There are two EPS and six PCIe connectors, along with 16 SATA and six peripheral ones. Corsair's cable length is satisfactory. However, we cannot say the same for the distance between SATA and peripheral connectors, which is too small. Power Distribution

Since the idea is to build a quiet airflow-based PC I'm tempted to go for a 1kw PSU which could be used as a passive one, even under higher loads (read gaming). I know all the differences between these models as well as the tech specs and components used (cables, fans) so there is no need to go into all of those details (thanks to JG forum, Tom's hw/Aris and couple of other reviewers and guys here on LTT forum). So in multi-rail supplies, there will always be restrictions preventing delivery of the full capability of the supply. The HX series is the second top-of-the-line PSUs from Corsair that, previously, met only the 80 PLUS Silver certification. But the company made a massive upgrade to the four products comprising this series which have since earned 80 PLUS Gold certification. The OEM of the HX units remained the same, which is Channel Well Technology or CWT, a company which has a close working relationship with Corsair and has so far provided them with many excellent platforms. So the choices fell on those 3-4 psu options ( hx850 included for ~180e), not that I would be against any other better options under 200 euros...Each of Corsair’s seven PSU series has been developed with a specific market group in mind. The company is constantly upgrading/adapting the products of each series with new revisions, but the specific market group for that series always remains unchanged. For example, their first series, the HX, was developed to target the demanding high-end market. The original HX520W and the HX620W are now but a distant memory, yet the HX series is still targeted towards demanding PC enthusiasts, consisting of eight high output (750-1200 Watt) units with very impressive specifications. Looking at the total system power consumption on PCPer's review (3900X, 3080 FE, RM1000x, Metro Exodus 4K High), you should be expecting closer to 430W DC from the PSU under a gaming load. Here, both the Ion+ 860W and RMx 850W just barely start turning on their fan, at 40C ambient, so both are good options in that regard. There are noise level measurements on Cybenetics, but it should be within margin of error, as it's 12.5 dBA for the Ion+, and 10.2 dBA for the RMx. Coil whine is not really something we can predict, but both should likely be fine. The thing is I would like to buy first and foremost high-quality (reliable/proven platform) psu which is silent and would basically work as an almost passive "solution" at 500-600w, or with a loosely profiled fan spinning at low rpms at that wattage. Avoid the coild whine would also be preferred. What turns me off from the RMx is the potential coil whine (which plagues almost all Corsairs models lately) and the rifle bearing fan (getting louder after couple of year).

Which one of these 2 would be the better overall option when it comes to build quality (reliability) & silence, while also avoiding the coil whine "lottery"? There are more sophisticated multi-rail supplies that can automatically redistribute some of the available power from one rail to another rail. But they must always leave some in reserve on all rails. And note those supplies are also more expensive and more complex with more components that might fail. The HXi platform (imo) is a bit old and probably needs a slight "refresh", at least when in comes to the cables and the volt. regulations at +12v. ( Yes I know that Mr. Gerow said that its furthest down the line to get a "facelift" and I know I'm not competent enough to judge it) So it is then up to the motherboard designer to ensure any demands through any motherboard circuit do not exceed the ATX standards. Note for graphics cards, the PCIe standard allows for a maximum of 75W through the PCIe slot. But we all know many cards demand much more than that so they get their additional power via separate power cables directly from the PSU.The 135 mm fan responsible for the cooling needs of the HX850 is the Corsair NR135P, a fan we frequently see in the company’s high-performance PSUs. Unfortunately, we cannot identify the OEM of the fan but we can tell that it is a quality model with a fluid dynamic bearing engine for longevity. It has a maximum speed of about 1500 RPM but, considering the unit’s output and efficiency, it is highly unlikely that it will be reaching this speed under normal operating conditions. The HX850 features full range fan control with a passive mode, meaning that the PSU’s thermal circuitry will not even start the fan unless airflow becomes necessary.

As for the AX titanium line which is a modified SS prime platform - I never suggested that it's better even though it is considered and offered at a premium price. Are there any other models from other OEMs/brands in this price range <200 euros (even if the market is kind f-ed now) which are comparable quality-wise and also when it comes to silence?I know it's basically a very close call - the Corsair works within tighter specs while the FD ion+ is somewhat quieter due to a "better" (arguably) FDB fan and has better/more flexible cables.

The filtering stage of the HX850 is typical for high output PSUs, with four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. It has two conversion bridges with a small heatsink sandwiched in between them. The passive components of the APFC stage are two 400V / 470μF capacitors supplied by Nippon Chemi-Con and a very large filtering inductor that is partially wrapped into insulation material. The insulation material is probably not used mainly for protection but to prevent electromechanical vibrations that would result in noise (also known as “coil whine”). CWT extends this practice to nearly all the filtering inductors found inside their premium designs. By sufficient I also mean - would the 850w models be enough to not have any problems with current and future GPUs (transient loads which would trip them in some cases and shut them down). There is a switch that lets you choose between one +12V rail or multiple +12V rails. Across the HXi family, this is achieved using Corsair Link software. However, since the HX models don't have a digital interface, a different approach had to be used. If not, would the HX1000 be a more "safer option" and does the price tag justify its quality? (not the current price tag but overall, since the market is f-ed anyways) The current BQ models are also out of the question since the only offer 5 years warranty (+ other models perform and/or are designed better)I'm not particulary interested in the digital HXi line, I'm more an analog dude (set it up and forget it). When it comes to efficiency, the HX850 has no problem with 80 PLUS' Platinum requirements at 20% and 50% of its max-rated-capacity load. Under full load, it comes very close. Under normal operating temperatures (80 PLUS only tests at 23°C +/-5°C), we are pretty sure that the HX850 would easily pass the full load efficiency requirement as well. regarding the recommendation of the EVG G3 kill-a-watt - EVGA in general isn't known for silent PSU models or am I wrong? Like I've mentiond I am not interested in the digital versions even though I could set up the fan curve manually, because I find the prices a bit "too premium".