Product Number: P1-850B-CAG9
Price: Approx. $200USD
Availability: Soon
Warranty: 5 Years



Every once in a while a product comes our way and we just have to share it with you as soon as possible. Sometimes it is a feature-rich motherboard and other times it is a high performance graphics card but this time it is something some of you may think to be a bit more mundane: a power supply from XFX.

While the whole power supply arena might be rife with products that run the gamut in both price and quality, it isn’t every day that you see such a well-respected company entering the fight. Years ago, Corsair took the same plunge and ever since then, they have been considered a market leader. XFX on the other hand is aiming to replicate the same type of success with the release of their first ever power supply: the Black Edition 850W. The potential for success is definitely there but there are always challenges lining the road to widespread market adoption.

When we first saw the Black Edition 850W, a few leaked press slides were all that was released but Computex soon followed and XFX officially unveiled their challenger to the world wide press. Months have passed and now we are finally in a position to bring you a quick preview of one of the first retail-boxed units which has made its way into the wild. However, nothing has changed since those first tantalizing pictures emerged; it is still 80Plus Silver rated, carries a single +12V rail and has a modular interface.

Before we get on to the preview itself, I am sure there are some burning questions regarding pricing, availability and warranty coverage on your mind. Let’s tackle pricing first. Originally it was reported that XFX would try to hit the $250USD mark at retail with their 850W product but we are happy to report that the price seems to have been overstated a bit. We are now looking at a street price of around $200USD. Warranty coverage is in the upper tiers as well with a generous five years given. Unfortunately, the availability question is still somewhat up in the air since the original date we were given was mid-August but that has come and gone. Considering the first units are just now shipping to reviewers, I’d say that you should see the Black Edition entering retail channels in the next few weeks.

While this may not be a full review -expect the review to be posted in the next few weeks as we test the hell out of this PSU- I am personally hoping that this preview whets your appetite since I know I’m not the only one excited about this product.