Which PSU should I buy?

You can definitely find better stuff than Corsair, and honestly, Verizon and NEON are pretty much garbage.

fadedorca66 said:You aren't going to find anything better than Corsair, honestly. As for those budget brands like Verizon or NEON? Total junk.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/evga-case-listing-example ?

The EVGA is fine, but you don't even know which specific model it is...

fadedorca66 said:The Chieftec units are decent, but you haven't specified which exact model we're talking about...

I'll ask him. Honestly, if you're looking to save some cash, maybe try scouring eBay for a used one that can actually handle this setup:

Motherboard: ASUS
CPU: Intel Core i3
RAM: 4GB DDR2 800MHz
HDD: 250GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 6850HD 1GB DDR5 256bit

fadedorca66 said:The Chieftec is fine, but you haven't actually specified which model you're talking about...

Alright, here's the specific one: the EVGA GS 450 AA 101A

Hey everyone, I’m putting a build together right now and just ran into a snag with the power supply.
The problem is I have no clue which power supply to pick. I need something that can actually handle this build without overloading. $1333:

Special Edition Corsair Commander MS-I case with a single USB 3.0 port.
Special Edition MSI GF GTX650Ti Special Edition OC, 1GB DDR5, DX11 support.
Special Edition AMD Phenom II X4 965 (3.40GHz, 8MB, 125W, AM4) Box, Special Edition
ASUS AM4 motherboard.
Special Edition Desktop HDD, General Motors Deskstar 7K1000.C (3.5", 1TB, 32MB, SATA II-300)
Special Edition Transcend JetRAM 4GB DDR3 1600 DIMM 9-9-9
Special Edition The ODD LG Samsung Super-multi DVD-RW 24x SATA Black, Amazon version.

Here’s the cost for this build. $1222Besides that, I'd go with this power supply too. Fortnite Either. Logitech So, that puts my total right around $3,980. $1306,
If anyone can tell me if those power supplies are actually reliable, or if I should just look elsewhere, let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Chris White61 said:Hey everyone—I’m currently putting together a new build, but I’ve run into a bit of a snag regarding the power supply.
The thing is, I’m really not sure which power supply to go with—I need something that can actually handle this build without pushing everything past its limit. Any suggestions? $1333:

Special Edition The Corsair Commander MS-I case with its single USB 3.0 port.
Special Edition MSI GF GTX650Ti Special Edition OC, 1GB DDR5, DX11 support.
Special Edition Thinking about picking up an AMD Phenom II X4 965? It’s running at 3.40GHz with 8MB of cache—plus that 125W TDP—and comes in the Special Edition box. Just something to keep in mind if you're looking at older hardware.
I've got one ASUS motherboard available—it's an AM4 setup.
Special Edition Desktop HDD from General Motors – Deskstar 7K1000.C (3.5", 1TB, 32MB, SATA II-300)
Special Edition Transcend JetRAM 4GB DDR3 1600 DIMM 9-9-9
Special Edition It’s a bit of an odd one—the ODD Samsung Super-multi DVD-RW 24x SATA in Black, the Amazon version.

So, here’s what this build is going to run me... $1222On top of that—I’d probably go with this power supply too. Fortnite Is there anything else? Logitech So, looking at the math, I'd end up paying about $3,980 all in—if that sounds right to you? $1306,
So, if anyone could give me their two cents—are these power supplies actually any good, or should I be looking at something else entirely? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Take this advice and you’ll be set for a long time—even if the graphics card you picked has a pretty low power draw. If you decide to upgrade or swap out that GPU down the road, you won't run into any issues with your power supply, which means you won't have to shell out cash for a new one later. And honestly? Never skimp on your PSU. It’s like buying a high-end sports car and trying to save money by putting cheap hubcaps on it. 😛) I was checking out this review for an XPG power supply—specifically the X-P1 450S—and it got me thinking about how much we overlook these components sometimes. It’s one of those parts that just sits in the back of the case, right? But if it fails, everything else goes down with it. The article breaks down the build quality and efficiency, which is pretty crucial if you're trying to keep your rig stable during long gaming sessions. Does anyone else feel like we spend way too much time obsessing over GPUs while treating the PSU like an afterthought? It seems like a risky move to me. Anyway, if you're looking for something reliable for a mid-range setup, this might be worth a look. What do you guys think? Is 450W still a decent sweet spot for budget builds, or should we be aiming higher these days?

Hey everyone, this is my very first post here on Reddit 🙂
I'm not entirely sure if this is the right sub to ask this, so sorry if I'm out of line!
So... I was wondering if someone could walk me through how to actually calculate power supply efficiency? I've been scouring Google, but I'm coming up empty. I just learned about this concept recently and I really want to figure out the numbers for my current setup.
I'm using a Cooler Master LC420H-8 420w

I took a photo of the label for you guys

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/7434/mypsu.jpg

Thanks in advance!

