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PSU suggestions needed.

T

TuxedoBond

Weaksauce
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Messages
102
Here's what I know I'll be using so far:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition - Overclocked with after market air cooling. Distant future upgrade likely
GPU: Radeon 4870 1GB - Overclocked. Possible Crossfire and GPU upgrade in the distant future.
RAM: 4 2GB sticks of DDR2 1066 OR 3-4 2GB stick of DDR3 1066 (with possible upgrade to 1600 in the future). Overclocked.
Optical Drive: DVD Writer
HDD: 3 maybe more.
Case: 2-4 fans.

How much power will I need?

I'm looking to spend less then $80 after rebate if I can, but I don't want cheap crap that will blow out and bring down my other components.
 
I love mine. Quiet, cool, and enough power to handle a second or larger card in the future:

Corsair TX650w

Only knock is lack of modular cables, but it's a great unit.
 
What size lcd monitor do you have? The Antec EA650 (45A on the +12v) for $78.50 w/free shipping at Zipzoom is more than enough for your setup. I wouldn't bother with a 2 x 4870 1GB later on. Just upgrade to a newer GPU when the DX 11 video cards comes out.
 
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Just make sure you get a true sine wave UPS and it should work fine with any PSU.
 
Zero82z said:
Just make sure you get a true sine wave UPS and it should work fine with any PSU.
Click to expand...

How much more do true sine wave UPS's cost? I was thinking of using some lead-acid batteries(or whichever is used for this) instead of buying a premade UPS.

HardwareGuru said:
What size lcd monitor do you have? The Antec EA650 (45A on the +12v) for $78.50 w/free shipping at Zipzoom is more than enough for your setup. I wouldn't bother with a 2 x 4870 1GB later on. Just upgrade to a newer GPU when the DX 11 video cards comes out.
Click to expand...

I was thinking a Crossfire setup in the future would be a better value over buying a newer GPU.
 
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TuxedoBond said:
How much more do true sine wave UPS's cost? I was thinking of using some lead-acid batteries(or whichever is used for this) instead of buying a premade UPS.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure about the pricing; you'll have to look that up yourself. And how will you use some lead-acid batteries instead of a pre-made UPS? There's obviously more to a UPS than just the batteries, so you'll need some kind of pre-built UPS just for the circuitry.
TuxedoBond said:
I was thinking a Crossfire setup in the future would be a better value over buying a newer GPU.
Click to expand...
Probably not.
 
Zero82z said:
I'm not sure about the pricing; you'll have to look that up yourself. And how will you use some lead-acid batteries instead of a pre-made UPS? There's obviously more to a UPS than just the batteries, so you'll need some kind of pre-built UPS just for the circuitry.

Probably not.
Click to expand...

Like the way a solar power setup is done. I don't know much about how that's done either, so maybe it wouldn't work.
 
TuxedoBond said:
Like the way a solar power setup is done. I don't know much about how that's done either, so maybe it wouldn't work.
Click to expand...
A true UPS has a built-in line conditioner as well as an inverter to convert the DC from the batteries into AC that can be used by the devices that are plugged into it. So you can't just hook up some batteries to your hardware; you need the whole package. And unless you're an EE, a pre-built UPS is basically your only option.
 
Zero82z said:
A true UPS has a built-in line conditioner as well as an inverter to convert the DC from the batteries into AC that can be used by the devices that are plugged into it. So you can't just hook up some batteries to your hardware; you need the whole package. And unless you're an EE, a pre-built UPS is basically your only option.
Click to expand...

I was thinking along the lines of piecing those parts together separately if I were to make my own system. Although that would be in the distant future, so for now a pre built UPS will do.

What wattage PSU will I need for my setup? How much if I don't go Crossfire?
 
tx750, you'll need atleast 4 PCI-E plugs for crossfire, for those 4870's.

probably tx650 for without crossfire, but they're around the same price, so might as well 750tx to stay on the safe side.
 
Consider these PSu right now.

Single Card Setup
BFG-LS550(40A on the +12v) for $64.90 at Frys.com

Dual Card Setup
PC Power & Cooling 750 (60A on the +12V) for $98.88 at Amazon.com
 
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TuxedoBond said:
Which do you guys prefer between these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015
Click to expand...
I'd probably prefer the Antec.
TuxedoBond said:
I've also been considering this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817611007

The price is nice and the reviews for it are favorable. I don't know how well it does in the long term, but short term results are good.
Click to expand...
It's a Sirfa PSU similar to the ModXStream Pro here: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2008/11/12/ocz_700w_modxstream_pro_power_supply

Avoid.
 
Is there a cheaper equivalent to the Corsair and Antec 650 watt units? Is 650 watts too much for an overclocked CPU and Crossfire GPU setup?

Keep in mind I'm not looking for a top of the line PSU.
 
TuxedoBond said:
Is there a cheaper equivalent to the Corsair and Antec 650 watt units?
Click to expand...
Not any 650W units. Some cheaper lower-wattage units were recommended already in this thread, which will be plenty for your rig if you stick with a single GPU. If you do intend to go with a Crossfire setup in the future though, I would recommend that you get either the EA650 or TX650.
TuxedoBond said:
Is 650 watts too much for an overclocked CPU and Crossfire GPU setup?
Click to expand...
There's really no such thing as a PSU being "too much" for some hardware. And for an overclocked CPU and GPU CF setup, 650W is what I would recommend as the sweet spot for that kind of load.
TuxedoBond said:
Keep in mind I'm not looking for a top of the line PSU.
Click to expand...
Doesn't mean you have to get a crap PSU either.
 
yeah the earthwatts isn't exactly top of the line.

building a UPS is considerably more difficult then... um, plugging a battery in between supply and ground.
 
I concur 100% with Zero82z and MrWizard6600 assessments so far. Note that those two are very knowledgeable about PSUs so I'd recommend heeding their advice. :)
 
Zero82z said:
No, it appears to use the same platform as the 1000W Tuniq Ripper PSU, which is better. However, it's still a pretty mediocre platform, and I'd prefer to go with something else.
Click to expand...

How long do you think the lifespan would be? The price is right. Is it really that worse than the Corsair or Antec?
 
It'll probably do alright, but it's untested, so there's no way to really know. I still recommend that you go with a quality PSU from Antec, Corsair, or a similar brand. Plus, if you go with the Tuniq you'll still have to deal with a mail-in rebate.
 
It's a quality PSU platform. As far as the failure rate goes, I'd take that with a grain of salt as a good majority of Newegg user reviews are written by less than knowledgable people. In addition, those that experience problems with a product tend to post more reviews often than those without problems.

Anyway, it's a good quality PSU but not exactly the best choice for the price at $130. The PC P&C Silencer 750W PSU that Zero82z recommended several posts back from Amazon.com is a better choice for the money. It's of great quality and offers significantly more power on the +12V rail. The Corsair 750TX is also another PSU to look at in the $100 to $120 price range.

So in other words, while the Enermax PSU you selected is of good quality, there are cheaper but larger power supplies out there that are of equal if not better quality.
 
Danny Bui said:
It's a quality PSU platform. As far as the failure rate goes, I'd take that with a grain of salt as a good majority of Newegg user reviews are written by less than knowledgable people. In addition, those that experience problems with a product tend to post more reviews often than those without problems.

Anyway, it's a good quality PSU but not exactly the best choice for the price at $130. The PC P&C Silencer 750W PSU that Zero82z recommended several posts back from Amazon.com is a better choice for the money. It's of great quality and offers significantly more power on the +12V rail. The Corsair 750TX is also another PSU to look at in the $100 to $120 price range.

So in other words, while the Enermax PSU you selected is of good quality, there are cheaper but larger power supplies out there that are of equal if not better quality.
Click to expand...

After any rebates the Antec EarthWatts EA650, CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W, and ENERMAX PRO82+ EPR625AWT 625W are all $80. The Tuniq Potency PSU-POT750-BK 750W is $50 after $60 rebate. However, I'm concerned from the reviews on the Tuniq Potency about the trouble with the rebate and the alleged lack of customer support for the warranty.

I like the single 12v rail on the Corsair, the alleged efficiency on the Enermax, and the price tag on the Tuniq.

The Enermax is looking quite nice with that efficiency, yet it is a little lower in watts.
 
TuxedoBond said:
After any rebates the Antec EarthWatts EA650, CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W, and ENERMAX PRO82+ EPR625AWT 625W are all $80. The Tuniq Potency PSU-POT750-BK 750W is $50 after $60 rebate. However, I'm concerned from the reviews on the Tuniq Potency about the trouble with the rebate and the alleged lack of customer support for the warranty.

I like the single 12v rail on the Corsair, the alleged efficiency on the Enermax, and the price tag on the Tuniq.

The Enermax is looking quite nice with that efficiency, yet it is a little lower in watts.
Click to expand...
I would probably go with the Enermax out of those options.
 
TuxedoBond said:
Is the Enermax as efficient as they say, more so then the rest?
Click to expand...

yeah the enermax units are mostly pretty efficient, but the corsair 750W stayes well above 80% for all of its rated output, so the difference between the enermax and the corsair can't be more than 1 or 2%.

The Antec Earthwatts is easily recomended because its a solid build at a good price. It's not an 80+ gold member, and it doesnt have the worlds best regulation, but it adheres to the ATX specifications, and its cheap. If you want a better unit the Corsair 750W at $100-110 is a good steal. Beyond that, from Corsair, Enermax, Seasonic, BFG, Antec, and PC P&C, you get what you pay for (as in more efficiency, better regulation, etc) but the law of deminishing returns is in full effect. The Revo85+ will in fact hover above 85% efficiency for most of its curve, it will possibly even touch on 90% (on 240V), but it costs an arm and a leg.
 
TuxedoBond said:
Is the Enermax as efficient as they say, more so then the rest?
Click to expand...
Slightly more than the others. It also has excellent voltage regulation and DC output quality, and does better in that regard compared to the Earthwatts 650W and TX650. They're all very good PSUs, but I'd give the edge to the Enermax.
 
I'm not sure what to go with then. The Corsair has a 5 year warranty and a little bit more power(25 watts right?), plus a single rail.
 
TuxedoBond said:
I'm not sure what to go with then. The Corsair has a 5 year warranty and a little bit more power(25 watts right?), plus a single rail.
Click to expand...
Considering you don't even need that much power, the 25W difference doesn't matter. And the number of rails is irrelevant.
 
there is a deal for the corsair hx620 from zzf. after bing and rebate its $72. thats about as good as it gets for that price.
 
Ignoring price, which is better between the CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W and the ENERMAX Liberty ELT620AWT-ECO 620W?

Seems like the Enermax's may have a shorter lifespan. Not sure though.
 
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