Corsair AX1600i Titanium – The Ultimate Enthusiast PSU?

A Closer Look

From the exterior, this looks pretty much like any other Corsair power supply. However, what is the most surprising is how compact the unit is given its max power output. I’m not saying it’s a small unit, but it’s pretty reasonable for something that’s twice the power of most “high-end” units.

140mm Fan

On the top, you’ll find a 140mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan, protected by a durable metal mesh to keep it nice and safe. Of course, the metal grill also looks pretty cool and matches up with the embossed lines in the metal housing of the PSU.

Down the left side, you’ll find the rating guide, and as you can see, it can handle a truly staggering amount of amps per rail. I mean, 133.3A on the +12V is frightening amounts of power, and more than enough for a many-GPU system build.

Plentiful Ventilation

Around the back, there’s a vast amount of ventilation, which will help with the zero RPM passive cooling mode, as well as airflow in general. There’s even a sticker to remind you that if the fan isn’t spinning, it doesn’t mean it’s broken.

The power cable is a high capacity fitting, it’s much bigger and more square than your usual 13A cable. This is designed to meet safety requirements on such a high power unit, so you can’t use the wrong grade of cable.

The business end of the PSU is absolutely crammed with connectors. If you’re building a rendering rig, workstation, mining rig, or extreme gaming system, you’ll be glad to have this much flexibility. There are ten, that’s right, TEN 8-pin connectors! Add to that, six peripheral connectors, and it’s unlikely you’ll be running out anytime soon.

Finally, the finish off the chunky and durable housing, a metal Corsair badge on the top to give it a nice premium quality finish.

Internal Hardware Overview

The AX1600i is absolutely packed with high-end hardware, much more so than most PSUs we’ve ever had in the office. What’s surprising is how compact the PSU is, but on the interior, it’s clear that no space has gone to waste. There are two high power bulk capacitors (9), as well as an even larger one (10), helping deliver the bigger portion of the 1600W power delivery. The internal wiring alone is robust, and everything looks double the size it needs to be, with added thermal materials to ensure stability. Other Corsair technologies, such as the extra capacitors on the modular cables help reduce ripple too, helping to deliver cleaner power to your PC. Of course, that will mean improved system stability while pushing it to its limits.

Efficiency

Obviously, as a Titanium rated unit, efficiency is easily one of the biggest selling points here. At full load, it can push up to 93.24% efficiency. If you’re running a system with a draw over well over 1000W, that kind of efficiency can quickly add up to big savings each month. Of course, this means you’ll be drawing around 1700W from the wall to generate 1600W of power, compared to 1800+ you would expect at 80 Plus Gold.

Cross-Load