AX1200 Replacement

[FlawlessSoul]

Hey chaps,

 

Do you happen to know when the fixed AX1200s filtered down to retailers/etailers? Were the ones they had recalled from sale for testing, or are you just replacing if/when the issue crops up?

 

It's been a while since I got my TX750W, and was considering a more solid base for my system, but if etailers are still holding the whiners, I may put it off for a few months.

[Ultimatium]

 

If you are receiving multiple units that are giving you similar issues, then its possible that there is some other cause for the problem. To make sure that the issue does not have anything to do with the system that the PSU is being installed into, it may be a good idea to test the PSU in a different system.

 

Can you please be so kind and explain as for why the Corsair AX1200 unit is the only unit i have with the whine/buzzing issue, when all other PSU's that i tested from other manufactors are working just fine with my system. My old Thermalthake 850W is running without problems, without whine and without buzzing. So why cant the Corsair AX1200 do the same? Why would you advice people to buy your power supply if it is full of whining,buzzing, loud fans and doesn't create anything but rma-troubles?

 

So far i have two AX1200 units with whining/buzzing, and a Corsair 16GB usb flashdrive, but i still do not have a working psu without buzzing/whining, which is the only reason as for why i chose to spend my money on the AX1200. My old Thermalthake 850W runs perfectly, why would anyone want to buy your power supply if it runs worse than other manufacturers? In fact i could remove the AX1200 unit, and heck i could save a lot of money on a cheaper brand with no buzzing, no whine, and no loud fans. Honestly, i trusted Corsair, but so far i am starting to regret it. Two AX1200 units with buzzing/whining and now a loud fan, and the fact that you blame the additional hardware in my system when it runs perfectly with psus from other manufacturers aren't exactly what i would call a responsible customer service.

[pol77]

I received my replacement AX1200 unit. I got it by UPS, paid by corsair and it came very fast, just a few days after I e-mailed them about the whine issue.

 

The new unit has a plastic wrap around the coils (you can see that from the fan hole) and it seems to be more (albeit not altogether) quiet. This is actually not a very quiet PSU, even with minimum load. My Coolermaster Real Power M1000 was a lot more quiet in low loads, but noisier at high loads. The fan and some low whining/buzzing is always there with the AX1200, but as my case is in the shop getting a major modding and I have my PC on the bench, I cannot really tell if the noise will be audible from within a case. I will have to get back to you about that, when my case is ready.

 

Nevertheless, I am very happy with corsair's customer support, as they also paid for returning the defective unit to them, after I received the new one, and they gave me a free Flash Voyager GT 16GB.

 

So, this is a thumbs up for corsair! I am a professional I.T. specialist and I have never been treated better by any service or customer support. Well done corsair! You just earned a loyal customer and I am also going to be recommending you to my customers.

[RAM GUY]

Those of you who received RMA units that are still buzzing, how loud is the buzzing? Can you hear the PSU when the side panels are on the case and you are using the computer, or do you have to have you head near the PSU in order to hear it?

 

Ultimatium,

The AX1200 is not the first or only PSU that has been reported to buzz, we have seen this issue from time to time with many PSUs, Corsair and other brands as well. If you look at any PSU manufacturers forums you can likely find similar reports (as I did) of people complaining of buzzing PSUs. The common thread here is that most of the PSUs reported as having this issue are high efficiency 80+ rated units.

 

We have noticed that higher efficiency PSUs are more prone to the buzzing and this suggests that they are more sensitive to the incoming power signal, as well as feedback from other components in the system. We are happy to replace any of our PSUs which are giving you this issue, but we can not guarantee any results because we do not know if the PSU is causing the problem, or if it is reacting to another problematic factor.

 

We were able to isolate a component in the AX1200 that was causing the buzzing in many cases and we fixed it, but this fix will not 100% prevent every unit from buzzing in every system, because there are other factors which can cause a PSU to buzz.

[Ultimatium]

Those of you who received RMA units that are still buzzing, how loud is the buzzing? Can you hear the PSU when the side panels are on the case and you are using the computer, or do you have to have you head near the PSU in order to hear it?

 

I can hear mine buzzing, even with the side panel on. However, the buzzing-sound varies, sometimes it is loud, sometimes it is very loud.

