Possible HX1200i problems?

Does anyone know if Corsair warranty allows me to remove the cover and do some checking? (I think the answer is no, but if anyone knows I would appreciate it.)

Opening the PSU voids the warranty. Besides, it's very unlikely the failure is user serviceable.

You would need to go through the warranty process. And to save time, ask to do an advance replacement (where they ship you the PSU first).

As for using another PSU: The two CPU power connectors is not necessary 99% of the time. What CPU do you have? The only time you actually NEED two CPU power connectors is if you're using a 180W TDP or higher CPU like a Threadripper or Core i9 Extreme Edition.

Any idea why the memory LEDs can stay lit while attached fans won't spin?

Because the memory uses the standby rail for power.

That said, the last week has given me time to read up on reviews of Corsair power supplies, and I have to say, I think the real failure rate of the HXi and AXi lines is definitely more than 1%, which should be unacceptable in 2020. Based on the rate of failures mentioned at Newegg, Amazon, etc .... it seems like the real failure rate is probably about ~ 3 to 4% when purchased new and rising to ~ 8% or more by three years out. This is a bit mystifying to me since the electrical engineering specs for the ATX 2.31 standard have been out for about 12 years now. I am considering forgoing the HX1200i return (and losing about $309) because I am genuinely curious as to a total breakdown of this damaged unit to see what is up. Since my unit worked fine for 2.3 years before failure, I can rule out damage from shipping or poor installation, and am left with real curiosity.

Absolutely not. And I'll tell you why....

We sell probably about 1000+ of each model every week. Do you see 1000 new reviews every week? No. That's because less than 1% of users leave feedback if their parts work as expected. I'm guilty of it too. But if a part fails, the user is 99% guaranteed to leave negative feedback.

I really WISH 100%... or even 50%... of users would leave feedback good OR bad. But that's simply not the case.

On another note, I've got to say, the whole iCUE monitoring stuff seems, ... not needed. It may be a great selling point for Corsair rep to advertise at electronics shows but in real life? The whole point of a good PSU is that you install it and forget. We've got one AX1600i in the lab and while it can be adjusted through iCUE, most of it is stuff no end user (including extreme overclockers) would ever actually need to fool with. I remain unconvinced there is any real need for it.

 

Let me see how much free time I get this weekend, ....

Well... that's you.

For gamers, overclockers, etc. they like to see the power consumption. I find the logging the most useful aspect as you can start logging and play games or benchmark and then come back to the spreadsheet and see the spikes in power consumption, any drops in voltage, etc.

Also, a lot of people like being able to dial in the fan profile. With Zero RPM fan mode, the fan jumps to a relatively high RPM to bring the temps down fast. If you set your own minimum RPM, you can keep the PSU quieter for a longer period of time before it has to ramp up.

Also Jonny, this is not specific to Corsair, but if an end user correctly mounts the PSU in the bottom of their case, with the fan facing upwards, then the internal fan of the PSU is pulling in hot air from the nearby graphics card to cool the PSU? Many cases made in the last ten years have grills or vents in the bottom which means the PSU should be mounted inverted (upside down) with the internal fan of the PSU pulling in cool air from under the case (unless the case sits directly on the floor with no offset or feet). Of course the critic here would say the caps are rated at 105 deg C but still, a 3 or 4 deg delta for free is worthy of consideration.

Everyone's case is different and different graphics card coolers cool differently. A lot of our users have water cooling, so hot air circulating inside the case is not an issue.

Sucking in hot air shouldn't be an issue as a good PSU should be able to operate normally in 50°C temperatures. But because ambient temperature is one of the sensors used to determine the fan speed, it can make the fan spin faster.

it's not unusual to mount PSUs in the down position with fan facing upwards. People with pets or who place their computer on carpet (may they be flogged for this heresy) can do that to avoid clogging the internals with dust and dog hair.. or just to have air at all, in case of carpet.

 

For caps, in efficient PSUs like this one, temp is of no concern really.

rule of thumb is lifespan doubles for every 10° saved from the max rating.

 

take your average Nippon chemicon rated at 2000h at 105°

4000 at 95, 8000 at 85 etc...

 

if you make it run at 30 instead of 35, you're still well within the warranty period. They usually don't heat up anyway (lets be serious, we buy oversized)

 

As for failure rate, since i joined this forum i have seen lots of problems about low end PSUs and AXi. As low as Corsair has fallen in my personal view, HX/HXi still are workhorses afaik. but well, i speak from an experience of two PSUs. an old 850 that i sold and still works perfectly for my friend and a 1200i that has been flawless. Flukes happen ^^'

Unfortunately, PSUs are more than a box of capacitors. You have to look at the overall temperature rating of the PSU. The caps actually are some of the coolest running parts in a PSU. And when a PSU fails, it is RARELY because of a failed capacitor.

