Corsair Individually Sleeved PSU Cables review

Corsair Individually Sleeved PSU Cables Review

Manufacturer: Corsair
UK Price (as reviewed): From £45.42
US Price (as reviewed): From $39.99

It's a pleasing sight to see so many companies taking modding seriously these days. The amount of kit available is growing by the day and while some of us still prefer to do things the hard way with a Dremel or cable braiding kit, depending on what you're doing, buying pre-fabricated parts or pre-braided cables will save you a heck of a lot of time.

Some people simply don't have the time to individually-sleeve every cable on their PSU, or just don't fancy the idea of disconnecting cables that weren't really meant to be removed on such an item. Whatever your stance against PSU cable braiding, you now have plenty of options when it comes to achieving a customised, colour-coordinated look, without going through the frustrating, fiddly and time-consuming process of doing it yourself and all the fun that this involves.

We recently looked at Shakmods' Pre-braided cables, and were mightily impressed. However, most cables such as these are extension cables - they simply connect to the end of your existing cables, modular or captive, meaning that you'll need to hide your PSU's original cables from sight. This may or may not be possible, depending on your case or how extensively you're planning to mod it (a mid-section plate is a great way of hiding PSUs for example).

However, Corsair is the first company, as far as we can tell, to go one one step further. Earlier this year it released pre-braided, individually-sleeved cables but this time they actually replace the modular cables your PSU comes with.


The coloured cables now start right at the PSU connectors, meaning you don't necessarily need to hide them. They're available in blue, black, red and white and use paracord braiding along with heat shrink for a finish that's on-par with anything you could achieve at home.


They're available for a range of Corsair's PSUs too - the AX, AXi, HX and TX-M series' are all catered for. Of course, owners of the HX series do find themselves in a bit of a bind, in that the PSU isn't 100 per cent modular, with the 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS 12V cables amongst others, being captive. As such, you'll only be able to replace the modular cables, meaning you'll either have a mix of red and black cables, or you'll have to source pre-braided extension cables of a similar colour, or braid them yourself.


For owners of the more expensive ranges, such as the AX1200 and AX1200i, their 100 per cent modular design means you can replace all the cables, and the kits come with everything, 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS 12V replacements included.

Conclusion

We're pretty impressed with Corsair's efforts. These are good quality cables and the braiding and heat-shrinking finish is excellent. The price isn't ridiculous either - a cable braiding kit including tools, braid and heatshrink will probably set you back half as much and you'll need plenty of experience to end up with a finish like Corsair's pre-braided cables. They're an excellent alternative if you don't fancy doing it yourself, and if the available colours suit your needs.