What PSU do I need for a R9 285x?
- Thread starter Magadon
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Skylyne
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You would be running at the minimum required wattage for the PSU, but anything beyond the 650 watt mark will likely be overkill in real world application. Depending on how much your PC already needs, you shouldn't need to push it beyond 700 watts, unless you're running a dual GPU set-up.
My personal recommendation for PSU would be the Antec HCG-620
My personal recommendation for PSU would be the Antec HCG-620
- May 18, 2007
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The GPU itself only needs ~200W actual power and the rest of the PC is usually 100-150W. 300-350W out of a good 500W would be fine.
Above 500W for a single-GPU setup, it is usually the PSU's quality that turns around and bite you in the ass for choosing poorly.
Above 500W for a single-GPU setup, it is usually the PSU's quality that turns around and bite you in the ass for choosing poorly.
Dark Lord of Tech
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Made by the best Super Flower.
A great deal on a quality supply.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-15 21:36 EDT-0400
For extra power another quality Super Flower PSU.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-15 21:37 EDT-0400
A great deal on a quality supply.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-15 21:36 EDT-0400
For extra power another quality Super Flower PSU.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-15 21:37 EDT-0400
- May 18, 2007
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As I said earlier: very few single-GPU setups require more than ~350W and that should be well within the capabilities of most good 500+W PSUs.
The reason why power supplies of comparable quality cost about the same regardless of nominal output rating is because the material cost for slightly better components is often pennies.
Dark Lord of Tech
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Skylyne
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Hate to disagree with you, SR-71. If you don't need the extra power, then you actually are drawing power less efficiently, and the current being drawn may fluctuate more. While you won't actually see this too much from the user-end, you won't benefit by just having a PSU that can draw more power. Magadon, if you really think you'll need the extra wattage, then get the 750w; if you don't plan on running dual GPUs, and maybe upgrading the CPU for hard overclocking, then you probably won't ever see any benefit from a larger PSU. If you just get what you need, you'll actually have a much more efficient machine. I would only recommend going bigger if it's really necessary, or if the build quality is superior for a better price.
This guy made a decent video that can put things into perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiWThqgFfI4
Dark Lord of Tech
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Between two 80+ Bronze PSUs rated 750W and 500W running a computer at ~200W typical while under load, the 750W will be operating barely over its 20% point where you can expect it to deliver just over 82% efficiency while the 500W PSU is running closer to its 50% point where it would be expected to achieve 85%. Using a grossly over-sized PSU can cost an extra 2-3% in power simply due to efficiency curves.
Skylyne
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Some people don't care too much about the few percent, but it's definitely pointless to oversize for no reason. You get nothing in return.
Hey, it's all up to the buyer; just trying to help push a little more information into the thread. The real upside to a smaller PSU, in the case of 80+ rated PSUs, is the extra efficiency translates to a little less heat. For some builds/builders, that matters a bit. Just putting the info out there.
Hey, it's all up to the buyer; just trying to help push a little more information into the thread. The real upside to a smaller PSU, in the case of 80+ rated PSUs, is the extra efficiency translates to a little less heat. For some builds/builders, that matters a bit. Just putting the info out there.
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