Corsair CX-M Series Modular 2021 ATX 2.4

There are only a few Corsair CX-M reviews since they are budget units, so I thought to do something about it. Corsair upgraded all CX-M units and used their new design with triangular-shaped perforations on the fan and exhaust grilles. The exterior readily distinguishes the new from the old. Today, I will look at the CX650M with enough power to support a mid-level system. The CX650M has the Bronze 80 PLUS and Cybenetics Silver efficiency ratings, as well as the Standard++ Cybenetics noise rating, which is pretty good for its efficiency. The fan uses a rifle bearing, and the 5-year warranty is long enough for a $70 PSU. Lastly, at only 140 mm deep, this compact PSU won't give you any headaches during installation despite its two affixed cables.

Most people want to see budget-oriented product reviews, and I plan on doing this on this site. The major obstacle is the unwillingness of most brands to send low-end or even mid-end products for review, but I have my ways to find them. One of the very few brands that don’t have a problem sending low-cost units for review is Corsair, and why not from the moment the CX450M that I evaluated performed well? In areas that matter the most, like ripple suppression and transient response, the CX450M achieved high performance, and on top of that, its build quality is high enough to allow it to outlive the five-year warranty. What more should you expect from a 50-dollar PSU? I would say to find it at that price because, at the time of the review, it wasn’t available on Amazon, and its price was above 60 dollars on Newegg.

The CX450M (2021) is an affordable PSU, with high enough overall performance and good build quality. In my sample, I found good electrolytic and polymer caps, which, along with the rifle-bearing fan, will allow the PSU to survive the five-year warranty, which is pretty long for a budget PSU. Corsair took a proven CWT platform for the CX-M line, and the results are promising. I would like to see the same platform used in the CX line instead, but this is not possible due to the increased production cost. You should not be confused by the semi-modular cable design of the CX-M line versus the fixed cable of the CX models. The latter uses a modern platform that costs more, so Corsair wants to stop the CX line and replace it with the more affordable CX-M one.