Replacement PSU & HDD

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
Hi everyone,

My PSU blew up today and luckily, only took my hard drive with it. I'm looking for a new PSU and Hard Drive, and here are my specs as follows to help you all who are willing to assist me in finding one of each:

-ABIT IL9 PRO Motherboard
-E660 CORE 2 DUO 2.4GHZ
-SEAGATGE BARRACUDA 7200.10 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
-EVGA GEFORCE 8800 GTS 320MB DDR3
-Creative X-tremegamer soundcard
-21" LCD 1080p HDMI/DVI Monitor

Please know that my budget is limited. I'm looking for a good deal, quality PSU and hard drive, preferrably 500GB or somewhat lower, but not significantly. The PSU I'd like to get should be 600W, preferrably no lesser and possibly higher should it be very well worth it. Please consider prices, rebates, instant savings when keeping an eye out for these components - I do not wish to spend more than necessary. Thank you everyone!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
ct1615,

Thanks for your response. I looked into your PSU unit, and I like your personal choice. Although, a friend and I had a little trade-off in discussion about PSU's: My PC had a 580W PSU which really only had to work in the past 6 months (because of playing Aion), then it crashed. Would a 600W PSU suffice? or would a 600W PSU working 90% of the time die much faster than a 700W PSU working 50% of the time? Assuming this is how PSU's work...if that's the case, I'd probably buy a 700W to be safe.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
Ok, great - the more I save the better. Do you have any evidence to supply the notion that this is all true? (For of course, the sole purpose of purchasing the right PSU and for educational reasons.)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JohnnyLucky

JohnnyLucky

Illustrious
May 30, 2007
10,902
10
42,965
The general rule of thumb is a high quality 500 to 550 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can easily power a system with any single video card made. A high quality 700 to 750 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can power a system with two video cards operating in dual mode. There are a few exceptions like the new ATI Radeon HD 5000 series cards which use less power due to their energy efficiency.

A high quality 500 to 550 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 40 amps. A high quality 700 to 750 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 60 amps.

In addition the power supply should be at least 80+ Bronze certified for energy efficiency. There are some models available which have achieved 80+ Silver and 80+ Gold Certifications.

Before purchasing a new psu you will need to decide whether you will eventually have a pc with one or two video cards.

Corsair and Seasonic are two brands that have a reputation for high quality power supplies that consistently earn high marks in technical reviews. They are reliable, stable, and come with a 5 year warranty. Some of the newer models come with a 7 year warranty. Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units. One example would be the Antec Earthwatts and Antec TruePower New models which are a major improvement over Antec’s older psu’s like the Basiq models.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
Thanks JohnnyLucky. I'm a bit confused on the 12v rail business. Could you furter explain this to me? Assume I know nothing about it. Additionally, my last PSU noted that the +12v was running at 5.6v. Is this bad? I hear that 10% of the .12v number is what's supposed to be displayed when testing voltages. I'm also still confused: is the PSU listed in the above post sufficient to run a single video card as listed in my initial post? Will this provide sufficient energy and provide optimal performance for my cpu components?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JohnnyLucky

JohnnyLucky

Illustrious
May 30, 2007
10,902
10
42,965
The +12 volt rail is one of several voltages that a psu distributes to components. There is an emphasis on the +12 volt rail because it delivers power to the cpu, the video card, any other cards plugged into the motherboard, and a few other components. The +12 volt rail delivers about 75% of the power used by a system.

The standard tolerance for the +12 volt rail is plus or minus 10%. A voltage reading of 5.6 volts is definitely substandard.

Now it's my turn to be confused. I know you listed an EVGA GEFORCE 8800 GTS video card. Which power supply are you referring to? I recommended Corsair and Seasonics and mentioned Antec but I di not specify a model. Are you referring to the OCZ and Corsair models mentioned by ct165? Both models are more than sufficient. In fact both models are overkill for just one video card.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
Thank you Johnny, I understand it more clearly now. The PSU I was referring to is: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&cm_re=corsair-_-17-139-005-_-Product&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID= -

Yes, this was posted by ct165. I seem to be swaying more to that PSU. Now, if you wouldn't mind doing me a favor, and don't laugh! This whole PC was put together by an Engineer at work who recommended it as a "money saver" 3 years ago.

