Blak op blob :
Hey all, Im new to this forum but have read many posts.
Just building a new PC and need help with choosing an adequate PSU for it.
I want it as a gaming rig but not an excessive. This is what i have already got:
Leadtek gtx 260 standard
EVGA 780i sli motherboard
320 gb seagate hdd
dvd rewritable
4 gb RAM corsair, 2x 2gb
q6600 quad at 2.4 standard but wish to overclock
4x 120mm fans
Hi
You can run your rig through this calculator to check the wattage:
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp
I wouldn't entirely trust the Power Supply Calculator GPU Wattage (it appears to list the average of the peak 2D and 3D power requirements). Refering to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_200_Series
You can see the 260 GT has maximum 3D power requirement of 136 watts. It requires 2x 6-pin PCIe power connectors.
So it needs a PSU with 12V rails which supply at least 136/12=11 A.
At the budget end that would mean a Corsair 550VX or Corsair 520HX (for modular) for example. Ideally you operate a PSU at around 50% of its rated capacity. This is typically were they are the most efficient. At idle efficiency usually drops to ~80% (or less for a crap PSU) and the same at full load. That PSU will also handle a Q6600 overclock.
Here's a review of the 550VX:
http://www.jonnyguru.com//modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=62
The full list of tiered power supplies is on this thread:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088
this is based on build quality/component quality following a disassembly of a single unit.
If you are thinking of setting up SLI in the future (why else would you endure a Nvidia chipset :lol
then you will need to future proof yourself. You need a PSU with 4x PCIe 6-pin connectors and >750 Watts peak (ensures your PSU is around 50% loaded). Lots of good stuff in this market (Ultra X3 series, Corsair 1000HX, PC Power & Cooling range). Just make sure your case can fit the PSU!! (Ultra X3 and Corsair aren't very long so are a good choice.)
Bob