I decided to ignore the negative ratings this PSU has received from some customers on the grounds that there were also enough positive reviews and I like Corsair products. Packaging was good - a box within a box and delivery time prompt. The initially feel to the item was that of quality. It is a reasonably budget unit, but still feels heavy and sturdy, it is well finished in black with the Corsair logos on the top and bottom and the connections are also nicely concealed. Initial impressions upon powering up were that it was fairly quiet and seemed to be doing the job. I only know the basics about power supplies, for forgive my lack of a detailed techie review.
After one month of purchase however I went to turn on my PC one day and nothing happened. I went through all of the general checks such as re-seating components, checking connections etc. but nothing was amiss. I was a bit puzzled as the previous day the computer had turned on no problem and today... nada. After a bit of pondering I went back to the amazon reviews and drew the conclusion that it was in fact the PSU which was at fault.
Credit to Amazon at this point who, despite the 30 day return period having lapsed arranged a replacement unit to be shipped quickly. Upon fitting this replacement the PC again booted up fine, so it obviously was a faulty power supply. To be honest I would have been happier with a refund to shop for an alternative unit instead of getting a replacement as I have somewhat lost confidence in this item now. However I hope that this time I have one of the good uns and I will not experience the same issues again. I have only received this replacement today, so it it too early to tell. However I will update this review in a month or two.
EDIT [20/12/2012]
A couple of months or so have passed since writing this review and I am afraid to say that the same issue has now occurred with the replacement power supply. The computer all of a sudden refuses to turn on at all, which was precisely what happened with the last one. I am returning this one for a full refund, so that I can now shop for an alternative unit. And this time I will pay more attention to the negative reviews people post. Based on my experiences I cannot recommend this power supply whatsoever. Spend your cash elsewhere.
| Brand | Corsair |
|---|---|
| Package Dimensions | 26.4 x 19 x 10 cm; 2.42 Kilograms |
| Item model number | CMPSU-500CXV2UK |
| Manufacturer | Corsair |
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Wattage | 500 watts |
| Item Weight | 2.42 kg |
