Corsair HX-520 from Sept 2007 finally died!

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As per title, this power supply just expired after close to 9 years of daily use powering a QX6700 - not bad going ! Tripped the circuit breaker upstairs when it went, but no damage to the PC. Pulled an HX-620 dating back to Jan 2007 from my less frequently used Phenom II box and got it going again, no problems. So one power supply to buy now, but I should really replace both for more power efficient units.
 
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Ah thanks, was looking at the 450w Golden Green, didn't spot the 550w on offer. The other one that looked good is the Corsair CS450M
 
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Seasonic ECO-430 looks like another good option at only £38, although 80+ Bronze only and OCUK don't seem to stock it. Maybe one of those plus the Golden Green linked above.
 
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I've got the 550W Golden Green in a spare system. It's a rock-solid PSU with decent internals at a good price. The Corsair CX/CS series units are not as good internally. To be fair, most of the OEMs are catching up now, so with Seasonic units you're paying for the brand name.
 
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Lots of choice out there - for semi-modular, the new Be Quiet Pure Power 9 80 Plus Silver range also looks good -and the 500w model can be had for £50 incl VAT.
 
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Thanks for all the suggestions. Bought this in the end, released just recently and a good design:

be quiet ! Pure Power 9 500W 80 Plus Silver Modular Power Supply
http://www.bequiet.com/en/powersupply/685

At £49.99 incl VAT. I did like the Superflower specs better, but in the end I compromised on those a little in order to get the modular configuration. Some concern from one review I read about the use of an 85C Chinese TEAPO capacitor instead of a Japanese 85-105C item, surprising from a quality German manufacturer, lets see how it goes. It will be very under-stressed, and if I get 5 yrs from it I'll be happy.
 
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That's a good innings for that PSU - mine lasted 3 years & was replaced via corsairs warranty. The Superflower HX550 on offer is very good indeed. I've bought 2 in the past couple of years & do the job very quietly.
 
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My HX-620 is nine and a half years and still going - but I'm going to replace it now too rather than wait for it to fail.

I had to cancel the order for the be Quiet units, they aren't in stock for 10 more days at the other supplier. So back to the drawing board and will order something from OCUK, free shipping.

The SUperflower is a good unit, but I really wanted modular.
 
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Yes, but £65 instead of £50 for the be Quiet from the other supplier. Really don't want to go over £50. Will have to compromise somewhere.
 
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Ordered two Corsair CS450M now for £40 incl VAT each. Modular and gold rated. Favourably reviewed on Anandtech in terms of quality of internal components, unlike some of their other lower cost models. Different design and OEM for this particular model. Also well rated for overall performance. Will fit the bill perfectly for me.

However, what is even more surprising than the performance of the CS450M is the quality. When checking products of this range, we expect to find components coming from "low cost" (or even unknown) manufacturers. Instead, we found components inside the CS450M typically reserved for higher tier products. For example, all of the electrolytic capacitors that are critical for the long-term reliability of the PSU come from very reputable Japanese manufacturers. Even those of secondary importance are supplied by known manufacturers and are rated for operation at 105°C, a figure that it is next to impossible to be reached inside a 450W unit as efficient as this one. Great Wall did an excellent job making this PSU.

So I'm pretty confident this is a decent PSU.
 
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Soldato
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Got to bump this for two reasons.

I too had a trusty Corsair HX520W die last year after about 8 years service. :cool:

Also was wondering about the Corsair CS450M at the above price (about £40 inc. VAT). Is it not similar to a Super Flower Golden Green HX 450W for £12 less, 3 vs 5 year warranty, and modular? It usually doesn't get a look in as it's priced at a ridiculous £65 on ocuk, but for £40 it seems a great option.
 
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Yes OCUK price on the CS450M is a bit ridiculous, which is why I bought elsewhere this time.

Got two of them fitted now, to replace the failed HX520 and an HX620 which was even older but still working fine. Very quiet power supplies, almost inaudible. Only issue I had on one box was with the SATA power cables - had to relocate one of the drives, because the connectors on the cables are very close together, assuming that you have your drives very close to each other. The machine has an SSD, two hard drives and the DVD. DVD obviously at the top of the case, miles way from the other three. But anyway, really happy with the purchase, especially for the price. They will be drawing less power from the wall too, so I'm saving a bit on electricity as well compared to before.
 
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