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be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W vs Corsair CX550M: Comparison
What is the difference between be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W and Corsair CX550M?
Start with wattage, because it is the widest measured gap between them: be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W 850 W against Corsair CX550M 550 W, 35% in favour of be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W. be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W also leads on warranty, 10 years on the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W versus 5 years on the Corsair CX550M. Pcie 8-pin connectors runs the same way, 4 on the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W versus 2 on the Corsair CX550M, another win for be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W. Hold-up time runs the same way, 20.6 ms on the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W versus 11.1 ms on the Corsair CX550M, another win for be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W.
Which should you buy, be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W or Corsair CX550M?
The be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W is the one to take for high-end single-GPU gaming builds (RTX 4080/4090-class cards) and builders who want Gold-tier efficiency with future GPU upgrade headroom, though it is the wrong buy for budget builds where a 550-650W unit would be sufficient and extreme dual-GPU or workstation rigs needing 1200W+. Buy the Corsair CX550M for entry-level gaming builds under $700 total and GTX 1660 Super or RX 6600-class GPUs, though it is not the pick for high-end GPUs or multi-GPU setups and anyone wanting a fully modular 24-pin/EPS.
be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W vs Corsair CX550M price
Cost splits them too. Corsair CX550M sits at $54.99, be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W at $130, 136% more.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W and Corsair CX550M differ on modularity?
Yes. Modularity reads Fully Modular on the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W versus Semi-Modular on the Corsair CX550M.
Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W and Corsair CX550M?
It is. Both are listed at 120 mm, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- be quiet!
- Corsair CX550M
- Corsair
Wattage
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 850 WBest
- Corsair CX550M
- 550 W-35%
80 PLUS Rating
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Gold
- Corsair CX550M
- Bronze
Model Number
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Corsair CX550M
- CX550M
ATX Standard
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- ATX 3.0
- Corsair CX550M
- ATX 2.x
Form Factor
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- ATX
- Corsair CX550M
- ATX
Single +12V Rail
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- No
- Corsair CX550M
- Yes
Cybenetics Efficiency
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Platinum
- Corsair CX550M
- Silver
Cybenetics Noise
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- A-
- Corsair CX550M
- A
12V-2x6 Connectors
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 1
- Corsair CX550M
- 0
Hold-Up Time
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 20.6 ms
- Corsair CX550M
- 11.1 ms-46%
Zero-RPM Mode
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- No
- Corsair CX550M
- No
Sleeved Cables
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Yes
- Corsair CX550M
- No
Measured Avg Efficiency
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 89.81 %Best
- Corsair CX550M
- 85.91 %
PCIe 8-pin Connectors
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 4
- Corsair CX550M
- 2-50%
Measured Average Noise
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 25.03 dBA
- Corsair CX550M
- 20.2 dBABest
Connector Count
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 1x 24-pin ATX, 1x EPS 4+4, 1x EPS 8-pin, 1x 12VHPWR (600W), 4x PCIe 6+2-pin, 6x SATA, 2x Molex
- Corsair CX550M
- 1x 24-pin ATX (fixed), 1x EPS 4+4 (fixed), 2x PCIe 6+2-pin, 6x SATA, 4x Molex
Fan Size
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 120 mm
- Corsair CX550M
- 120 mm
Fan Model / Bearing
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 120mm rifle bearing (BQ QF2-12025-HS)
- Corsair CX550M
- 120mm rifle bearing (HA1225H12F-Z)
OEM / Platform
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- HEC
- Corsair CX550M
- CWT
EPS 8-pin Connectors
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 2
- Corsair CX550M
- 1
SATA Connectors
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 6
- Corsair CX550M
- 6
Molex Connectors
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 2
- Corsair CX550M
- 4
Length
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 160 mm
- Corsair CX550M
- 140 mm
Colour
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Black
- Corsair CX550M
- Black
Fan Bearing
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Rifle
- Corsair CX550M
- Rifle
MTBF
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 100000 hours
- Corsair CX550M
- 100000 hours
Modularity
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- Fully Modular
- Corsair CX550M
- Semi-Modular
Protections
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- OTP, OCP, OPP, SCP, OVP, UVP, SIP
- Corsair CX550M
- OCP, OVP, SCP, OTP
Price
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 129.99 USD
- Corsair CX550M
- 54.99 USD
Warranty
- be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
- 10 yearsBest
- Corsair CX550M
- 5 years-50%
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W if you want the higher wattage (850 W vs 550 W), the higher Hold-Up time (20.6 ms vs 11.1 ms) and the higher PCIe 8-pin connectors (4 vs 2).
Choose Corsair CX550M if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W | Corsair CX550M |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $129.99 View on Amazon | $54.99 View on Amazon |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 850W
8.2 / 10 Expert Rating
The 850W Pure Power 12 M tops out the modular M-series, giving budget-focused builders a native 12V-2x6 connector and Gold efficiency without stepping up to the pricier Straight Power line.
Corsair CX550M
6.9 / 10 Expert Rating
A safe, unglamorous budget Bronze pick for entry-level gaming PCs that don't need Gold efficiency or full modularity.