![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Wednesday, March 14, 2007
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Corsair HX620 620w Power Supply
What happens when you put Corsair’s 620w power supply in an oven as hot as your computer case and then see how it works? If you are looking for a new PSU, put Corsair's on your short list.
Build Quality
Outside
As we already know the HX620W features a single 120mm fan design that has come to be the preferred standard for quiet cooling environments due to the ability to move a larger volume of air at slower speeds than a smaller diameter fan. While great for quiet computing environments the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient, not necessary it’s sound level or form factor.
The fan is encased in a flat black almost industrial looking enclosure that is pretty resistant to damage, unlike the mirrored finishes preferred by many companies. The cables are all flat ribbon style cables first popularized by Ultra in their FlexForce cables. While these kinds of cables look good, the biggest advantage to the design from our perspective is the ability to route the cables more easily to avoid obstructing air flow, especially when coupled with a modular design such as the one employed in the HX620W.
The main ATX 20+4pin cable, the 8 pin EPS cable and the 4 pin 12v AUX cable are all fixed on this unit and come sleeved in black mesh. These three measure ~22inches (~559mm) when stretched tight, however you will most likely not want to pull them that tight so expect about a serviceable length of ~20 inches (~508mm). The remaining cables are all modular and Corsair gives their lengths as follows:
- 2x31.5in (800mm) 4-pin Molex
- 2x17.71in (450mm) Molex
- 2x21.65in (550mm) 6pin PCI Express
- 2x31.5in (800mm) SATA
- 1x25.59in (650mm) SATA
All in all the HX620W is a very functional design that looks good if you like the industrial look.
Inside
Once we remove the bottom of the power supply, by releasing the 4 screws securing it, the first thing we notice are some rather distinctive looking Seasonic heatsinks. The unique structuring of these heatsinks provides excellent surface area for heat dissipation and are signature Seasonic. The large remaining element of the cooling scheme in the HX620W is the single large 120mm ADDA fan, which is rated at 0.37A at 12v and is capable of moving 85.2 cfm.
The single large capacitor in the center of the HX620W is the primary supplied by Nippon Chemicon. It is a 470uF 400v capacitor rated at 105c. This stands in contrast to other reviews of this power supply that have found Hitachi primaries and Nippon Chemicon secondaries. Our unit appears to be an all around Nippon Chemicon affair. The use of Hitachi capacitors versus Nippon Chemicon for the primary is not one which will greatly affect performance as both are respectable brands and Hitachi primaries may return as inventories dictate. All around the build quality and component selection is looking solid so far.
Also, on the secondary side we see our solder points for our three 12v “rails.” However, as has been demonstrated by others and confirmed by Corsair, this unit is not actually a three rail unit per se as the Over-Current Protection (OCP) is not set on the rails to limit them to 18A as advertised. We will also empirically demonstrate this later during our testing. Here we can also see that the cables are well bundled and they are protected from sharp edges as they exit the casing by a hard plastic guard.
The HX620W’s build quality is quite impressive. Corsair has done well in picking their OEM with this Seasonic design.