Which PSU should I buy?

Nah, that's a pretty bad power supply. I guess the Corsair CX430W Bronze or the VX 450W would be much better options.

Grace Barrett2 said:What do you think about this one? I have it right here and am thinking about picking it up...

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

I feel like it might be a step up from the previous options...

Go ahead and grab it if you want, but it's like trying to run a marathon on a broken ankle—it's only pushing 38A on the 12V rail, and once you hit a 400-420W load, things could get messy fast. If you want something reliable, maybe look into a Crosa, otherwise, just pick whatever works for you.

Sorry guys, crimsonstag84 called me out on that—my bad. With so many different power supply versions floating around, I thought the author was specifically looking for the VS label. I really should have double-checked the quote more closely.

Robert Adams9 said:Look, man, if you want it, go ahead, but that 38A on the 12V rail plus those 450W starting watts? If you ever try to run a system pulling over 400-420W, everything is gonna go south fast. Seriously. If you want quality, grab a Crosa, otherwise just pick whatever else is out there.

Basically, it means one of the rails is pushing way too much voltage, and I could end up frying my gear if I decide to upgrade to beefier components down the road.

Honestly, all those power supplies you mentioned are more than adequate. There's really no need to go hunting for something that can handle 50A (25/2) on the 12V rail. It seems like someone might have misread the original post and mistakenly thought we were talking about an HD6990.

A buddy and I were chatting the other day about power supplies, and since he’s currently putting together a new rig, I wanted to double-check if the info I gave him was actually accurate.

I told him that having an 80+ certified unit is a solid move, and that he needs to pay close attention to the 12V rail capacity, since that's the most critical part of the PSU—it's what handles the heavy lifting for the CPU and the graphics card. I also mentioned that brands like Corsair, XFX, or Seasonic are generally considered the gold standard. Did I miss anything or get any of that wrong?

You're absolutely right.

Even those legendary XFX and Corsair models can't compete—go with a real Seasonic
though there are plenty of other solid brands out there making great power supplies too.

So, what you're saying is it's essentially all Seasonic internals, just wrapped in a Corsair or XFX shell?

I have one more question—from what I can see, the Corsair AX and RM series are incredibly expensive, like, top-tier pricing... I assume those are specifically meant for high-end builds, right? Because, for example, there's a 750W CX version that provides $250 yet those two other models cost significantly more for the exact same wattage... It seems like the CX line isn't really intended for serious gaming...

Look, XFX isn't Seasonic. For example, Corsair's VS series is lower tier, using the cheapest capacitors you can find—it's a budget unit. The CX430 or CX500 series are manufactured by CWT; they're decent enough, but they aren't Seasonic. On the other hand, an older CX400 might actually be Seasonic, and then you have the AX series, which represents Corsair's high-end lineup.

It all really comes down to the specific model. Check this out — there are plenty of sites like this, some even better.

I’m not quite sure what you mean by "a power supply for gaming." A PSU is a PSU. You just have better ones and worse ones. It comes down to build quality—things like the capacitors, the fan, and overall construction—whether it's modular or not, and its efficiency rating, whether it's Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and so on.

Units rated above 500-550W are generally intended for more serious Crossfire or SLI configurations (though those weaker units might handle low-power Crossfire/SLI setups). However, for 99% of PCs, a solid 400-500W unit is more than sufficient.

Alright, thanks a lot. I have one more question... This has actually been on my mind for a while now. Let's say I go out and buy a mid-tower case—doesn't really matter which brand I pick—how am I supposed to know which power supply will fit inside? I mean, I understand it needs to be an ATX power supply, just a standard size, but I'm wondering if a massive 1200W unit would be the exact same physical dimensions as a more standard 600W or 700W model? I'm not planning on buying anything right this second, I'm just asking purely out of curiosity...

Ryan Wilson7 said:Thanks, man. One more thing... I've always wondered, if I grab a mid-tower case, regardless of the brand, how do I know which power supply fits? I know it needs to be an ATX size, but are massive 1200W units the same physical size as a standard 600-700W one? Just curious, not planning on buying anything yet.

Basically, both ATX and Micro-ATX cases take standard ATX power supplies, and they're almost all the exact same dimensions.

As for wattage, you just pick based on what parts you're running or plan to run.

They all fit, that's just how it works. You might run into some high-end, longer models like the ax1200. The only real issue is that things can get pretty cramped if you're working with a smaller case, but honestly, if you've got the budget for those premium components, you probably aren't cutting corners on the chassis either.

Thanks so much for the help. Since you guys have been so incredibly kind and accommodating, I wanted to follow up with one more question: have any of you actually personally tested the XFX 550W? I’ve been scouring various forums lately, and I keep seeing people complaining that this specific power supply is way too loud and that there are recurring issues with the internal fan itself... Is there any truth to those claims? Based on my own research and what Timothy Kim60 mentioned earlier about XFX essentially using Seasonic components, I’m confused. I mean, Seasonic is basically the Ferrari of the power supply world, so how is it even possible for someone to run into these kinds of issues? I'm not just asking to be difficult here; a friend of mine is currently torn between the XFX model and the Corsair CX600. On paper, the XFX seems to be the higher-quality option, but what good is that if they end up dealing with the exact same hardware headaches that everyone else on these forums is venting about...

Hey everyone. My desktop power supply finally bit the dust, so I need a replacement. I'm no expert or anything, but I'm looking for something at least 400W. Ideally, it would be quiet, cost around $45-$$167, and actually be decent quality. I've narrowed it down to:

http://www.amazon.com/example-link-1

http://www.amazon.com/example-link-2

I've heard some good things about the Corsair CX series. Which of these two should I go with?

You linked one standard power supply and one modular one—do you actually need that modularity? From what I can tell, the prices at Micro Center are a lot more reasonable than what Links is charging. $173 Thinking about picking up a CX600? It’s an interesting choice—just depends on what you're trying to build. And for... $183 Is anyone else looking into the CX600? I've been weighing my options lately—just trying to find that sweet spot between reliability and price without breaking the bank. Any thoughts? Modular... isn't that just the way it works? It really changes how you look at things when everything is designed to be swapped out or upgraded on the fly. Makes life a whole lot easier, doesn't it?.

If I were in your shoes, I’d definitely lean toward the XFX 550W—it’s just a much higher quality unit overall. It really comes down to what kind of build you're running, though. If your specs aren't particularly power-hungry, you could probably get away with the 450W XFX model without any issues, right? $40 A bit more budget-friendly...

Check this out—it looks like a listing for some hardware components over at Newegg. Might be worth a look if you're hunting for specific parts to upgrade your rig. Anyone else seen this lately?

Check this out—I found this listing online and thought it might be worth a look for anyone hunting for deals. What do you guys think about the specs on this one? Is it actually a solid value, or am I just seeing what I want to see? Let me know if you've had any experience with this specific model.

What’s even the difference between "normal" and "modular" anyway?

My setup is just a GeForce GTX 650, a 320 GB hard drive (not SATA, some old school kind), 4 GB of DDR2 RAM, an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.3 GHz processor, and some random motherboard. It’s nothing fancy, but I guess it gets the job done for what I need. I probably don't need anything crazy, maybe just a 400W power supply would be fine.

It’s a huge advantage being able to ditch any cables you don't actually need.

Otherwise, your PC isn't going to be a massive power hog, so you could probably go with something more budget-friendly, like a CX430. If you're living in a major city like Chicago, you can find plenty of local shops that are much cheaper than Best Buy—places like Micro Center or even some smaller independent computer retailers.

I'm looking into picking up a new graphics card and I was wondering what kind of power supply I should go with to support it.
I've got my eye on the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650, specifically the OC model with 2GB of GDDR5 memory.
My current setup is running an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 @ 2.93GHz.
Thanks in advance! 🙂

I don't think that graphics card is really worth the money. You might be better off grabbing an AMD Radeon R7 260X 1GB for $297 instead; it feels noticeably more powerful than the GeForce GTX 650. I guess you'd want a Corsair CX430W Bronze power supply to go with it.

crimsonstag84 said:That card isn't really worth the investment—honestly, you’d be much better off picking up an AMD Radeon R7 260X 1GB for about $297. It provides a noticeable performance bump over the GeForce GTX 650. Just make sure you've got a solid power supply like a Corsair CX430W Bronze.

Look, just give me a straight recommendation—what should I grab for $100, and what's the price tag?
I'm looking to pick up something actually decent.