The Corsair HX620 Watt Modular Power Supply:

     Having chosen Noctua to provide all of our fan needs leaves only the power supply and motherboard fans left to address.  There are many passive cooled power supplies on the market like the Antec Phantom, but a performance build needs more power, and more power means more cooling.  When it comes to choosing a power supply based on today's high-end builds and near silent operation, there is only one power supply I recommend: Corsair's HX620 W Modular Power Supply.

     The HX620 has just about everything you could ask for in a power supply design;  Enough power for today's top builds, modular design, SLI support, an emphasis on high efficiency and low noise, and an industry leading 5-year warranty.

     You don't have to spend much time here at the Club to learn how much we hate power supply manufacturers that are afraid to print their power specifications on the box!  Corsair's packaging should be the standard others are measured against.  Every needed specification and feature is proudly displayed in  an easy to understand format.

     The power supply comes securely packed in a thick foam brick with the modular cables packed in their own nylon pouch.

     That's right, I said nylon pouch.  You have to love a company that includes a separate pouch to store your unneeded cabling.  The power supply also ships with the standard cable, black mounting screws, some zip ties, a Corsair case badge, and a User's Manual.

     The cabling includes the attached 20/24 pin lead, and support for both 4 pin and 8 pin motherboard power leads.  The modular cables include support for 10 x 12 V Molex devices (in 2 x 3 device runs and 2 x 2 device runs), 8 SATA devices ( 2 x 3 device runs and one with 2), and two PCI-E runs.  A set of "Y" adapters adds 2 floppy leads and 2 fan accessory leads by way of a set of 12 V Molex adapters. 

     All of the modular cables are sleeved in a black flexible coating that makes running the cables a breeze.  The cables are quite long reaching up to about 20 inches on the longer runs.  The cabling is nearly identical to the Flexforce cables found on the Ultra XVS.

Specifications:

• Supports the latest ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 standards and is backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.01 systems.
• Guaranteed compatibility with dual-GPU configurations.
• Double forward switching circuitry design offers high efficiency, up to 80% under wide load range.
• Active Power Factor Correction with PF value=0.99 provides clean and reliable power to your system.
• Universal AC input 90~264V automatically scans and detects the correct voltage. No more hassle of flipping that tiny red switch!
• Ultra quiet 120mm double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow at an exceptionally low noise level by varying the RPM in response to temperature.
• Guaranteed to deliver rated specifications at 50ºC.
• Triple 12V Rails provide independent reliable power to the CPU, video card and other components with a combined rating of 50A (40A on 520W) maximum! Advanced circuitry design that automatically enables power sharing between the triple +12V rails in an event of overload on any single +12V rail.
• Powerful +5Vsb rail with 3A rating.
• Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety for your critical system components.
• 105ºC rated industrial grade capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability, delivering 4 times the lifespan of conventional 85ºC rated capacitors.
• Enhanced modular flexible cables enable easier cable routing and increased airflow in the system.
• Gold Plated connectors provide oxide free ultra low-resistance contact between the power supply and your critical components.
• 8 Serial ATA connectors (4 on 520W).
• Dimension: 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) X 5.9"(L)
  150mm(W) x 86mm(H) x 150mm(L)
• MTBF: 100,000 Hours
• Safety Approvals: UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TÜV, CCC, C-tick.

     The HX620 provides a nice distribution of power that is aided by it's ability to actively share the power across the +12 V rails when needed.

Power ratings are only as good as the efficiency rating and the HX620 is one of the better we have tested.

     While the Corsair HX620 may look like the dream combination of performance and features (it is), the noise level is where this baby really stands out!  The HX620 is rated at about 35 dBA running at 100% load.  This is what makes the Corsair HX series so desirable in a silent PC build.