[Ultimatium]

Ultimatium,

The AX1200 is not the first or only PSU that has been reported to buzz, we have seen this issue from time to time with many PSUs, Corsair and other brands as well. If you look at any PSU manufacturers forums you can likely find similar reports (as I did) of people complaining of buzzing PSUs. The common thread here is that most of the PSUs reported as having this issue are high efficiency 80+ rated units.

 

We have noticed that higher efficiency PSUs are more prone to the buzzing and this suggests that they are more sensitive to the incoming power signal, as well as feedback from other components in the system. We are happy to replace any of our PSUs which are giving you this issue, but we can not guarantee any results because we do not know if the PSU is causing the problem, or if it is reacting to another problematic factor.

 

We were able to isolate a component in the AX1200 that was causing the buzzing in many cases and we fixed it, but this fix will not 100% prevent every unit from buzzing in every system, because there are other factors which can cause a PSU to buzz.

 

I tested my system with many different PSU's, and none of them gave me any buzzing sound. The only unit that ever gave me a buzzing sound is the AX1200. The buzzing sound appears as soon as i connect the 24pin connector to my mainboard.

 

But as i read it, what you are saying is that you can not guarantee me that i will ever receive a fully working ( no buzzing ) AX1200. You don't seem to know what is causing the problem either, and isolating the components does not seem to help at all ( at least not in my case ).

 

I bought this PSU to get a peace of mind when overclocking, but right now i am worried to get stuck with ~ $240 PSU. If you had told me that you were unable to fix the problem in the first place, god i would not had waited one second with returning the psu.

[RAM GUY]

I tested my system with many different PSU's, and none of them gave me any buzzing sound. The only unit that ever gave me a buzzing sound is the AX1200. The buzzing sound appears as soon as i connect the 24pin connector to my mainboard.

 

But as i read it, what you are saying is that you can not guarantee me that i will ever receive a fully working ( no buzzing ) AX1200. You don't seem to know what is causing the problem either, and isolating the components does not seem to help at all ( at least not in my case ).

 

I bought this PSU to get a peace of mind when overclocking, but right now i am worried to get stuck with ~ $240 PSU. If you had told me that you were unable to fix the problem in the first place, god i would not had waited one second with returning the psu.

 

How loud is the buzzing? How far away from the system is your head when you can start to hear the buzzing?

 

Have you tried plugging the computer into a different circuit in your home? In some cases the buzzing has been caused by having various devices plugged into the same circuit as the PSU. For example, we have seen some cases where refrigerators and lights which have a dimmer have been responsible for causing the PSU to buzz. The likely difference between the other PSUs you tested and the AX1200 is the efficiency. Higher efficiency PSUs tend to be more sensitive to the incoming power, which I mentioned previously. We will do what we can to help, but there are lots of factors which can cause the issue you are seeing and even if a unit is silent in our lab, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be silent once you get it.

 

It would really help if you could test the unit in a different system, because it would let us know if the problem is staying with your main system, or if the problem follows the PSU. If the problem follows the PSU, then we will want to set up a failure analysis RMA and take a look at your PSU. If you can answer some of these questions and also send an email to jeffc@corsair.com, I will see if I can test a unit in our lab, verify its working properly, and get it sent out to you. Just include your shipping address, contact information and your previous RMA number, as well as a link to this thread. I will get back to you as soon as possible and hopefully we can figure out what is going on here.

[Ultimatium]

How loud is the buzzing? How far away from the system is your head when you can start to hear the buzzing?

 

Have you tried plugging the computer into a different circuit in your home? In some cases the buzzing has been caused by having various devices plugged into the same circuit as the PSU. For example, we have seen some cases where refrigerators and lights which have a dimmer have been responsible for causing the PSU to buzz. The likely difference between the other PSUs you tested and the AX1200 is the efficiency. Higher efficiency PSUs tend to be more sensitive to the incoming power, which I mentioned previously. We will do what we can to help, but there are lots of factors which can cause the issue you are seeing and even if a unit is silent in our lab, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be silent once you get it.

 

It would really help if you could test the unit in a different system, because it would let us know if the problem is staying with your main system, or if the problem follows the PSU. If the problem follows the PSU, then we will want to set up a failure analysis RMA and take a look at your PSU. If you can answer some of these questions and also send an email to jeffc@corsair.com, I will see if I can test a unit in our lab, verify its working properly, and get it sent out to you. Just include your shipping address, contact information and your previous RMA number, as well as a link to this thread. I will get back to you as soon as possible and hopefully we can figure out what is going on here.

