Budget power supply.

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Rationale

Rationale

Admirable
Mar 21, 2014
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Since I've been unable to fix or even diagnose my PC's problems with sleeping (it fails to sleep and hibernates instead), I'm left with the option of replacing my motherboard or PSU. (People repeatedly suggested those as the two most likely options, but I have been unable to narrow it down)

Since the PSU is cheaper and easier to replace, I'm going with that first. However, I don't want to get the same model of PSU (after all, what if it's a consistent flaw?), so I'm looking for another low wattage, low cost, reasonable quality PSU. I used all my budget building this PC, so I can't afford an expensive replacement.

So far this seems like my best option.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033&cm_re=antec_380w-_-17-371-033-_-Product

However, I went low-wattage on the PSU in the first place to keep efficiency up (higher percentage load = higher efficiency, so long as it stays within safe limits). 360w was more than enough, my PC should only draw ~100w under load anyway. With efficiency in mind, I'm wary to downgrade to an 80+ Bronze PSU.

Anyone know any good quality power supplies, better than Bronze efficient, less than 400w, for a relatively low cost? It's a narrow market, and I suspect I've already found the only one that fits.
 
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Rationale

Rationale

Admirable
Mar 21, 2014
3,025
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Once again, I am not uninformed. I'm more than capable of reading a tier list without someone holding my hand. The entire point of asking this was to find out if there were PSUs more efficient than the Antec 380w for a similar price. That tier list does not include any, it was the first thing I checked before I asked this question.
 
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Rationale

Rationale

Admirable
Mar 21, 2014
3,025
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Thanks for the help, but it's also just the same efficiency. Actually less efficient since my rig would only put it at ~20%-25% load, which is around the point where PSU efficiency gets tossed out.
 
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Calnin

Dignified
Dec 28, 2013
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I'm not sure if there's a PSU that'll actually have a much lower efficiency than the one you're looking at. I mean, maybe this: (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss350etbronze), but not really 100% sure. ( I'm basing prices before MIR).
 
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Rationale

Rationale

Admirable
Mar 21, 2014
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7,960


Yeah, I'm not sure either.
 
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Calnin

Dignified
Dec 28, 2013
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I mean it is a bit more expensive and it is a gold rated unit, but still with that wattage, the efficiency at the <20% usage wouldn't really matter too much. With a system under load @~100w, it's already at that 25% mark for a 400w psu, with a 450, it's ~22% or so, almost at the point where the efficiency wouldn't really matter too much. Unless my calculations are wrong or misunderstanding of some concept or something (I am a tad bit tired).

Anyways, going on with what that point was... the efficiency would still probably be better, but 10-20$ more expensive for something that is probably like a few watts better efficiency isn't really worth the cost maybe? It does have a higher efficiency rating and it's still a good unit though.
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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Sep 3, 2012
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I think you are probably over thinking it. Side effect of using something like a GTX750Ti means you'll run into these types of issues as the mainstream "basic" PSU is still ~500W and most companies don't even start their PSU lines until 430/450W. I think if the GTX800 series demonstrate a similar trend then we'll see more of a push for high quality, low capacity power supplies but for the time being it's not really an area which exists.

Efficiency is all percentage based, which means it's a little counter intuitive when it comes to how it works in practice. You'd assume that 80Plus would be equally beneficial at high and low power values but due to fixed losses in transformers and wave rectifiers it's much easier to make higher efficiencies at higher power values. Also as soon as you leave the 80Plus specs the stated efficiency is generally irrelevant, so with a build like this you'll be operating outside of this most of the time anyway - at load you might sneak in but most PCs don't spend huge amounts of their lives at load. If it's consistently infeasible to be operating above 20% capacity of even a 350W then you might as well throw the concept of efficiency out of the window - by getting a GTX750Ti you'll likely save power versus say an R7 265 anyway - and just get a PSU based on price/performance.
 
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