Recommended power supply for new set please...

T

t2uciet

Gawd
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
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hi everyone, i am looking into building a new setup and i was hoping someone could recommend a power supply that would be perfect in the long run. any advise at all will be very helpful. thanks!

antec 300 case
intel i7 920 - mostly OC to 3.3ghz or 3.6hz...whichever will last the longest and best
evga x58 sli motherboard
evga 275 - maybe upgrade to a newer single setup? not sold on SLI since i have dual LCD's
4-5 hard drives - raid 0 and 1 and media HD

the video card issue is up in the air...i've always used single card setup since SLI would need to be disabled to use dual monitor's...but maybe in the future i would like to upgrade to a single 30" monitor and i could buy another 275 to sli...sigh decisions decisions...

anyway....would 650watts do? 750? 850 for the long run? I would like to get a PS with removal power plugs due to cable management if possible...

also top mounted fan since the antec 300 has the PS at the bottom...

thanks in advance everyone!
 
t2uciet said:
but the plugs are not removable?
Click to expand...

Oh, then these:
$118 - BFG Tech MX 680 680W Modular PSU (not recommended for a GTX 275 SLI setup but for any single GPU setup)
$150 - Corsair 620HX 620W Modular PSU (not recommended for a GTX 275 SLI setup but for any single GPU setup)
$230 - Corsair 1000HX Modular PSU
 
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dam you're quick! thanks for the help!

also...any brand i should stick with? antec? PC P&C? etc
 
t2uciet said:
also...any brand i should stick with? antec? PC P&C? etc
Click to expand...

Just gonna make a short list here (by no means exhaustive, all-inclusive, and totally of my own opinion):
  • PC P&C don't make any modular PSUs but they do make good PSU.
  • Antec's Basiq, True Power II and Smartpower PSUs should be avoided. But the rest of their PSU line are very good (Signature, Earthwatts, Trupower New)
  • Corsair's entire line of PSUs is of excellent quality
  • Stick to BFG's LS, MX, EX, and ES line of PSUs.
 
dam the corsair 620hx has a bottom mounted fan and the corsair 1k is overkill haha

looks like BFG is the top choice for now...

back to searching/comparing PS's
 
t2uciet said:
dam the corsair 620hx has a bottom mounted fan and the corsair 1k is overkill haha

looks like BFG is the top choice for now...

back to searching/comparing PS's
Click to expand...

Any P/S-2 power supply with a fan bigger than 80mm, is going to have it "bottom/top" mounted. There is no difference, as it doesn't matter at all how you orient the PSU. The BFG MX-680 is the same way....
 
i'm kinda confused since the consair's mount/screw holes are on in one direction...

the BFG seems like i can mount it at the bottom since the fan is facing up where as the consair's is at the bottom? this is my 1st time building a PC with a bottom mounted PS...

are there different mounts/brackets that would allow a PS with a bottom fan to be mounted upside down?

my bad...kinda lost on the whole bottom mount issue...
 
t2uciet said:
i'm kinda confused since the consair's mount/screw holes are on in one direction...

the BFG seems like i can mount it at the bottom since the fan is facing up where as the consair's is at the bottom? this is my 1st time building a PC with a bottom mounted PS...

are there different mounts/brackets that would allow a PS with a bottom fan to be mounted upside down?

my bad...kinda lost on the whole bottom mount issue...
Click to expand...

You can flip a power supply up (like the Corsair) so that the fan side is now facing up. In fact, the picture of the MX-680 shows it being downside up actually whereas the picture of the Corsair 620HX is exactly the same as the MX-680 would be if it was flipped normally.

No there isn't any different mounts or brackets. Same mount for upside down or downside up.
 
dam i feel stupid...i read a review somewhere about the antec 300 and they stated it was a MUST to buy a PS with a TOP mounted fan...sigh

so now i can buy ANY PS and just install it upside down?

hmm would 750watts be enough to SLI 275's or 285's?

620-650watts for a single 295 or a single new 300 series?

i hate to plan far ahead but i like to be prepared...

thanks for clearing that up!
 
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t2uciet said:
dam i feel stupid...i read a review somewhere about the antec 300 and they stated it was a MUST to buy a PS with a TOP mounted fan...sigh

so now i can buy ANY PS and just install it upside down?

hmm would 750watts be enough to SLI 275's or 285's?

620-650watts for a single 295 or a single new 300 series?

i hate to plan far ahead but i like to be prepared...

thanks for clearing that up!
Click to expand...

Most bottom mount cases I have seen have holes drilled so that the PSU can be mounted either way. I have no personal experience with it, but looking at pictures, the Antec 300 is no different.

Quality 750W should be enough for a mild OC and GTX 275 SLI and your setup although with 5 HDDs you may want to bump it to 800W...quality 650W should be enough for a single GTX295.
 
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t2uciet said:
so now i can buy ANY PS and just install it upside down?

hmm would 750watts be enough to SLI 275's or 285's?

620-650watts for a single 295 or a single new 300 series?
Click to expand...

Yes

A good quality 750W PSU would be enough for GTS 275 but it'll be extremely close IMO. Better go with a quality 850W PSU for that kind of setup.

For any single GPU out there, a quality 620W to 680W like the Corsair and BFG will be enough. In addition, either of those PSUs will be enough for the dual GPU GTX 295.
 
i think i will go with a 750-800watt then...

i will have a single 275 for now...and either upgrade to a single 295 or sli 275 since i already have it unless i give it to my brother...then 295 lol....

thanks again yall!
 
If you're looking for a modular PSU, Danny's recommendations are quite good.

A few additions:
$160 - SeaSonic M12 SS-700HM 700W
$219 - SeaSonic M12D SS-850 850W *($170 after rebate)*
$228 - Antec Signature SG850 850W
 
For something like that I'd get an ocz, corsair, pc power and cooling(ocz), enermax, silverstone, etc... A power supply from one of those guys would work. I'd shoot for something around a 1000watt power supply.
 
Great thread, for me at least. I had no idea a modular PSU existed. I hate my PSU because I have to stuff all the extra cables somewhere. I think a modular PSU is in my future. :)
 
Danny Bui said:
Yes

A good quality 750W PSU would be enough for GTS 275 but it'll be extremely close IMO. Better go with a quality 850W PSU for that kind of setup.

For any single GPU out there, a quality 620W to 680W like the Corsair and BFG will be enough. In addition, either of those PSUs will be enough for the dual GPU GTX 295.
Click to expand...

LOL. gtx 275 sli with his systme uses about 575 watts load. How is that close?
 
lollerskater69 said:
LOL. gtx 275 sli with his systme uses about 575 watts load. How is that close?
Click to expand...
My own math:
~185W - Core i7920 @ 3.6Ghz at full load
438W - 2 x GTX 275 at 219W each at full load
20W - 2 x HDD at full read/write assuming RAID 0 setup
24W - 3 x HDD at idle
50W - Mobo + RAM
------
Total: ~717W at full load

717W at near full load is roughly 96% of a 750W PSU's capability. Considering that PSUs last longer, quieter, and are cooler in the 40% to 60% range of their output, a 850W PSU would be more preferable as it will be closer to the optimal longevity, quiet and cooling range. Note that this is worst case scenario.
 
If you dont not modular PSUs, i strongly recommend the Corsair 850, dont get any less i believe... always have a good headroom
 
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