Cheap PSU vs. Expensive PSU?

[doomsdaydave11]

I'm going to get a new rig soon and the total parts will eventually add up to the following:
Intel Core 2 Duo e8400
4GB DDR2-800 (4 sticks total)
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 512MB
160GB SATA2 + 120GB IDE HDDs
2x 120MM fans + 1x 140MM fan.
1 Lightscribe DVD+/-RAM drive.
No overclocking, and on a medium end, standard Gigabyte board (nothing special)

What would be the benefit of getting this PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
Instead of this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182017
The price difference is not a small one. Why would I pay $40+ extra the Corsair PSU that I saw recommended several times by different people in another thread? I don't like wasting cash. Thanks for any answers.

 

[lostandwandering]

IMO, it's all about the quality of the components used. More expensive units from reputable companies tend to use higher quality components that are usually less likely to fail. Cheap PSUs have a nasty reputation of taking other components with them when they fail. Personally, I would rather get a quality unit to protect the 1k+ system that I just built.

 

[cdgsax]

First off, you get what you pay for

From what I've heard and experienced, Rosewill PSU's are kind of hit and miss. I have friends who have had Rosewill PSU's in their computers and nearly all of them have failed due to a faulty capacitor or two. One time, one of my friends had just turned his PC on and I saw smoke coming out the back of his Rosewill PSU. After we unplugged it and let it cool down, we took it out, opened it up, and most of the inside was charred. I put in a spare I had lying at home to test everything and thankfully, his PC booted up and ran just fine. The next day, he went out and bought a well known PSU brand. (It was either Antec or Thermaltake, don't remember) He has had no problems with it ever since.

I haven't heard anything but great things about Corsair PSU's. I'm not saying that a Rosewill PSU will blow up on you, but if it does, you will wish you had spent that extra $40

 

[jhyukkang]

DUDE!!!!! i just had that psu, fried my mobo!!!!!, maybe i just got bad psu, it worked for 2months,

 

[mtyermom]

Rosewill is considered a rather sketchy PSU brand. Apparently, they may have a few decent models, but most are considered low quality. I think popular consensus here is, as lostandwandering said, it's worth the extra money to ensure a quality, reliable PSU.

Think of it as building a custom, expensive and high performance hot-rod car. Would you put a cheap, low-grade and unreliable fuel injector in it?

 

[paq7512]

Get this psu:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104037

 

[blotch]

A good PSU will stay cool, supply your comp with power properly and not die and take your MoBo, GPU and HDDs with it. With MoBos and PSUs you get what you pay for more then any other components. These pieces can take others with them if they die so spending a little more money is always worth it. My PSU is beautiful and she cost $219, but it never gets hot and i have never had a power problem. Unlike my last PSU that was noisy hot and unreliable.
Also OP you should get 2x2gigs sticks of RAM if your buying all 4 gigs at once...more stable usually, plus you could get 8 down the road if you ever need to.

 

[4745454b]

Whats wrong with the cheap ones? Something like this is much more likely to happen.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTM5NywxMiwsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=

Immediately upon finishing Test #3 I noticed a very strong hot plastic/burning smell that had been slowly building through testing, but since the unit was still running I continued on and turned the power supply on for Test #4. Upon doing so I was immediately surprised by what sounded like a couple of Black Cat firecrackers going off inside our test incubator...The loud firecracker sound was a pair of the cheap Asia-X capacitors on the secondary side literally exploding off the PCB, burning a hole in the acetate shield, and generally pinballing around the interior of the power supply housing.

Cheap PSUs have cheap components inside of them, and when they die, it can do a lot of damage. I LOVE reading articles where the cheap PSUs are put through the paces. They tend to die in fiery deaths.

By the way, here is a review of the RP500, should be similar to the RP550 you inquired about.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=32

 

[croc]

I'm going to get a new rig soon and the total parts will eventually add up to the following:
Intel Core 2 Duo e8400
4GB DDR2-800 (4 sticks total)
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 512MB
160GB SATA2 + 120GB IDE HDDs
2x 120MM fans + 1x 140MM fan.
1 Lightscribe DVD+/-RAM drive.
No overclocking, and on a medium end, standard Gigabyte board (nothing special)

What would be the benefit of getting this PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
Instead of this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182017
The price difference is not a small one. Why would I pay $40+ extra the Corsair PSU that I saw recommended several times by different people in another thread? I don't like wasting cash. Thanks for any answers.

www.jonnyguru.com

If you are too lazy to do your own research, then please don't come back here when your system fries asking for advice. Harsh? Yep.

I assume that you already own the HDD's listed...

 

[doomsdaydave11]

www.jonnyguru.com

If you are too lazy to do your own research, then please don't come back here when your system fries asking for advice. Harsh? Yep.

I assume that you already own the HDD's listed...

To cynical people such as yourself...
I have been doing my own research for the last couple of weeks. I've been on gamer sites, hardware sites, etc. looking for reviews on the units I posted, and finding reasons why it makes a difference. Hell, I've even been on that site and looked around.
So thank you for bashing me for my laziness, but I did do my research, and you wasted 10 seconds of typing.

 

[doomsdaydave11]

Also, I've looked around at power supply calculators all over the place and they all tell me different numbers for that system, ranging from 250-watts to 600-watts. I would like to know if a 450-watt model of the same type (Corsair 450VX) would be enough. I want it to be plenty for future upgrades for the next 3-5 years. Many of you probably have more experience in this topic then I do, and I don't want to make any more wrong decisions.

 

[croc]

To cynical people such as yourself...
I have been doing my own research for the last couple of weeks. I've been on gamer sites, hardware sites, etc. looking for reviews on the units I posted, and finding reasons why it makes a difference. Hell, I've even been on that site and looked around.
So thank you for bashing me for my laziness, but I did do my research, and you wasted 10 seconds of typing.

If you'd actually done the research that you claimed, then you'd know that Rosewill is a tier 5 PSU at best. From memory, one of their PSU's self-destructed in Jonny's lab with rather interesting results, such as smoke, flame, small explosions...

But, hey its your PC, your money, do what you feel is best. Personally, I'd also look at the Antec Neo HE units, also in the 550 watt range. Should be a bit less than the OCZ, although not as highly rated, and I can personally vouch for their overall performance. Not exactly quiet though. I don't see anyone saying to get a PCP&C, or a Silverstone, etc, just recommending that you stay away from the rosewill's. Some from personal experience.

So, back to the research slog, and this time pay attention. There's a difference between cynacism and realistic expectations. And now I've wasted a whole 30 seconds trying to save you some grief.

 

[Zorg]

OUCH!

I case you didn't already understand the Rosewill is junk and will probably force a complete upgrade on you, if it doesn't burn down your house.

According to eXtreme Power Supply Calculator v2.5 for your current configuration you need a PSU with a wattage of 313W. That does not take into consideration current (amperage) per rail. It is also understood that you aren't looking for a Rosewill or Coolermaster or some other such junk in order to save a few bucks. Avoiding the junk PSU can be done with a little research. The Amperage on the 12V rails concern can pretty much be eliminated by getting a single rail PSU. As far as upgrading etc. that is why you buy a PSU that is larger, i.e., has some headroom.

Here is the PSU list Official XS Tiered PSU Manufacturer Brand Listing Phase III - XtremeSystems Forums. It's not exactly up to date, but it will give you a good idea.

 

[Zorg]

Here is the OP from jhyukkang, he posted earlier about his experience with the Rosewill. All of the PSUs are good although I'm not sure about the Antec Neo. Croc seems to think they are good. All you need to do is determine what upgrades you might be doing and the headroom that you want to have. psu recondations? I suggest you read the whole thread, it's less than one page.

man. im having hard time to narrow down the psu choices.
im down to these psus, from newegg, tigerdirect, and buy.com (depends on the price, - lowest) all shipped price

please select that is very very safe and the one that i can bet my 1500build. also for the money....(under100)obviously
im not using high end gpu, so i need 400w, but i want to gove psu some space
antec earthwatt 430 50$ newegg
antec earthwatt 500 100$ newegg
antec neo 550 94$ buy
corsair vx450 70$ Tigerdirect
corsair hx520 100$ buy
OCZ SXS 500 40$ Tigerdirect
PCP&C 470 75$ Tigerdirect
Seasonic 500gb 95$ newegg

 

[systemlord]

A 450 watt PSU doesn't sound good for future upgrades, 550W is a better choice. Then again more is sometimes better, I wish I had bought the Enermax Galaxy 1000W instead of my Enermax Infiniti 720W.

 

[bobwya]

Hi doomsdaydave11

I would recommend trying to buy a Tier 2 PSU from the list on the XS website:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088

The Corsair HX, Hiper (high wattage), Antec Neo, Enermax Liberty series are all affordable... I have an Ultra X3 model in my external HD box (OK thats for 16 HDs guys!!). Future proofing you with 1KW and very high quality modular cabling/unit build quality.

I have had the experience of using a cheap PSU... Luckly when it blew up it only took out one RAM stick out (which I was able to RMA). It was a build for someone else so no worries... If you like looking at the Windows blue screen of doom then go with a cheap PSU...

I am using a PC Power & Cooling PSU in my main rig (Tier 1). It is well built and it is one less thing to worry about.

Bob

 

[reconviperone1]

I used the rosewill 600 watt for a year and a half, it was quiet and reliable, that being said, I was on pins and needles for a year and a half because i knew it was'nt the best brand, like someone posted earlier rosewill are hit and miss. I now have the corsair 750 watt psu ,it can be had for like 120 after rebates on buy.com

 

[chuckm]

Corsair's are a good deal at buy.com, go with the VX550 would be my opinion;
http://www.buy.com/retail/searchparametric.asp?loc=62043&ra=zm01,p01,op01,nf01,em01&ze01=5185&em01=953
There is a difference between cheap and low cost/well made.

 

[zenmaster]

If you need a case, this is a good buy.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129036

 

[Maximus_Delta]

First off I think the chances of a PSU actually blowing up on you are pretty low, even with those units.

There is a lot of hype on enthusiast forums about the merits of expensive PSU's. All enthusiasts like to have decent stuff but I tend to think the scare stories being used to justify spending a big chunk of a budget on a PSU are a bit much sometimes.

I have a Coolermaster psu which is Tier 5 on that listing, which is hardly 'official'... it's just someone's condensed opinion based on the research they have done. My PSU handles my over clocked system just fine with spot on and stable voltages. The unit is basic but does contain high quality capacitors. Certainly am not expecting it to go down at any moment, taking other components with it in a ball of fire!

Get a decent unit from a reputable company and check a review or two to make it's okay - don't go a spend a fortune on the back of paranoia.

I'd recommend something upwards of 600 watt personally for a good degree of future proofing, but that is assuming you don't intend to run crossfire or sli. Look at the new graphics cards coming out and they are pretty power hungry.

As a note, what's with the attitude on this thread? If you think it's an obvious question just don't bother posting your answer / opinion...

 

[zenmaster]

First off I think the chances of a PSU actually blowing up on you are pretty low, even with those units.

There is a lot of hype on enthusiast forums about the merits of expensive PSU's. All enthusiasts like to have decent stuff but I tend to think the scare stories being used to justify spending a big chunk of a budget on a PSU are a bit much sometimes.

I have a Coolermaster psu which is Tier 5 on that listing, which is hardly 'official'... it's just someone's condensed opinion based on the research they have done. My PSU handles my over clocked system just fine with spot on and stable voltages. The unit is basic but does contain high quality capacitors. Certainly am not expecting it to go down at any moment, taking other components with it in a ball of fire!

Get a decent unit from a reputable company and check a review or two to make it's okay - don't go a spend a fortune on the back of paranoia.

I'd recommend something upwards of 600 watt personally for a good degree of future proofing, but that is assuming you don't intend to run crossfire or sli. Look at the new graphics cards coming out and they are pretty power hungry.

As a note, what's with the attitude on this thread? If you think it's an obvious question just don't bother posting your answer / opinion...

I don't think anyone is recommending he spend a huge amount of money, but rather to get a quality PSU.
There is really little reason to get a PSU that powerful.
The 3870x2 uses a max of 200w per AMD, though It's never used over 180w in any test I've seen.
Toss in 100w for a current non OC'd Current Intel Quad and you are only looking at 300w for the most power hungry components at max usage. Toss in another 100w for HDDs, RAM, and other minor components and he is using less than 400w.

Therefore a quality 500w PSU is more than poweful enough for a far more power hungry system than he is buying.

Along with more reliability, the higher quality CPUs will likely use about 10% less power due to a higher efficiency.
(80+ vs 70+)

While the savings may not be huge, over 3 years the price difference could be paid for.
Add to that a higher quality fan for lower noise.
And Yes, better quality for more reliability which will better protect your components.

 

[Shadow703793]

OUCH!

I case you didn't already understand the Rosewill is junk and will probably force a complete upgrade on you, if it doesn't burn down your house.

According to eXtreme Power Supply Calculator v2.5 for your current configuration you need a PSU with a wattage of 313W. That does not take into consideration current (amperage) per rail. It is also understood that you aren't looking for a Rosewill or Coolermaster or some other such junk in order to save a few bucks. Avoiding the junk PSU can be done with a little research. The Amperage on the 12V rails concern can pretty much be eliminated by getting a single rail PSU. As far as upgrading etc. that is why you buy a PSU that is larger, i.e., has some headroom.

Here is the PSU list Official XS Tiered PSU Manufacturer Brand Listing Phase III - XtremeSystems Forums. It's not exactly up to date, but it will give you a good idea.

Agreed. Get a Corsair, PP&C, or an OCZ for good PSUs.

 

[4745454b]

First off I think the chances of a PSU actually blowing up on you are pretty low, even with those units.

Then you need to get out more. The odds might be low, but it does happen. Start reading PSU reviews on Jonnyguru, anandtech, Hardocp, etc and watch them explode.

There is a lot of hype on enthusiast forums about the merits of expensive PSU's.

Possibly because they know something you don't.

I have a Coolermaster psu which is Tier 5 on that listing, which is hardly 'official'... it's just someone's condensed opinion based on the research they have done. My PSU handles my over clocked system just fine with spot on and stable voltages. The unit is basic but does contain high quality capacitors.

High quality caps huh? How do you know? Did you open it and look at them? Do you consider them high quality caps because your rails are all in spec? Can you even list 3 "high quality" cap manufacturers?

Sorry friend, but most of your post (to me anyways...) reads like a rant. You bought something, and are doing your best to convince people that you haven't made a mistake. You remind me of a coworker who was trying to convince me that his new 8500GT is a good gaming video card. (I checked, its about equal to the 7300GT.) The tier listing might just be "someones opinion", but its an opinion I trust a lot more then yours.

 

[geofelt]

@doomsdaydave11:
There are several differences between the two units.
Corsair efficiency goes to 85%, rosewill 72%. This makes a difference in elctricity usage, and cooling requirements.

Corsair is 41a on 12v rails, vs. 35a for rosewill. This is the most important capability measure for a psu, not wattage. Even though the wattages are the same, the corsair is more capable, and will not run as close to full out.

Corsair has 8 industry approvals, rosewill has 4.

corsair has 2.2 spec, rosewill is 2.01.

Corsair has pfc(power factor correction), rosewill=no.

Cheap units like rosewill warrant their units at 25c, which is unrealistic in a computer case. Quality units use 50c.

The posters here are correct; a PSU is not the best place to save money. If you have to, get a cheaper case instead.

 

[kg4icg]

heck i picked up my ThermalTake PurePower 2.0 500 watt psu for 50 bucks at Radio Shack. I was using a Ultra 500 watter till it just stopped workung after a couple of months.