Which PSU should I buy?

crimsonstag84 said:The post wasn't even directed at you 😁 ...I was talking to the OP about what the retailers recommend.

The Hexa 85+ 450W is the best bet here alongside the EVGA 450 BP.

All I know is I was just building on what you said. There aren't many options, and retailers will shamelessly push some junk labeled "600W" when it's actually a total piece of garbage power supply.

P.S. The EVGA 450 BP is a great deal—5 years, modular, and reliable. It's a little pricey for $133.

I’m probably going to grab these parts for an upgrade, though I still need to pick out a power supply:

Intel Core Ryzen 1600 BOX, 3.2GHz 16MB, AM4 - $550
MSI B350M PRO-VDH, s.AM4, 7A38-003R - $213
8GB G.SKILL DDR4, 2400 MHz, DIMM, Value, CL15, F4-2400C15S-8GNT - $220
MSI GTX1050Ti 4GT OC - $447

Someone suggested the EVGA Hexa 400 W, but since I’m planning to add another 8GB of RAM later—and maybe swap out the graphics card in a few years—plus I'll probably be plugging all sorts of stuff into the case (including like 100 LED lights for Christmas xD), I'm a little worried about sticking with just 400W. Plus, I'm not really a fan of EVGA because of a bad experience I had before, so I'd rather go with a different brand. Though, for $100, it sounds pretty solid. I wouldn't want to go way over that budget, though—maybe $150 at most.

To be honest, I was leaning toward Corsair, but I was told the CV series I was looking at isn't any better than the Hexa. Now I see people mentioning the CX series in this thread, but I'm not even sure if that's actually better than the Hexa for $50 anymore.

The issue I’m seeing is that they aren't offering a 5-year warranty on those Corsair CX units, whereas the EVGA units with the new Hexa and Hyper lines actually do

https://www.amazon.com/corsair-psu-bu...m_medium=click

Otherwise, like I mentioned to you in that other thread—an EVGA 400 W or 450 W Hexa wouldn't hold you back at all during a RAM upgrade (the power draw increase is practically negligible), nor would it limit your GPU choice unless you're aiming for some high-end beast pulling 250W. Right now, a card like that costs you something like $600$2333 (RTX 3080), which is more than your entire upgrade path combined. Plus, components are becoming more efficient over time. By the time you're ready to swap out your GPU, we'll likely be looking at a 7nm or even a 5nm process, where a GPU with the power of an RTX 3080 might only pull half the wattage and sit firmly in the mainstream category.

Timothy Kim60 said:The thing is, I noticed they aren't offering a 5-year warranty on those Corsair CX units, whereas the EVGA ones with the new Hexa or Hyper lines actually do.

https://www.amazon.com/corsair-psu-bu...m_medium=click

Anyway, like I mentioned in that other thread—that 400W or 450W Hexa wouldn't really hold you back if you decide to upgrade your RAM later (the power jump is practically negligible, just a few watts), or even a new GPU—unless you go for some high-end beast pulling 250W. Right now, something like an $2333RTX 3080 would cost more than your entire upgrade path combined. Plus, components seem to be getting more efficient over time. By the time you're ready for a new GPU, we'll probably be looking at 7nm or even 5nm processes, so a card with the power of a
RTX 3080 might only pull half the wattage and be considered mid-range.

But then I just saw that this place offers 5 years on that Corsair: https://www.bestbuy.com/product/...m_medium=click

I know this retailer is a bit like Micro Center, so there might be some headaches with returns, but honestly, if it dies, I'll probably just grab a new one. I need my PC running and I can't afford to wait forever for some service center to fix a component that costs $167. I probably wouldn't even bother with the warranty claim. What really matters to me is having someone guarantee it'll work for 5 years, but if these guys stand by that, I could just pick it up wherever, even if the warranty is shorter elsewhere, since I likely won't end up using it anyway. And yeah, the Corsair has the same 80+ Bronze rating as the Hexa 450W.

My issue with EVGA is that, besides my last unit dying way too soon, I just can't find any decent comparisons or reviews for either the Hexa or the Hyper. On the sites where people compare EVGA or FSP power supplies, these models aren't even listed. I see them being recommended here, but I'm just not finding the sources that convinced you guys to trust them.

Update: Turns out I'm actually going with the Hexa 85+ Bronze after all—it just popped up at Micro Center. It doesn't look like it's listed on Amazon yet, and honestly, it’s a bit cheaper there than on most other sites ($19 less). Right now, it's sitting at $109:

Yeah, that sounds awesome. Provided the price is actually right,

Timothy Kim60 said:Yeah, that would be awesome. Assuming the price is actually right

If it's not, I'll just pull it from this order and grab it through a media retailer along with the motherboard for $17 a bit more—not really a huge deal, but if that isn't a typo, then man, that's great xD

Now I just need to get this order placed and I'm good to go :| maybe it'll even show up this week

I'm looking at putting together some kind of upgrade for my current rig, and I'm stuck wondering if I actually need to ditch my power supply or if it can hang on for dear life.

