[Q] Help deciding power supply!

[nightshack0]

Computer build:
XFX NVIDIA 9800GT
AMD Athlon II x3 435 2.9GHz
750GB HDD

I have kinda a low budget, and power supply calculators say my computer needs 380W-390W.

I found this Rosewill Green Series 530W here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182199
for $55 .

Is there any power supply that is better with a similar or cheaper price? I need something that will last and will be able to support my computer wattage.

 

[tlmck]

This one will work just as well. Better quality also. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

Note the $20 rebate below the main price.

 

[nightshack0]

This one will work just as well. Better quality also. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

Note the $20 rebate below the main price.

Hmm..but that's the one that produces the annoying high pitch sound even when computer is off :/

I also found this one while searching http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171060

 

[obsidian86]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

 

[nightshack0]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

That's the same one that tlmck posted, just the 500W version, which according to reviews it produces a high pitched sound, even with the computer off. Anyone with one of those power supplies that has or hasn't experienced that?

 

[tlmck]

I do not know where you got the info on the Corsair, but somebody must have got a bad one. When working properly, they are silent.

I have that Thermaltake and it struggled to power the rig in my signature which uses slightly less power than yours. It does work fine in my HTPC which has only integrated video.

If you want really good, then this one ill be fine. It is one of the best brands out there. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256061

 

[nightshack0]

I do not know where you got the info on the Corsair, but somebody must have got a bad one. When working properly, they are silent.

I have that Thermaltake and it struggled to power the rig in my signature which uses slightly less power than yours. It does work fine in my HTPC which has only integrated video.

If you want really good, then this one ill be fine. It is one of the best brands out there. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256061

You mean the Coolermaster? I didn't link a Thermaltake PSU.

A lot of newegg reviews report the high pitched sound, also found it on other 7 forums, with people on replies agreeing.

Search on google "CX430 high pitch sound" or "CX500 high pitch sound", and also read the newegg reviews, a lot of them say they have it

 

[obsidian86]

then the rosewill is just as good

 

[ko888]

For a system using a single GeForce 9800 GT graphics card NVIDIA specifies a minimum of a 400 Watt or greater power supply that has a combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 26 Amps or greater and that has at least one 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector.

The Rosewill Green Series 530W (RG530-S12), with its maximum +12 Volt continuous current rating of 41 Amps and with one 6-pin and one (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors, is more than sufficient to power your system with a single GeForce 9800 GT. It has a shorter than industry average warranty.

 

[tlmck]

You mean the Coolermaster? I didn't link a Thermaltake PSU.

A lot of newegg reviews report the high pitched sound, also found it on other 7 forums, with people on replies agreeing.

Search on google "CX430 high pitch sound" or "CX500 high pitch sound", and also read the newegg reviews, a lot of them say they have it

Yep. Sorry. I had Thermaltake on the brain from a previous post. It is the Coolermaster 450 I have.

There must have been a bad batch of Corsairs. A friend used one recently with no issues. If the 430 and 500 had the same issue, then it was definitely a bad batch of components or a design flaw. Having dais that, you will also see a higher number of posts with no issues.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Many people make generalizations about OSU's saying this brand is good and that is bad....the fact is, the PSU's are only as good as:
'
1. The company that actually made them
2. The parts list the selling company specified.

As both those vary from PSU to PSU, within the same company and even within the same series or product line within that company, generalizations are meaningless. For example, the Corsair HX series almost all get 10.0 performance ratings from jonnyguru...... but the HX1000 and HX1050 are notable exceptions getting a rather pedestrian 8.0 / 8.5 knocking them both of any build list I would use.

XFX Core Edition costs $60-65 and nothing else even comes close to getting that kinda 9.5 performance rating from jonnyguru. The 550 watter is $10 cheaper but , IMO, why bother for the $10 savings

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=-1&IsNodeId=1&Description=xfx%20core%20edition&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

 

[Onus]

I usually buy Seasonic or Antec, but I would not hesitate to buy a Corsair PSU.

Edit: XFX is made by Seasonic, so I'd buy them too. And, I'd get the smaller one because it would operate in a more efficient part of its range. Under minimal load (like when the PC is idle, where it spends much of its time), efficiency can really drop off.

 

[tlmck]

I usually buy Seasonic or Antec, but I would not hesitate to buy a Corsair PSU.

Edit: XFX is made by Seasonic, so I'd buy them too. And, I'd get the smaller one because it would operate in a more efficient part of its range. Under minimal load (like when the PC is idle, where it spends much of its time), efficiency can really drop off.

The sizing for efficiency used to be true. However the new Certified PSU's maintain their efficiency at low, medium, and high levels. This can explain further. It is pretty accurate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_PLUS

 

[JackNaylorPE]

PSU's hit peak efficiency at 50% load.

 

[delluser1]

PSU's hit peak efficiency at 50% load.

Yes, but with only a 2-3% difference between peak and the upper and lower limits of the ratings, does that really matter anymore ?

 

[tlmck]

Yes, but with only a 2-3% difference between peak and the upper and lower limits of the ratings, does that really matter anymore ?

Exactly.

 

[nightshack0]

So I ended up buying this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031

It's the Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W, and while my computer uses only like half of that power, the 520w version was at the same price as this one (Antec NEO ECO 520w) so I decided buying this one.

I didn't find any reviews of this power supply but I seriously hope that it can last at least 3 years without any problem

It was $64.50 USD after taxes and everything.

Was that a good buy? overkill? Any opinion?

 

[ko888]

So I ended up buying this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031

It's the Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W, and while my computer uses only like half of that power, the 520w version was at the same price as this one (Antec NEO ECO 520w) so I decided buying this one.

I didn't find any reviews of this power supply but I seriously hope that it can last at least 3 years without any problem

It was $64.50 USD after taxes and everything.

Was that a good buy? overkill? Any opinion?

Page 5 and 6 of this 600-850W Power Supply Units Roundup from X-bit Labs:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cases/display/psu-600w-850w_5.html#sect0

 

[totalknowledge]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207018