THE Best Power Supply?

[iseeuu]

The Power Supply is the heart of any computer system, after all, no matter how much you have invested in all those expensive cutting edge parts, they are dead if there is no power! But finding a good power supply is a daunting issue. This forum cannot scientifically test power supplies so I am seeking your opinions, based on your experience with reliable power supplies.

Testing a power supply is not easy or inexpensive. Just plugging a bunch of stuff into it, drawing lots of power, and reading the BIOS results is just inadequate. So do you rely on Internet reviews of power supplies and stress tests? To see what is necessary to actually measure the performance of a power supply, compared to an on-computer stress test, here are a couple of links. I couldn't find much of what I felt was reliable, accurate, and worth reading so if you know of some better I would like to know:

AnandTech: AnandTech Power Supply Test Methodology

PSU Roundup: Performance, Price, Efficiency : Mainstream PSUs Up To 700W - Review Tom's Hardware

Power Supply Roundup: Part II : Our Second Round Of Mainstream PSUs - Review Tom's Hardware

Buying an OVER-POWERED power supply is not smart either. It is a waste of money in the purchase price and an inefficient use of electricity, also a possible waste of money in your utility bill. So I would like to separate power supply categories by retail price. I know I can buy power supplies for under $50 and I might get lucky with a good one, but I think computers capable of running Windows 7 deserve better. So I would suggest the under $100 USD power supply, the over $100 USD power supply, and if that isn't enough, the over $200 USD power supply.

So what power supplies have you had good success with and would recommend?

For myself, Thermaltake is a well known name brand so I bought a couple Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W for under $50, (plus a rebate, I hate rebates!) but one went up in smoke. The other one hasn't burst into flames yet.

So again I went looking and settled on Anetc. Found a couple of bargains on Amazon, Earthwatts 430W EA-430 @ $50. Very happy so far. Seems stable, not over worked. I don't have demanding sli video cards and don't overclock so 430W seems to be a balanced solution for my PC.

Under $100 USD Power Supplies


Over $100 USD Power Supplies


Extreme Power Supplies $200 USD and beyond

Cheers!

 

[mickey megabyte]

antec ftw!

i had a special combination deal on my case and power supply. i'm very happy with my antec 550 basiq plus.

550 watts is enough for me, i'm never going to have two graphics cards, and 550 means i can run a powerful one without worrying.

it may be 'basiq', but it's a perfect match for my case and has modular cables, is very quiet, and sits at the bottom of the case for bottom-heavy stability, as per design.

 

[TGSoldier]

Corsair ftw..

 

[Antman]

Eveyone's a winner? Okay, ThermalTake ToughPower FTW.

Windows 7 will kill a high margin that I make on power supplies.

 

[mickey megabyte]

 

[smarteyeball]

Buying an OVER-POWERED power supply is not smart either.

I disagree.

It is a waste of money in the purchase price

Yes, the initial price is high, but you must also factor in your current and future needs. If you are absolutely certain that you will not need any more power in the future, then an over-powered PSU is wasteful.

However, if you upgrade and discover you need more power in the future, then you have the added cost of buying another PSU to meet those needs. This results in more expenditure in the long run.

and an inefficient use of electricity, also a possible waste of money in your utility bill.

No. Just because a power supply is rated at XXX watts does not mean it runs at XXX watts at all times. Your components will only draw what is needed.

The other bonuses of an over-powered PSU is less stress which results in better longevity. It will also run somewhat cooler and therefore have less noise ie Fan speed ramping.

Running a PSU near or at maximum capacity will also shorten it's life much quicker than running an over-powered PSU far from maximum capacity.

 

[pparks1]

I'm a fan of Antec power supplies and the Corsair HX series modular power supplies. After having used a Corsair modular in my latest build and cutting back on my wiring, I cannot imagine ever wanting to use a non-modular power supply again. Getting rid of all of that extra wiring mess is so worth it.

With regards to over buying on too powerful of a power supply....I agree with that. I certainly wouldn't cut back to the point where you barely meet your power draw...but I've also seen situations where people would have actually been just fine on a 400W PSU, but they are running a 1,000 or 1,200 PSU because it seems ecool.

On my latest build, I went with a Corsair HX620. I used this site to estimate my needs: eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite v2.5. This site estimated my power needs to be 288 watts. I almost went with the HX520...but I got a larger rebate on the 620 and a free mouse..so it was technically cheaper. But I had people recommending that I go with a minimum of a 750W power supply based on what I was buying....which was nearly 3 times my actual needs.

