align="center">0.5A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">125W</td>
<td align="center">756W</td>
<td align="center">15W</td>
<td align="center">6W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Total Max. Power</th>
<td colspan="5" align="center">760W</td>
</tr></table>

The single +12V rail can almost deliver the full power of the unit, something that is very convenient since modern systems draw most of the power out of this rail. The minor rails are fairly strong with 125 W maximum combined power, but only a fraction of that is likely to be utilized in a contemporary high-end system. Finally, the 5VSB rail has enough juice with 3 A maximum current output.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2" align="center">Modular Cables</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">ATX connector (610mm)</th>
<td align="center">20+4 pin</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">4+4 pin EPS12V (650mm)</th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row"> 6+2 pin PCIe (600mm+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">4</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row"> 6+2 pin PCIe (750mm+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">SATA (400mm+100mm+100mm+100mm)</th>
<td align="center">8</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">SATA (540mm+100mm+100mm+100mm)</th>
<td align="center">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">4 pin Molex (450mm+100mm+100mm+100mm)</th>
<td align="center">8</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">FDD adapter (+100mm)</th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr></table>

The unit is equipped with a great number of cables/connectors, including six PCIe and two EPS connectors, and all of them are available at the same time. This is pretty awesome, especially for a 760 W PSU. The number of SATA and peripheral connectors will easily cover every need or system. Regarding cable length, all connectors are installed on pretty long cables and our only objection here is the small distance between the peripheral connectors. Finally, all cables are stealth so all their wires are black. They also share the same size of 18AWG, which is the minimum required by the ATX spec.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to comment on about its power distribution.

Packaging

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The face of the package is covered by a close shot of the unit's fan grill. As you can see, the non-digital controlled AX units feature a plain fan grill instead of the specially designed grills the AXi PSUs use. Corsair apparently wanted to distinguish between the AX and AXi units by adding a visual token to their AXi line-up.
The Platinum badge can be found on the bottom, right corner, and we can find a small list with the most crucial features of the unit, namely the fully modular design and its quiet operation, in the opposite corner of the box. The model number is given in a large white and red font, while the model description is highlighted through a red backdrop.

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Corsair provides a lot of information about the PSU on the back of the box. A list of all available cables/connectors and their length is given on top, and we find two tables with efficiency and fan-speed curves a little lower on the box. We were pretty amazed by the fan-speed graph according to which the fan only engages after the PSU reaches 70% load. Well, Corsair doesn't provide any information on the ambient under which the data for this graph was acquired. The ambient would, most likely, be close to a room's temperature (23°C). Finally, another interesting piece of information on this side of the box is the table that provides the rail's specifications.

Exterior

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The fresh AX760 features a nice grayish finish, but Corsair unfortunately opted not to integrate their new fan-grill design into these models. They probably meant to keep a couple optical highlights specific to their more expensive AXi units. At the front, the classic honeycomb mesh is used, and the small on/off rocker switch is installed right next to the AC receptacle. Two plain decals that illustrate the model's number can be found on both sides, while the modular PCB and a small switch are at the back of the unit. The switch toggles between two modes: semi-fanless, which causes the fan to spin after a specific load level and ambient temperature has been reached and normal mode, which causes the fan to spin constantly. Finally, the power specifications label is installed on the bottom of the unit.

A Look Inside & Component Analysis

Before reading this page, we strongly suggest a look at this article, which will help you understand the internal components of a PSU better.

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Like the older AX850 and AX750 PSUs, the fresh AX860 and AX760 are made by Seasonic. A ton of experience in this field, given that they have been around since 1976, makes them one of the best OEMs around. The new platform is significantly different to the older Golden efficiency one. The first time we came across this new platform was with the Seasonic SS-520FL PSU, which we reviewed a while ago. The primary side uses a full-bridge topology with an LLC converter for increased efficiency through loss-less switching, while synchronous rectification and two DC-DC converters, located on the modular PCB for decreased energy loses, are utilized on the secondary side.

