Looking for a good PSU to get future upgrades but nothing too expensive

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

Hi everyone, I would like to have your opinion on what PSU I should get, first of all, my PC current components are a GTX 950, I3 2100, and 8GB Ram, along with some cheap brand of a PSU that's 500W, I don't wanna risk it here,
I have been planning on getting a 1151 motherboard and get an I5 6600 and 16gb Ram DDR 4
but there is one thing that still bugs me, what PSU should I get that will hold the I5 6600, 16GB Ram, and future graphics cards (since I think any PSU can handle the 950 so far)
talking about something that can hold me for years, 3 at the least.

So far the ones that caught my eye were
Corsair Modular CX 650
Thermaltake TR2 S 650W
Corsair RMx 650M (unlikely to get since it's more expensive than the others, but I WILL get it if it's reliable and it does what I need it to do)

Those are the 3 PSU's that caught my eye so far, I am looking forward to other suggestions as long as they are below 100$

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

Well first of all for what you want to buy is a 550watt psu more than enough if looking at a system with just one gpu,with 650watts could you power sli with most of the latest cards.

For what you are looking at is the Corsiar RMx650watt absolutely the best choice,the Corsair CXM650watt (the grey/black unit) seems to be a decent budget choice from what i've read.The Thermaltake just isn't a good choice.Like i said,from what i can recommend are the 550watt versions enough for one gpu systems.
If you can get the Corsair RMx do so,it's really the best choice.If the EVGA G2 550wtt is about the same or cheaper is that also a good choice,well psu's like that.Can look at tiers 1+2 in the next list for more options,
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html#15349669

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

Will a 550W PSU hold future top end graphics card ? let's say something bigger than a 1060 today. I mostly do 1080p gaming so I don't need the latest best one to get 60fps on ultra, I just want to be in the "Safe spot" of my PSU handling more than I need it to

Isokolon · Sep 2, 2016

The Corsair Rmx is the only real quality PSU here.
If you look for some thing cheaper, it kinda depends where you live.
You Can get an Evga Supernova GS/G2/P2 for less than 90€ in some places (where I live its 130)
Generally cheap quality PSUs are
- XFX XTR (modular, semi passive)
- Seasonic G / M12II (semi modular)
- XFX TS Gold / Bronze fully wired (non modular)
- Seasonic S12II (non modular)
- Antec High Current (non/semi modular)

These are the cheapest in most countries Ive Seen yet

550W is okayish but I'd go with 600-650W

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

With a 550watt could you power a gtx 1080 without issues,so yes it would be fine and since the cpu you want to use isn't for overclocking so no extra power needed for that so you could,in theory,even use a R9 390 with a 550watt psu without issues.In theory because it just isn't the best for it's price anymore,gpu's that use less power have become better for the same price..

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

So you would say that a 550W PSU could hold even a high end card 3 years from now ? My knowledge in PSU and how much Wats components use is very little.

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

New pc parts rather tend to use less than more power,so new gpu's that will come out in the future will probably use less watts then their predecessors.

Isokolon · Sep 2, 2016

If you're only looking to upgrade your GPU 550W will do fine.
Even with a high-end card. Keep in mind that due to technological advances new GPUs consume less power than old ones (my 1070 needs as much power as my old HD6850 although being multiple times as powerful)

However if you plan on upgrading your CPU as well in the future to like an i5/i7 with open multiplier or ZEN or sth like that I suggest 600W+

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

Even with an overclockable i5 or for that matter i7 would 550watts be fine looking at the use of a gtx 1080 next to it.But if you want to feel safe get the 650watts,it will be as efficient as a 550watt if you look at something like the Corsair RMx..

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

I don't plan on overclocking, and with the release of Vulkan/DX12 the CPU will be more effective since the more usage goes to the GPU, I plan on having the I5 6600 for a while, besides the I5 that I will get and the new ram, yes, I will only upgrade the GPU in the future after I get the CPU and RAM + mobo

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

danieltech72 :

You should be fine with this for years to come,so with that and only upgrading the gpu would 550watts be fine (it could even run on a good quality 450watt psu) ,but for efficiency (what power the psu draws form the wall) is it of no consequence so with a 650watt like the Corsair RMx would that be the same.
If a good quality 550watt would be that much cheaper could you go with it for sure,that would give no issues.

Isokolon · Sep 2, 2016

Yeah something in the 500-600W range will do the job easily then

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

Awesome ! thanks ! One more question, Would Corsair CX550M suffice ? or is there any other better 550W PSU at the same price range ? I have to specify there is no EVGA PSU's from where I'm buying

Isokolon · Sep 2, 2016

well the Rmx is better quality
you can see if you find a XFX/Seasonic unit with the wattage it will be better as well
but the new CXM is alrightish

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

Looking at what you we're looking at in the first place should you be able to spend less money going for a 550watt psu.I would urge you to spend a little more on a better quality unit.

This would be fine in wattage and it seems to be decent quality,no reviews yet,but when spending so much money on very nice new components stretch your budget a little so you can go for a very good psu as well.If the 550watt Corsair RMx is availabkle go for it.

Maybe link where you buy and let us take a look,if in another then english language link at least the psu page,make it price go up and give a max budget.

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

Soo, I just checked, and in my country the CX 550M is 80$ while the RM 550x is 120$ (I converted the money, we don't have dollars here) Is it worth it to spend 40$ more on the RX 550M ? if the CX 550M won't kill my GTX XXXX and I5 6600 with the PSU dying, I'm fine even with the CX. But if there's a high risk I'll probably go for the RM 550x even though it's 40$ more

P.S. I didn't find any XTF or Seasonic PSU's from where I'm buying (well, some of them, but they are above 120$)

Isokolon · Sep 2, 2016

the CXM won't damage your components
but keep in mind it has a limited lifespan (my XFX bronze is still running without a problem after several years) compared to the others

danieltech72 · Sep 2, 2016

If the lifespan is 2-4 years old I am completely fine with it, it also has a 5 year warranty

Vic 40 · Sep 2, 2016

It won't kill your other parts,it has sufficient protections.For the rest is it up to you to decide if the RMx is worth $40 more,if having it would i do it,but i'm not you.

You could buy a decent cooler for the difference so i get it if you choose the CXM.

Dark Lord of Tech · Sep 2, 2016

CX550M is on an improved platform , better construction , DC-DC converters added for reliability and stability and a nice 5 year warranty.

Looking for a good PSU to get future upgrades but nothing too expensive

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