Which PSU should I buy?

Thomas Martin4 said:If you grab that Silverstone 400W unit, it should be plenty for pretty much any GPU. Since you aren't planning on running top-tier hardware, those 400W will definitely cut it. Even if you decide to throw in a 5850 or a GTX 460, it would probably run without any issues...

Actually, the Silverstone is listed at 500W over at ADM, and Silverpower has a 400W version available at Links😉

That’s not it... we're talking about Canada here... genelec.ba

darkowl72 said:not quite... we're talking about Canada here... genelec.ba

🤦 myself 😁

Are we gonna toss Chieftec into this list from the first post?

Thomas Miller3 said:Do you think the Chieftec gear makes the cut for this list from the original post?

Well, when Uncle Gilbert claims they’re up to snuff, I suppose they usually are 😁 😁. Right, Gilby?

What do you mean they aren't? I always figured they were pretty solid tier stuff. I’ve been running a single Chieftec 550W for a year and a half now, powering an i7 920 and a GTX 260 without a single hiccup. Honestly, I actually asked about this exact setup on here once before, and nobody even suggested I swap out my PSU. 🤷

Thomas Miller3 said:What do you mean they aren't? I've always considered them decent enough—I’ve been running an i7 920 and a GTX 260 on a single 550W Chieftec for a year and a half now. I actually asked about this exact setup back then, and nobody suggested swapping the PSU. 🤷

It would be even better if it didn't have to carry that entire load 😁

Chieftec units are solid, but they just don't hold a candle to Seasonic or Antec...

What’s the actual real-world difference between the VX 550 and the TX 650 from Corsair? I noticed the specs say the TX 650 lacks overhead beyond its rating, while the VX 550 supposedly offers massive headroom—is that actually true once you start building? Also, if we're looking at this price range, is there a better recommendation out there for raw power and build quality (maybe even better warranty coverage)?

Dana Clark8 said:What’s the actual real-world difference in power between the VX 550 and the TX 650 (Corsair)? On paper, the TX 650 is listed as being short on headroom beyond its rating, while the VX 550 supposedly offers massive overhead. How does that play out in reality?

Let’s put it this way: the VX 550 can easily handle three heavy-duty GPUs in a CF/SLI setup, whereas you wouldn't dream of trying that with the TX 650.

And is there perhaps a better recommendation in this price range regarding raw power, build quality, or maybe even the warranty?

In this specific price bracket? Not really.

So why does Corsair market the "T" series as being superior to the "V" series then? Plus, the rated wattage on the TX650 looks higher than the VX550 on paper. I’m pretty confused here—especially since you're telling me the VX550 actually outperforms the TX650, even though the VX550 is about $33 cheaper. 😕

Dana Clark8 said:Then why on earth does Corsair market the "T" series as superior to the "V" series? And why is the rated wattage on the TX650 higher than the VX550?

Because they have absolutely no clue what manufacturers are actually stuffing inside those boxes (since Corsair doesn't even build their own power supplies; they just slap their logo on them). 😁

All jokes aside, this is one of those rare instances where the wattage isn't strictly regulated—though don't mistake that for an official rating. It’s more accurate to say there's no hard cap in place.

If they labeled the VX550 as a 650W or 700W unit, they probably wouldn't pass the 80Plus certification (that 80%+ efficiency standard), and the voltage regulation ripples would likely be impossible to ignore.

To put it in plain English: A beat-up old Ford might be able to hit 124 miles/h (downhill 😁), but at that speed, the whole chassis shakes like a washing machine out of balance. 😁

Now I'm confused, especially since you're telling me the VX550 is actually stronger than the TX650, yet the price difference favors the VX550 by about $33. 😕

Don't sweat it. Both units are plenty powerful enough for 95% of the builds discussed here (which usually pull well under 300W anyway), and both come with a 5-year warranty and decent enough quality.

Whichever one you pick, you won't regret it.

If you are choosing between those two power supplies, I would suggest opting for the 650W model instead... While the VX 550W is quite reliable—I actually use one myself—it does possess one significant drawback, which is that the fan becomes rather loud when the system demands higher wattage. If maintaining a silent environment is important to you, that is something to consider...

Would a Corsair CX 400W be enough to handle this
Athlon II X4 635 (pushed to about 3.2GHz via overclocking)
4GB DDR3
GTX 460 1GB OC

yeah

Corsair just dropped their new "Builders" series, the CX line—and don't go confusing this with the old CX stuff 😁. There aren't any full-blown reviews out yet, just some teasers from about two weeks ago and early feedback from people who actually bought them:

- Quick take from one user:

Pros: Better than those bottom-of-the-barrel $20 units...

Cons: -SLEEVE BEARING FAN = SHORT LIFESPAN. They claim it's double ball-bearing, but they're lying. The fan is model# D12SH-12, which is sleeve bearing, not ball. Just Google it.

-Only a 2-year warranty, whereas the old CX400 had 3 years (makes you wonder why...)

-The CX400 was built by SeaSonic, but this new CX430 is made by CWT. cost optimization...

-The CX400 had a 30amp 12v rail, while the CX430 dropped to 28amp. Modern PCs need that 12v juice.

Other Thoughts : Overall, Corsair took a reliable workhorse (the CX400) and swapped it for a cheap knockoff that’ll likely die in two and a half years once that sleeve-bearing fan gives up the ghost.

Looks like I'm shopping for a different brand for my budget builds.

Having a ball-bearing fan is huge for any PSU. It doesn't matter how good the rest of the unit is; if the fan dies, the whole thing is toast.

Announcement link: http://www.legitreviews.com/news/9105/

Newegg user ratings link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ords%29&Page=1

I don't have much confidence in anything other than Corsair or my old EVGA CX400.

You can still snag a good old EVGA CX400 for a steal. It’d be a real shame if this mediocre power supply completely replaced it...

So, I finally pulled the trigger and grabbed an EVGA SuperNOVA 700. Honestly? It’s dead quiet and works like a damn dream. 🙂

It looks like Corsair has decided to move several power supplies to EOL status: the EVGA CX400, EVGA VX450, EVGA VX550, EVGA HX450, EVGA HX520, and EVGA HX620. They’re also planning some updates for the TX650, TX750V2, and TX850V2—specifically to snag that 80Plus Bronze certification. Apparently, all three are built on a refined Corsair platform, much like the one they used for the new EVGA Pro series.

That’s actually pretty brilliant—in a cynical sort of way. I assume they’re banking on people picking up the Gamer or Builder series within this specific price bracket, since those models sit right around that same power level...
In short, this is a pretty low blow on their part.😢

It looks like we’ll be sticking strictly to recommending Corsair and Cooler Master for the mid-range from here on out...