Re: Unofficial PSU Ranking List (What's the best PSU to buy?)

**Bamboo** · 07-22-2008, 09:07 AM

New article just posted on anandtech

Power Supply Summer Buyer's Guide

**Acreo Aeneas** · 07-23-2008, 02:11 AM

Just thought of something useful that goes with PSUs: testing to see if a PSU has failed.

Here's the "paper clip test" (old school): http://www.overclock.net/faqs/96712-...upply-psu.html
- No motherboard needed.

Here's a lengthier article on testing PSUs from Anandtech: http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling...spx?i=3021&p=3

Delta*RandyShugart* · 07-30-2008, 05:33 PM

anyone know about:
http://www.falcon-nw.com/

I hear its good but damn expensivo.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 07-30-2008, 05:45 PM

Yep. Good stuff, like Alienware except a bit smaller and more catered to hardcore enthusiasts.

They've been around for many years (first read about them in PC Mag 5-6 years ago) and they use quality PSUs in their rigs (even if sometimes it's overkill).

**gator skywalker** · 08-04-2008, 08:15 PM

I just dont agree with the Cooler Master Real Power Pro. I have a 750 and it has been rock solid, no issues at all, and it is 80 plus certified. Maybe I am wrong, but seeing an Enermax up there makes me scratch my head like a monkey.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 08-07-2008, 03:26 PM

Not sure why people dislike Enermax. They make some stable PSUs, but like many companies, the lower end "bargain bin" stuff is still questionable.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 09-14-2008, 12:51 AM

I just ordered HEC PSU (HP585D model). From what my research tells me it'll be okay for older systems and possibly mid-range gaming rigs. The specific PSU I just ordered is primarily produced for HP servers.

It'll replaced a failing MGE 480W (13A +12V) PSU. The MGE was put in last week to replace a failing Aspire 420W (14A +12V) PSU. I was rather hoping that my brother's old gaming rig wouldn't draw that much power in idle and used for basic websurfing and word processing. The new HEC is rated for 585W (19A +12V rail 1).

Apparently both PSUs just can't handle the load. Both have the same symptoms: the PSU fan on overdrive and emitting a higher pitched clanking sound. Usually a signal that the PSU is on its last legs. I'm just glad they didn't fry and take the computer with it.

Here's his rig's specs for reference:

ECS **N-1 Lite Mobo (one of their early top-of-the-line ones)
AMD Athlon 64 3500+
2 x 512 MB of Kingston HyperX DDR400 RAM
eVGA 7800GT
160 GB SATA HDD
2 DVD Drives

I'll write back in this post in about a week and tell how well the HEC PSU handles his rig.

Edit: Using the Extreme PSU Calculator, I came up with a +12V rail draw of 17.2 amps (85% CPU load + 90% system load). Messing with the loads with CPU at 100% and system load at 75%, the rig should draw about 15.4 amps. Either way, it's more than either of the cheap crappy PSUs I have can handle. The new one should do just fine.

**Superfast** · 09-16-2008, 05:56 AM

I recently upgraded my Corsair HX450 watt to the Corsair TX750 watt monster in prep for a new graphics card. The new PSU is very nice and just as quiet as the HX450. It also has four pci-e connectors as to one on the 450. The Corsair is 2 cm longer than standard so know that before you order it.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 09-17-2008, 12:48 PM

I think Superfast meant the "VX450", not the "HX450".

**Beinseth** · 09-20-2008, 12:28 PM

Biggest thing I have noticed is how over rated power consumption has become. People keep buying larger and larger power supplies for no real reason, myself included. I recently went from an Opteron 180 dual core(think Atholon 4800 but unlocked and cheaper at time of purchase) with 8800GTS, 2GB of DDR, 4 HDDs, X-Fi sound card, and 2 optical drives on a A8N-SLI mobo to a C2Q6600 with 2GB of DDR2 on a Gigabyte EP35-DS3L mobo with the rest moved over from the old system. I was being told by some to go with a 700-750W PSU. Turns out, I was running the old system on a 480 Antec case and was slighty underpowering the rig. With the new CPU and mobo, I actually use less power but still went with a 650W Corsair, because the price was right and I hope to add more HHDs and some lights.

I guess my point is, know what you need. Dont skimp on your PSU. Realize future expandability. More is not always better, just costs more.

**Beinseth** · 09-20-2008, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

I think Superfast meant the "VX450", not the "HX450".

He maybe right, it appears that Corsair used to make a HX450 with modular cables.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 09-21-2008, 12:02 PM

Hmm, that I didn't know.

Well I've had the new PSU put into the rig for the past two days now. No overspinning/whining fan. Power "seems" to be stable. According to HWMonitor (CPUID product), the +12V rail reads at 6v instead of 12v. I'm thinking it's a inaccuracy in the software when reading it from the onboard Winbond sensor chip.

**Birdman1011395** · 12-18-2008, 04:35 AM

Alright, I won't deny that every time I come to the whole "deciding on a power supply" portion of a build, I choose a big wattage, and never look back. For my last build, I did check things like SLI compatibility and proper main connector pin-age, but that's was about it (yes this is my excuse for buying my once-shorted, now-unstable Rosewill

).

I'd like to believe myself to be wiser shopper of power supplies, now I look for things like "Certified Efficiency" and check it against the ranking list. But one facet still eludes me, whole whole multiple +12v rail thingies, mainly cause I thought you only had one main connector that uses the +12v rail, with everything else using the +5v or +3.3v rails.

So, to stop being long winded

, if I'm looking at a PSU's specs, how do I calculate the 12v amperage so that my computer does try to pull more amps than it has?

**Acreo Aeneas** · 12-18-2008, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Birdman1011395

Alright, I won't deny that every time I come to the whole "deciding on a power supply" portion of a build, I choose a big wattage, and never look back. For my last build, I did check things like SLI compatibility and proper main connector pin-age, but that's was about it (yes this is my excuse for buying my once-shorted, now-unstable Rosewill

).

I'd like to believe myself to be wiser shopper of power supplies, now I look for things like "Certified Efficiency" and check it against the ranking list. But one facet still eludes me, whole whole multiple +12v rail thingies, mainly cause I thought you only had one main connector that uses the +12v rail, with everything else using the +5v or +3.3v rails.

So, to stop being long winded

, if I'm looking at a PSU's specs, how do I calculate the 12v amperage so that my computer does try to pull more amps than it has?

That's simple: ignore the multiple rails.

Then use this equation: total wattage / 12 = total # of amps your PSU should be able to produce

**creepin** · 12-19-2008, 09:06 AM

i just bought the Corsair TX750, seems to be a very solid PSU, might not be the quietest one, or the most power saving, but its very very efficient at what it does, and very reliable, its good at everything except the 2 points mentioned above..

no voltage swings etc.. stable power!

Thread Tools

Display