Do I need a new PSU?

H

HeyYoWL

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Dec 9, 2006
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Hey guys, I was initially only looking to upgrade a few things but now I've more or less decided on a new rig but I'm re-using my old power supply, video card, sound card, and case.

Here's my semi-new rig's specs:

Antec P180
i5 2500k
GA-Z68XP-UD3P
G.SKILL Ripjaws 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM x 2 (16GB)
ASUS Essence STX
ZOTAC GTX 460 1GB
Silverstone ST65ZF 650W PSU
Sony DVD-RW
4xSATA 7200RPM HDD
NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller
3xAntec Tri-Cool Fans (came with case)

Considering: Antec Kuhler 920, GTX 460 1GB SLI, SSD

With all that in mind, would my PSU be enough to handle the 920, SLI and SSD together? There are some good deals going on for power supplies right now but if there's no need I'm not going to bother wasting money on a new power supply. I might also switch out all the built in fans for new fans from maybe Scythe. Any help would be appreciated!
 
That PSU is a fairly old model with a low +12V capacity and poor efficiency. While it is a quality unit, I would recommend getting something more recent, with at least 600W of capacity on the +12V rails.
 
Understandable, it IS pretty old.. but power-wise, is 650W enough for my needs?
 
Also, is 80 Plus Bronze good enough? Is Gold worth the extra money? I ask because I got a decent deal on an OCZ ZX 850W PSU and price-wise is about 40 bucks more than the nearest 650W PSU that's Bronze and isn't modular like the OCZ.
 
80Plus levels only relate to the efficiency of a PSU. Anything is "good enough," since a PSU with poor efficiency will still have no trouble with your computer. The only advantage is that PSUs with higher 80Plus ratings will waste less power. Generally speaking, it isn't worth getting an 80Plus Gold PSU over an 80Plus Bronze unit unless it has other features that appeal to you, like full modularity, silent operation, etc.
 
Yup the efficiency and noise are strong selling points for me, and the modularity is a big thing for me as well. But searching online I've seen someone mention that this particular PSU has a loud electric hum. Not sure how distracting that is. Does anyone have this PSU and can comment? Also, so 650W is more than enough then?
 
I believe the XFX has better performance. The Corsair is definitely not worth the extra $35, unless their 7 year warranty and superior customer service is worth it to you. The XFX has partial modularity and higher efficiency, but I've heard that XFX customer support isn't exactly good.
 
Since you posted the Corsair is now $10 less after MIR. I wouldn't really consider that the price since you should just assume you're not going to get the rebate. That being the case the Corsair has dropped since you posted and is $25 less than the XFX.

That's always something to consider.
 
PolygonGTC said:
Since you posted the Corsair is now $10 less after MIR. I wouldn't really consider that the price since you should just assume you're not going to get the rebate. That being the case the Corsair has dropped since you posted and is $25 less than the XFX.

That's always something to consider.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt he is talking about Newegg prices.
 
Nope I'm not buying from Newegg, just using their site to show you guys. But ok I think I'll go for XFX then. Thanks a bunch guys.
 
i would definitely buy a new PSU, at least a 750W and i agree with others here it is an older model, and i wouldnt try running that system...toss in 70 bucks on a new PSU, you wont be dissapointed, and jsut use 1 GPU for now till the new PSU comes
 
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