 

Ram_guy thanks, i am going to test the various ideas/suggestions that you mentioned, when i have done so i will return back with the results.

[Ultimatium]

Ok, so i did the first two steps. My rig is standing on the floor, and i can clearly hear the whine/buzzing when im sitting next to it. If i put my ear close to the AX1200, the whine/buzzing gets rather unpleasant. The noise is even audible at ~5 feet away.

 

Number two, i have the included power cord plugged directly into the wall, and the whine/buzzing is there. There are no other devices connected, just the AX1200. Would it be worth a shot to connect the AX1200 to a surge protector with EMI/RFI filter?

[Ultimatium]

Also ram_guy, why did you not tell us that you could not guarantee to fix the whine/buzzing noise in the first place? If i had known that, i would had send the AX1200 unit back the store for a full refund. But now i am stuck with your $230 expensive PSU with a loud whine/buzzing from a Manufacturer that are now starting to blame the additional hardware in my setup. I have removed the AX1200 from my rig as i can not stand listening to the whine/buzzing constantly.

[RAM GUY]

Also ram_guy, why did you not tell us that you could not guarantee to fix the whine/buzzing noise in the first place? If i had known that, i would had send the AX1200 unit back the store for a full refund. But now i am stuck with your $230 expensive PSU with a loud whine/buzzing from a Manufacturer that are now starting to blame the additional hardware in my setup. I have removed the AX1200 from my rig as i can not stand listening to the whine/buzzing constantly.

 

There is no way I would guarantee that any RMA would fix any problem that anyone has. There are too many outside factors to consider which could cause just about any problem you could have with a PC. Factors which I would not know to ask you about, and factors which you would not know to tell us about, thats the problem with remote technical support, we do not have the system in front of us and we do not know the conditions in which the system is used or was built.

 

We try to help people who are having problems to isolate the problem the best they can and if it looks like there is a good chance that replacing an item could resolve the problem then we are more than happy to do so.

 

Have you sent an email to the address I posted so that we can take a look at the unit? And set you up with a new PSU which I told you I would personally test for any buzzing? I am not sure what else we can do.

 

I am not blaming the other hardware in your system, because I honestly do not know if it is causing the problem or not. But when you get 3 PSUs in a row that all have sound related problems, it might be a good idea to rule out the other possibilities which could be causing the PSU to buzz. Marginal capacitors on the motherboard or graphics card can cause the PSU to buzz, same with failing voltage regulators on these same devices. I have spoken with numerous people who have had buzzing problems with the PSU, got it replaced, had the same problems, and ultimately resolved the issue by replacing the motherboard. I am not saying your motherboard is bad, only that its a possibility, and you should test the AX1200 in a different system to rule it out.

 

I understand that you have other PSUs which are working. The PSUs are different in spec and with this issue in particular, we have seen that high efficiency PSUs are more prone to the buzzing. Chances are, that the AX1200 is more efficient that your other units, and may be more sensitive to a bad cap or voltage regulator that a less efficient PSU will not notice. Or maybe you have received 3 problematic units in a row. Both scenarios are unlikely, and I am not about to claim to know for sure what exactly is causing the problems.

 

I can tell you that I have personally used a few AX1200 units in some builds I have done, and I have not encountered any of these issues myself, so I can say with confidence that this is not a widespread issue that many people are going to run into.

[Ultimatium]

Ram Guy, i have not received 3 units in a row with the same issue, where do you have that number from? So far i have tested two AX1200 and both whine, i have tested them both on several different setups ( different kinds of motherboards ), same problem, they start to whine as soon as i connect any cables, except the power cable. I do not have anything connected except the AX1200 unit. My mainboard is brand new, working perfectly, but not with the Corsair AX1200 units, which by the way does not work on any other setups that i tested them on.

[Ultimatium]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znOez7ki7JA&feature=related

 

Here is to give you an idea of how it sounds, since you claim to never have heard your AX1200 whine before. Skip to 0:40 - 1:00. Mine is worse though, plus the second one you send me seems to have an even louder fan.

[Ultimatium]

Update. Oct. 20, 2010.

 

An e-mail has been send to jeffc@corsair.com as advised.

[RAM GUY]

Update. Oct. 20, 2010.

 

An e-mail has been send to jeffc@corsair.com as advised.

