New PSU

[[JiF] General WarHawk]

So I had an Antec Earthwatts 500watt PSU.

Got it off a guy for $25, and it smelled like incense and was full of incense when I got it. It worked for 9 months then the 12V rail died. Been dicking around trying to find a decent PSU, and was looking at one, that seems reasonable, and reliable, and wondered what others have done in the past.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817151095

This one has dual 12volt rails giving me 24Amps on each line. I've heard that having 2 Rails, helps because the CPU and GPU don't have to fight over the power so if your just running say a CD burn, you can still watch U-tube, and it doesn't get jittery. I'm sure there's a few experts in JIF land.

[[JiF]BloodGod]

its a good PSU, I would go with at least a 750.

-- Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:54 am --

try this one maybe, good price and a well known name

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817182073" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[[JiF] General WarHawk]

That is a nice one, but I'd like to give modular a try. The case is so crowded already with the video card I got in there. The darn thing is so fat and long, that the PSU cables tend to get squished everywhere. Adding in the Soundblaster X-finity I picked up, which by the way makes any game sound awesome, and you have a really cramped machine. According to the NewEgg simulator for PSU's I only need 460 watts. I figure to have some overhead so it's only running at 80% full out and that's about 600 watts. I read that having a PSU at 80% use is the most efficient use of a PSU, and won't burn it out.

I do like however the one you picked out had a Gold Power rating. Wait to see what others suggest.

[[JiF]pop51]

Just replaced mine had a 750 went to a 600 a GS600 made by Corsair its been in about 2 mo. works fine ,its a mod unit. took the old one out went to best buy to pick it up and reinstaled it in an hour.but I have a large Thermaltake tower, plenty of room.but I had plenty of tech help from Doc wnd Grimp.http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... on=corsair" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[[JiF]BloodGod]

That is a good one POP, heres another of that series, with a 5 star rating

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139031" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[[JiF]Doc]

While Im unfamiliar with the seasonic brand it appears to be a solid PSU. After some research it looks like a great unit and even has a five year parts/labor warrenty. The price is also right for $89.

I definitely recommend the full or partial modular power supplys, they are great for keeping your case clear of unnecessary wiring allowing easy access to components and better airflow.

Personally I own a Corsair professional series PSU. I chose this one for its reliabilty and potential for future expansion. I have also interacted with their customer service about a faulty headset I had purchased and had a positive experience.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139010" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The biggest factor I believe is: Do you plan on adding additional parts in the future? I would definitely go for 550w-650w PSU if the newegg calculator recommended 460w. But if you plan on a future upgrade, either intentionally or due to a part failure, you may want to go 750w or higher. Although I am not up-to-date on the newest technology I cant say for certain that it is really that necessary. Currently CPU's and video cards are becoming more energy efficient. However if you currently have a single or dual core system and you would like to get a quad- core, high end video card or multiple hard drives, it may be needed.

If you can post your current PC specifications and any desired or possible upgrades you may consider in the future, that may help make the decision.

[[JiF][AARP]Tissueman]

All great info. I'll be looking for a new PSU when I get home to put in the two vid cards that have been sitting on my shelf laughing at me. This is what happens when you travel so much you can't get up to speed gaming. All good travel I must say, but I am ready to be home. Hope to get some BF3 in and DayZ really intrigues me.

[[JiF] General WarHawk]

Thanks Doc, your input is greatly appreciated.

It makes the most sense to go with a 600-750, but I plan no upgrades. It only has a single slot for PCI-Express16, and I think I'm maxed out with the 5600 Video card I've got. 2 Hard Drives and almost the max memory at 6GB's is all I figure to need for quite some time. As long as I can play Battlefield 1942, I'm thrilled. Heck I'm bidding on a game for my SNES system. Trying to reacquire Mario All-stars, after losing it in a trade.

Corsair does seem like a viable option if Seasonic loses out. I'll look at both, unless someone has any other idea. Good Customer service is always important, over all else. --Brett

[[JiF]KellysHero]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 139010-L0C" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have the 650W version for about a year + now with no issues.

Use this promo code, EMCNAHB22 and there is a mail in rebate.

-- Mon Oct 08, 2012 12:06 pm --

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... ID=rewrite" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's another nice deal, $40 off but for today only.

[[JiF] General WarHawk]

Unfortunately for Corsair, the answer became abundantly clear. They don't include a 4-pin CPU connection anymore. So, I wouldn't be able to power my AMD based system. The SeaSonic became the only clear choice.

I was able to get the one I wanted for $80, as there was a 10% discount before Hurricane Sandy came to town. Once I got the PSU, I do believe, sadly, there was nothing wrong with my previous power supply, as the issue I was having with it turning on, then turning off before it could boot was the power switch on top the computer. I hope that comes today. I was lucky enough to find one for $10, instead of the $40 I saw it for earlier. So much for the 10% savings, but I do like the SeaSonic PSU, and intend to keep it, given the Corsair ones out there.

-- Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:48 am --

Still can't get the computer I own to work. Probably the Motherboard/CPU that's messed up. Gonna try and get another pair off Ebay, and if that doesn't work, I really would be at a loss to figure anything else out. Thankfully I've got an HP a6110n, so with AMD CPU's the only expense is $100 for the MOBO. Gonna try a cheap AMD CPU for $13 to see if just adding that in will at least get the machine to go to POST BOOT.

-- Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:25 pm --

Well, with a friend's Motherboard I was able to test both PSU's and come to find out, they both work. I was actually able to use a case I had bought awhile ago, to create a barebones computer to test things out. Was really afraid of blowing his old Mobo up, but it worked. So.....I need to pick up a Narra3 or 2 Mobo, then maybe a processor upgrade, and I'll be back in the game.

-- Sun Nov 25, 2012 6:06 pm --

Never use the stock PSU that comes with a case. I did, and instantly fried my backup motherboard. Sure it was a DDR400, and only ran an AthlonXP chip, but it did work, til I hooked it up to a brand new piece of crap.