Power Requirement in Mobo Instructions?- HELP!

Hi,

I'm building a system using a Gigabyte motherboard, and I'm recieving conflicting info regarding how many watts I need to power it. One reviewed on Newegg stated that the mobo “wouldn’t boot” because his PSU was not 500W. He pointed out that on pg 22 in the mobo manual is says…
“To meet expansion requirements, it is recommended that a power supply that can withstand
high power consumption be used (500W or greater). If a power supply is used that does not
provide the required power, the result can lead to an unstable or unbootable system.”
Then he said that he got a 500W PSU and the system still didn’t boot. Obviously it was a problem with the mobo in his case.

My planned system includes…
1. E8500 (will not overclock, at least initially)
2. 4GB DDR2
3. 9600GT
4. DVD Burner
5. (1) One SATA HDD @ 7200RPM
6. (3) 120mm internal fans
7. Zalman CPU Cooler (with 92mm fan)

I used the Newegg power supply calculator and another calculator and they came out to 311W and 286W respectively. Also, from reading reviews of higher performing systems, some users use less potent PSU’s. My common sense says that I’m in the clear.

Scenario 1 is that I get a combo with an Antec 300 case and a Rosewill 430W PSU is $80. Scenario 2 is that I get a combo with the Antec 300 case and an Antec 500W PSU for $110. Both satisfy the 18A requirement for the 9600GT on the +12V rail. Scenario 1 is $30 cheaper.

I want to be confident that the 430W PSU will be sufficient if I get it. What do you think?

Jeff

The Rosewill one had decent reviews: 5 eggs. The only problem with the Antec case/PSU you indicated is that it doesn't mention the amperage on the +12V rails. Assuming that the combo comes with a 430W Antec Earthwatts PSU, it only has 17A on the +12V rails, not 18A.

Going back to the original question, since it applies to both the Rosewill and Antec PSU's, will 430W cut it?

Jeff

I appreciate your advice. It makes sense that many satisfied customers do not bother posting a review whereas customers who want to vent about a poor experience want to. Bias to say the least.

Regarding my original question, I wanted to get feedback about the statement from the Gibabyte manual since this is my first build. I appreciate your insight and will probably take advantage of the Antec 300/Antec PSU combo you posted.

One last concern...Many reviews for the 430W Antec unit (which has 17A on 2 +12V rails) cite systems using cards like the 9800GT which have higher amp requirements. Can I assume that a 9600GT will work fine even though the Antec unit falls short of its requirement my 1 amp?

Thanks!

A 9600GT only needs about 5 amps; a 9800GT, about 10 amps. A 430 watt Antec Earthwatts PSU would power either one of them (and the rest of the computer, too ) nicely.

The Earthwatts are pretty good PSU's, but stay away from the Antec Basiq models. And none of the regulars here like the Rosewill PSU's.

Some of the Rosewill cases are reportedly pretty good but the PSU's seem to be one step above junk.

Have fun with the build, Jeff. Hope we don't hear from you for a while