Just go hunt down the info directly on the manufacturer’s website. Honestly—you aren't going to be able to crunch those numbers just by glancing at the sticker on the side; unless you're planning on pulling out a ruler and doing it manually, which... why would you?

Benjamin King2 said:Check the manufacturer's website. You can't calculate that just from what's listed on the sticker—unless you want to go out and measure it manually.

http://www.lc-power.de/index.php?id=182&L=1

The site doesn't mention anything about that specific issue, so my only option is to try calculating it myself using the values on the label.
That’s why I decided to ask for help here—if anyone actually knows how to run those numbers, please explain it to me!
I'm hoping there's someone here who really understands this stuff.

That’s not how it works. You don't just go by what the label says; you actually have to use measuring tools. What’s printed on the sticker doesn't mean much in reality. 🙂

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:It isn't calculated based on what’s printed on the label—you have to use actual measuring tools. What you see on that sticker doesn't mean much. 🙂

Hmm, interesting point! I noticed these newer power supplies carry those 80+ ratings.
I was actually thinking about picking one up because if my current unit is only running at, say, 50% efficiency in a worst-case scenario, that means out of the 420W listed on the label, it's only delivering roughly 200W to the components—the other 200W just vanishes during conversion. 😕
That's why I really need to figure out how efficient this thing actually is before deciding whether to upgrade.
Though, honestly, finding that out is going to be a nightmare. xD

When you're looking at power supplies, the most important thing is how much current they push through the 12V rail, since basically everything runs on that.

Yours is putting out 15A, which I guess is pretty weak by today's standards. 15A x 12V = 180W.

If the efficiency is, say, around 50%, then it might pull 200W from the wall just to give your components 100W.

fadedorca66 said:When you're looking at power supplies, the most critical number is the amperage on the 12V rail—since basically everything in a modern build runs off that.

Yours is putting out 15A, which is honestly pretty pathetic by today's standards. 15A x 12V = 180W.

If we assume an efficiency of, say, 50%, then you're pulling 200W from the wall just to deliver a measly 100W to your components.

That’s exactly what I'm trying to figure out. I was just guessing at 50%—I'm actually trying to find out what that percentage really is!
It looks like my math for this power supply is looking pretty grim 🙄
...and it seems like my only real move is to buy a new one, which, honestly, I'm expecting to do anyway.
So, I'm looking to pick up a 300W unit with an 80+ rating. If anyone has any solid recommendations, I'm all ears.🙂

Maybe check this one out.

Or maybe this?
I guess this might work too.

I forgot to mention that I'm looking for a power supply up to $100
. I've done a bit of digging and narrowed my options down to two
:
1. Corsair 400W Hexa
2. APC ECO Silent bronze 500W
Of course, if anyone knows of a better option, please let me know!

Here are my specs:

Motherboard: ASUS M4N78 Pro
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 7850 BE 2.8 GHz
RAM: 4 GB DDR2
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 630

Based on my rough math, my PC probably won't pull more than about 200W at peak—maybe 100W during normal web surfing
.
Both of these units are 80+ rated
. What I'm really curious about is the energy loss percentage—which of these two will actually be more efficient when delivering the specific 100W to 200W load I need?

I haven't come across APC before, but from what I'm reading, you can't beat the value. Getting 80+ Bronze for $90? That's a steal. Honestly, looking at the specs, I’d take that over the Corsair any day—though even with the Corsair, you wouldn't be making a mistake. Both should handle the job just fine.
http://www.realpower.de/product_info...us-bronze.html

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:I haven't come across that APC unit before, but from what I can gather, it’s a killer value. You won't find better 80+ Bronze for $90. Based on everything I'm seeing, I'd go with that over the Corsair—though honestly, you can't really lose with either; they both get the job done easily.
http://www.realpower.de/product_info...us-bronze.html

It's a fact that both power supplies can handle my rig!
What I'm actually trying to figure out is whether one of them has a higher conversion loss when delivering, say, 200W. Keep in mind both are rated at 80% efficiency, but one is 400W and the other is 500W.

When you’re actually measuring power supply efficiency, the results usually end up looking like this kind of bell curve:



With high-end units—like this Corsair CX430 shown here—that "belly" of the curve stays pretty flat between the starting and ending points. On the flip side, if you're dealing with cheaper, lower-tier power supplies, that belly tends to be much more rounded out. Generally speaking, most PSUs hit their sweet spot with the lowest losses somewhere between 50% and 80% load.