PSU that blew up today: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817709011
Video card I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082

Please note, "Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 26 Amps.)" This is stated from the specifications of my graphics card. Does the PSU I'm close to buying fit these standards as well as my other components?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jsc

jsc

Champion
Jul 14, 2004
16,893
6
52,960

Sunbeam PSU. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I hope the engineer at work is better at his day job than he is at building PC's.

The minimum PSU that I would put in, assuming you do not plan to upgrade:
Corsair 400CX (30 amp 12 volt rail)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008

I do not particularly like the 450:
Corsair 450VX (33 amp 12 volt rail)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003
In terms of usable power (the 12 volt rail), it is not enough of an improvement over the 400CX to be worth it.

My choice would be one of these:
Corsair 550VX (41 amp 12 volt rail)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

If you are on a budget, consider one of these:
Antec 500 watt BASIQ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371004

Yes, it's a Basiq. But this one has been redesigned:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/792
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
37,037
12
89,965
The only Antec PSU I would not buy is the 430W Basiq (it's mediocre, not bad, but I only buy good PSUs). Every other current model (including the 500W Basiq) has received excellent technical reviews at sites like hardwaresecrets, jonnyguru, and hardocp. The same is true of Corsair and Seasonic; none of them make any bad units. I wouldn't choose the 450W Corsair either though, because it is the oldest design of all of them, and less efficient (even though it is 80+). My personal preference for a bottom-dollar but quality PSU is Antec's Earthwatts. The new ones are 80+ bronze.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
Okay, I'm a little confused here, guys. I was under the assumption that I should be getting a PSU with more watts, but a quality one. Is 650W going overboard? Everyone's telling me to get something better, but I don't plan on upgrading my CPU within the next year. I'm assuming that 580W Sunbeam PSU either is a terrible brand, or just wasn't putting out much at all...my point here is, is that my PC has really only had to work hard to provide power in the last 6 months since I started playing Aion. And my PSU blowing up was that end result, so in everyone's opinion, should I really be gunning for the PSU's you all are linking?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
obsidian86

obsidian86

Splendid
Aug 5, 2009
5,762
0
26,160
a quality psu unlike your sunbeam 580 will have active pfc not a lil red switch that is a true sign thats its a POS

3 yr guarantee for a good psu
5yr guarantee for a high end psu

will have least an 80% certification

and will be rated by its Continuous Power not by its MAXIMUM power output and the power will be delivered at 40c or higher


but a good midlle of the range psu thats on a great price right now is the antec eatrwatts 650
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
Alright, well I looked up some stuff. And, between my core 2 duo and graphic card alone, we're looking at 465W. Any suggestions as to what PSU would be better suited, now that we've established that anything >450W is unacceptable?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JohnnyLucky

JohnnyLucky

Illustrious
May 30, 2007
10,902
10
42,965
khubani - Did you mean "anything less than 450 watts is unacceptable" rather than "anything>450W is unacceptable"?

I recommend the Corsair VX550. It is a high quality, heavy duty power supply that can easily power a pc system with any single video card made. If you decide to upgrade the video card you will not have to spend any additional money for a new psu.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
khubani

khubani

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
596
0
19,010
I apologize I wasn't very clear. I was saying anything less than 450W would be unacceptable due to the demand of my components. I also looked at a PSU calculator, and determined it needs 519W total for my system (according to that calculator), so all the more reason not invest in anything within a ~400w range for PSUs.

Now, this Corsair you linked, JohnnyLucky, has less wattage than my last PSU though its quality is not even comparable to the old SunBeam I used to have. I'm afraid here that if I purchase that PSU, that it may not provide sufficient power to graphics card (alone, that needs 400W), and my other components. I was lucky to have my HDD blow out rather than all of my computer parts. Are we absolutely sure that this power supply provided will guarantee sufficient power to all PC components while not under a lot of load?

In other words, will this PSU be working at 100% capacity to provide power? If not, how hard will it be working?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
delluser1

delluser1

Splendid
Feb 22, 2007
6,261
0
26,460
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom