Which PSU should I buy?

Most modern power supplies don't even carry that specific rail anymore, so you'll be totally fine without that pin. That -5V line was really just a relic from back in the day for motherboards running ISA cards. If you take a quick look up the latest ATX 2.3 specs, you'll see they actually phased out that white wire on the 24-pin connector altogether.

I'll just go ahead and install this thing I bought. Honestly, I was a bit taken aback when I opened the box and realized there's a missing wire on the connector... Does anyone even make new 24-pin power supplies with that white wire on pin 20 anymore? Something like the 600W unit I'm currently running...

I had that exact same "wait, what?" moment about three months ago when I picked up a new power supply and realized the white wire on the 20-pin connector was totally missing. After doing a little digging, it turns out that missing lead doesn't actually matter for almost any motherboard built in the last decade or so.

You still run into those random off-brand, budget units floating around the market that don't strictly follow the ATX 2.XX specs, and those will often still have that wire. I actually used to run one of those cheap ones—a generic TM-420-PMSR type deal—with a modern motherboard, and since everything worked fine, it’s pretty clear whether that wire is necessary for a PC to boot up or not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_s...nit_(computer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX

Don't sweat it, you can go ahead and use that power supply. I guess you won't really need that -5V rail anyway.

I just put together what I had on hand. Now I’m just sitting here waiting for them to invent some new port that requires -5V, so I can blow more money on a new power supply. I’d bet anything that in a few years they'll change the connector shape or dream up some new voltage requirements... then it's back to the store to start all over again.

Don't sweat it, the -5V rail isn't coming back into play. As for the connectors, the ATX standard is still holding its own pretty well enough 😉

http://www.amazon.com/?option=catList&..._tax&sort_ord=

I'm looking at power supplies from Best Buy in the $300-$117 range... maybe up to $400 if I really need to... It's for CPU overclocking, so I need high amperage on the 12V rail. Ideally something around 500W

What do you guys recommend?

What's the build spec?

This is a solid Best Buy pick if you don't mind waiting until $133. You could also grab the EVGA CX Series
.
There's also this one on sale if you're looking for a better deal:
http://www.amazon.com/placeholder-link
Just keep in mind that even though it's 500W, it isn't any higher quality than those two options mentioned above—it's just a budget Antec unit, though it gets the job done fine enough.

Phenom 965 paired with an HD 5770... so far, it’s been handling Microsoft Flight Simulator X just fine, but if I'm planning on overclocking, I definitely need something more robust... Should I go with Chieftec? Specifically this one from $108 or maybe $120?.. Would that be a better move than Antec for $100?

I can't believe they're actually seeing an improvement; plus, Antec is having a sale right now. Both the XRENA and Smart series are just budget units manufactured by Chieftec anyway. If I were in your shoes, I’d hold out for a Corsair GP3 or maybe grab an EVGA CX Series instead. Honestly, though, any of those will be a massive step up from Microtech and should get the job done just fine.

I don't know where you're located, but if there's a Chipotle nearby, you can probably find a Seasonic 400W at $100

Can someone tell me which power supply is actually better, this PC Power & Cooling one:

or Cooler Master:

I'm torn between these two. I'm planning on dropping in an NVIDIA GeForce GTX series card:
http://www.legitreviews.com/ati-rade...ard-review_656

Andrew Hughes68 said:Can someone tell me which power supply is better, this PC Power & Cooling one:

or Cooler Master:


I'm torn between these two, but I'm planning to install an NVIDIA GeForce GTX series card:
http://www.legitreviews.com/ati-rade...ard-review_656

I don't know where you're located—but if you're living in Mexico, you might find a Seasonic 400W somewhere, according to what $100 Timothy Kim60 said. These two you mentioned just won't cut it for that card.

Andrew Hughes68 said:Can someone tell me which power supply is better? PC Power & Cooling:

or Cooler Master:

I'm torn between these two. I'll be installing an NVIDIA GeForce GTX series card:
http://www.legitreviews.com/ati-rade...ard-review_656

Neither of them are top-tier options, but if you absolutely had to choose between those two PC Power & Cooling units,

I'd suggest aiming for something higher quality. If you don't want to buy new, even a used Seasonic would be a massive upgrade.

Honestly though, I'd probably just sell that graphics card instead.

Hey everyone..

Got a quick question for you guys. Which one of these two power supplies should I grab? Honestly, the fact that one is modular doesn't even matter to me..

EVGA Power Supply

or

PC Power & Cooling LC6480S V2.0 Scorpio 480W

Here's the deal: I'm having some major issues with my current PSU. It's some no-name generic brand, and I really need something more reliable because I keep getting the Blue Screen of Death whenever I'm gaming....

It's supposed to be powering an HD 6770 1GB and an AMD Athlon II X3 overclocked to 3.6 GHz.

I've got a strong feeling my current unit just can't handle the load.

I'd definitely go with Corsair, though honestly, the VX series isn't really built for serious gaming—it's more geared toward standard office builds.

It should be more than enough for your current setup, though.

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9127

Larry Ortiz5 said:Go with Corsair for sure, though the VX series isn't really built for gaming—it’s more for basic office rigs.

But honestly, it's way more than enough power for your setup

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?product_id=9127

I just play World of Tanks and surf the web, nothing crazy...

If I were in your shoes, I’d probably just go with the power supply I linked earlier—it's a solid way to be extra safe without breaking the bank, since it's actually pretty affordable and high quality.

Larry Ortiz5 said:It’s definitely Corsair, though I guess the VX series isn't really built for gaming—it feels more aimed at office builds.

What are you 😬

The VX450W is probably better than that CXa, unless we're talking about the VS series. 🙂

Grace Barrett2 said:Hey everyone..

I have a quick question about which of these two power supplies to pick (it doesn't matter to me that one is modular)..

EVGA Power Supply

or

PC Power & Cooling LC6480S V2.0 Scorpio 480W

Basically, I'm having issues with my current power supply, which isn't from a major brand, and I want something more reliable because I keep getting the Blue Screen of Death while gaming....

Specifically, it's powering an HD 6770 1GB and an AMD Athlon II X3 overclocked to 3.6 GHz.

It feels like my current unit just can't handle the load,

Go with the VX 450w. That unit provides 396w on the 12v rail, which is plenty for your setup; it'll run as smooth as silk.

Larry Ortiz5 said:If I were you, I’d just grab the power supply I linked earlier. It’s super reliable, won't break the bank, and honestly, it's high quality.

What do you think about this one? I've actually got it sitting right here ready to buy...

http://www.thermaltake.com/products-...?id=c_00001556

I'm thinking it's way better than those other options...