Differences between PSUs

raleigh22

Honorable
Jun 6, 2012
3
0
10,510
Hi, I am in the market for a reliable, quiet, 750w modular PSU. I came across 3 that look good on newegg, but the prices vary widely. Any idea on quality / feature differences on these? I don't mind much the difference between an 80+ bronze and silver.

xfx - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207016

popular corsair - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

cheap NZXT - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817116015

They are all modular, 80+ bronze or silver, single 12V rail, and have a reasonable assortment of connectors.

Oh, I here's my specs if you think I might be overdoing it on wattage.

i7 3770k (ill be doing moderate overclocking)
Nvidia geforce gtx 670 (probably will get aftermarket cooling, want to leave option for SLI open)
16GB RAM
Gigabyte Z77-D3H
CD drive
Cooler Master Storm trooper case (200mm fan, 140mm, 2 x 120mm LED + I'll add 2-3 more 120mm)
NH-D14 cpu cooler
SSD 120GB
 
Solution
Seeing as the PCIe lane split on the Gigabyte Z77-D3H is x16, x4, thus it won't be SLI certified, Rugger makes a good point about the wattage you are considering.

BTW the quietest out of the three units you listed is the Corsair; fan speed on maximum load has been measured at ~1300RPM, whereas the others two are going to be over 2000RPM.

But you can get lower wattage units for cheaper which are quieter.
Here are some examples:
Lepa G500-MA 500W 80Plus Gold Modular $119 (free shipping)
http://www.amazon.com/Enermax-G500-MA-G500-ma-Atx12v-Modular/dp/B005988YBA
Based on the Enermax Modu87+ 500W, which is a very good unit. The maximum fan speed is 900RPM.

Seasonic SS-560KM 80Plus Gold Modular $124 ($10 shipping)...
Unless you plan on running two GTX 670s in SLI you don't need more than a good quality 500W PSU. A system running a GTX 670 requires a 500W PSU with at least 36A on the 12V rail and two 75W 6-pin PCIe power connectors. A system with two GTX 670s running in two-way SLI mode requires a 750W PSU with at least 48A on the 12V rails and four 75W 6-pin PCIe power connectors.
 
Seeing as the PCIe lane split on the Gigabyte Z77-D3H is x16, x4, thus it won't be SLI certified, Rugger makes a good point about the wattage you are considering.

BTW the quietest out of the three units you listed is the Corsair; fan speed on maximum load has been measured at ~1300RPM, whereas the others two are going to be over 2000RPM.

But you can get lower wattage units for cheaper which are quieter.
Here are some examples:
Lepa G500-MA 500W 80Plus Gold Modular $119 (free shipping)
http://www.amazon.com/Enermax-G500-MA-G500-ma-Atx12v-Modular/dp/B005988YBA
Based on the Enermax Modu87+ 500W, which is a very good unit. The maximum fan speed is 900RPM.

Seasonic SS-560KM 80Plus Gold Modular $124 ($10 shipping)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151098
Again very high quality. Semi-fanless, maximum fan speed is ~1000RPM.

Rosewill Capstone 450M 450W 80Plus Gold Modular $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182261
The fan used has a maximum speed of 1200RPM, but it will be lower than that even on maximum load.
Or the 650W version if you're uncomfortable with 450W, which there is no reason to be.
 
Solution