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The first part of the transient filtering stage is housed on a small PCB right behind the AC receptacle. It is completely covered up by a metal shield for EMI suppression. Four Y caps, a CM choke, and a single X cap are there as well, and the main PCB holds two more CM chokes, two pairs of X and Y caps, and an MOV. An NTC thermistor has also been installed on this PCB; it protects against large inrush currents with the help of an electromagnetic relay. The standby Quasi-Resonant PWM Controller is located on the right of the relay and is an ICE2QR4765 IC.

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The two parallel bridge rectifiers are two GBJ1506. They are quite powerful for this unit since each one can handle up to 15 A of current for a combined maximum of 30 A.

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Two Infineon IPP60R199CP fets and a Cree C3D06060 boost diode are used in the APFC circuit. The two parallel hold-up caps are provided by Nippon Chemi-Con (400 V; 330 μF each or 660 μF combined; 105°C; KMR series).

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This small PCB houses the PFC controller, an NPC1654 IC.

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The main switchers are four Infineon IPP50R250CPs that are arranged into a full-bridge topology. Along with them, an LLC resonant converter is utilized to provide a significant efficiency boost.

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All +12V fets and the LLC resonant controller, a Champion CM6901 IC, are installed on a vertical PCB located on the secondary side. As you can see, two heatsinks handle the cooling of the +12V fets and a thermistor is attached on top of one to, most likely, provide information to the fan-speed circuit. Finally, a series of Enesol polymer caps and several Nippon Chemi-Con electrolytic caps (105°C, KZE series) filter the +12V rail.

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The DC-DC converters are installed directly onto the modular PCB in order to minimize energy losses from power transfers to the modular sockets through wires. Both are controlled by an APW7159 PWM controller and each one uses three Infineon BSC0906NS fets. Many Enesol polymer caps are soldered onto the front for extra ripple-filtering purposes.

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The supervisor IC, a Weltrend WT7527, can be found on this vertical PCB along with an LM393 dual-voltage comparator. The WT7527 supports OCP for up to two +12V virtual rails, but only one exists in this PSU.

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Soldering quality on the main PCB is very good and all component leads are, to our delight, carefully trimmed.

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The cooling fan (San Ace 120) is of high quality and is provided by Sanyo Denki. It uses double ball-bearings and its model number is 9S1212F404 (12 V, 0.19 A, 2.200 RPM, 70.6 CFM). Exactly the same fan was used on the previous AX750 and AX850 models, and there was no reason for a change since it did its job very well.

Test Setup

All measurements were performed using two Chroma 6314A mainframes equipped with the following electronic loads: six 63123A [350 W each], one 63102A [100 W x2], and one 63101A [200 W]. The aforementioned equipment is able to deliver 2500 W of load, and all loads are controlled by a custom-made software. We also used a Picoscope 3424 oscilloscope, a Picotech TC-08 thermocouple data logger, a Fluke 175 multimeter, and a Yokogawa WT210 power meter. We also included a wooden box, which, along with some heating elements, was used as a hot box. Finally, we had at our disposal four more oscilloscopes (Rigol 1052E and VS5042, Stingray DS1M12, a second Picoscope 3424) and a CEM DT-8852 sound level meter. In this article, you will find more details about our equipment and the review methodology we follow. Finally, we conduct all of our tests at 40 - 45°C ambient in order to simulate with higher accuracy the environment seen inside a typical system, with 40 - 45°C being derived from a standard ambient assumption of 23°C and 17 - 22°C being added for the typical temperature rise within a system.

Primary Rails Voltage Regulation

The following charts show the voltage values of the main rails, recorded over a range from 60W to the maximum specified load, and the deviation (in percent) for the same load range.

