Is it okay to use a 500w PSU for a 250w system?

HELLOYURI

Reputable
Feb 1, 2015
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Hello.

I'm building a computer for the first time and I've been looking for a decent PSU. I won't add a graphics card at the moment but I have plans to get one after 6~12 months. Until that, is a 500w PSU too much? I got an i7 4790k but I won't overclock for now, maybe in the future. By the way, is Haswell compatibility really necessary?

Found these 3 options around 500w:
CoolerMaster Elite V2 500W RS500-PCARN1
XFX Pro 450W Core Edition P1-450S-X2B9
Seasonic ATX 520W S12II-520

Thanks, and sorry for bad english.
 
Solution
Plan ahead. Get an idea of what GPU you want later and get the PSU for it now. A good PSU does not come cheap. With a "k" CPU you may want to overclock later on (assuming you have a proper board). Haswell compatibility is to lower the amps the CPU draws when inactive and still remain stable. If the PSU is not Haswell compatible, you can disable c6/c7 states in bios. The PSU's you listed are ok for now if you must get one.
Plan ahead. Get an idea of what GPU you want later and get the PSU for it now. A good PSU does not come cheap. With a "k" CPU you may want to overclock later on (assuming you have a proper board). Haswell compatibility is to lower the amps the CPU draws when inactive and still remain stable. If the PSU is not Haswell compatible, you can disable c6/c7 states in bios. The PSU's you listed are ok for now if you must get one.
 
Solution

Brillis Wuce

Distinguished
You can't have "too much wattage". You could throw in a 1600 watt PSU into your system and it would work. Is it necessary? Definitely not.

500 watts is enough for the majority of systems with a single video card, but there are some that require more, and any SLI/Crossfire option uses more.

Any idea which video card you'll get?

Out of those 3 that you listed, go for the Seasonic.
 

HELLOYURI

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Feb 1, 2015
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A single GTX 760 would be fine. I will buy it later along with a watercooler (H60 or H80). I'm looking for a PSU that will not exceed the system needs, but will allow further upgrades like these.
 

Dark Lord of Tech

Retired Moderator

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