GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Thanks everyone. From what I can see, it definitely makes sense to wait for this RX 460 in any case.

Even if you upgraded, that CPU would just end up bottlenecking an RX 470 in most modern titles (assuming you went higher than a 380X), so sticking with the RX 460 is actually a safe bet, even if we don't have the exact performance numbers yet.

Here I am again. I have no idea how much longer I should be waiting on this RX 460, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. With an eye on eventually picking up a GTX 960, I went ahead and swapped out my old power supply for a 480W unit. It has all the necessary connectors, yet I find myself facing another dilemma. This new unit provides 20 A on the 12V rail, but I have read somewhere that this might be insufficient. My original 300W power supply only provided 15 A on the 12V rail. Will this setup actually work?

That’s tough... a 480W power supply that only puts out 240W on the 12V rail is a massive red flag for quality. It might hold up for a little while, but I wouldn't really risk putting a new graphics card on it.

For instance, a buddy of mine picked up a Real Power 600W (which is slightly better than that total junk) to run a Phenom II X6 1090T and an R9 390... and it died after about four months.😁

What kind of power supply are we actually talking about here?

fadedorca66 said:What specific power supply are we talking about here?

Safeforcer SN-480W

Where on earth did you even find that? 😲 There’s absolutely nothing about this on Google—literally zero hits. This is most likely just another one of those sketchy, no-name junk brands. I’d honestly rather stick with my 500W unit from Microsoft than trust that "Palantir" thing. 😬

Wait, what? 😬 That’s gotta be some cheap knockoff. 😁

I’m thinking Safeforcer might actually be the series name here—it looks like Microsoft is the one behind it. This is likely what we're looking at:

http://www.ms-tech.de/de/datenblatt/sn-480_550.pdf

I found this tucked away in my garage. Up until now, I haven't really had any need for a gaming rig. Does that mean none of this is worth keeping? Also, what kind of power supply would actually fit this setup, and what kind of price range should I expect to pay?

Jonathan Mendoza17 said:I believe Safeforcer refers to the product line, while Microsoft is the actual manufacturer. This is likely what you're looking for:

http://www.ms-tech.de/de/datenblatt/sn-480_550.pdf

Yes, that confirms it. Does knowing the specific manufacturer change anything for us?

frozengull44 said:Yeah, exactly. Does it make any difference if at least you know who the manufacturer is?

Nope, you can't just grab some random no-name power supply from your garage with 20A on the 12V rail and expect to slap a $500 on it. I mean, you probably could, but you really shouldn't 😁 What else is in your build? If the parts aren't massive power hogs, you could get away with an EVGA 400 W1. That's about $100

This might be a bit off-topic, but I certainly didn't anticipate running into these kinds of power supply issues. Will a Corsair RM550x be sufficient here? Just as a quick reminder, I am working with an i5 650 build where I plan to install a GeForce GTX 960.

frozengull44 said:This might be slightly off-topic, but I didn't expect this much drama over a power supply. Will a Corsair RM550x work? Just to recap, I'm looking at a PC with an i5 650 and I want to drop a GeForce GTX 960 in there.

Hmm, about that—it’s definitely a few tiers above what you were using before and probably would hold up, but there's no telling how long. Theoretically, it should be fine since the 12V rail output is sufficient, but that specific unit isn't exactly known for high quality. Plus, it's an older model, so I'm guessing you pulled it out of some dusty box in your garage? 😬

There shouldn't be any issues, provided everything is set up correctly.

The power supply is brand new, unless it’s been sitting on the retailer's shelf for far too long.

Is that EVGA unit actually new? That power supply is at least 8 years old 😁 I have no idea where you found it listed as new... It’s a decent enough unit, I guess, but if it's been sitting around for that many years (and used), the capacitors inside might be pretty much shot by now.

I can't seem to track down an EVGA 400 here in Canada. I did manage to find an EVGA 500 W1 and a Corsair RM600, both priced at roughly $65. Which one should I go with?

frozengull44 said:I can't find an EVGA 400 W1 here in Canada. I did find an EVGA 500 W1 and a Corsair RM600, and they're both about the same price—around $65. Which one should I go with?

EVGA is fine if you can be certain it’s in good shape, like no bulging capacitors or anything similar; it doesn't even have to be brand new. If you're buying new, definitely grab the EVGA 500W over the Corsair. Just stay away from that specific Corsair series.

Adam Moore3 said:If you can be absolutely certain that the EVGA unit is reliable—meaning no bulging capacitors or similar defects—then it’s a solid choice. You don't even need to go out and buy a brand-new one. However, if you decide to purchase something new, I would definitely recommend the EVGA 500 W1 over anything from Corsair. Why bother with that series? Just stay away from it.

The EVGA unit is brand new, purchased from the exact same retailer as the graphics card. Surely they aren't lying about the stock?
Is anyone else looking at this listing? I came across an offer for a Corsair RM550x on a local marketplace site here in Canada. It seems like a decent find if you need a reliable power supply for a quick build. Is it worth picking up?