BUILDING a new Sandy Bridge System - Power USAGE?

[mrdrum81]

Ok, so I am building a new gaming rig this summer, and since I only build a new system every 4 years or so, I want this system to last me around that long. Last me, I am describing as, a system that will be able to play most games at a moderate resolution and detail level down the road four years.

My current thoughts on a setup are as follows:

Intel Core i5 2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1ghz -Socket LGA 1155 - $189.99


ASUS P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 Sata 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Mobo - $139.99

G. SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) - $59.99

OCZ ModXtream Pro 700Watt Modular Power Supply - $89.99


Antec 300 Steel Series - Black ATX Case ----- $59.99

EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti - $129.99

These prices were taken from Newegg on 5/30/11.

My question revolves around power usage. I have an older 500 Watt Antec power supply, 500w, that I am currently using. It has many SATA power hookups, molex hookups, etc. To figure out how much power a system is going to need, do I just add up all the wattages and then see if my power supply can match it? Or is there more to it. If I can eliminiate that $90 for my power supply, it could be used elsewhere like on the 2500k processor instead or something.

Thoughts?

Thanks for reading through all this.

 

[mrdrum81]

New to these forums. Just saw the thread about PSU information. I think there might be an answer in there for me.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

You could 'build' your intended build into this http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/
to give you a rough idea of power needs, give yourself headroom ofc, especially if your overclocking
if your trying to save a little, go for a good non-modular psu over a modular thats maybe not the best choice/value
Moto

 

[Emperus]

If you are looking for 4 to 5 years of gaming longevity then start with 8 GB of ram. Also, the GTX 550 Ti is not going to fetch you gaming horsepower for that long. You will eventually need to upgrade it. Grab a Corsair TX 650 V2. Although overpowered for your current rig, it will keep the upgrade options open till your PC lasts.

 

[mrdrum81]

Hmm, good idea. I will look into that. Have never worked with a Corsair Power Supply before, only system memory. Course, OCZ I have only used their SSD HD's.

 

[Raidur]

I'd be surprised to see a game that benefits from 8GB of ram within 10 years. I still haven't found one to put the hurt on my 2GB of DDR2 RAM.

However, I guess with Nvidia talking about good ray tracing capabilities within 4 years you may be right. :/ (and who knows how much heavier our OS will be then I guess as well)