Darn! My HX650 developed issues.

I'm mostly posting out of frustration, the power supply I purchased in Sept 2014 was great for several months however a few weeks ago it started to show signs of a potential issue with it's fan / Zero RPM mode.

 

The fan constantly spins up and spins down while at Idle, it's drawing 60W of power or less at most based on my UPS's readings and it's only spinning up for what I estimate is 5s at a time causing an extremely annoying revving sound as it spins up and stopping as it reaches the desired RPM and then turning off. An Express RMA is currently in process (Ticket #6570038) to get this unit replaced. If I put the unit under any amount of decent load with stress tests the fan spins with absolutely no issue and stays spinning without producing the noise. It's only at idle or low power usage scenarios that it causes this issue. Ambient temperature is around 20c - 25c and it has it's own dedicated cooling fan spinning at it to provide cooling to the surfaces of the unit. I took the power supply out of my PC and ran it in a fresh open air environment next to a fan and it still produced the same fan issues that I noted above.

 

Someone else on another forum had this same issue, he recorded a video which demonstrates what my issues are very clearly. You can view it HERE.

 

I really enjoy all of my Corsair products (Keyboard, Mice, Power Supplies, RAM, Coolers, etc). I'm hoping that this is an issue with my batch of HX650's if it isn't I'll probably never buy a Corsair power supply again or stay away from the Zero RPM models should they offer a choice as I hadn't had this issue with my other power supplies and I purchased this specifically for the Zero RPM mode producing less noise which currently it's doing but very poorly. The other issue is that some days this unit will function correctly and without issue for extended periods of time and then present the issue I have outlined above for several hours only to stop suddenly and without reason (no change in voltage, PC usage, etc) that would otherwise cause it to normally turn it's fans on or off.

 

More specifically the issue only ever seems to happen under 100W of usage but above 100W it never seems to happen.

Just out of curiosity what do I need to include with my RMA? Is it just the power supply and the three invoices from the pre-paid shipping label or do I also need to include all of the accessories like the power cable, bag and modular cables? I am in the process of recording my own video of this for my records. I'll update this topic with the details when it's finished. It will include a view of my UPS' power ratings which is also going to include the 20w voltage from both of my monitors which makes it around 55 - 65w of idle power plus whatever else is needed for efficiency.

You would need proof of purchase and yes Rma would include the cables...

You would need proof of purchase and yes Rma would include the cables...

 

I've read reports around the internet stating that you don't need to send anything back but the unit itself. As for proof of purchase I submitted that as a PDF with my original RMA request so I'm unsure if I also need to include a printed copy.

As an update to this here is a video I just made showing the issue I am experiencing with my product. It only does this during idle, it doesn't happen any time I put actual load on my power supply (40% or more) and the ambient temperature around it is freezing as I have my window opened near it and it's -15c out.

 

Key times to watch are

 

18s - 31s

55s - 1:07

1:30 - 1:42

2:05 - 2:17

 

This issue doesn't stop after I ended the video, it's still going and it's been doing this for a week or longer now at this point. At 1:13 in the video you can see a picture of my UPS which shows the wattage being drawn by my PC and two LED monitors, the monitors pull between 20 - 23W each as such their wattage pull should be deducted from the total for around 60 give or take whatever is required for the efficiency.

 

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I've read reports around the internet stating that you don't need to send anything back but the unit itself. As for proof of purchase I submitted that as a PDF with my original RMA request so I'm unsure if I also need to include a printed copy.

 

Its everything unless you do an advanced Rma where the replacement is sent first,then you can send the new cables back with the defect item...

I'm doing an advanced RMA, you answered my question. :)

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, Jonny. The Lot # is 14077002, I'm swapping it out with the new model tomorrow which is scheduled for delivery from my Express RMA.

Ok. 1407 is February 2014, so it's not that old. I was more curious than anything.

 

Correct, it's rather new and I bought it based on reviews of other HX series and also due to it being based on a Seasonic OEM. I wish I didn't have issues because this power supply works absolutely flawlessly 95% of the time. It's only at IDLE that the fan begins to have issues with spinning up and spinning down which was reported by other people. If I didn't invest hundreds into making my PC as silent as possible I'd have no issue keeping this but the noise produced by it is louder than everything in my room (including a Mini Fridge). If the replacement has the same issue I'll either keep it and re-sell it to someone and then upgrade to a Seasonic X650 or Corsair AX760 or simply live with the idle noise by dropping a louder cooler in my build.

 

Replacement comes tomorrow! :)

I installed the new power supply and the issue has gone away, it is once again not spinning the fan up at idle temperatures / operating voltages. The Lot # for the replacement PSU is 14207004 if that matters to anyone. As an update to this the new unit I received has coil whine which isn't enough to bother me and make me return it as it's only present during Prime95 & FurMark (both running at the same time).

 

Second edit, scratch that this power supply has a noticeable electrical screech that I am not used to yet. It's not too bad, I'll probably keep this power supply until I get my tax return and then I'll buy something else and reuse this for a server build as it's not as silent as I desire for my main desktop but well within the normal expectations for what I assume most people would tolerate or hear at all of they have noisier fans. I'm not too thrilled but it's an acceptable replacement for now until I have to buy another one and resell this or return this and upgrade to something else like an AX760 or other model that is hopefully not going to have these issues.

