Corsair CX Series CX500 500W ATX 12V 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply 140mm Fan

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Whenever I make low end builds that need no more than 300-350W I generally switch between the CX500 and CX430 depending on current retail price. I tend to avoid MIR but Corsair has been quick to process all my rebates regarding their PSU's.If you need a moderately priced PSU with good specs, even the Corsair CX units should prove to be sufficient. I have 5 CX units (all running almost 24/7) that have not shown any power issues...If you have a moderate GPU make sure to check the AMPS rating requirement of the video card. Not all PSU are the same. Even within Corsair, there are variations with final specs depending on the internal design of the circuitry.For example, a CX430V2 will generally give you its rated 430W w 30C. It's single rail will also give you 28 Amps (or 336 Watts) at that temperature. Most machines run much warmer than 30C and the capacitors on a PSU are subjected to even much higher temps, so expect a slight dip in output and make adjustments accordingly.Buying a mid-range video card? Pay attention to Amps and not just watts ! This CX500 is rated at 500W (peaks at 550)w 30C. Its 38Amp output (456 at the 12V rail) is also measured at 30C. In comparison, a Corsair GS500 (discontinued), peaks at 578W with 39Amps (468 Watts at the 12V rail) but measured at 40C. The higher end TX line have ratings measured at 50CPower-wise the CX500 has proven itself after more than a year of continuous operation. It could be a lot shorter (to make room for smaller builds) as some newer 500 ATX PSU are around 140mm. The two pcie 6+2 pin cables could be combined into a single cable to make cable management easier.The only problem I experienced with my CX500 is the fan. It started making noise a little after a year of operation. The cost of sending it for RMA isnt worth it so I decided to crack open the PSU. Fortunately it uses a standard 120mm Yateloon fan that runs w 100% duty cycle. Replacing it with ANY 120 fan worked without any issues. Why even bring this up? If you have a fairly efficient PSU like those from the TX,HX,AX series a decide to replace the fan yourself (voiding the warranty), be aware that some of these units provide very low startup voltages for the fans. Some models do not even spin up the fan at power usage less than 40%. So replacing the fans on these units are not a straightforward affair.These are still good entry level PSU although more manufacturers are offering good alternatives at a lower price point.

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Good power supply for a small computer used for a home office. Only con is that it's not modular, but it is a cheaper power supply.

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Good little power supply. Haven't had any issues with it, and runs my AMD 8 core 8350, and MSI Nvidia 770 card just fine. At this point I would prefer one with higher Wattage but that's irrelevant.

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Have had this psu in my system for a little over a year now and it is still running quiet without any problems. I have a mid sized case and the wires reach all the way to the top of my case with enough room for me to hide them away from sight.

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Good little power supply, came with all the cables you need. And powers my rig very well.

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If you're looking to build a smaller rig on a low budget this isn't a bad choice. is quiet and gets the job done.

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Quite a good power supply for the price. It is very quiet. The cords have a braided shielding around them. The power supply is easy to install. The power supply when I bought it came with a rebate.

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It is very quiet power supply and very small too. Nothing to complain about. I will buy it again.

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This power supply is great. It runs my PC smoothly since the first boot. At this price there is nothing to dislike. I would recommend this PSU for mid range builds.

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Given the price point, I got nothing to complain on the cons side.The PSU has enough cables for any needs that wouldn't exceed 500W.

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Very good power supply, run Q9550, 8Gb ddr 3, asus eah6870 dc II, with 2 hard drive the power run very great, very small and very quiet. Look very good and quality, the cable avoid correct lenght.

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Very good power supply, run Q9550, 8Gb ddr 3, asus eah6870 dc II, with 2 hard drive the power run very great, very small and very quiet. Look very good and quality, the cable avoid correct lenght.

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Got this PSU for a relative as their old PSU had completely failed. Installation was very easy and straightforward, and the PSU runs very quiet. I have always been a fan of Corsair's power supplies and recommend this product.

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Great PSU, reliable, lots of power and long cables.

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So I used this for a semi-budget build, and the only real downside is that the cables add a LOT of clutter since they are not modular. In the end, it only takes an extra 10mins to re-route them and secure them to the sides with twist-ties, so it's not a big issue (still getting great airflow in my Fractal Core 1000).One odd thing: after about 45mins of benchmarking/temp testing/fan adjusting, the fan started to make a sort of chirping/staggered chafing sound. It would progressively get louder, and wouldn't go away unless I tipped the computer on it's side or upside-down...the fan sits upside down since the PSU is top-mounted in my case. After having it run while on it's side for a while, I put it back up, and the noise never came back. I'm not sure what caused the sound, or if it will come back, but I don't know whether it can be trusted lol. Just glad it hasn't come back yet.Overall, this PSU seems quite stable and definitely looks great inside this case. I'd recommend a modular PSU though...just to save some time and airflow.

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This power supply was purchased to replace an older, dying 380 watt PSU. Now there is assurance that the machine will have more than enough power for anything added to it.

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Great efficient 80 plus bronze power supply for the price. It's corsair so I recommend to pretty much anyone looking for a psu at this wattage.