Windows 7: Power Supply

What do I need to know before I buy a new power supply? It's definitely time to upgrade from my 250W PSU especially now because I'm going to be installing a 1 TB HDD. I know how to install one, I just want to be completely sure I have everything I need to buy the correct one.

What do you think about this one? Also has 20% off til 12/20.
Newegg.com - Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7,i5" Power Supply - Power Supplies

Hi Nikolay,

Looks OK. However, you would benefit from a higher rating to give you longer life and expansion capabilities. What is the absolute maximum that you are willing to spend on it?

Around $70 would be my max.

OK. Here are some alternatives, all under $75.

Newegg.com - COOLMAX CL-700B 700W ATX 12V V2.3 Power Supply - Power Supplies
Newegg.com - RAIDMAX AURORA 2 RX-700F 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Power Supplies
Newegg.com - RAIDMAX QUANTUM RX-700 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC SLI Power Supply - Power Supplies
Newegg.com - Rosewill Green Series RG630-2 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified,ATX12V v2.3,SLI Ready,CrossFire Ready,Active PFC"Compatible with Core i7, i5" Power Supply - Power Supplies

There are many more available. Here are the 2 highest rated in that price range.

Newegg.com - COOLMAX RM-750B 750W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies
Newegg.com - Diablotek PHD Series PHD750 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Power Supplies

You are strongly advised to read the reviews before making a decision. Out of the ones that I've selected, my choice would be this one.

Newegg.com - RAIDMAX QUANTUM RX-700 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC SLI Power Supply - Power Supplies

Newegg.com - RAIDMAX QUANTUM RX-700 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC SLI Power Supply - Power Supplies

That's the one I was really considering. I think I'll go with that one since we both see eye to eye on that PSU.

Also, peripheral = molex?

There is usually a direct correlation between the weight of a power supply and the quality of it's internal components. Better quality PSU's tend to have heavier guage wiring, bigger capacitors and larger heatsinks inside them which all add up to an increased weight. For this reason, I like to pick up a selection of similarly rated PSU's before I buy. I also look at the rated current (amperage or "max output") for each voltage rail (ie. 3.3V, 5V & 12V), especially the 12V rail as many of the lower priced PSU's are lacking in that section.

If you're not sure about what wattage you'll need, there's an excellent article here:
Choosing The Right Power Supply that goes into detail on how to choose.

That RAIDMAX Quantum has some decent specs:
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Looks good :)

Correct.

Do you know how much power your PC consumes?


Start here:

Your graphics card uses 175 watts at full load.

ATI HD 4670 512MB GDDR3 Video Card Review - Page 16

You might want to read this:

Power Supply Fundamentals | silentpcreview.com

And maybe take a look here:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

The PC in my system specs uses 165 watts at full load by actual measurement.

Most of the brand names you see are in fact made by someone else. So vendor X may request manufacturer Y to make a power supply with certain specifications. The vendor X controls the individual components and the manufacturer makes the supplies using those components. The same manufacturer may make other power supplies of higher or lower quality, depending on the specifications provided by the vendor. Some manufacturers (Seasonic and Fortron/FSP/Sparkle) also market their own PSUs under their own name.

I believe that 175W figure is for the system used in the test.

The 4670 gets all its power through the PCI-E X16 slot, so it should never draw more than 75W.