Need a PSU recommendation

Corsair HX750W. XFX Radeon HD 5850.

Hello and welcome to the forums  
I agree with Lmeow,a HX750W with a HD 5850 is a great combination.
For graphics,brands like Sapphire,XFX,HIS,Powercolor are all good

Here are the official power requirements for the ATI Radeon HD 5850 and HD 5870 video cards.


ATI Radeon™ HD5850 System Requirements:

PCI Express® based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard

500 Watt or greater power supply with two 75 watt, 6-pin, PCI Express® power connectors.

600 Watt or greater power supply with four 75 watt, 6-pin, PCI Express® power connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode.


ATI Radeon™ HD5870 System Requirements:

PCI Express® based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard.

500 Watt or greater power supply with two, 75 watt, 6-pin, PCI Express® power connectors.

600 Watt or greater power supply with four, 75 watt, 6-pin, PCI Express® connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode.

The power supply recommendations are for an entire pc system.

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. In addition, some of the newer models have earned a gold certification for energy efficiency.

The Corsair 750HX that was suggested does look like a really good power supply, but isn't upwards of around 150 dollars a bit pricey, I know its an investment for the future but jeez..I remember when a quality PSU was like 40 bucks back in the day.

Also, whats the deal with modular PSUs and decreased voltage to components due to higher resistance. I tried reading a few articles to understand the implications of the amount of voltage lost, but can't decide how/if at all this will affect the performance of my build. Will my components not run at full performance? Also does this affect overclocking at all?

High quality modular power supplies will not negatively affect the performance of your build. Your components will still operate as intended. Modular power supplies do not affect overclocking.

Resistence does exist in several forms but it is not an issue. Resistence is negligible. Your pc will not be affected.

Sometimes there are threads that contain heated discussions. It usually revolves around someone going to extremes to try and make a point.

About those prices - Yes, the prices seem high. Five years ago I think I paid $129.00 for a Corsair HX620. It is a modular power supply so it commanded a premium price. It supplied power for my personal pc almost every day for five years. I may have upgraded other components but I always used the same power supply over and over. It now supplies power to my emergency backup system. The voltage readings are still stable and rock steady. Spread the cost over 5 years of almost daily use and it works out to about 8 cents per day.

So with the build I listed in my first post, would a Corsair 750HX would be sufficient in terms of being a quality PSU as well providing room for future upgrading (xfire 5850's and possibly 2x HDD). Also do you notice if there are any incompatibilities with the parts I listed; I can't imagine there being any, but does the PSU have all the necessary cables I would need for everything, like the 4x PCI-e connectors for 2 GPU's, etc. I'm assuming yes but never hurts to double check. Thanks again for all the help and feedback.

Yes, the Corsair 750HX has four PCI-E connectors so you can crossfire your 5850's. I actually recommended that PSU to a person earlier today so can definitely confirm this for you. It has more than enough power for your needs and will provide you with plenty of headroom.

Yes.

The HX750 is a newer model that comes with four 6+2 pin PCI-e power connectors. The connectors can be used as either 6 pin or 8 pin connectors.

You didn't mention a cpu heatsink to help cool the cpu. You might want to consider replacing the stock AMD cpu heatsink with a high performance heatsink.

Was planning on going with the Hyper 212+, any thoughts? Heard its the best bang for the buck without spending a bundle.

The Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is a good choice. It is a very good value. If you are in the USA and shop carefully you can usually find it on sale for $29.99.

It will fit inside an Antec 300 case but there won't be very much room left over.

I know this isn't the place to do it but I've posted in the memory AND motherboard sections of the forum and can't seem to get a response so I'll give my best shot here:

I want to pair my GIGABYTE GA-790FXTA-UD5 with a set of:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

OR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I'm probably more likely to go with the first choice because of lower timings and latency for only a dollar more. However, I've read in many places that the 790FXTA-UD5 defaults the G.SKills from 1600 to 1333. I've read though that this can be bypassed by simply changing the timing? How would I go about doing this.

Also, I'd appreciate any feedback on my choice of RAM
as well. I'd like to utilize DDR3 1600 RAM that would be best for gaming, so if there is a better option out there within the same ballpark and less hassle, please suggest. I've read good things about the G.Skills but haven't had much exposure to any other brands in terms of memory, so your knowledge is valuable to me.

Thanks again.

100% agree on the modular resistance issue. I theoretical problem that doesn't come into play in practical application.

I don't think you have had the 620HX for 5 years. It hasn't been around that long. If I remember correctly they are about to turn 4.

That said, I am a HUGE fan of Corsair PSU's. You will not beat the quality and value. I have the 620's little brother, the 520HX. I would get it again in a hearbeat.

You could go with something a little lighter, like the 750TX or the 650TX. They will get the job done just fine and cost you around $100. Even the 450vx ($70) would likely hold up as long as you stay single card.

Believe me, the $50 unit from 5 years ago gets blown away by the $50 unit today.. PSU's have come a long way in quality.

Falcon -

Just checked press releases. The HX620 was released in August, 2006. I was way off. OOPS! My bad!  

Ultra was the first to introduce a modular power supply. They hold the patent. My first Ultra was DOA. The replacement blew up when I turned on the power switch. That's when I got the Corsair.

Dang! That also means I've been upgrading cpu's and motherboards more frequently than I thought. Its like a blur because I build systems for others and I usually sell my own personal pc's.

I am growing old disgracefully and I get things mixed up.