Is This PSU good enough for a gaming rig?

[pcgamer]

Im building a gaming PC at the moment and i have got this case: Casecom Black Midi Tower Case - Cheap at Ebuyer! and this is the PSU im gona be buying : CIT 750W Dual 12V Rail 12cm Fan PSU - 2x SATA 1x PCI-E - Ebuyer as this has 7 molex as well as 2 SATA which i need only thing i was worried about was the fan it has on top of the PSU will it be ok and not over heat as the PSU sits at the top of the case covering it. Also soes it seem like an ok PSU for price. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Dwarf]

The PSU needs to be mounted so that the fan is underneath and not on top. That way, it pulls the warm air from within the case and vents it away from your system through the PSU, with the air exiting your system through the grid of holes on its rear panel.

 

[fireberd]

The case looks OK however there are "gaming" cases sold. Avoid the "off brand" or inexpensive power supplies. They tend to be overrated (in watts) and also have poor voltage regulation. Go with a better "name brand" power supply. Do not go for the "inexpensive" if you are building a real gaming system.

I just upgraded my power supply to a 750 watt XFX "black" modular type power supply. Usually, you wind up with too many cables from a power supply and the modular type eliminates some of the cable clutter.

As far as the fan, you can mount power supplies either way with the fan down (towards the motherboard - the usual way with a top mounted power supply) or with the fan pointing up. So it's not an issue of where the fan is physically located.

 

[pcgamer]

thanks for the replys the only other 1 i was considering was this 1 : Arctic Power 500W PSU With PCI-E 2x SATA, 20+4 ATX12V 8pin +12V Connectors - Retail Boxed - Ebuyer
but its alot less watts and not enough molex's do you know of any for £30-40 that are any good?

 

[Digerati]

Buying a cheap supply is like pouring cheap gas in your new Porsche. Would you do that? You might, but would you expect top performance? A car motor can miss a beat and keep running, not so with high speed digital electronics.

I would stop trying to save money and invest in a good supply from a reputable maker. A well chosen supply will last years and support you through several hardware upgrades. Following is my canned text on sizing and selecting a good PSU.
***

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home) or extreme 3D animated gaming, I recommend setting both TDP and system load to 100%. These steps ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter) operation, and future hardware demands. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

1. Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
2. Efficiency,
3. Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. And don't count on supplies that come included with a case. They are often underrated, budget or poor quality models "tossed in" to make the case sale. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), as surge and spike protectors are inadequate.
​

 

[smarteyeball]

I would stop trying to save money and invest in a good supply from a reputable maker.

Exactly. Never go cheap on a PSU.


Unfortunately both of those PSU's you linked are cheap for a reason.

 

[pparks1]

I will also recommend the power supply calculator above and reaffirm that you don't want to go cheap on the power supply. Power supplies are a critical component and you want something solid there.

I also recommend going with a modular power supply if you care about tidy wiring inside your case. The modular units really cut down on cable clutter.

 

[Digerati]

I also recommend going with a modular power supply if you care about tidy wiring inside your case. The modular units really cut down on cable clutter.

The emphasis on quality cannot be more important when dealing with modular PSUs. While a modular PSU allows you to only use the cables you need, each connection and connector is a potential point of failure and degradation. So while you can achieve better air flow through the case with a modular PSU, you can also introduce electrical noise and poor quality voltages at the same time, and the opportunity to knock another connection loose every time you do maintenance.

 

[pparks1]

I also recommend going with a modular power supply if you care about tidy wiring inside your case. The modular units really cut down on cable clutter.

The emphasis on quality cannot be more important when dealing with modular PSUs. While a modular PSU allows you to only use the cables you need, each connection and connector is a potential point of failure and degradation. So while you can achieve better air flow through the case with a modular PSU, you can also introduce electrical noise and poor quality voltages at the same time, and the opportunity to knock another connection loose every time you do maintenance.

Agreed. I use a Corsair modular myself. However, I've never even come close to knocking a connection loose. Perhaps really tight connections are another quality feature.

 

[googleborg]

My PC is a gaming rig and only has a 480w supply, it really depends on what is going inside, overclocked, powerful CPUs and GPUs can pull in far, far more than my 480w supply could handle.

and of course, for goodness sake don't cheap out, what happens when a crud PSU fails on you (and it will) is horrible and can be expensive! Even poor connections can damage or even break your computer, the voltages are not high but the currents are and you want nice firm connections. I once cheaped out on a PSU, learn from my mistake! ;P

also, as said, think ahead, your PSU is likely going to be the longest lived component in your PC, and hopefully will be with you for a long time, so buying cheap is a false economy in many ways.


digis posts are very useful

 

[bobkn]

What CPU and graphics card do you intend to use in your build?

The simplest thing to look at is the current available on the +12V rails. For example, the CIT PSU that you list has a total of 40A available on its two +12V rails. That marks it as a cheap "750W" supply. Here's a decent 550W PSU:

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies

from Corsair. It has 41A available on its single +12V rail. (Newegg doesn't do business in the UK, sadly.) My 750W PSU from PC Power & Cooling is rated at 60A on its +12V line.

