Which PSU do I need for my build?

epson661 · Apr 9, 2014

I am currently looking at
CPU: AMD FX8350
Cooler: Cooler Master EVO 212
Graphics card: XFX R9 280X Black edition
Motherboard: Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3
Case: Zalman MS800 Plus
RAM: 8GB 1600Mhz/1866Mhz Corsair Vengeance

I was wondering what would be the best PSU for this build in order for me to have room to add another R9 280X and possibly overclock the CPU a little? As I am really confused about PSUs and what is sufficient for my build.

inzone · Apr 9, 2014

The FX-8350 is a high wattage CPU and the two 280x video cards will draw a good amount of power. The minimum PSU that I would get is 850w and a 1000w would be a good size to have. XFX, Seasonic, Corsair and Antec are all good brands to look at.
It's better to have a little more power then needed then to not have enough.

Eduello · Apr 9, 2014

I'd recommend the one I have

It pretty much depends on how much you are willing to spend.

epson661 · Apr 9, 2014

In terms of 850w and 1000w is this bronze, gold, silver or what because that changes the price significantly and will mean I would need to upgrade my budget.

inzone · Apr 9, 2014

The Bronze , Silver , Gold and Platinum is the efficiency rating of a power supply and the higher the rating the more it will cost. A Bronze rating is sufficient to have and only the higher ratings are needed if you want to spend the extra money.
What to avoid are the power supplies with no specified rating.

epson661 · Apr 9, 2014

So a bronze 850w would be enough for when i decide to crossfire the r9 280x?

Eduello · Apr 9, 2014

epson661 :

Well if it's good quality. Tiers 1 and 2A should do: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html

(The list is a bit outdated since some PSUs, like mine, can't be found in it.)

inzone · Apr 9, 2014

epson661 :

That would be the minimum PSU for overclocking and two 280x video cards , if the budget allows I would get a larger one to give yourself some cushion.

epson661 · Apr 9, 2014

When I entered an XFX 750w onto the pcpartpicker with crossfire r9 280x there was no incompatibility issues so I am starting to wonder if this would be enough...

ko888 · Apr 9, 2014

epson661 :

It's not enough because there is no spare capacity to handle any overclocking of the CPU and/or GPU(s).

PCPartPicker does not take into account any overclocking.

epson661 · Apr 10, 2014

It seems that with the price I would spend to have everything ready to crossfire, I would be better of buying a gigabyte R9 290 + BF4 which is a really good deal for me. If I were to buy a cheaper non capable crossfire motherboard and keep a 750w bronze PSU the r9 290 would be in my price range. Is this worth it for 1080p gaming for the future?

inzone · Apr 10, 2014

There is no way to know the requirements of future games. At present the r9-290 and 290x from AMD are the two top models that they have so going with one will allow you to play games in the next few years at a high level. Eventually you will have to make adjustments in the game settings to get better gameplay. At that point you may want to add a second card or upgrade to a newer model.

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