Which PSU should I buy?

It might not actually be the graphics card... maybe things just got scrambled in the BIOS? Try pulling the battery again to reset the CMOS, then give it another shot. Honestly, though, you should probably test it in another PC first just to be absolutely sure it's still working okay.

Alright... let me give all that a shot first, then I'll circle back and let you know how it goes... thanks, Andrew Fox74...

I’d like an opinion on whether this power supply can handle my current build.
XFX CoreEdition 80+, 450 W

SKU: 074863 - Gigabyte GA-H97M
SKU: 067450 - Intel Core i5 4670, Haswell, 3400 MHz, Socket 1150
SKU: 071599 - MSI Radeon R9 270X, 2 GB GDDR5
SKU: 053808 - Kingston 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3, 1600 MHz HyperX, DIMM
SKU: 068670 - 120 GB SSD, Samsung 840 EVO, 2.5", SATA III, MZ-7TE120BW
SKU: 055809 - MS Industrial Taurus Case, no PSU included
SKU: 063273 - XFX CoreEdition 80+, 450 W
SKU: 063976 - LG GH24NS95, SATA DVD burner

Yeah, you should be fine.

Just a piece of advice: if you can swing it, try to pick up a higher-quality case. It feels a bit out of place with such a solid configuration. Even some of those newer budget options from Microsoft, like the Phoenix series, feel more well-built than this one ($150).

Timothy Kim60 said:Yeah, it should work fine.

Just consider picking up a higher-quality case if you can afford it. It feels a bit out of place in such a solid build. Even those cheap entry-level ones from Dell, like the Inspiron series, feel more substantial ($100 range).

I don't really get the whole case thing. What actually makes a case "high quality"? I'm not worried about thin metal since the PC sits under my desk and you can't see anything but the front panel anyway. Side vents don't matter much either because it's tucked away, leaving only the front and back exposed. I looked at some $50 options$100 but didn't see much benefit other than extra slots for HDDs or CD drives that I don't even use...

Could someone explain this? Money isn't an issue, $33 it's more about🙂

Thanks for the reply.

If you leave that whole case sealed up, it’s going to run incredibly hot, especially since there isn't a single fan installed in there. You'd get much better cooling (more airflow), cleaner cable management, more room to work, and better insulation—though I guess you don't care about that—plus it won't be made of cheap sheet metal that you can bend in half with one hand. 😬

P.S. I think you could put this together a bit better. Does it really have to be from Amazon? You might want to go with an Intel Core i5 4440/4460 and then pair it with an R9 280.

crimsonstag84 said:If you leave the whole case sealed, it’s going to overheat. That specific case doesn't even have a single fan installed. You'll get much better cooling with more fans, cleaner cable management, and more room. Plus, it won't be made of thin metal that bends if you look at it wrong. 😬

P.S. This build could be organized a bit better. Does it really have to be from Amazon? You could go with an Intel Core i5 4440/4460 and pair it with an R9 280.

It doesn't have to be Amazon. I actually stopped by their store today and half the stuff they list isn't even in stock. 😢

So, can the i5 4440 handle an R9 280? And can I stick with the power supply I mentioned earlier?
How much better is the R9 280 compared to the MSI Radeon R9 270X?

I am definitely sticking with Intel and I am definitely going with an R9. I'm looking at other retailers now where I can find everything in one place. Amazon is out—most of what they show wasn't there when I checked today.

1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, Kingston Fury.
1 x Crucial MX500 120GB, SSD disk, Capacity 120 GB, 2.5"
1 x Sapphire R9 280 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 Processor (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Zalman Z3 PLUS mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x SILVERSTONE Strider 500W, Essential ST50F-ES AC 90-264V, 47/63Hz
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black, SATA DVD burner
1 x ASRock H97-PRO4, s1150, Intel ® H97, 4 x DDR3, 1 x PCI Express

$1756 ADM

I've got an "old" Corsair 650 w, specifically the HX Series CMPSU-650HXEU, running in my current setup. If I decide to upgrade, can I just hang onto this thing, or is it basically a relic at this point? Is it done for?

P.S. This power supply has been pulling duty since October 2009.

You can just leave it be, I guess.

fadedorca66 said:You can just leave it be.

So, I shouldn't expect this thing to kick the bucket in two or three years? 😬

It might, or it might not—pretty much like any other piece of electronics. Even a brand-new one could kick the bucket in two or three years 😁

But as long as it’s running fine, there’s probably no reason to swap it out since it’s a solid PSU

fadedorca66 said:Sure, it could happen, but then again, that's just how electronics work. Even something brand new can fry in two or three years. 😁

But if it's running fine, there's no reason to swap it out since it's a solid unit.

Haha, I think we're talking past each other here... I get that a new part can die after a week, but you don't go into it expecting that kind of immediate failure because the odds are slim. That's why I used the word "expect" in my question—it was more of a casual thought. 😁

You can honestly stop worrying—the HX Series CMPSU-650HXEU from Corsair is seriously top-tier quality.👍

If it's working perfectly, just leave it alone—you wouldn't be crazy enough to go swapping it out.

Hey there—quick question for you guys: would a Chicony high Power 80 500 w pas be enough to handle my current setup? I'm running an Intel i3 4330 at 3.5 GHz, 2x4 GB of Adata 1600 RAM, an Asrock B85M motherboard, a Gigabyte GTX 750 OC 1GB GDDR5, and a WD Blue 1TB EZEX drive. Or should I look for something a bit more reliable in the $30-$$117 range? Thanks!

Your setup barely pulls 100W 😬 so you could probably just grab a Fortron Hexa for $93

Thanks—I appreciate the quick response

Hi there,
I've decided it's finally time to upgrade my PC a little bit—so I'm looking for a solid "best buy" power supply, ideally staying under about $60.

Up until now, I've just been getting by with some junk 500 w unit.

My current specs are:

Athlon x 2 240
4 GB DDR 2
Xfx R7750
ASR A785GXH/128M

I actually already went ahead and ordered a new processor—this one right here:
AMD Phenom ii x4 925, 2.8GHz, 95W, 8MB, AM2+/AM3
Now I'm just debating which PSU to pick—mostly just so I don't have to literally kick my case to make the buzzing stop every winter.

Thanks in advance and take care,

Here's the CPU cooler too, so you might be able to squeeze out a little overclocking:

1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+, 1x120
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2

Total: $126 Futura-IT

The build should pull less than 200W at full load, so I guess there's really no point in getting anything beefier. It could probably handle much more powerful components, too. 😉