 

Email received, I will get back to you shortly. I watched your video and definitely the PSU should not be buzzing like that under 3D loads. Are you able to duplicate the same buzzing if you enable vsync in your video drivers? This is not a permanent fix by any means but if the noise goes away, then we know that the problem has to do with a combination of the PSU and the graphics card or its drivers.

[SparkyPSU]

PSU Design Fault - you can probably still get a refund as the item is classed as unfit for purpose - you have acted in good faith but Corsair still has not fixed its design fault therefore Corsair are responsible for wasting your time until you may have sacrificed your automatic right to a refund with the retailer - but if you are requesting a refund for a design fault from the retailer with whom you have the contract you may be successful as the retailer is your agent with Corsair.

[Wired]

Sparky, it has already been stated that there are factors OUTSIDE the PSU that can cause it to buzz, and it can happen on PSUs from all manufacturers.

The AX1200 is not the first or only PSU that has been reported to buzz, we have seen this issue from time to time with many PSUs, Corsair and other brands as well. If you look at any PSU manufacturers forums you can likely find similar reports (as I did) of people complaining of buzzing PSUs. The common thread here is that most of the PSUs reported as having this issue are high efficiency 80+ rated units.

 

We have noticed that higher efficiency PSUs are more prone to the buzzing and this suggests that they are more sensitive to the incoming power signal, as well as feedback from other components in the system. We are happy to replace any of our PSUs which are giving you this issue, but we can not guarantee any results because we do not know if the PSU is causing the problem, or if it is reacting to another problematic factor.

 

We were able to isolate a component in the AX1200 that was causing the buzzing in many cases and we fixed it, but this fix will not 100% prevent every unit from buzzing in every system, because there are other factors which can cause a PSU to buzz.

[Ultimatium]

Sparky, it has already been stated that there are factors OUTSIDE the PSU that can cause it to buzz, and it can happen on PSUs from all manufacturers.

 

Not likely, i have tested both of your AX1200 units on several systems, actually 4 in total, and the whine/buzzing is there in all four cases. You can go on and on and continue to blame other manufacturers for your own mistakes, you can also blame all the additional hardware components ( which by the way are doing just fine with non-corsair products), however this does not help anything at all, at least not for me. For a world-class customer service, i have to admit that this has been a low-class experience with a low-class product.

 

I am going to borrow an alternative PSU from a friend, i am not allowed to publish the manufacturers name according to the rules, but the unit that i am going to test is also a high efficiency 1500w unit as well. If that seems to be working perfectly, i am almost on the edge to conclude that these Corsair PSU's are just not worth the money, given the fact that there are so many other brands out there to choose from.

[Ultimatium]

PSU Design Fault - you can probably still get a refund as the item is classed as unfit for purpose - you have acted in good faith but Corsair still has not fixed its design fault therefore Corsair are responsible for wasting your time until you may have sacrificed your automatic right to a refund with the retailer - but if you are requesting a refund for a design fault from the retailer with whom you have the contract you may be successful as the retailer is your agent with Corsair.

 

Thanks for your kind response, that was really what i was looking to hear. I am going to contact my retailer to see what options i have. I guess that my real problem now is, that most of my hardware is from corsair, my chassis, my ram, my psu - i was even going to buy one their SSD's, but right now i am rather concerned to have spend such a huge amount of money on a brand like this.

 

You are right, i stayed loyal to Corsair in good faith, but i guess that i was a bit naive to believe that Corsair would take a $230 purchase serious. Perhaps i was a bit hooked up on the "Name brand-pc you build yourself" slogan that Corsair is advertising with, I don't know. Right now i just feel like that i should had played it wisely and spend my money elsewhere.

[Wired]

Not likely, i have tested both of your AX1200 units on several systems, actually 4 in total, and the whine/buzzing is there in all four cases. You can go on and on and continue to blame other manufacturers for your own mistakes, you can also blame all the additional hardware components ( which by the way are doing just fine with non-corsair products), however this does not help anything at all, at least not for me. For a world-class customer service, i have to admit that this has been a low-class experience with a low-class product.

You're reading too much into what I said. I suggested an alternate possibility, not a definitive answer. Of course it can be the PSU! But not all buzzing is the PSU's fault. Sometimes the noise isn't even coming from the PSU and people just think it's coming from there. No matter what the issue, no matter how certain it seems, you can't just assume that the most likely solution is THE solution to the particular issue. Could it be? Of course, probability states as much. But it's not a guarantee.

