Which PSU to buy?

[Klosteral]

Hey there,

I am planning to do an upgrade to my current desktop - a big one.
This involves the following:
AMD Phenom II x4 955 3.2GHz Quad-Core (OC'd to 3.5GHz)
ASRock 890GX-Extreme3 Motherboard
4GB DDR3 1333 Memory KIT
ATI Radeon HD6870 [HIS] Graphics card

I am wondering which PSU to get. My current desktop has a "CoolerMaster Extreme Power+ 500W" power supply but my desktop is a powersaving one so I do not need much.

I have used a calculator:
http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

And it says I should get a 580W PSU (I included the OC, several HDDs, Expansion cards and the opportunity for CrossFire). That means I should get a 600W or 650W. The question is, are the Wattages really what they claim? Are there better companies than others? I am currently considering the following:
Corsair HX-650 650W ATX Power Supply
http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=4987

Are there any others from www.msy.com.au or www.netplus.com.au that I should consider that are under $150?

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[batuchka]

Put it this way - peeps reported Corsair HX620 fine for a high end GTX 460 SLI config
http://www.overclock.net/power-supplies/825694-gtx-460-sli-620hx-5.html
and HD 6870CF is way less power hogging so i would say 600-650 quality PSU would be fine and ya that HX 650 is a good choice as is

Antec ECO 620/TP 650/EA650
XFX 650 80+ Bronze
Seasonic S12/M12II 620
to name a few

 

[Klosteral]

Are there any brands that are 'better' or 'worse' for this kind of thing? I know quite well to steer away from the generic brands such as SHAW or A-Power but I have heard that CoolerMaster units do not perform as well as they claim and so forth.

Would I be better going for a Corsair or Antec or what?
Also, is there much difference within them such as:
Corsair HX-650 650W
vs
Corsair TX-650 650W

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Choosing by brand is a bad thing. Which of the following do you think is true ?

- Antec makes crappy PSU's
- Antec makes good PSU's
- Antec makes very good PSU's
- Antec makes great PSU's

The answer .... all of the above. Manufacturer's are in business to make money ... the more they sell the more they make. Targeting a single market segment limits the number of customers you can sell to, limiting the amount of sales. So most vendors sell to multiple market segments:

Great PSU's
CP-850 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=142
SG-650 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=113
SG-850 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=101

Very Good PSU's
HCG-900 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=211
HCP-1200 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=198
CP-1000 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=173
TP-750 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=140
TPQ-850 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=58
EA-500 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=35

Good PSU's
HCP-850 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=215
TPQ-1200 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=177
EA-750 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=173
EA-650 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=110


Crappy PSU's
NP-650 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=117
TPT-650 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=1
TP2-550 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=22

The Corsair HX-Series is an extreme hi end PSU ... gets a 10.0 performance rating on jonnyguru.com as does the "Great PSU's" above. If you doing a moderate CPU overclock and single GFX card, I wouldn't go there unless I got a big bargain. The TX series is a "Good" category PSU and fine fopr what you are planning. I don't think it's worth it to go less than 650 watts and bumping from < 600 to 650 is usually about $10.

Looking at those sites, I'd say this is an easy choice at $99

http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=4947
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=110

 

[geofelt]

AMD requires a 500w psu with two 6-pin pci-e power connectors for a 6870:
http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/amd-radeon-hd-6000/hd-6870/Pages/amd-radeon-hd-6870-overview.aspx#3

Your CM psu has only one such connector which is a good indication that the 500w unit is under powered by today's standards.

Look to Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, XFX, and PC P&C for a quality unit.

The corsair HX650 should be a good, safe pick, but you may find something for a bit less.

 

[Klosteral]

I want to keep my options open for overclocking my CPU lightly at first and then more heavily once it starts to get out dated (maybe a voltage change too?). I also want to have the option to run CrossFire graphics cards later on as well. That is why I would like to spend a more decent amount of money and get what I know will do what I want it to.

I was hoping that my current CoolerMaster Extreme Power+ 500W would be able to support my current system but it would be pushing it so I thought I should get something more. I do not want to have to do the same thing later on if I upgrade again.

What is the difference between the HX650, TX650 and EA650? They all claim to be 650W powersupplys but they are priced differently and I would bet money that they perform differently. In what way though?

I do not care which brand, model or colour of PSU I get so long as it will do what I want it to. Naturally, the less money I spend the happier I will be but I do not want to spend too little.

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[geofelt]

You get what you pay for.
The HX650 is modular, with 52a on the 12v lines.
The TX650 is not modular, with 52a on the 12v lines.

The EA 650 has 45a on the 12v lines.

The more the combined amps on the 12v lines which powers most of the cpu and graphics cards the better.
That said, any of them would be strong enough to power a system with a single GTX580.
They are all quality units.

Modular helps with cleaner wiring if you do not need to use all of the supplied leads.

 

[Klosteral]

I apologise but I am confused. What is modular and how does it help keeping the leads neat? Does that mean each cable is a m-m that can be plugged into the PSU so that unnecessary ones can be removed and be out of ones way?

If the prices are:
HX650 - $139
TX650 - $114
EA650 - $100

Then which one would be best for me, assuming I am going to run CrossFire 6870's and OC my CPU? I think I am leaning towards the TX650 at the moment.

Thanks,
-Kloseteral

 

[geofelt]

I apologise but I am confused. What is modular and how does it help keeping the leads neat? Does that mean each cable is a m-m that can be plugged into the PSU so that unnecessary ones can be removed and be out of ones way?

If the prices are:
HX650 - $139
TX650 - $114
EA650 - $100

Then which one would be best for me, assuming I am going to run CrossFire 6870's and OC my CPU? I think I am leaning towards the TX650 at the moment.

Thanks,
-Kloseteral

Any will do the job. The Corsairs are a touch stronger which can't hurt.

 

[geofelt]

Modular means that the individual power leads are detachable from the psu if you don't need them.
Stronger psu's will have some extra sata, moles, and perhaps pci-e leads which you may not need.

 

[Klosteral]

So I am thinking of gettin the HX650 or the TX650 and of those it is dependant on my budget. I would prefer modular and would not mind spending an extra $25 but if I can convince my boss to give me a discount at the other store (I work for NetPlus) then I will try and get one of them for <$100