Best ~700W PSU?

[Zooman580]

Hi guys,
I've been trying to find a suitable PSU for an upcoming build. I'm just overwhelmed by the sheer number of available power supplies.
I'll be running:
Core i7 930
6GB 8-8-8-24 RAM DDR3
GTS 250 GPU not SLI'd
an SSD and WD Caviar Blue 500GB
not much else.

Is 700W enough? I've looked at the OCZ modxtreme
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4362115&CatId=2533

Is this a good PSU? And what other brands are good?

Thanks

 

[popatim]

I would not recomment that PSU. It has dual rails and only 1 pcie connector.

 

[popatim]

Heres one, not great but at a good price point IMO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171053
60a on a single 12v rail. lots of sata connectors, 4 pcie connectors in case you add another 250 down the road or get a beefier card.

Heres a decent corsair: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

Plenty to pick from. Post up if you find another one your interested in.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

The official Nvidia minimum power recommendation for a pc system with one GTS 250 video card is a 450 watt power supply. The card itself uses a maximum of 150 watts which leaves more than enough power for the rest of your system.

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 5XXX series cards which use less power due to their energy efficiency or some of the new Nvidia Fermi cards which use more energy

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.

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 the USA). Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units. One example would be the newer Antec models.

I can't recommend the OCZ Modextreme Pro 700 watt power supply. You'd better take a look at this technical review:

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/03/03/ocz_modxstream_pro_700w_40c_update/

 

[iam2thecrowe]

there is nothing wrong with dual rails, please stop telling people this misinformation. Try to stick with brands like Antec, Seasonic, Corsair. If you find a PSU you like, try find a good review of it. heres the review for that psu http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article/2008/11/12/ocz_700w_modxstream_pro_power_supply

 

[iam2thecrowe]

I just realised your going to use a GTS250...why use such an old card?? If this is a gaming build, seriously, cut back on the CPU and put more $ toward the video card

 

[obsidian86]

Antec tpn 550 on promo on newegg 62 shipped

 

[reccy]

The coolermaster GX750W is the PSU I have has is a bloody good'un aswell. Heavy (meaning good) and loads of room and lengh of he wires.

People often suggest going over the top with the PSU by getting certain brands, In my OPINION the PSU is important in a system, but going to expensive brands isnt always necassery. Ive used Yamaka (or something) Huntkey, PowerX, Coolermaster, a PSU from a Dell GX280/520 before, but all PSU's have been tested! If a manufactuer built a PSU without testing it and it blows up etc then they should get sued to the hilt and would go out of business pretty quickly. Failing that, there is bound to be some law in the world that states by building something like this has to be fully tested to a certain level before sale.

So any PSU above the 500-600 Range is good, that Coolermaster GX750W is the perfect for a Sli setup.

 

[LePhuronn]

Anything by Seasonic or Corsair at around 500-600W will be more than sufficient for your system.

 

[obsidian86]

The coolermaster GX750W is the PSU I have has is a bloody good'un aswell. Heavy (meaning good) and loads of room and lengh of he wires.

People often suggest going over the top with the PSU by getting certain brands, In my OPINION the PSU is important in a system, but going to expensive brands isnt always necassery. Ive used Yamaka (or something) Huntkey, PowerX, Coolermaster, a PSU from a Dell GX280/520 before, but all PSU's have been tested! If a manufactuer built a PSU without testing it and it blows up etc then they should get sued to the hilt and would go out of business pretty quickly. Failing that, there is bound to be some law in the world that states by building something like this has to be fully tested to a certain level before sale.

So any PSU above the 500-600 Range is good, that Coolermaster GX750W is the perfect for a Sli setup.

you really need to get better then those over rated generics specially the gx750

but will you consider sli in future?or add a gtx 480/ati5970

try these

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6637541&CatId=1483
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3438607&CatId=1483

not gonna sli but gonna upgrade to under a gtx 480/5970?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4362117&CatId=1079
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6661067&CatId=1079
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3436149&CatId=1079

but my pick just for the deal

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371020

 

[reccy]

you really need to get better then those over rated generics specially the gx750

Why? What is your point? They have never gone wrong for me, and LOADS of people i know who dont buy into the "Brand" wagon and go all out on an expensive overrated PSU when its totally not valued.

WHat more do you want from a PSU, which is cheap, seems good quality and does what it says on the tin?

My flavour and personal feeling on PSU research and purchasing is overated and provides nothing more than my "Generic" Coolermaster GX750, which provides power to eveything i have in my case, just like my last Huntkey Titan did before that, just like the Power X PSU before that, just like my Generic DELL PSU before that...

And Also every other system i have bought/sold/experimented with and tinkered with has never had the branded quality PSU as you lot so concur into.

Any PSU from the known makes, including Coolermaster, OCZ, etc etc are MORE than adequete for the needs of most systems with the provided Wattage linked on the side of the unit.

Does my GX 750W provide 750 of exact wattage? who cares? Does it run my system without hickup, flawlessly and without any disturbances? Yes it does. Did it cost less than a branded make with has stated less power? Yes, by £40.

You dont go into buying a car just for the speed of the thing, yes my car can go 155MPH, Have i done 155MPH in it? No, Did i buy my car cause it works? Looks good and does what i need it to? Its a Honda?

The above quote is just liek saying im looking for an everyday car, and some idiot suggesting to go buy a Porsche GT3, known for there speed and quality.

Get a grip
Rant over

 

[Zooman580]

I just realised your going to use a GTS250...why use such an old card?? If this is a gaming build, seriously, cut back on the CPU and put more $ toward the video card

This isn't exactly a gaming build. Like I'm only going to play some cod or assassin's creed. Nothing really graphics intensive. maybe come engineering programs (cad). But if the 250 really is too old of a card, what are some of the newer ones around $120. What cards have the best value? I like nvidia but I guess ATI is ok

 

[JohnnyLucky]

zooman580 - Here is a link to the latest "best graphics card for the money" article here at Tom's Hardware:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gts-450-radeon-hd-4850-gpu,2732.html

The categories are broken down into price ranges.

 

[Zooman580]

I just realised your going to use a GTS250...why use such an old card?? If this is a gaming build, seriously, cut back on the CPU and put more $ toward the video card

Sorry I meant a GTS 450

 

[reccy]

The GTS 450 has literally only just come out, i'd go for something like a GTX460/465? Seems pretty much good bang for buck atm

 

[Zooman580]

The GTS 450 has literally only just come out, i'd go for something like a GTX460/465? Seems pretty much good bang for buck atm

yea I was wondering why there were no reviews for them

the 460/465 is a bit too expensive for my budget

I don't even play games that much, but I might start.......
Right now I'm just doing lots of video converting for my Ipod (mainly CPU), some movies, and some CAD work, which might take some power.

IMO choosing the GPU is the hardest part of the system

 

[reccy]

Im more based towards Nvidia myself due to me knowing alot more about there cards then AMD/ATI, but found this beauty:

ATI 5770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873

124.99$ after "mail-in rebate" and comes with Free Shipping.

 

[jsc]

I would not recomment that PSU. It has dual rails and only 1 pcie connector.

First, I am not an OCZ fan.

Second, single or multi-rails don't matter. In fact, most of the the smaller (under 1 kw) "multi-railed" PSU's aren't.

Third, look at the list of specs:
Specifications
Wattage: 700W

SLI/Crossfire: SLI Ready <--- That means it can power two video cards. Needs two connectors minimum.

...

Motherboard Connector: 20+4 Pin

4-Pin/8-Pin EPS Connector: 1

6-Pin PCI-Express Connector: 1 <--- First connector

6-Pin/8-Pin PCI-Express Connector: 1 <--- Second connector.

4-Pin Floppy Connector: 2

4-Pin Peripheral Connector: 4

SATA Power Connector: 6

 

[Zooman580]

Best answer selected by zooman580.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey