help in choosing PSU

I don't know anything about HEC PSUs. The CoolerMaster one is probably not a bad unit, but it is probably a little over-rated. I had one and would not buy another.
Are Antec PSUs available there? Antec, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, Corsair, OCZ, Enermax would all be good. Are any of those available?

+1.
Amongst those two, I would get the Coolermaster.
Coolermaster is Tier 4. Hec is a Tier 5.
Hec made the old Antec PSUs.

Just to help you get on the right track, here is a site to help.

One of the TOP PSU review sites.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/

Also, have you tried using google for terms like "PSU review" or "PSU calculator"?

Google is a dream to find info. Spend some time and become informed.

And just remembered, saw a link to a Phil place on OC forums.

http://www.tipidpc.com/

Maybe ya know it already, hope it helps.

thanks for the replies.

antec, corsair and enermax are available here but costs $130 for the 450-500+ watt model.

have done a little research and found http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/Power
result is 325 recommended psu wattage. is this accurate?

@Conundrum
i don't trust tipidpc.com. items for sale there are open box. thanks for the suggestion though.

i think i'll go with evongugg suggestion with slight alterations
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119142

again thanks for the replies

Corsair 550vx for $77 on newegg after rebate - simply the best quality you can get

There's a 650TX for $72 at www.buy.com, that's an even better deal. However, the OP is in the Philippines, and I doubt he can buy from these retailers.  

yeah, youre right. 650TX isn't available here but the 620HX costs $125.   i'd rather buy this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119142 (PSU included) which only costs $115 here.  

extremeoverclocking.com's review on the coolermaster is quite good
http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/reviews/cases/Cooler_Master_550W_1.html (550W Continuous / 650W Peak) though a few more suggestions will be appreciated.

I remember reading a review about a bunch of 1000W PSUs, and CoolerMaster had one of the best there. Maybe they're better now than they used to be. Also, that CoolerMaster 690 case is one of my favorites, great cooling, perfect for HD 4850. Yeah, I'm starting to like that combination.

Do you have a list of which PSUs you can buy and at what prices, a URL maybe?

something like this is enough. (400-500w.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
the psu u have should handle the 4850 fine.

the problem with my PSU is it only has 22A on the 12v rails. i think the 4850 needs a minimum of 31A, and its a generic brand so i don't want to use it anymore after reading some posts about no name brands.
(mine doesn't even belong in tier 5)

@aevm
here are some of the PSUs available here:
Corsair VX450 watts sli/crossfire ready -------- $90 (i think this may be cutting it close)
Corsair HX520 watts -------- $110
Corsair HX620 watts -------- $130
Enermax FMAII 535 watts -------- $80 (this seems to be a good choice)
Hec Raptor 500 watts -------- $48

since the 4850 is a somewhat overheating card and i live in a tropic country, heat is a major issue.
so is the 690 w/ real power 550w worth the $110 ?

My recommendation is the ToughPower 600W PSU. This PSU is Crossfire certified, and is also covered by a 5 year warranty, and is also built with industrial grade compactors, which makes this a very appealing option. I found that this can be purchased from a reputable company called ewiz, which I have had no problems with on ordering from for $99 with additional cost for shipping and handling.

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=PS-W0103RU&c=fr&pid=90...



Specification
o Mfr Part Number: W0103RU
o Features:
+ Complies with ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V version
+ SLI, Cross-Fire, and Dual Core CPU ready
+ Next generation four +12V rails(12V1, 12V2, 12V3, 12V4) supports high-end graphic card and PC system (combined loading of 48A)
+ Independent Voltage Circuit: offers unflappable current delivery under heavy load and makes voltage output more stable
+ Active Power Factor Correction (PF>0.99) and high efficiency (up to 85%)
+ Extremely good voltage regulation (±3%): provides steady voltage for system
+ Industrial grade components (capacitor, transformer, etc)
+ High reliability: MTBF>120,000 hours
+ Mirror effect housing and reliable 14cm ball-bearing fan
+ Protections: Over Current, Over Voltage, and Short-Circuit protection
+ Safety / EMI Approvals: CE, CB, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, and BSMI certified
o Maximum Power: 600 Watts
o Color: Black
o Switches: ATX Logic on-off additional power rocker switch
o PFC (Power Factor Correction): Active PFC
o Cooling System:
+ 14 cm Fan
+ Speed: 1900 RPM (±10%)
+ Dimension: 140 x 140 x 25 mm
+ Air Flow: 82 CFM
+ Temp. Auto Control
o Noise: 16dB at 1300RPM
o P. G. Signal: 100 ~ 500 ms
o Over Voltage Protection Recycle AC to Reset: +5V 7.0 Vmax, +3.3V 4.5 Vmax, +12V 15.6 Vmax
o Input Voltage: 100 VAC ~ 240 VAC
o Input Frequency Range: 47 ~ 63 Hz
o Input Current: 115VAC / 8A max, 230VAC / 4A max.
o Hold-up Time: 16 ms
o Efficiency: Upto 85%
o Connector:
+ 1x 24-pin Main Connector
+ 1x 4-pin +12V Power Connector
+ 2x 4-pin Floppy Drive Connector
+ 2x 6-pin PCI Express Connector
+ 1x 8-pin +12V Power Connector
+ 7x 4-pin Peripheral Power Connector
+ 6x 5-pin S-ATA Connector
o Dimension (WxLxH): 15 x 16 x 8.5 cm
o Weight: 2.34 kg

The 620HX is the best of that bunch, but it's expensive and overkill. Get it if you're planning to do Crossfire. Since your current motherboard only has one PCI-E x16 slot, that's not very likely IMO. If you think you will buy a Crossfire motherboard (say Asus P5Q Pro or GA-EP45-DS3R) and a second HD 4850 some day, then the 620HX would be worth it. Otherwise, the 520HX makes more sense. The VX450 is good but I wouldn't buy it - too small for today's video cards, let alone future ones.
Enermax has some excellent PSUs, but some weaker models too. Sorry, no idea if that FMAII is good. No idea about Hec either.

The 690/550W is worth it all right. The case alone, without PSU, is about $80 in the USA and Canada, and your prices seem to be higher. The only problem is whether you are willing to trust that PSU. Try to find a few professional reviews and see if anybody discovered bad things about it. The Newegg user reviews are OK IMO, nothing scary. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817171025

read some reviews on the CM Real Power 550, most of the reviews gave it a pass but all of them are quite
outdated (4Q 2005 - 2Q 2006).

also found out that it has 30A continous 48A peak on it's 12V rail. will i have a problem with the 4850
which i think requires 31A?

Yeah. Even if it works, you'd have to worry whenever you add a disk or a fan.
How about a VX550, is that available there? That one has 41A.

VX550 is not available here. guess i'll go with the HX520 then. anyway thanks for the suggestions

You know I am so sick of people sucking up to Corsair. I guess they did an awesome marketing job and their psus look really cool. The reality is that YES they do have excellent psus but for the record they don't make their own units. Most of their units come from Seasonic which is usually cheaper that Corsairs.