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Help choosing a PSU

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - Help choosing a PSU

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newt070   01-14-2009 at 02:01:16 PM

My current system consists of:

AMD X2 4200X
2 Gig of DDR Ram
6600GT video card (I would like to upgrade this also at the same time to a 9800GT or something like that)
SATA DVD Burner
SATA hd
IDE hd
and this [url=http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=1928][/url] mb

I am looking to get a new PSU because my current one seems to be going downhill. I would like to get one that I can start to build a new system in the future.

So could you please recommend a few PSUs that help my current needs and also help me in the future?

Thank you for assistance.

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mi1ez   01-14-2009 at 02:22:20 PM
- 0 +

for that system a 500-600W PSU should be fine, but it obviously depends on any future upgrades, such as SLI, you may be planning.

Choose a famous brand system as they will be far more reliable- Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, Antec etc.

If you find one and want a second opion just ask on here, every man and his dog has an opinion on PSUs!

Reply to mi1ez
newt070   01-14-2009 at 02:28:07 PM
- 0 +

I really don't plan on upgrading to SLI but would like to get a Quadcore PC with 3-4 gigs of DDR2(3) everything else should stay the same.

I really just don't understand all the amps, volts, and watts. I tried to read the sticky post and was lost.

When I look at PSU it is also hard to determine if they have all the right connections that I need and that I am not just pulling the power from one of the sections of the PSU.

Is there any tips that could help me?

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to newt070
pr2thej   01-14-2009 at 02:41:13 PM
- 0 +

Coupla pointers:

Go brand name...this is arguably one of the most important investments in your rig.
PC Power & Cooling
Corsair
Antec
OCZ

Cant go wrong with those 3.

Make sure your PSU has the correct connections!!
For example for your projected build, with a 9800 you will require a 6-pin PCI-E connector. Also you need enough SATA, one for each HDD and Optical.

So, you need 3x SATA, 1x Molex, 1x6 Pin, 1x Mobo connector.

PSU supplies power across several voltages, hence you will see how much power for each rail. Cant remember exactly what they all do but the 12v rail supplies your CPU and GPU. a 9800GT requires 26A from memory so make sure that anything you look at has at least a 26A rating on 12v.

Taking all that into account...this PSU is your best bet and will last you a good while. $50 after MIR as well ^^

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newt070   01-14-2009 at 02:52:36 PM
- 0 +

That looks like it has some good reviews. I am concerned though, is 500watts going to be enough for me to upgrade my system in the future?

This could just be my misunderstanding of PSU but I would like to ensure that I would not have to also upgrade to a newer PSU when I get money to upgrade the rest of my system.

Reply to newt070
pr2thej   01-14-2009 at 03:02:52 PM
- 0 +

Thats based on the above upgrades, ofc it wont handle a tri SLI with 8 case fans and 12 HDD's but if thats what you are going for then you need to say!!
How long do you want the PSU to last and how much upgrading do you think you will do in that time?

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newt070   01-14-2009 at 03:17:55 PM
- 0 +

Sorry, I see the problem.

I would like the PSU to last through my next PC build. So about 3-4 years. In that time I would like to upgrade my CPU to a quadcore, change out my MB, new RAM and get a dedicated audio card.

I currently have 2 hd's and a DVD burner. I could see needing to add another hd also in the future.

I also have 2 case fans.

At the time of upgrading my PSU, if I have the money, I would also like to upgrade my video card. I have around $200 to spend.

Reply to newt070
Longy   01-14-2009 at 03:24:05 PM
- 0 +

newt070 wrote :

I really don't plan on upgrading to SLI but would like to get a Quadcore PC with 3-4 gigs of DDR2(3) everything else should stay the same.

I really just don't understand all the amps, volts, and watts. I tried to read the sticky post and was lost.

When I look at PSU it is also hard to determine if they have all the right connections that I need and that I am not just pulling the power from one of the sections of the PSU.

Is there any tips that could help me?



Please mind that 4 gig of memory is on the edge of the maximum memory a (normal 32-bit) system can handle. This could have as a result that your PC only uses part of the memory (about 3,5 gig). I should stay with 3 gig, or upgrade to x64 (which isn't very useful for upgrading a PC).

BTW I am new here :hello:

Reply to Longy
pr2thej   01-14-2009 at 05:49:10 PM
- 0 +

Ok well with all that, the PSU i suggested is fine newt070. Usually i would recommend overspecced PSU's anyway as you would expect it to last a good few years.
The only cards it wont handle are Nvidia GTX series and Radeon 4870x2.
Those cards start at $250 or so for a decent brand and go upto $500 so i wouldnt worry about it!
Welcome to the forums Longy, good point on the RAM. Stick to Dual channel (ie 2GB or 4GB...not 3GB)

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fullmetall   01-14-2009 at 05:54:07 PM
- 0 +

+1 on pr2thej's theory on the brands.

Reply to fullmetall
newt070   01-14-2009 at 06:31:40 PM
- 0 +

For $30 more, after MIR, I could get a PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W

Would getting this be a mistake? It seems for $30 more I would be getting a much higher rated PSU and I would not have to worry about it for a long time.

What do you think?

Reply to newt070
fullmetall   01-14-2009 at 09:37:21 PM
- 0 +

not bad.

still think kingwin or corsiar is the way to go on a psu.

check the reviews over the corsair 750w.
i have an 800w kingwin.

Reply to fullmetall
pr2thej   01-14-2009 at 11:00:08 PM
- 0 +

You would have to intend to SLI to go that big with a PSU
Either that or run a mini Googleplex with 30TB storage space :D

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