How much wattage will I need?

J

Jherek

n00b
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
29
Hi all,

Right now, I've got an AMD Regor based system using onboard video:

Current Specs:

Athlon II x2 270 (3.4GHZ)
Onboard video - Radeon 4250
Biostar AM3+ MB
2x2 GB RAM (4 total)
WD Blue 500 GB HD
Xonar soundcard
Generic Power Supply (about 400 watts. I believe)
DVD burner

The power supply in it has got a fairly bad case of coil whine, just enough to be annoying. :( So, I'm going to get a new PS, with the headroom to upgrade to something like this down the road:

Phenom x4 BE or X6 BE - overclocked to around 3.8 to 4 GHZ (might also go with Piledriver or Steamroller 8 core)
low power GPU (to free up system resources)
Same motherboard
2x4 or 2x8 RAM
A second hard drive of like kind
Blu ray burner

The computer is for video/sound editing/processing, along with standard internet use. I don't game at all.

I'm thinking that Seasonic is the way to go, based on reviews, etc. Here are the ones I'm looking at:

SeaSonic SS-350ET Bronze 350W:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151077

SeaSonic SSR-360GP 360W:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151117

SeaSonic S12II 380B 380W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151072

SeaSonic S12II 430B

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151074

SeaSonic SSR-450RM 450W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151124

SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

Thanks!

Edit: will buy the new PS today or tomorrow.
 
Anything over 325W would be sufficient, seasonic is surefire good, but I would save some money and go with the Antec neo eco 400w (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371029), or maybe wait for a good sale, yesterday the
Antec neo eco 520W was on sale for $40+ free shipping. I would normally recommend the CX430 which is a good deal right now, but it only has an 8pin CPU connector which can be a PITA on a lot of motherboards with only 4 pin connectors.
 
bbordwell said:
I would normally recommend the CX430 which is a good deal right now, but it only has an 8pin CPU connector which can be a PITA on a lot of motherboards with only 4 pin connectors.
Click to expand...

That 8 pin connector can be split in two to connect into a 4 pin connector. I have two of those PSUs. My current build (FM2 setup) has a 4 pin CPU connection. The connector which is 8 pins can be split in half so it fits in a 4 pin connector.
 
You need a 1500 watt PSU! Haha, just kidding. But this is the [H] after all. As bbordwell stated, any quality 400 watt unit will be sufficient. Remember that PSUs degrade over time so a little overkill is not a bad thing. I say get the most wattage you can afford. You never know what awesome deal you'll find in the future that may be a big power consumer.
 
Every PSU you linked is fine for what you listed. If you might upgrade to a better GPU for gaming or whatever later, then go for 430+, but otherwise 350 (from a good brand, which you did link) or so is just fine.
 
Seriously, a mere 350 to 400 watt PS will power an overclocked Phenom x6 or Piledriver Octocore cranked up? I checked out the Antec, and that Corsair... they look pretty good, but not Seasonic good.
 
Last edited:
Jherek said:
Seriously, a mere 350 to 400 watt PS will power an overclocked Phenom x6 or Piledriver Octocore cranked up? I checked out the Antec, and that Corsair... they look pretty good, but not Seasonic good.
Click to expand...

I guess it kind of depends on what overclock you want. If you're really going to push it and/or you're okay with the stupid idea of significantly raising VCore, then I guess you could grab a 430w.
 
wra18th wrote:

Status: wra18th is offline
You need a 1500 watt PSU! Haha, just kidding. But this is the [H] after all. As bbordwell stated, any quality 400 watt unit will be sufficient. Remember that PSUs degrade over time so a little overkill is not a bad thing. I say get the most wattage you can afford. You never know what awesome deal you'll find in the future that may be a big power consumer.

He's got a point. Headroom is good, and the 430 is only about 16 bucks more than the 350. Also, it's got the good Japanese caps, top reviews, etc. Problem solved. Thanks to all for the input.
 
Degradation for good quality power supplies only happen after a long period of time (5-10+ years).

Seasonic PSUs are actually notorious for coil whine. Meaning, I've seen more complaints about Seasonic PSUs for coil whine than any other PSU OEM.

For that basic system, a CX430 V2 should be sufficient.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top