For the last four years, this setup has managed to pull through: an FX 6300, 8GB of RAM, and an R9 280 OC.

My plan is to jump over to a Ryzen 1600, bump the RAM up to 16GB, and grab an RTX 3070/3080—plus, I'll definitely be doing some overclocking on that Ryzen.

Right now, I'm running an EVGA Hyper 600 http://www.evga.com/

Of course you don't need to swap anything out. What’s actually pretty interesting is that your old CPU and GPU draw almost the exact same amount of power as the ones you're looking at now—only this time, you'll be getting way more performance for it.

Generally speaking, when it comes to power supplies—especially since there’s only one single review out there—is this thing actually decent or just some cheap junk? Because if I have to stretch my budget by another 500-$200 just to grab a high-quality new unit, I might honestly just hold off until I can scrape enough together for that too.

I’ve come across several reviews on this before

It isn't some top-tier flagship, but it definitely isn't cheap junk either. It's solid enough that you don't have any reason to swap it out. Plus, since it's a newer model, it should come with a 5-year warranty. If it were just some bottom-of-the-barrel power supply, they wouldn't dare offer a warranty that long—unlike some local shops here that only give you 3 years for the same thing.

Alright, thanks for that.

Hey there!

I'm on the hunt for a decent power supply unit, ideally under $167. I definitely want to avoid anything low-end or budget-tier. My current setup runs an Intel Core paired with an RTX 3070, so I need something reliable. Ideally, I’d love something that runs quiet and doesn't have a mess of cables cluttering up the inside of my case. Is there anything worth looking at in this price range?

Thanks! 😵

https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=...ocus+plus+550w

It’s not exactly silent when the fan kicks in, but since it probably won't spin much faster than its minimum setting anyway, I guess it's fine. It stays passively cooled up to about 180W of draw. Plus, you get a 7-year warranty, so it might be worth stretching your budget a bit for this one.

I don't get why none of the retailer sites actually state whether this is fully modular or not. I have to dig through the manufacturer's own site just to find the info 🤔

crimsonstag84 said:https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=...ocus+plus+550w

It’s not whisper-quiet when the fan kicks in, but honestly, it shouldn't ever go above a minimum hum, so I think it's fine. It actually stays passively cooled up to about 180W of power draw. Plus, you get a 7-year warranty, so it's definitely worth stretching the budget a bit for that.

$200 feels like a lot to me for a power supply, and I barely managed to pull the trigger on a 500W unit myself. Could you explain what you mean by "passively cooled up to about 180W"? What does that actually look like in practice? And how does that work if the PSU is modular? Look, I'm a total novice when it comes to power supplies.

P.S.—if you guys have any recommendations for units under $167, please let me know since I'm working with a tight budget. Thanks again!🎉

lonepanther91 said:$200 It's honestly way too much for a power supply, and I barely managed to scrape together 500 bucks. Can you explain this "passive cooling up to 180W" thing? What does that actually mean in plain English? And what's the deal with a modular power supply? Seriously, I'm a total newbie when it comes to PSUs.

PS—I'd appreciate any recommendations for units under $167 since that's my budget. Thanks again!🎉

Those two things mean exactly what you're asking
😛

Passive cooling up to 180W means that as long as your power draw stays under 180W (which will likely be your case), the fan won't even spin. Basically, the PSU is silent!

A modular power supply is one where you can completely detach all the cables. So, any extra ones you aren't using can just be unplugged, meaning you won't have those "messy cables cluttering up the PC" like you mentioned. 😒

You could actually get by just fine with a $133 unit, but if the specific features you mentioned are important to you, you'll have to pay a bit extra for them. 🙂

Adam Moore3 said:Those two features actually cover exactly what you're looking for. 😛

Up to 180W, it stays passively cooled. As long as your power draw stays under that 180W mark—which is likely where you'll be sitting—the fan won't even spin up. It’s basically silent.

A modular power supply is one where you can completely strip away all the cables. That means any extras you don't need can just be unplugged, so you won't have that mess of "cables scattered all over the case" like you mentioned. 😒

Honestly, you could probably get by just fine with an $133 unit, but if those specific features are important to you, you're going to have to pay a little extra for them. 🙂

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.🤔

So, it's about $167 bucks.

What do you think about the EVGA 550 W1? I've been reading that they're pretty mediocre low-end units and aren't really recommended.

Also, I've got my eye on the EVGA 600 W1. It's fully modular, has solid reviews, good build quality, and carries an 80 PLUS Bronze certification, which has been proven in testing. I might be able to snag it for around $167. Is it worth picking up?

The Corsair unit looks solid enough, especially if you can snag a brand new one at that price point.

Then there's the EVGA 550 BP—it’s modular and actually pretty decent.

If I recall correctly, it comes with a 5-year warranty.

This one isn't bad either.

(3-year warranty)

You can get a solid power supply for $167, or maybe grab something like a 550W Hexa for around 400. But if you're looking for those extra perks like modularity, you'll need to shell out a bit more.

And if you can snag that Corsair for that price, it’s probably the best value among the options you've got.