Corsair HX520W Review

Testing:

For more information on our testing system, please browse our testing methodology.

Electrical Safety:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electrical Safety Test Class 1
Manufacturer/Model	Pass/Fail
Corsair HX520W	Pass

 

Short Circuit Protection:

I short circuited the 3V3, 5V0 and all four 12V lines in turn. The power supply did shut down, and once the short was removed and the unit switched off for at least one second, resumed normal operation. Although listed here at the beginning of the testing section, I tend to leave this test until the very end, in case it doesn't quite go to plan.

DC Output Voltage Load Regulation

Testing @ 110VAC:

 

 

110VAC - Total Load at 140W which is 27% of Rated Maximum Output Power.
PSU DC Line	Measured Voltage(V)	Measured Current (A)	Load Power (W)	ATX12V V Limits (V)	Pass/Fail
+3V3	3.39	3.13	10.61	3.135 – 3.465	Pass
+5V0	4.98	4.57	22.76	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
+12V0(1)	12.06	2.55	30.75	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(2)	12.02	2.54	30.53	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(3)	12.05	2.53	30.47	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
-12V0	11.81	0.35	4.13	10.8 – 13.2	Pass
+5VSB	4.84	2.14	10.36	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
Total Power Supply Loading			140W

 

110VAC - Total Load at 334W which is 64% of Rated Maximum Output Power.
PSU DC Line	Measured Voltage(V)	Measured Current (A)	Load Power (W)	ATX12V V Limits (V)	Pass/Fail
+3V3	3.39	3.15	10.68	3.135 – 3.465	Pass
+5V0	4.94	4.59	22.67	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
+12V0(1)	12.02	8.02	96.40	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(2)	11.88	7.94	94.33	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(3)	11.95	8.00	95.60	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
-12V0	12.08	0.36	4.35	10.8 – 13.2	Pass
+5VSB	4.84	2.14	10.36	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
Total Power Supply Loading			334W

 

110VAC - Total Load at 506W which is 97% of Rated Maximum Output Power.
PSU DC Line	Measured Voltage(V)	Measured Current (A)	Load Power (W)	ATX12V V Limits (V)	Pass/Fail
+3V3	3.40	7.95	27.03	3.135 – 3.465	Pass
+5V0	4.85	13.33	64.65	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
+12V0(1)	12.00	11.32	135.84	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(2)	11.78	11.07	130.40	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(3)	11.90	11.21	133.40	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
-12V0	12.23	0.37	4.53	10.8 – 13.2	Pass
+5VSB	4.83	2.14	10.34	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
Total Power Supply Loading			506W

 

Testing @ 240VAC:

 

 

230VAC - Total Load at 140W which is 27% of Rated Maximum Output Power.
PSU DC Line	Measured Voltage(V)	Measured Current (A)	Load Power (W)	ATX12V V Limits (V)	Pass/Fail
+3V3	3.39	3.11	10.54	3.135 – 3.465	Pass
+5V0	4.95	4.56	22.57	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
+12V0(1)	12.06	2.55	30.75	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(2)	12.02	2.55	30.65	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(3)	12.04	2.54	30.58	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
-12V0	11.81	0.35	4.13	10.8 – 13.2	Pass
+5VSB	4.94	2.14	10.57	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
Total Power Supply Loading			140W

 

230VAC - Total Load at 333W which is 64% of Rated Maximum Output Power.
PSU DC Line	Measured Voltage(V)	Measured Current (A)	Load Power (W)	ATX12V V Limits (V)	Pass/Fail
+3V3	3.39	3.15	10.68	3.135 – 3.465	Pass
+5V0	4.95	4.59	22.72	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
+12V0(1)	12.02	7.99	96.04	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(2)	11.88	7.93	94.21	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(3)	11.96	7.99	95.56	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
-12V0	12.08	0.36	4.35	10.8 – 13.2	Pass
+5VSB	4.84	2.14	10.36	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
Total Power Supply Loading			333W

 

230VAC - Total Load at 506W which is 97% of Rated Maximum Output Power.
PSU DC Line	Measured Voltage(V)	Measured Current (A)	Load Power (W)	ATX12V V Limits (V)	Pass/Fail
+3V3	3.40	7.97	27.10	3.135 – 3.465	Pass
+5V0	4.85	13.34	64.70	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
+12V0(1)	11.90	11.33	134.83	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(2)	11.79	11.09	130.75	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
+12V0(3)	11.90	11.23	133.64	11.4 – 12.6	Pass
-12V0	12.23	0.37	4.52	10.8 – 13.2	Pass
+5VSB	4.83	2.14	10.34	4.75 – 5.25	Pass
Total Power Supply Loading			506W

 

If you are still awake at this point you will notice that the 12V0(2) is at a consistently lower voltage than the other two 12V0 rails at higher loading. This can be easily explained. The 12V0(1) was measured and loaded using the eight conductor EPX12V connector (four for the 12V and four for the 0V), the 12V0(3) using a three conductor PCI-E (three for the 12V and three for the 0V) and the 12V0(2) using a four conductor Molex cable (one for the 12V, one for the 5V and two for the 0v).  The one conductor Molex is at an obvious disadvantage here and is going to drop considerably more voltage than the other two, especially when 8 or 11 amps is flowing down the single 12V conductor. This isn't a problem as the only load on the Molex connectors is very likely going to be hard disk drives and optical drives of one type or another, that pull, relatively speaking, very little current. No problems here. Let's move on.