Cheap 650w PSU enough for high end rig?

[henrytg]

I've built a high end machine, and chose to go with a 650W PSU as I thought it would be enough. It's an Ace Black (unknown brand, cheapest on UK Amazon), and when I'm playing a high-graphics game my computer often crashes. It doesn't freeze or anything, it's like there's been a power cut. Hence I was wondering if my PSU had enough wattage to manage. Here's what it's powering:

Processor: AMD FX-8150
Graphics Card: XFX ATI Radeon HD 6950
Motherboard: ASRock 880GMH/U3S3
Hard Drive: 3TB Seagate SATA and 160GB Western Digital IDE
Optical Drive: LG Blu-Ray RW
Fans: 3 80mm, 1 120mm, 2 50mm
USB devices: Normally around 8, including a games controller, wifi dongle, webcam

I've tried using the PSU requirements calculators online, and it quotes me 473w, which doesn't seem enough. Do I need another PSU?

 

[o1die]

I don't use unknown brands such as yours, but maybe it's made by a reputable manufacturer such as ocz. Your issue may be with the driver, not the power supply. But check your 12v amp ratings. I wouldn't use any power supply with less then 40 amps total on the 12v rails. Recommended brands: antec, corsair, some ocz models, xfx, seasonic, and enermax. Try to find out who manufactured your brand; it may be ok.

 

[rolli59]

Cheap PSU's tend not to deliver promised power and when they fail they can/will kill the expensive components that you so carefully selected and void their warranty.
A quality 500-600watt PSU will run that rig but a crappy 1000watt one might not.

 

[Rugger]

That's a classic sign of insufficient/bad power. Check your system event log to see what errors you're getting around the shutdowns. I run an HD6950 with ease on my Seasonic M12II-520. A good quality 650W PSU is more than enough but obviously that is not a good quality PSU. One of the best price/performance PSUs in the UK is the XFX Core 550W for 47.50: http://www.amazon.co.uk/550w-Power-Supply-Unit-Edition/dp/B005TDTV0S/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1346068491&sr=1-2