Had a really bad experience installing a new Corsair PSU (RM1000x) in my old Corsair case (Air 540)

[Riekopo2]

So I had to replace my 1000w Seasonic PSU from early 2018 because it was causing my entire PC to shut down when my Vega 64 LC has transient power spikes. The PSU is overly sensitive to them. 

So I did a lot of research including on the [Linus Tech Tips forum](https://linustechtips.com/topic/1116640-psu-tier-list/) and decided to go with the new Corsair RM1000x PSU which had a refresh recently. 

When it arrived I pulled my Seasonic PSU out. My case is an old Corsair Air 540. My motherboard is an Asus ROG Crosshair VI Extreme. This is when the problems started. I thought it would be easy and take me 15 minutes at most but boy was I wrong. 

The first problem is that despite Corsair saying the Air 540 is compatible with EATX motherboards it's really not. As you can see from this picture the grommets in the case do not align with the motherboard's big power socket. https://i.imgur.com/DsQgtJ5.jpeg This gave me some trouble with my Seasonic power supply when I assembled the PC years ago. Because it's hard to bend a thick power cable to get it into the socket. However, this trouble was TEN times worse with the power cable that came with my new Corsair PSU. 

As you can see from the pic, the Corsair power cable for the motherboard has a MASSIVE piece of thick tape on the end of it. Exactly where I need to bend it to get it into the power socket. On top of that there is a super hard knot right in the middle of the tape. https://i.imgur.com/j9WLHpc.jpeg

I am not joking when I say it took me over an HOUR to get this cable plugged into the motherboard power socket. I tried bending it every way. I tried running it through every grommet. Eventually I had to remove the front case fans and bend the cable EXTREMELY hard to get it into the power socket. https://i.imgur.com/WmDOxbs.jpeg

Then I ran into another problem with this power cable. When plugging it into the PSU the little plastic clip at the top was blocked from running into a metal cap inside the PSU itself. As you can see from the pics the plastic clip is not depressed like it should be. It won't go in any further because its path is blocked by that cap thing inside the unit. I tried pressing it down and it won't go down. Either the plastic clip needs to be shorter or the cap inside the unit needs to be moved. https://i.imgur.com/EpvXT7X.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/4AynYeV.jpeg

Another problem, at the top of my motherboard beside the 8 pin CPU power socket there is a smaller 4 pin power socket to the left of it. This is for when your CPU needs more power than normal. As far as I can see my Corsair PSU didn't come with any 4 pin power cables for this socket. https://i.imgur.com/5x6Sqe3.jpg

The next issue, the power cable that runs from the PSU to the wall outlet is too short imo. For the price I paid for this power supply I expect a longer wire.  

Another annoying issue is the PCIE power cables that came with the new PSU. For my power hungry GPU it is recommended to use two separate PCIE power cables instead of just one with the split at the end. The problem is, all the PCIE power cables that came with this new Corsair PSU have a split at the end. That means I now have two splits just hanging off the GPU and it ruins the look of my build. I did not have this problem with my Seasonic PSU from early 2018 because they provided PCIE cables without a split at the end. https://i.imgur.com/Z78GUHB.jpg

For the price that I paid for this new PSU and the fact that these products should work with each other properly I am really unhappy. I have bought a lot of Corsair products over the years but this experience might make me switch to different brands.

I was going to buy a Corsair 7000D (really like how it looks) case because I have a new CPU/motherboard/NVME SSD to install but now I don't know if I am. I don't want to buy it and end up having another extremely frustrating and disappointing experience with it. Especially considering its high price. 

I hope a Corsair rep reads this.

P.S. The amount of tape Corsair is using on these cables is completely excessive and achieves nothing but making them harder to bend and install. This is another thing my old Seasonic did much better.

[Mark_T]

3 hours ago, Riekopo2 said:

Another problem, at the top of my motherboard beside the 8 pin CPU power socket there is a smaller 4 pin power socket to the left of it. This is for when your CPU needs more power than normal. As far as I can see my Corsair PSU didn't come with any 4 pin power cables for this socket. https://i.imgur.com/5x6Sqe3.jpg

If you look closely at the end of the cable marked 'CPU' you'll see that the 8-pin plug can be split into 4x4-pin.

Yes, that is going to leave and untidy spare 4-pin there but that is how they are designed these days.

[Mark_T]

4 hours ago, Mark_T said:

If you look closely at the end of the cable marked 'CPU' you'll see that the 8-pin plug can be split into 4x4-pin.

Yes, that is going to leave and untidy spare 4-pin there but that is how they are designed these days.

Hate the edit timer on this forum.

Obviously that should be '2x4-pin' above.

[Corsair Travis]

Hey there, thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, EATX isn't a standard, and you can grab 20 different EATX boards and they will all have different dimensions. I would suggest routing the 24-pin through the second cutout, should allow proper routing. Also, the unit comes with 2x 4x2 Pin CPU EPS Cables. The cable will break into two 4pin for you to plug into that Aux CPU 4pin header. The cables are made robust so that anybody that builds will get the performance they desire. Many these days will buy custom sleeved cables if they are looking for the highest level of style and cable management though. For performance though, you won't find better than the stock cables.

