Which PSU should I buy?

http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/8...-DVI-Mini-HDMI
http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/4...20046-EU-CX430

I'm grabbing these.

So, I recently picked up a gaming rig running an Intel I5 3350 p, an HD 7850 Sapphire 2, and a 500GB WD Black. For power, I grabbed this unit. Is this actually decent for future-proofing? I’ve been hearing some chatter that the 12V+ rail on these isn't exactly top-tier. 🤷 Basically, am I going to be able to just drop in a much beefier CPU and GPU in a few years once my current setup hits its limit? Or am I looking at having to swap out the PSU for something higher-end down the road?

It’s got enough power and cables for now, but honestly, the internal components feel a bit cheap.
I guess you won't need to swap out that i5 processor for at least three years, IMO. By then, who knows how much more powerful everything will be? You might just end up buying an entirely new rig, maybe keeping only the case (since you usually don't reuse the PSU when building from scratch). You'll probably want a new graphics card in a couple of years if you're aiming for high settings on everything, but the power supply should hold up fine—unless you decide to go with some heavy-duty dual-chip setup 😬

crimsonstag84 said:Sure, there's enough juice and cables, but the actual components inside aren't exactly top-tier.
That i5 processor isn't going anywhere for at least three years, IMO. By then, who knows how much more powerful everything will be? You might just end up swapping out everything except the case (since you usually don't reuse an old PSU when building fresh). You’ll probably need a new GPU in a couple of years if you want to crank up the settings on everything, but the power supply should hold up fine—unless you go for some crazy dual-chip setup. 😬

I'm not chasing ultra settings or anything, just want things to run smoothly. Bit of an off-topic question though: roughly how long until an HD 7850 becomes the absolute bare minimum to even launch the latest games? ;D

Robert Johnson8 said:I'm just looking at some game requirements—I just want everything to run smoothly. This is a bit off-topic, but roughly how long until an HD 7850 becomes the bare minimum needed to launch the latest titles? ;D

Well, if we look at the 4850, it’s managed to stay relevant for gaming even after five years.

Think my current power supply can handle 2 X Sapphire Dual-x 7850 2GB?

Robert Johnson8 said:Will my power supply up there ^^ handle two Sapphire Dual-x 7850 2GB cards?

No way. You'll be lucky if it even stays running normally.😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:nah, just be lucky enough that it actually holds up like it’s supposed to 😁

And what if it was a cx 500 holding on?

EDIT: My bad 😁

Robert Johnson8 said:And what if we had used a CX 550 to hold it together?

There isn't actually a CX 550W, but honestly, I wouldn't touch a CX 600W for a crossfire setup like that either. Maybe a Fortron Raider sa 650 w would do the trick.

I see a SeaSonic SS-400ET bulk deal on Best Buy for $99. Would this be a better buy than the Corsair cx430?

Picked this up a few days ago, and while I'm not totally sure if it outclasses the Corsair cx430, I'm feeling pretty good about it. Even though it’s an OEM bulk version, you can tell the build quality is solid—from the chassis itself (even if it is grey) all the way down to the internal components, soldering, and the PCB. It comes with plenty of cables too, and they're actually long enough to work with.

It’s specifically the SeaSonic SS-400ET unit, revision C1W (so, one of the newer models). Compared to that older A1W revision you see reviewed all over the internet, the main upgrades here are beefier heatsinks and a much cleaner, higher-quality internal layout on the PCB. Plus, it hits that 80plus BRONZE certification.

Photo of the power supply (rev. C1W): http://i39.tinypic.com/2pzlee9.jpg (shot over at Micro Center)

Here is a quick little test for this specific power supply version from Micro Center: LINK

http://www.seasonic.ru/products/items/2
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2697/30 (this one tests the older A1W version)

You can really spot the difference between the A1W and C1W revisions.
The thing runs incredibly quiet.

Hey there!
I just picked up these parts:
Asrock z77extreme4
Intel I5 3350 p
HD 7850 Sapphire 2
Now I'm just missing a power supply! Any recommendations on what I should grab?
Thanks!

