Corsair HX1000W Power Supply Review

Exterior Impressions


At nearly eight inches long the massive black form of the HX1000W is definitely an intimidating sight to behold. The 140mm Sikorsky-like fan dominates the top of the housing which is coated in an extremely resilient black powder coating. Each side holds a small splash of this unit’s signature blue color in the guise of a logo which tends to lighten up an otherwise severe-looking façade.


The rear of the unit holds exactly what you would expect from a high-end power supply: a on / off switch as well as the main AC power connector with nary a glimpse of an input voltage selector since the HX1000W features Active PFC. Like most things on this power supply, the on / off rocker is suitably huge so you won’t be blundering around the back of your case searching in vain for this sometimes impossible to find switch. There is also a perforated metal grille here which is used to exhaust hot air and facilitate air movement within the housing.


Here we stumble across the first somewhat glaring issue I have with this power supply: the fact that the cables aren’t sleeved all the way into the housing. While it may seem minor, we have seen CWT do this with other products as well and we were hoping that Corsair would draw a line in the sand regarding the incomplete look this gives their flagship product. To us, this rainbow splash of wiring colors in a sea of black and blue looks downright out of place and odd.

The fan grille is finished in a black semi-luster paint with a white Corsair smack dab in the middle. This white logo actually works quite well to contrast an almost entirely black power supply.