 

The clip should be able to clip in. This is an odd issue, and shouldn't exist. Try pulling up on the cable as you slide it in, it may just be that the plastic clip is catching before it snaps in. If it continues, we can look into replacing the unit.

 

Air540, while an amazing case does, follows some older design cues. Newer cases take a different approach and follow more modern build practices.

 

I am sorry to hear that you had a poor experience. I am passing your experience, concerns, and feedback to the Power Supply team on your behalf.

[Riekopo2]

On 12/2/2021 at 2:51 PM, Corsair Travis said:

Hey there, thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, EATX isn't a standard, and you can grab 20 different EATX boards and they will all have different dimensions. I would suggest routing the 24-pin through the second cutout, should allow proper routing. Also, the unit comes with 2x 4x2 Pin CPU EPS Cables. The cable will break into two 4pin for you to plug into that Aux CPU 4pin header. The cables are made robust so that anybody that builds will get the performance they desire. Many these days will buy custom sleeved cables if they are looking for the highest level of style and cable management though. For performance though, you won't find better than the stock cables.

 

The clip should be able to clip in. This is an odd issue, and shouldn't exist. Try pulling up on the cable as you slide it in, it may just be that the plastic clip is catching before it snaps in. If it continues, we can look into replacing the unit.

 

Air540, while an amazing case does, follows some older design cues. Newer cases take a different approach and follow more modern build practices.

 

I am sorry to hear that you had a poor experience. I am passing your experience, concerns, and feedback to the Power Supply team on your behalf.

Hi Travis. As I said I tried all the grommets. It took me an hour to get the power cable into the socket. I had to bend it extremely hard. Would not be surprised if its damaged internally now. Regarding robustness - I think you have ignored the need for flexibility in your wires. My expensive top of the line Seasonic PSU had very flexible wires. It was defective in another way but that is a separate issue. 

As I said the clip won't go in. It's blocked by the cap inside the unit as you can see. It seems to be working though so maybe doesn't need replaced. 

This RMX1000 PSU being a higher end one should come with PCIE cables that are single connectors. My old Seasonic did. I am now in a situation where the look of my build is messed up because I have two unused connectors hanging off my GPU. I cannot afford to buy a $110 dollar set of special Corsair power cables. Even a single PCIE cable appears to be $30. I need two which would be $60 plus taxes and shipping. An extreme expense for two power cables. Do you not have any normal sane priced or spare PCIE single connector cables available?

Also, do you have any discounts or coupons available for the 7000D case? If you do I will probably get it.

Premium Individually Sleeved PCIe Cables (Single Connector) Type 4 Gen 4 – Black (corsair.com)

[Mark_T]

5 hours ago, Riekopo2 said:

Even a single PCIE cable appears to be $30. I need two which would be $60 plus taxes and shipping. An extreme expense for two power cables. Do you not have any normal sane priced or spare PCIE single connector cables available?

I think you will find that it is 2 cables in each pack...

 

[Riekopo2]

Anyone there? Hello?

[Corsair Travis]

18 hours ago, Riekopo2 said:

Anyone there? Hello?

If we cannot get the cables to clip into the power supply, we can look into replacing it for you. As for the cables not being flexible enough, I am sorry they do not meet your expectations, and for the less-than-ideal experience you have had. We will take any suggestions into consideration for future power supply designs.

[Riekopo2]

On 12/13/2021 at 2:54 PM, Corsair Travis said:

If we cannot get the cables to clip into the power supply, we can look into replacing it for you. As for the cables not being flexible enough, I am sorry they do not meet your expectations, and for the less-than-ideal experience you have had. We will take any suggestions into consideration for future power supply designs.

 

Considering getting the 7000D case if I can find a discount for it. It's quite expensive. I found this review for it which points out a design flaw with the cable cover. You should look into that. 

Corsair 7000D Airflow Review - elegance and function on a grand scale | Page 3 | igor'sLAB (igorslab.de)

Also, I have a question about the 7000D case. Is there a clear window available for it that can be bought separately? Because I personally want to actually be able to see inside the case. The window that comes with it is a very dark tint. Which is fine but it's a very subjective thing. 

[Corsair Travis]

On 1/29/2022 at 4:38 PM, Riekopo2 said:

 

Considering getting the 7000D case if I can find a discount for it. It's quite expensive. I found this review for it which points out a design flaw with the cable cover. You should look into that. 

Corsair 7000D Airflow Review - elegance and function on a grand scale | Page 3 | igor'sLAB (igorslab.de)

Also, I have a question about the 7000D case. Is there a clear window available for it that can be bought separately? Because I personally want to actually be able to see inside the case. The window that comes with it is a very dark tint. Which is fine but it's a very subjective thing. 

It appears that they are trying to hide too much of the cable and aren't allowing enough cable to allow the cable to bend before entering the Cable cover. Most people will use this area for fans/radiator but I can see where this could be an issue for some.

The White version of the 7000D has a lighter/clearer glass, but the dark tint makes RGB more diffused for dark builds and looks pretty great once completed. Currently there is not a clearer/lighter tint for the black case. I can let our case team know there is a demand, and if there is enough demand they might look into a future update. Who knows?

 

[zultan]

that's why I hate middle, mini, micro pc cases.

I only buy the biggest full towers.

you get better air flow and no nightmares each time you have to work on it...