Bottom line: Following an investigation over increased RMAs for its well-reputed SF series power supplies, Corsair has discovered a potential issue that can lead to PSU failure and is now voluntarily replacing affected units manufactured between October 2019 and March 2020, having lot codes in the range: 194448xx - 201148xx.
If you've built a small form-factor PC in the past few months, chances are that it's powered by one of Corsair's SF series PSUs. The high-performance power supplies have a solid reputation for build quality, efficiency, reliability, alongside modular cabling support, all in a small footprint.
It seems that a bad batch has recently slipped through Corsair's quality control, causing the power supplies to fail when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. Although the two factors are enemies of all electronics, Corsair prides itself on the reliability and quality of these power supplies, which should be able to withstand such conditions to a greater extent.
The company has launched a voluntary replacement program for the SF series, where it's offering free replacements and is inviting users to return their faulty units at the company's expense. It also notes that a limited quantity in the batch manufactured between October 2019 - March 2020 is affected by this issue, ruling out those who bought it before this period.
"This problem can be apparent as soon as the unit is powered on for the first time, or manifest over time as the unit is exposed to a range of environmental conditions," says Corsair, adding that the impacted units do not risk damaging connected PC hardware or components as the fault occurs on the PSU's primary section that's entirely isolated from its DC side.
For those interested in knowing more about the two sections and how it all works, check out TechSpot's Anatomy of a Power Supply.