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5VSB Regulation

The following chart shows how the 5VSB rail deals with the load we throw at it.
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Hold-up Time

The hold-up time is a very important characteristic of a PSU and represents the amount of time, usually measured in milliseconds, that a PSU can maintain output regulations, as defined by the ATX spec, without input power. In other words, it is the amount of time that the system can continue to run without shutting down or rebooting during a power interruption. The ATX spec sets the minimum hold-up time to 16 ms at maximum continuous output load. In the following screenshot, the blue line is the mains signal and the yellow line is the "Power Good" signal. The latter is de-asserted to a low state when any of the +12V, 5V, or 3.3V output voltages fall below the undervoltage threshold, or after the mains power has been removed for a sufficiently long time to guarantee that the PSU cannot operate anymore.

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The hold-up time is way above the minimum allowed time with 19.8 ms, and the AX760 easily takes the first place in the above graph.

Inrush Current

Inrush current or switch-on surge refers to the maximum, instantaneous input-current drawn by an electrical device when first turned on. Because of the charging current of the APFC capacitor(s), PSUs produce large inrush-current right as they are turned on. Large inrush current can cause the tripping of circuit breakers and fuses and may also damage switches or relays; as a result, the lower the inrush current of a PSU right as they are turned on, the better.

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The AX760 registered significantly higher inrush current than its AX760i cousin, but 37.52 A won't cause any long term issues since inrush current under 40 A is restricted.

Voltage Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests revealed the stability of the voltage rails and the efficiency of the AX760. The applied load was equal to (approximately) 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%, 100% and 110% of the maximum load that the PSU can handle. In addition, we conducted two more tests. In the first test, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load while the load at +12V was only 2 A, and, in the second test, we dialed the maximum load that the +12V rail could handle while the load on the minor rails was minimal.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="10" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Voltage Regulation & Efficiency Testing Data <br/>
Corsair AX760</th>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#dddddd">
<td width="115" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power<br />
(DC/AC)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Efficiency</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Fan Speed</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Temp<br />
(In/Out)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC <br>
Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>20% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.751A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.981A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.974A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.984A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">151.72W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">92.59%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 49.87°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.920</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.107V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.033V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.341V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.075V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">163.86W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 39.71°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>40% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">21.884A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.968A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.952A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.186A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">303.68W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">93.67%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 51.33°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.966</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.088V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.029V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.338V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.058V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">324.21W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 40.48°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>50% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">27.344A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.966A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.943A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.584A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">379.67W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">93.47%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">864 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 41.47°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.974</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.077V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.026V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.336V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.043V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">406.21W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 48.52°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>60% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">32.803A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.967A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.935A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.985A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">455.55W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">93.24%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1760 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 42.43°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.980</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.066V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.024V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.334V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.028V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">488.57W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 50.49°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>80% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">43.927A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.960A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.924A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.395A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">607.43W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">92.60%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1940 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 43.26°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.985</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.045V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.020V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.330V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.004V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">656.00W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 52.15°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>100% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">55.690A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.967A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.923A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.010A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">759.34W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">91.85%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1970 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 44.86°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.987</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.025V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.017V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.328V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.978V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">826.70W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 54.56°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>110% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">62.048A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.970A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.929A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.014A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">835.24W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">91.59%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1980 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 44.96°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.987</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.016V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.015V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.326V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.973V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">911.90W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 55.73°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.966A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.004A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.005A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.502A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">151.71W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">86.74%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1655 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 43.74°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.926</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.099V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.023V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.333V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.072V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">174.90W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 50.08°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.1V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">62.965A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.003A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.002A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">770.75W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">92.47%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1970 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 44.93°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.987</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.028V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.021V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.334V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.036V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">833.55W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 55.29°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.8V</td>
</tr></table>

Efficiency is out of this world and Seasonic managed to prove that they can match the performance of the AX760i without digital control. The PSU performed amazingly well at the high ambient we conducted all of the above tests in. Voltage regulation on the +12V rail was very good, although it cannot compete its AX760i cousin, but the AX760 did take the lead on the minor rails! Also, the fan did not spin up at all until a 40% load was reached and that with the high ambient inside the hotbox. The fan spun at low RPM with a 50% load, and increased its speed dramatically, leading to high noise output, at loads above 50%.