 

That's why we troubleshoot. That's why we mention alternatives. To attempt and cover all possibilities.

 

 

You are right, i stayed loyal to Corsair in good faith, but i guess that i was a bit naive to believe that Corsair would take a $230 purchase serious.

Have you sent an email to the address I posted so that we can take a look at the unit? And set you up with a new PSU which I told you I would personally test for any buzzing?

While I can understand your frustration, personally I think Ram Guy is taking it seriously. He wants to do a direct failure analysis and said he'd personally test the PSU, above and beyond their normal testing presumably.

[Ultimatium]

You're reading too much into what I said. I suggested an alternate possibility, not a definitive answer. Of course it can be the PSU! But not all buzzing is the PSU's fault. Sometimes the noise isn't even coming from the PSU and people just think it's coming from there.

 

What exactly are you referring to here? The buzzing/whine is clearly coming from the AX1200, do not try to speak out of line. It happens in all 4 systems that i have tested the AX1200 unit with. You do not need to be an audiophile to hear where the noise is coming from. It seems to me that you are playing dumb on purpose to avoid acknowledging that Corsair is shipping out defective units. Either way, i am far from satisfied with this product, and the customer service that you are providing your customers seems to consists of blaming all other hardware components rather than your own. That is the direct opposite of taking responsibility, and definitely not exactly what i would call a "World Class Customer Service".

 

 

 

That's why we troubleshoot.

 

Excuse me? So far i have tested both of your AX1200 units on several systems, ran different tests, what your customer service has done is being completely worthless and a regular waste of time. With that said, i have removed the AX1200 from my system. I do not want to end up like this guy.

 

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1541856

[RAM GUY]

Ultimatium, you are not the only one reading this thread. I suspect that Wired is trying to address his post not only to you, but others who might be experiencing similar issues and reading this thread. Also, Wired does not work for Corsair he posts here in his own free time under his own free will and has helped many people on this forum over the years.

[Wired]

What exactly are you referring to here?

Referring to PSUs and troubleshooting in general, not your specific case.

 

 

It seems to me that you are playing dumb on purpose to avoid acknowledging that Corsair is shipping out defective units.

No, you and I are just having some miscommunication. For instance: Like Ram Guy said, I don't work for Corsair. I've been a member of this forum before Corsair even joined it.

 

 

With that said, i have removed the AX1200 from my system. I do not want to end up like this guy.

 

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1541856

Did you read the whole thread? There was a possibility that he hooked up an incompatible cable. Later he connected the PSU to a different system and it worked just fine.

[Ultimatium]

Referring to PSUs and troubleshooting in general, not your specific case.

 

Then go and do that elsewhere. I made this thread to get help with my defective PSU, not to have you running around and blaming all the other hardware components in peoples systems, whatever you prefer doing here on your forum. Both of the AX1200 units that i have been send are whining on all the systems that i have tested them with. Clearly the PSU's you are sending me are defective, so your posts are more or less being to no help at all. Regarding the PSU that Jeff from Corsair will be "personally testing", i have to say that i am not, by any means buying that as a guarantee that the actual PSU itself will be without whine or buzzing. Look at this thread, and look how Corsair has been treating me as their customer so far. I stayed loyal to Corsair, but ended up witnessing a not-so-honest Corsair staff blaming everything/everyone else. Take look here.

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=da&safe=off&q=corsair+ax1200+coilwhine&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

 

You will see that i am not the only person having troubles with your PSU's.

 

 

No, you and I are just having some miscommunication. For instance: Like Ram Guy said, I don't work for Corsair. I've been a member of this forum before Corsair even joined it.

 

Honestly, i do not care whether you work for Corsair or not. In fact, i am still unsure what you are even doing here in this thread in particular. But suit yourself. What i care for is having a brand that takes their customers serious, especially given the fact that i have put a lot of time and cash into Corsairs products.

[Wired]

i am still unsure what you are even doing here in this thread in particular.

I was responding to Sparky about his vague assumption about the PSU design. You then responded to me, a bit of back and forth, and here we are.

 

 

What i care for is having a brand that takes their customers serious, especially given the fact that i have put a lot of time and cash into Corsairs products.

IMHO they are taking this seriously.