Power supply help

[jellybab]

Hello everyone,
I'm soon upgrading my pc from gt 330 to 6970. my question is about power supply I'm certain that mines isnt powerful enough but I would like some help explaining the PSU itself my current one is.

AC [ 100-127/220-240w, 10/5A, 50/60hz ]
DC [3.3v| 5v |12v1|12v2|5vsb|-12v]
DC [16A |20A| 18A | 18A|2.5A|0.5A]
MAX [ 450W ]
Peak[ 500W ]

Can anyone explain this information so in future I can easily read what I need from a power supply as I know that W's isnt everything, it's also got something to do with 12v rails and Amps

 

[totalknowledge]

Its best just to ignore peak... base your calculations on Max.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/amd-radeon-hd-6000/hd-6970/Pages/amd-radeon-hd-6970-overview.aspx#3

states :

550 Watt or greater power supply with one 150W 8-pin PCI Express® power connector and one 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connector recommended

Which is 150w/12 12.5a (free) on the rail connecting the 8-pin, and
6.25 a (free) on the rail connecting the 6-pin.

We will need the make/model before proceeding with a recommendation, but preliminarily you look clear.

 

[jellybab]

is there any recommended brands of PSU's like corsair maybe? as I do not know my PSU make and would like to get a more trusted brand of psu

 

[clutchc]

For your first step in sizing the PSU, I would use a PSU calculator like this one:
http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/
Just enter the values as they pertain to your build. There's a spot there for you to enter the graphics card you want to use, among other variables...

Then head over to Newegg and look up PSUs. Sort them in order of Best Ratings. That will give you an idea of the best brands. Then if you want an expert's opinion, head on over to Johnny Guru's site and check it out...
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Review_Cat&recatnum=13

 

[JackNaylorPE]

As was said above .... requirements are here:

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/amd-radeon-hd-6000/hd-6970/Pages/amd-radeon-hd-6970-overview.aspx#3

If ya look at the wattage per dollar tho, you will see that the 650 watters are usually no more than $5 or so more than the 550 watters....well that was true last week

$55 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013
$75 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

Last week the 650 watter was $60. The 650 and 750 got 9.5 performance ratings from jonnyguru .... only an 8.5 for the 550 tho

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story9&reid=216
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story3&reid=225

At $90, this is a good buy
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139012

Seasonic X series, Antec SG, HCO, HCG series are also great choices......

is there any recommended brands of PSU's like corsair maybe? as I do not know my PSU make and would like to get a more trusted brand of psu

Brand names really can't be used as a measure of quality ...... even within the manufacturer's product lines there can be significant variances.......most of Corsair's HX series get 10.0 ratings for example but the 1000 / 1050 fair rather poorly in comparison for example with their siblings.