Efficiency

Using the efficiency results from the previous page, we plotted a chart showing efficiency of the AX760 at low loads and at loads equal to 20-110% of the PSU's maximum rated load.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...efficiency.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._low_loads.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...rmal_loads.gif

For a discussion of these results, see the text at the end of the previous page.

Efficiency at Low Loads

In the next tests, we measured the efficiency of the AX760 at loads much lower than 20% of its maximum rated load (the lowest load that the 80 Plus Standard measures). The loads that we dialed were 40, 60, 80, and 100 W (for PSUs with over 500 W of capacity). This is important for settings where the PC is in idle mode with power saving turned on.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="9" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Efficiency at Low Loads <br/>
Corsair AX760</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test #</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 VSB</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power<br />
(DC/AC)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Efficiency</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Fan Speed</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC <br>
Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.830A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.981A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.973A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.196A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">39.74W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">84.02%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.722</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.117V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.034V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.342V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.100V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">47.30W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.399A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.980A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.973A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.390A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">59.73W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">87.86%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.792</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.116V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.034V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.342V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.095V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">67.98W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.967A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.980A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.973A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.585A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">79.71W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">89.78%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.835</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.114V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.034V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.341V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.090V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">88.78W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>4</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.536A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.982A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.973A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.785A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">99.73W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.97%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.867</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.113V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.034V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.341V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.083V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">109.63W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
</table>

The AX760 plays in its own field at such low loads; it simply destroys the competition. With a 40 W load, the PSU registers a stunning 84% reading only to reach 91% at 100 W! These efficiency readings are simply outstanding, which proves that this unit can combine the best of all worlds – high efficiency at low, normal, and high loads.

5VSB Efficiency

The ATX spec states that the 5VSB standby supply's efficiency should be as high as possible and recommends 50% or higher efficiency with 100 mA of load, 60% or higher with 250 mA of load, and 70% or higher with 1 A or more of load.
We will take four measurements: one each at 100, 250, and 1000 mA, and one with the full load that the 5VSB rail can handle.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> 5VSB Efficiency<br/>
Corsair AX760</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test #</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power (DC/AC)</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Efficiency</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.102A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.52W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">69.33%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.043</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.111V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.75W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.3V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.252A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.29W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">76.79%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.094</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.107V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1.68W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.4V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.002A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.10W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">79.81%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.262</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.089V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">6.39W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.4V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>4</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.002A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.14W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">80.88%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.387</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.042V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">18.72W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.2V</td>
</tr>
</table>

The 5VSB circuit performed well since it easily surpassed the minimum allowed efficiency levels that the ATX spec specifies on all tests. Also, the unit fairly easily broke the 80% mark with a full load, which is noteworthy for this rail.

Power Consumption in Idle & Standby

In the table below, you will find the power consumption and the voltage values of all rails (except -12V) when the PSU is in idle mode (powered on but without any load on its rails) and the power consumption when the PSU is in standby mode (without any load at 5VSB).

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="7" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Idle / Standby <br/>
Corsair AX760</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Mode</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="85" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power (AC)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Idle</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.123V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.036V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.343V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.111V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.28W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.231</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" colspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Standby</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.18W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.011</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">230.3V</td>
</tr>
</table>

Vampire power is very low. The unit easily meets the ErP Lot 6 2013 requirements. More and more units are, lately, ErP Lot 6 compliant because of the advanced standby PWM controllers they utilize.

Fan RPM, Delta Temperature and Output Noise

The cooling fan's speed (RPMs) and the delta difference between input and output temperature are illustrated in the following chart. The following results were obtained at 40°C - 45°C ambient.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C.../fan_speed.jpg

A chart showing the cooling fan's speed (RPMs) and its output noise follows. We measure the fan's noise from a distance of 1 meter; the background noise in our lab was close to 30 dBA during testing.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C.../fan_noise.jpg

Cross Load Tests

For the generation of the following charts, we set our loaders to auto mode through our custom-made software before trying over a thousand possible load combinations with the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails. The voltage regulation deviations in each of the charts below were calculated by taking the nominal values of the rails (12V, 5V, and 3.3V) as point zero. We should note here that we only run this test with PSUs that have a capacity equal to or lower than 1000 W since it takes a long time and because its completion time increases exponentially as a unit's capacity increases.

+12V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ges/CL_12V.jpg

5V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ages/CL_5V.jpg

3.3V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ges/CL_33V.jpg

Efficiency Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...efficiency.jpg

+12V Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ipple_12V1.jpg

5V Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._ripple_5V.jpg

3.3V Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ripple_33V.jpg

5VSB Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ipple_5VSB.jpg

Advanced Transient Response Tests

In these tests, we monitor the response of the PSU in two different scenarios. First, a transient load (10 A at +12V, 5 A at 5V, 5 A at 3.3V, and 0.5 A at 5VSB) is applied to the PSU for 200 ms while the latter is working at a 20% load state. In the second scenario, the PSU, while working at 50% load, is hit by the same transient load. In both tests, we measure the voltage drops that the transient load causes using our oscilloscope. The voltages should remain within the regulation limits defined by the ATX specification. We must stress that the above tests are crucial since they simulate transient loads that a PSU is very likely to handle (e.g., booting a RAID array, an instant 100% load of CPU/VGAs, etc.) We call these tests "Advanced Transient Response Tests", and they are designed to be very tough to master, especially for PSUs with capacities lower than 500 W.

<div style="float:left">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ansient_20.gif</div><div style="float:left"><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Advanced Transient Response 20%</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Voltage</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Before</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>After</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Change</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Pass/Fail</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.106V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.032V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.61%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.032V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.954V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.55%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.342V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.217V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.74%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.077V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.051V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.51%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
</table></div><div style="clear:both"></div>

<div style="float:left">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...ansient_50.gif</div><div style="float:left"></div><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
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<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Advanced Transient Response 50%</th>
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<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Voltage</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Before</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>After</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Change</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Pass/Fail</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.076V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.003V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.60%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.025V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.975V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.00%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.336V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.209V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.81%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.044V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.009V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.69%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
</table><div style="clear:both"></div>

The deviations of the +12V rail, which is the most important rail of all, are minimal on both tests. The 5V and 5VSB rails also registered low voltage drops. The 3.3V rail registered the highest deviations, but it still managed to keep its voltage above 3.2 V on all tests.

Below, you will find the oscilloscope screenshots that we took during Advanced Transient Response Testing.

Transient Response at 20% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_20_small.jpg

Transient Response at 50% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...n_50_small.jpg

Turn-On Transient Tests

We measure the response of the PSU in simpler scenarios of transient loads – during the power-on phase of the PSU – in the next set of tests. In the first test, we turn the PSU off, dial the maximum current that the 5VSB can output, and then switch on the PSU. In the second test, we dial the maximum load that +12V can handle and we start the PSU, all while the PSU is in standby mode. In the last test, while the PSU is completely switched off (we cut off power or switch off the PSU's on/off switch), we dial the maximum load that the +12V rail can handle before switching the PSU on from the loader and restoring power. The ATX specification states that recorded spikes on all rails should not exceed 10% of their nominal values (e.g., +10% for 12V is 13.2V and for 5V is 5.5V).

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...5vsb_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._stb_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._off_small.jpg
Voltage overshoot is minimal at 5VSB, but we noticed a couple weird spikes that occurred after the voltage settled down during the other two tests. Spikes during turn on are normally registered before voltages stabilize to their nominal levels, but the behavior was totally different in this case. Also, the last test registered a small dive at around 4V before the slope followed a rising path. The slope should ideally ramp up smoothly and continuously.

Ripple Measurements

You will see the ripple levels that we measured on the main rails of the AX760 in the following table. The limits are, according to the ATX specification, 120 mV (+12V) and 50 mV (5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB).

