Question about PSU and my future rig

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Nezaja

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May 15, 2013
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Hello,

Next week i'm going to order my new PC, i have choosen most of the components, but im struggling on which PSU i should buy to power it.

What i'm planning to buy:

CPU:
Intel Core i7 3770k (Yes i could wait for the new Haswell, but i think it is not needed, next year when DDR4 gonna be introduced, the new socket will not be usefull...thats what i think, also 5-10% more speed isn't worth to pay another 100-150$, in my country there is a tax that is applied to the new electronic components so they are a lot more expensive than normal for the first 2-3 months, also price in my country depends extremly on dollar price :D)
MOBO:
ASrock Z77 Extreme 4
GPU:
Gigabyte Radeon 7970 GHz edition (1100MHz)
RAM:
G.Skill RipjawsX DDR3 2x8GB 1600MHz CL9
CPU cooling:
Noctua NH-D14
Case:
Gladius X80
SSD:
Kingston 120GB HyperX 3K SSD SATA3 2.5''
HDD:
Seagate ST1000DM003 1TB sATA III 64MB

And the PSU i've choosen for this configuration is Seasonic G-Series G-550 SSR-550RM 80Plus Gold 550W. It has 540W and 46A on +12V line. Also it has 5 years warranty.

So my question is, will this PSU be enough for my configuration? Let's assume that my i7 is a bad version and it will OC to 4.5GHz with 1.4V and i am not planning to put second GPU ever :), will it be enough? This is the only part of my PC that is holding me off from ordering it.

I for ot to add, that i will add another 4 fans (3 on case a additional one on noctua for push and pull).


Thanks in advance for response!
 
Solution
A
Seasonic is excellent. However I really think you should read a lot of PS articles. I think you would find that larger Gold PS's are significantly more efficient in the operating range you will be in. Power supplies are more of a long term investment than anything else except possibly a case. Point is if you got a 750/850 watt gold PS, you would be getting a power supply that will last you many builds, possibly 5 or more years of upgrades. CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD's are replaced by most of us at least every other generation because there are significant changes and improvements in performance for each, but a power supply just has to supply clean power without a lot of heat all the time. Contrary to popular belief, a 1200 Gold PS will...
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avjguy2362

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Jun 21, 2012
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Seasonic is excellent. However I really think you should read a lot of PS articles. I think you would find that larger Gold PS's are significantly more efficient in the operating range you will be in. Power supplies are more of a long term investment than anything else except possibly a case. Point is if you got a 750/850 watt gold PS, you would be getting a power supply that will last you many builds, possibly 5 or more years of upgrades. CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD's are replaced by most of us at least every other generation because there are significant changes and improvements in performance for each, but a power supply just has to supply clean power without a lot of heat all the time. Contrary to popular belief, a 1200 Gold PS will consume considerably less power ( and produce less heat ) from the wall than a 550 watt Bronze when both are putting out 500 watts. The more you learn about PS's the more you understand why it better to have several hundred watts too many than just enough. I bought a Corsair AX750 ( built by Seasonic! ) to replace a 7 year old Thermaltake 600 Purepower RX that was powerful enough, but ran very hot. On the same system the Corsair AX750 is consuming 29 watts less at the wall and puts out almost no heat. The fan doesn't even need to turn on until it uses 50% power. Non-gaming, it never comes on.
Here is a list of PS's in a Tier level ranking and several references to some great articles:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
 
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Nezaja

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May 15, 2013
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Well the better PSU the more expensive it is, i have limited budget. I'll probably have to resign from SSD to afford 750/850W Gold power supply.

Seasonic 550W costs 100$, Your Crosair AX750 costs 220$, this is a difference. I think i'll have to reconsider my build, now i really don't know what to do :).

Edit:

I think ill try to go with this one Seasonic X-Series X-650 KM3 80Plus Gold 650W it costs around 160$, so i'd be abble to afford that and ssd. Your link says it is Tier 1 and i think it will be enough for me (i will never put dual gpu in my current spec and in the future specs also, because it is no worth to pay twice for GPU for 20% speed increase).
 
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avjguy2362

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Jun 21, 2012
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It's certainly not mandatory to buy the bigger power supply, quality is the most important factor. I was only trying to point out the long term investment. In the long run it may prove cheaper, not to have to buy another one because two years from now you want to try a SLI/crossfire setup. I am not rich, just old! But I learned, being an audiophile for 35 years, that high quality power supplies are coveted in any electronics hobby. I paid $159 for my AX 750, but there are smaller high quality supplies available for less. The Seasonic 550w is still going to be a very good choice and perhaps in a few years when you need a bigger one, the cost won't be as big a factor in your life!
Honestly, for the performance you will want with all those great components you chose, you should definitely stick with a SSD. After living with a couple small SSD's for a couple years, I could never go back to HD's. Just me, but I would probably go with a little less expensive GPU and use that money for a better PS. A 7950 or even a GTX660, could get you by with some great gaming especially if you are sticking with a standard 1080p screen. You could always get a second one later if you want to go with 3 screens or a 1440/1600P monitor.
From what I have read on Tom's and AnandTech, most of the new GPU's scale much better in SLI/Crossfire that they used to, but i have never tried it, so I understand you reluctance to want two GPU's, they aren't always that much better and I always hear there can be some weird problems on games that have no problems with 1 card. However, many have gone that way and swear by the better results.
 
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Nezaja

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May 15, 2013
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10,510
This graphic card is on promotion in the store where i will buy my PC, so it's a great deal so i won't resign from this GPU. Not many games support sli/corssfire cards, so for now it is a waste of money to go with dual gpus. Maybe i'll wait a little longer and collect enough money for the PSU You bought. If it costed 160$ in my store (country :) ) I wouldn't event think twice, but it costs over 200$ and for now i have no external source to even borrow some money. Have to wait for another paycheck from my job and then i'll complete my build.

Thanks for response and a lot of information You have provided, this was a great lesson and i will read more about PSUs.
 
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