CORSAIR RM1200x SHIFT Power Supply Review

CORSAIR has been involved in computer technology for roughly thirty years. They have become one of the most respected, world-leading providers of computer components and peripherals designed for PC enthusiasts. They celebrated their 10th anniversary selling computer power supplies in 2016, at which time that had sold over ten million PSUs. CORSAIR have remained at the forefront all of these years. As a result, innovation is something we have taken for granted with CORSAIR. They were kind enough to provide us with their latest flagship power supply from the RM series for review. It is a distinct honor and privilege to introduce you to the CORSAIR RM1200x SHIFT power supply.

What CORSAIR Wants You to Know

CORSAIR RMx SHIFT Series fully modular power supplies boast a revolutionary side cable interface that makes all connections quickly accessible, for exceptionally convenient 80 PLUS Gold efficient power. With fully modular micro-fit connectors and ATX 3.0 compliance, RMx SHIFT makes clean PC builds and upgrades even easier. RMx SHIFT power supplies use Japanese 105°C-rated electrolytic capacitors for long life and reliability backed by a ten-year warranty. A 140mm fluid dynamic bearing fan uses a specially calculated fan curve for high performance and reliability with low noise, while Zero RPM mode support ensures near-silent operation at low and medium loads. For quiet, efficient, and accessible power, put an RMx SHIFT Series PSU on your side.
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Key Features

• Innovative Easy-Access Connection Position: Modular connections on the side of the PSU mean easier access for your cables and simpler, cleaner cable management.
• Fully Modular Micro-Fit PSU Connectors: CORSAIR Type 5 Gen 1 micro-fit PSU cables mean you only connect the cables your system needs while taking up less space.
• 140mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan: Utilizes a specially calculated fan curve for high performance, low noise, and superior reliability.
• Intel® ATX 3.0 Certified: Compliant with the ATX 3.0 power standard, supporting the PCIe Gen 5 platform and resisting transient power spikes.
• 100% 105°C-Rated Japanese Electrolytic Capacitors: Premium internal components deliver unwavering power delivery and long-term reliability.
• Modern Standby Compatible: Extremely fast wake-from-sleep times and better low-load efficiency.
• 80 PLUS Gold Certified: Steady power output at up to 90% efficiency, and Cybenetics-certified for lower power consumption, less noise, and cooler temperatures.
• Zero RPM Fan Mode Support: At low and medium loads the cooling fan switches off entirely for near-silent operation.
• Resonant LLC Topology with DC-to-DC Conversion: Provides clean, consistent power and enables use of more energy-efficient sleep states.
• Ten-Year Warranty: Your guarantee of reliable operation that will last across several system builds.

Specifications and Technical Details

The ATX 3.0 standard demands a high level of reliability and power efficiency. While many CORSAIR PSUs meet these requirements, RMx SHIFT Series PSUs are formally certified for ATX 3.0 compliance. A PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR GPU cable is included for use with modern graphics cards such as the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 40 Series. Good things never happen by accident. CORSAIR pulled out all the stops to deliver a product capable of delivering what enthusiasts demand. Being built to these demanding standards is what allows CORSAIR to offer a 10-year warranty on this product.

What ExtremeHW Wants You to Know

Well, all of this is nice information, but the million-dollar question is, “Does it work?” What really distinguishes the SHIFT series is the the side-mounted connections. This innovative patent-pending side PSU panel with modular connections is intended to allow one to comfortably plug cables into the side face of the PSU without a lot of fuss. If you are a veteran system builder, you know first-hand what a pain in the neck it can be to make changes to a system that involves accessing the power supply cables. Personally, it is one of the few things that causes me to procrastinate when it comes to making changes to a fully built PC.

First, let’s have a look at the product itself. Feel free to click through these stock images provided by CORSAIR.

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By now you can see why I was so eager to get this installed in my CORSAIR 5000D Airflow case. It seemed like the perfect compliment to that system. Was it though? Here is a short 10-minute video with highlights from the unboxing and installation.

As you saw in the video, the RM1200x SHIFT worked wonderfully and complimented my CORSAIR 5000D Airflow case. The flat cables that have all of the wires attached to one another made cable management a breeze. I am not into a lot of over-the-top bling, and I found the appearance of the cables to match the neatness you would find in a system built with combed custom sleeved cables. It has no problems whatsoever managing my overclocked system featuring a 13900KF and RTX 3090 K|NGP|N GPU. As an added bonus, I was able to install the 3.5-inch drive caddy in the basement of the 5000D case. This was something I could not do with a conventional ATX power supply, as the cable orientation and excess cable length consumed the space occupied by the drive caddy.

As demonstrated in the video, I also tested the installation in my second desktop. The side-mounted connections did not work quite as elegantly as they did in the 5000D due to limited space between the PSU and glass side panel. I was still able to install the side panel, but the tempered glass had to compress the cables. It worked well enough, but I can see where this might present some challenges building in a case with less than a couple of inches between the PSU and side panel, especially if the side panel is not very sturdy. It could easily result in a flimsy metal side panel getting bent or buckled.

The installation in the second system also allowed me to test the 12VHPWR cable provided by CORSAIR, which I found to work extremely well with the Strix RTX 4090 OC graphics card. The flexibility of the 12VHPWR cable made the installation easy. It securely inserted fully into the power socket and the avoidance of using the 4×8-pin adapter provided by the GPU manufacturer provides a greater sense of security in light of some of the problems seen with melted 12VHPWR cables at the launch of the RTX 4090. As I approached the end of a 20-minute Furmark stress test with the core overclocked to 3.0GHz that pushed the Strix 4090 near its 600W power limit, the cable measured a comfortable 47°C with my infrared thermometer at the point where the cable connects to the graphics card.

Here are a few snapshots from the installation in my CORSAIR 5000D Airflow case.

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CORSAIR have also priced the SHIFT series competitively. While you will likely find some sweet deals from retailers, CORSAIR provided suggested pricing for the SHIFT series as follows:

Conclusions and Final Rating

If I am completely honest, when I initially saw some of the marketing information on the CORSAIR RMx SHIFT power supply series, my first impression was skepticism about how well it would work. We are often resistant to change, and this was no exception. As I had time to think about it, my resistance quickly changed to curiosity. It is a truly innovative design, and I could not be more pleased with how well it worked. If you have a chassis with sufficient space to accommodate the side-connection cables, I think you will appreciate the design as much as I have. The enhanced cable management, flat ribbon-style cables and ease of access the side-connecting Type 5 Gen 1 cables provide quickly turned me from a Doubting Thomas to a believer. Well done, CORSAIR.

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