Even PSUs rated at 25°C can have 105°C caps in them.

For example: The main transformer can get as hot as 90°C under heavy load.

That's why if you get a PSU that's rated at 40°C or 30°C, etc., you have to take the de-rate from full power capability into account.

To my point (about the end user reviews):

The HX1200i has been on the market for 7 years. There's only 42 reviews on Newegg.

Do you honestly thing only 42 units have been sold over the 7 year period?

Amazon certainly has more reviews, because they "twist" multiple models into the same review pool... 1282 reviews total. You think Amazon has only sold 1282 units? More like 1282 units PER DAY.

Hey Jonny, I agree with you that Amazon and Newegg, etc... only represent a small sampling but I also believe that the return rate for several models of Corsair PSUs is higher than 1%, which is not what it should be if they were designed correctly. (It should be less than 1%, ... it only rises to 1% to realistically account for shipping damage from carriers outside of Corsair's control.)

I have no idea how you come to the conclusion that the failure rate is that high. It is LITERALLY much lower than 1% and that ACCOUNTS for shipping damage and often some user error.

I currently work for Corsair in the PSU department. I know the real numbers.

I work mainly in pure research from the lab (I am an electrical engineer but I mainly work with mathematical models of human like neural networks. It has been 20 years since undergrad when classwork dealt with power supply basics, so a tad rusty recalling the exact specifics.) but I talked to one of our tech guys to ask about failures yesterday. He checked our purchasing logs this afternoon and got back to me, .... our lab has used 57 Corsair PSUs during the last 3 years with 11 of them failing. Myself personally, I have used 7 PSUs in the last ten years roughly, 1 Thermaltake, 3 EVGA and 3 Corsair. This Corsair HX1200i i am considering returning is dead and the 650 watt unit I used in my wife's rig started acting strangely after about 14 months back in roughly 2012.

11 out of 57 PSUs failing is very unusual. I'd have to wonder what the application is if this number is real.

I wish they updated this article (they used to every year. Maybe they did and I didn't know about it?) but in 2017 the RETURN RATE (not failure rate, because their source doesn't actually test returns and puts everything in the same "bucket") and you'll see that the return rate is quite low: https://www.hardware.fr/articles/962-3/alimentations.html

Mind you, none of the product is more than 2 years old because EU law only requires their source to take product back from customers during the first two years (wish the U.S. had the same kind of consumer protection laws!)

Corsair would quickly go out of business if they had a 19% failure rate (11 out of 57) on a product they're only making 15 to 20 points of margin on.

And I have to ask, how does a PSU "act strangely"? Doesn't always power on when you press the power button on the case? Because that would be a motherboard issue, not a PSU issue. I'm truly curious.

I can also 100% confirm that the Power On Self Test is not accurate. Pressing the fan self test button on the back of my HX1200i does indeed spin the fan just fine on a completely dead unit :)

Because it's not a power on self test. It's just a fan test. The +5VSB is always live on an ATX PSU. This provides power to the fan for self test. If they didn't use the +5VSB, they couldn't have a fan test that worked even if the PC was off.

Depending on the type of lab, there can be external causes for that too.

In factories, the mains supplies are usually well separated, but in labs we see some horrors sometimes. Like electronics frying because there's big inverters, motors, high power RF generators on the same mains used for more delicate electronics.

Excellent point.

My mains are pretty clean, but in the office we always use a Chroma power source regardless. And at home I use a gigantic rackmount Trip-Lite Isobar. :D

Yeah sure Jonny, you and I understand that, but that is what is written in the instructional HX1200i pamphlet.

I'm looking at the pamphlet now.

Top of page 8.

It says it's a fan self-test multiple times. It says nothing about being a PSU test.

Mine is behind a Furman PL8C i used for music (got rid of ground noises and pops.. our mains go as low as 190V in winter here.. 235 in summer.. it's a mess, super unstable and lots of spikes when heaters kick in and stop). Mains shenanigans kills things..

Sounds like you need a Tesla Powerwall after your meter. LOL!

One thing i always wondered.. the mains voltage readout is a readout? or does it only display high voltage as 230 and low as 120?

The AXi shows actual input voltage. HXi and RMi only shows hi or low as 115V or 230V.