Which PSU to buy?

AllanRawr

Honorable
Apr 10, 2013
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Hello, I'm currently in need of a new PSU as my old one has decided to blow up recently after a good couple of years use. It was a cheap CiT brand, 750W (http://www.ebuyer.com/159708-cit-750w-dual-12v-rail-12cm-fan-psu-4x-sata-1x-psucit750ub?utm_source=google&utm_medium=products&gclid=CIHP78mp-rYCFerHtAodqjoAZA).

My current system is as follows;
M5A87L-M/USB3 Mobo
Nvidia GTX 550 Ti
AMD FX-6100 3.3ghz
8GB RAM
1TB HDD
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
with 1 case fan and an optical drive and a part on the front for headphones etc


Though in the future I may be adding;
1 more 120mm case fan
Nvidia GTX 660 Ti (to replace the 550)
Another 1 or 2 TB HDD
and perhaps a fan controller.


So my question is fairly simple, which PSU should I get that's fairly decent (I hear that branded PSUs tend to last longer) and has enough headroom for the future upgrades? Budget is flexible, though the cheaper the better. Not as importantly, is there anything I have to do after installing the new PSU before turning it on?
Any advice is appreciated, as I don't really know much about PSUs. Cheers.
 

noobguru

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May 8, 2013
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10,510
You should list your budget, but I will suggest the Corsair AX850 PSU. From personal experience I can tell you it is built solid and works like a champ. Make sure when purchasing a PSU you give yourself a bit of overheard for future add-ons, like you listed above. Corsair is a quality product and typically "you get what you pay for". Hope that helps.
 
a 50 dollar 750 watt power supply was just asking to die.

Can you list a store you shop at?

Most quality 500+ watt power supplies should have run your system fine. Think Corsair/Antec/OCZ/Seasonic/Silverstone/ect(in no order. I am sure I missed some, but in general, cheaper power supplies skimp on parts.).

Again, NO 750 watt power supply should have failed with your system(I run my media center[i5 750 + 650 ti] on a 300 watt power supply 3 years[the 650 ti was added to replace the 5770] so far so good).
 
You don't need a 850w PSU like someone else suggested, unless your looking at sli/crossfire in the future. A good 500w unit should suffice. If you want something with a little overhead for future upgrades/overclocking, then a 650w Corsair/XFX/Seasonic should fit your needs well.

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=59616&vpn=P1650SNLB9&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1304

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=78776&vpn=CMPSU%2D650TXV2&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1304

a 500w PSU that would do the job as well:

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=49495&vpn=ST50F%2DES&manufacture=Silverstone%20Technology

For the difference in price ($10) I'd go with one of the 650w units though...
 

odiervr

Honorable
May 1, 2012
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I suggest 600-650 watt. Seasonic, Corsair, or PC power and cooling. There are more good brands avail, but those listed are all very good.

Nice to have: Silent, modular, single rail.

Places to look: Newegg, tiger direct, amazon, pcpartpicker. Good Luck !!
 

AllanRawr

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Apr 10, 2013
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10,630


I can't say I know a whole lot on the price to quality side. The CiT was just the one that came with the build, so I decided to run with it as it wasn't causing any problems. Served me well for about two years, so I can't complain really. I really like the idea of space to breathe, so will probably stick with a 750W. I'm in the UK so I shop mostly on Amazon, eBuyer and the like, but have some local stores that usually have deals on branded parts. I've noticed I could get a Corsair CX750M for £70 on Amazon, would this do the trick? Can't say I understand rails etc though, so perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree.
 
For a system using a single GeForce GTX 660 Ti graphics card NVIDIA specifies a minimum of a 450 Watt or greater system power supply that has a maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 24 Amps or greater and that has at least two 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors.

Total Power Supply Wattage is NOT the crucial factor in power supply selection!!! Total Combined Continuous Power/Current Available on the +12V Rail(s) rated at 45°C - 50°C ambient temperature, is the most important factor.

Overclocking of the CPU and/or GPU(s) will require an additional increase to the maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current ratings, recommended above, to meet the increase in power required for the overclock. The additional amount required will depend on the magnitude of the overclock being attempted.

The XFX Pro Series 550W Full Wired Edition (Bronze) (P1-550S-XXB9), with its maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 44 Amps and with one 6-pin and one (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors, is way more than sufficient to power your system configuration with a single GeForce GTX 660 Ti graphics card.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-P1-550S-XXB9-PRO550W-Edition-Supply/dp/B004RJ8EKI