 

[ken9122]

Iagree with smartey!!
Using a thermaltale 700w on my main system. It was overkill when I first started but as i added drives and video boards it was nice to know i had the power .

Ken

 

[rbmorse]

PC Power and Cooling.

 

[fseal]

Unfortuantely "watts" doesn't really work as a rating for PSUs.

The /actual/ ampherage per rail varies WIDELY.

You need to look at the power requirements of your components if you want to match well. Or.. be safe and overbuy.

I had a 650 watt PSU and upgraded to a G285 card. THat card requires I think it was 42 amps on the 12v rail. My "old" 650 watt PSU only supplied 36 amps total. Had to upgrade to a 750 watt that output 50 amps total on 12v.

SO if the machine is for gaming, probably match PSU to the graphics card + a little. But pay more attention to the amps per rail for your need rather than "600 watts should be plenty" or you may find yourself with radom reboot or crash issues when using your machine to it's fullest.

 

[Antman]

I don't recall where I found it, but I used a Power Calculator of some sort to determine my immediate and planned power needs. And then bought a touch more.

That was just before Vista went retail Just yesterday, I exceeded my PSU/system capability when I inserted an SD card.

 

[Brink]

Unfortuantely "watts" doesn't really work as a rating for PSUs.

Agreed. You will need to pay attention to the 80 PLUS rating that the PSU has to help determine the quality of it. The more power it has the more you have available as needed.

 

[Guy Scharf]

I've been pleased with my Seasonic SS-650HT 650W. It's quiet and just sits there and delivers power without complaint.

 

[iseeuu]

antec ftw!

i had a special combination deal on my case and power supply. i'm very happy with my antec 550 basiq plus.

550 watts is enough for me, i'm never going to have two graphics cards, and 550 means i can run a powerful one without worrying.

it may be 'basiq', but it's a perfect match for my case and has modular cables, is very quiet, and sits at the bottom of the case for bottom-heavy stability, as per design.

Doh!! I love those modular cables. Great idea. Any negatives to them?

 

[Antman]

Doh!! I love those modular cables. Great idea. Any negatives to them?

When you need to add another one and not remembering where you stashed them.

 

[iseeuu]

I disagree.

Yes, the initial price is high, but you must also factor in your current and future needs. If you are absolutely certain that you will not need any more power in the future, then an over-powered PSU is wasteful.

However, if you upgrade and discover you need more power in the future, then you have the added cost of buying another PSU to meet those needs. This results in more expenditure in the long run.

No. Just because a power supply is rated at XXX watts does not mean it runs at XXX watts at all times. Your components will only draw what is needed.

The other bonuses of an over-powered PSU is less stress which results in better longevity. It will also run somewhat cooler and therefore have less noise ie Fan speed ramping.

Running a PSU near or at maximum capacity will also shorten it's life much quicker than running an over-powered PSU far from maximum capacity.

smarteyeball;

You are more than welcome to disagree, I certainly can not disprove your statements. However, the "Upgrade" to me is an issue that deserves its own thread, and I do not wish to derail this topic with that one. My experience has been that there was always new and better, and my old stuff was never good enough or compatible. Maybe there is a $500 power supply that will upgrade for 10 years? I don't think so. If you wish, we can start a new thread about upgrading over buying new?

 

[iseeuu]

When you need to add another one and not remembering where you stashed them.

But that's a USER issue, not a power supply issue?

:roflmao:

 

[Antman]

But that's a USER issue, not a power supply issue?

Ditto the LMAO -

a power user, even.

 

[iseeuu]

With regards to over buying on too powerful of a power supply....I agree with that. I certainly wouldn't cut back to the point where you barely meet your power draw...but I've also seen situations where people would have actually been just fine on a 400W PSU, but they are running a 1,000 or 1,200 PSU because it seems cool.

Just to be clear here, pparks1 and I are on the same wavelength here. I did not specify how much over an OVERPOWERED power supply would be. But this is what I had in mind. When choosing a power supply, it is a good idea to estimate max requirements and surpass them with your choice, say by a third, or a half? But would you double or triple the power requirement just so you could brag about the big powerful power supply under the hood?

 

[LFB]

Agreed. You will need to pay attention to the 80 PLUS rating that the PSU has to help determine the quality of it. The more power it has the more you have available as needed.

80 Plus program is the most trustful reference wen you buy a Power supply...

80 PLUS Certified Power Supplies and Manufacturers
http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_join.aspx