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
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<th colspan="6" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Ripple Measurements<br/>
Corsair AX760</th>
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<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Pass/Fail</strong></td>
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<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>20% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.1 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.9 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>40% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">17.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">9.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">6.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>50% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">17.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">9.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>60% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">19.1 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.9 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">9.9 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">7.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>80% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">21.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">13.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>100% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">25.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">14.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">8.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>110% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">27.9 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.9 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">9.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">16.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">14.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">8.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">25.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">13.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
</table>

Ripple suppression is simply amazing on all rails. This PSU proudly carries on Seasonic's tradition of being ripple-proof. Even with 110% load, ripple at +12V does not exceed one fourth of the limit. Nearly the same applies to the minor rails. Imagine the potential of this platform with digital control!

Ripple at Full Load

In the following oscilloscope screenshots, you can see the AC ripple and noise that the main rails registered (+12V, 5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB). The bigger the fluctuations on the oscilloscope's screen, the bigger the ripple/noise. For all measurements, we set 0.01 V/Div (each vertical division/box equals to 0.01 V) as standard.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg

Ripple at 110% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...load_small.jpg

Ripple at Crossload 1

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl1_small.jpg

Ripple at Crossload 2

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C..._cl2_small.jpg

Performance Rating

The following graph shows the total performance rating of the PSU in comparison to other units we have tested before. To be more specific, the tested unit is shown as 100% and all other units' performance is relative to it. If you want to know the exact method that we use to calculate the performance rating of each PSU, read this article.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...mages/perf.gif

Performance per Dollar

For most of you, the following graph is the most interesting since it shows the performance per dollar of the PSU that you may consider buying. We looked up the current USD price of each PSU on the popular online shop Newegg and used it, along with the relative performance numbers, to calculate the Performance-per-Dollar index. If Newegg didn't have a stock of a specific unit, we searched for it at other popular online shops (e.g., TigerDirect, Amazon) and, finally, if the unit was not sold in the USA, we searched for the product at popular EU shops (e.g., Caseking) and then, if found, converted its price to USD (w/o VAT). Note that all numbers in the following graph are normalized by the rated power of each PSU.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/C...perfdollar.gif

Value and Conclusion

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<td>

The Corsair AX760 retails for $199.99

</td><br>
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<td>

Delivered full power at 45°C
Excellent voltage regulation
Terrific ripple suppression
Highly efficient even at lower loads
Semi-fanless operation
Silent operation at lower loads
Fully modular
Only uses Japanese caps
Seven-year warranty

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Stiff price

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<tr>
<th>9.5</th>
<td>The "plain" AX760 proved to be a direct competitor of the digital AX760i since it performed equally well and it even managed to surpass its cousin in some areas (e.g. efficiency at lower loads). Seasonic managed to deliver another amazing platform to Corsair, and keeping both models (AX760 and AX 760i) under the same series name was a wise choice. The AX760 looks like an ideal choice for those that want to save some money; that is, if there is no interested in the functionality that the Corsair Link software provides to the AXi model. The AX760 is currently one of the best PSUs in its category with very tight voltage regulation on all rails, excellent efficiency, and ultra-low ripple, and it does pack a couple really interesting features, like its fully modular cabling design and the fanless operation at lower loads. Also, you can toggle between normal and hybrid fan operation through a small switch on the rear of the PSU. After-all, the fan is thermally controlled and its relaxed fan profile will keep noise output very low in most cases. Finally, the seven-year warranty and Corsair's support should really put a user's mind at ease for a while. <br/><br/>To sum up, the AX760 is a no brainer if you don't want many bells and whistles (aka digital control), but do want the best that money can buy in this category. You will invest a serious amount of money, that is for sure, but you will enjoy Corsair's support for seven years while your system is being fed by ultra-clean and stable DC outputs. As I stated many times in the past, the purchase of a PSU is an investment, so better take it very seriously. A good PSU will accompany you for many many years and will actually protect your system in case something goes horribly wrong. </td></tr>
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