Corsair CX430M Modular Power Supply Review – What $25 Can Buy

A look inside the CX430M

A common black Yate Loon 120mm fan is responsible for the cooling needs of the CX430M power supply. The D12SM-12 is a typical sleeve bearing fan with a maximum speed of 1650RPM.

Identifying the OEM behind the CX430M could not have been any easier than this; even if the green transformers would not reveal it right away, the initials of Channel Well Technology (CWT) are printed on the 5VSB transformer. CWT is a company which has strong bonds with Corsair, having produced many of their medium and high performance units in the past. The heatsinks of the CX430M are quite basic, which is to be expected from such a product; still, they should prove more than sufficient for the low capacity and good efficiency of the CX430M. The soldering and assembly quality are unexceptional but acceptable.

Most very cheap power supply offering can be identified by their crippled filtering stage. The CX430M is no such product, having a full and “by the book” transient filter which starts at the back of the A/C receptacle and continues onto the main PCB. In total, there are four Y capacitors, two X type capacitors, two chokes and a MOV.

The heatsink at the edge of the PCB holds the active PFC components, two transistors and a diode. A Matsushita (Panasonic) 400V/180uF capacitor and a single large coil form the passive components of the APFC stage, with the controller on the vertical daughterboard. The primary stage transistors can then be seen on the heatsink at the primary stage of the power supply, forming a half-bridge configuration.

The electrolytic capacitors on the secondary side of the CX430M are a mix of Teapo and CapXon products, known and reputable manufacturers. Of course enthusiasts would ask for capacitors from companies such as Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-Con; however these would likely cost as much as the whole PSU itself. There are no DC to DC conversion circuits or any other system of note to discuss about the secondary side of the CX430M, as the design probably is nearly as simple as it gets.