Ignore my dog grunting while laying down at the start of this video, would someone at corsair be able to confirm that the replacement power supply I got is once again not functioning correctly. You can hear the electrical squeal which sounds like Coil Whine when it's at all load levels on my PC. This is inside of my computer so some of the fans are a bit loud but it's definitely noticeably louder than every other piece of my system, the unit I returned didn't have this issue it simply had an issue with the fan spinning up and spinning down repeatedly.

 

If this unit is also fault it's going to kill me to once again get my money held by Corsair to have a unit cross-shipped to me. It doesn't make a difference if I overclock, disable or enable c-states and power saving features, have the power supply facing up or down or plugged into the wall directly bypassing my UPS and it happens at idle and all the way up to 300w of load as you can see in this video.

 

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I'm in the process of creating a ticket now, I asked if they would be able to upgrade me to a AX860i, AX760i, 750i, 850i, 1000i or 1200i if I paid the difference because I believe these would be less likely to have issues. In all honesty I'm kind of disappointed with this product now which is a let down because all of my other corsair products have worked flawlessly since purchase. It's weird though because the issue happens randomly, it did it for several hours, after filming it stopped for about 25 minutes and then it started again all while at Idle. (In the video I purposely put stress on the PSU to demonstrate the issue at different load levels)

 

It's kind of disappointing to deal with these issues. If anyone at Corsair feels like looking into my tickets for whatever reason the original RMA is under Ticket 6570038 and the new ticket I've created is Ticket 6574081. If the unit that I have now is determined to not be defective I may need to resell it or return it to Corsair and simply buy something from another retailer to avoid the long shipping times from California to Ontario, Canada.

I'm willing to do either to be honest, the only thing I'm unwilling to do is downgrade and I'm willing to stay at the same level (HX650) but given the history with the two units I've received I doubt if they want to risk a third return, this is two difference issues with two different models that both seem to be from different lots. I'm guessing the RM series is also another possibility, I hadn't looked into those before the only difference seems to be the warranty length, capacitors, 135MM fan and it being fully modular with a lower temperature rating as well as the manufacturer being CWT or CPT.

 

I believe going with something that isn't Seasonic is probably a better idea to avoid any issues that may be linked to the specific HX650W US model I've been receiving, In the end I tried to give Corsair as many reasonable options as possible with the added bonus of an offer to pay the difference if they for whatever reason upgrade me to something that is a significant leap up due to lack of stock. Part of me is just offering that because I've been so happy with every other Corsair product I've owned and it's not like they are intentionally sending me these products with various faults.

 

The only downside for me regardless of the outcome is the lost time due to walking over to the UPS store, staying home all day waiting for the delivery from UPS and dealing with the hold of funds on my credit card (which was an actual purchase which probably wont end up refunded until late in January). I'm going to sleep now, I doubt anyone from Corsair will read this over the weekend but I'll check back to see if any further discussion is happening.

And now it's stopped making the noise completely again.

You can hope it stays that way, but it's not likely. The reason why these components make these noises is because you have parts inside that are wound up. Coils and transformers that are wound copper. Capacitors that are wound polymer film. They're supposed to vibrate, but typically at inaudible frequencies. If not wound properly, they can vibrate at an audible level and that's when you get humming, buzzing, whining, etc.

 

It's 10:04 now (12 hours later) and it's still not doing it so I closed my ticket, It's been a pleasure interacting with you Jonnyguru - If you are the same one that runs the PSU site I am a fan of your reviews. I hope everything works out with this unit, if not I may look to these forums or your forums for recommendations for some PSU's. :) For those who may have the issue I had with my second unit I unplugged my various audio connections in the back of the motherboard as I was hearing static with my speakers and headset after switching to the replacement HX650, I'm unsure if this is what fixed the whining noise or if it simply fixed itself after being run overnight but either way I hope your issue disappears like mine!

 

Thank you for your input, Jonnyguru.

My UPS has a grounded indicator which is lit up so I assume it's grounded, I think the static was more likely caused by the remapping of one of the audio ports for my front speakers.

Edit: After using it for about an hour it started again, I was playing League of Legends, capped at 60FPS, not particularly demanding, it went away after 20 - 30 minutes of it and then disappeared for the next hour, it just randomly seems to happen.

 

So I did some digging and it definitely sounds like it's coming from the power supply with or without speakers / headphones / microphones plugged in but as I dug more it seemed to only be present if I had a USB device plugged into the USB port adjacent to the Ethernet port.

 

I switched some things around and I can't hear it anymore but this also might be like the other times where it stopped and then came back randomly. Anyway not RMAing the unit, I'm going to throw it in a home server that will sit in a closet so even if it makes the noise I won't hear it and upgrade to something else.

Just as an update to everyone following this topic, I have decided to buy another Power Supply as I mentioned, I'm going with a SeaSonic X-Series 650W Power Supply due to the reviews it has.

 

I'm unsure if I should even try to get a refund for my replacement PSU from Corsair as they may determine that it's not defective and completely normal coil whine.