Regarding that cx 500—it looks like they just caused some confusion by using a photo of the CX430W Bronze instead. If it's indeed the modular version, it’ll definitely make your cable management a lot smoother 🙂.

Plus, it comes with an 80+ certification, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about there.

.

Thanks for the reply, I'm going to pull the trigger and order it tomorrow! While I was browsing around a bit more, I stumbled upon this:

Do you think this one might actually be a better bet?

It’s a bit more robust and carries an 80 Plus Silver rating (plus a 5-year warranty), whereas the cx 500 gives you that modular advantage where you can just ditch any cables you don't need. Though, let's be honest, you'll probably end up using most—if not all—of them anyway.
If your main goal is just keeping costs as low as possible, go with a non-modular unit like this or grab that Fortron option. Alternatively, if you want to step it up, check out
(Seasonic is widely considered the gold standard for PSU manufacturing under the hood here in the States)

All of these power supplies will handle your rig without breaking a sweat, even if you decide to overclock.

Thanks! I ended up grabbing the Fortron

Hey everyone, so I just got my hands on this slightly older rig with these specs:

So, we're looking at the ECS G31T-M? Honestly, what even is this thing? It’s like digging through a dusty bin in an old basement in Chicago just to find some relic from a bygone era. This board is basically a fossil at this point—pure nostalgia if you’re into that, but if you actually want to get anything done without your computer screaming in agony, you're probably looking at the wrong hardware. Why would anyone even bother with this today unless they were trying to build a museum exhibit or something? Seriously, where does it even end?
So, we're looking at an Intel Core 2 quad, specifically the Q9300. Honestly, what even is this thing anymore? It’s basically a relic from a different era, right? But hey, some people still cling to these old setups like they're gold. Whether you're trying to squeeze one last bit of life out of it or just reminiscing about the good old days, this chip is definitely a trip down memory lane.
Man, an NVIDIA 9600 GT with just 1GB? Are you actually kidding me right now? Seriously, what is this, a museum exhibit? You’re basically trying to run modern stuff on a glorified calculator at this point. 1GB of VRAM in this day and age? That's not even a gaming card anymore—it's a paperweight that occasionally flickers. Honestly, I don't even know why people bother talking about these ancient relics unless they're looking for a laugh. Get some actual hardware!
Man, seriously? -4GB of RAM? Are you kidding me right now? How are you even supposed to run anything with that kind of deficit? It’s basically like trying to drive a truck with no wheels—you're just sitting there staring at the pavement wondering why nothing is moving! You can't just ignore the math here, people. If you're short by 4GB, you're basically asking for a total system meltdown the second you try to open more than two tabs in Chrome. Absolute madness!
Alright, so now I need to throw another power supply into this mix—so I’m coming to you guys for some solid recommendations. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Benjamin King2 said:

Thanks for the reply! I was actually looking at that exact power supply myself—so thanks for pointing me in the right direction. But hey, quick question: right now everything is hooked up to my ancient 250W unit. Is it gonna be a massive disaster if I just stick with this old thing for a few more days until I can grab the new one?

Wait, what do you mean by 250W?

Look, if everything was running smoothly before, it probably would have lasted a few more days. Even if someone managed to build an ultra-premium unit, you really need to swap that thing out ASAP—your current setup is pulling at least 200W just on the 12V rail alone.

And by the way, stay away from full load. Don't try running any heavy games (I'm talking actual AAA titles, not some random browser game). If your PC starts shutting down during those sessions, you already know exactly why.

Right now, I'm stuck using this random HIPRO model:HP- D2537F3P thing—it's got a max output of maybe 250w, and the 12V rail is sitting at 14A. Honestly? I don't even touch gaming because I’m terrified of overloading this junk. Anyway, thanks for the reply! I'll try to grab a decent unit ASAP just so I can finally stop stressing about my PC blowing up.

edit: My only real headache is that here in my neck of the woods, I can't just walk into a store and pick up the exact PSU that Benjamin King2 mentioned... unless, you know, I actually order it online from that site.