It's common for people in forums such as this to be rather casual about advising people to spend a lot on components, especially PSUs. However, I don't think that you're going to get a good one for £30. You probably don't need an £200 one, but your choices will be better if you can afford £60.

 

[BWK]

700w Power Supply, 750w Power Supply, 700 Watt Power Supply at TigerDirect.com
Computer Cases, PC Cases, Gaming Computer Cases, Cheap Computer Cases at TigerDirect.com
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/subcategory.asp?CatID=92&parent=2^87

Here's a couple of spots I always check for pc components.

 

[Digerati]

It's common for people in forums such as this to be rather casual about advising people to spend a lot on components, especially PSUs.

That's bass ackwards from my experience. I find that people are very casual about advising folks spend lots of money on graphics cards, RAM, CPU, motherboards, then turn around and recommend a no-name, generic, budget PSU to power them.

 

[bobkn]

It's common for people in forums such as this to be rather casual about advising people to spend a lot on components, especially PSUs.

That's bass ackwards from my experience. I find that people are very casual about advising folks spend lots of money on graphics cards, RAM, CPU, motherboards, then turn around and recommend a no-name, generic, budget PSU to power them.

I haven't been keeping statistics.

Many years ago, I used to watch Star Trek (tOS) reruns on one of the big independent NYC TV stations. I complained to a friend that I'd see some of the episodes over and over again. He had the same complaint. We compared notes: the ones he saw repeatedly were ones I hadn't seen since they were originally broadcast. This was on the same TV station.

My point? Perception is reality, I suppose.

 

[nJoyo]

I don't have much experience as other users on the forums, but i've built a Gaming PC, and it's complicated to choose the parts. The Performance of the PSU will not be as good if you were to buy a Cheap PSU. However go for other options such as XFX, Corsair, ect. Basicly good brands which are known. The case, doesn't really matter alot, but i've had this case. It's not very reliable as times goes pass bits and peices starts to eventually fall.

 

[Digerati]

The case, doesn't really matter alot

I am afraid I have to disagree with that. I think a good case, along with a good PSU, make up the foundation for a good computer. A good case will be sturdy and "true". By "true" I mean the corners will be exactly 90° and the straight lines will be straight. The corners will be reinforced. A sturdy and true case does not flex, twist, or warp when moved. This is important because a cheap, flimsy case will warp and this can cause extreme torque on the mounted motherboard resulting in stress fractures forming around the mounting screws - not good. It can also cause damaging torque on add-in cards which are mounted to the board, then secured to the case. A good case will not require you to remove both side panels to install a drive (instead it will use rails or removable bays). A good case will support multiple large (120mm or larger) fans and be designed to provide the best front to back air flow. A good case will provide easy access. The sheet metal will have rolled edges to prevent your blood getting all over the place from sliced knuckles. And a good case will have a washable, removable filter. A good case will support MANY years of upgrades.

That said, I do not support the use of flashing lights and a fancy facade. A fancy face is faddish, and will go out of style. Lights do nothing for performance, consume power, add heat, and do nothing for performance (worth repeating). A good case should sit discretely, and quietly out of the way, and not draw attention to itself - unless watching cases is your thing - I tend to pay attention to the monitors!

I like Antec cases - though most are steel, and tend to be heavy.

One word of caution. Many case retailers will "toss in" a PSU to make a case sale. Often these are good cases but generic, cheap supplies. Don't pass up a good case because it has a cheap supply. Just "toss out" the cheap supply (or use it as a spare for testing fans).

 

[pparks1]

Digerati,

I do agree with you on the value of a quality case. For me, I find that the nicer cases (mine have been Antec), seem to do a great job with noise isolation as well. And the air filters have been extremely helpful in keeping the inside dirt and dust free...which keeps the fans and the air moving better. I never saw that much value in a good case until I tried one. Haven't done a cheap case since.

For whatever reason, I "rarely" upgrade any of my computers, but rather just build a whole new box each and every time and just keep the old one running, but performing a different task or given to another member of the family.

And I'm not a fan of lights and windows either. I like nice clean lines and I too pay far more attention to the monitor.

 

[Digerati]

seem to do a great job with noise isolation as well

Good point. I just built a new system with an Antec Mini P180 case and if not for the power LED, you cannot tell it is running - of course the dead silent Mushkin 580W PSU helps too. This case has sound deadening materials layered in the panels, and the very slow moving 20mm "big boy" blow hole (on top of the case) fan barely moves (so no noise), but moves massive amounts of air keeping the system nice and cool.

Since many PCs are used in home theater configurations, fan noise has become an important issue. Many computers can easily have many fans (CPU, chipset, graphics card, PSU, and case fans) so controlling the noise is a challenge. In an office, especially with multiple PCs, the fan noise can become a serious distraction.