PSU of this case good enough?

Hey guys I got a SHAW tornado 680. It has a 680W PSU but im not sure what kind of graphics card it can support. Need to upgrade asap from this 9400gt budget card.

Thanks in advance for opinions

 

What brand is the 680w psu?

You can go for a 6970 radeon or GTX 580.

 

Hang tough for a bit there killbox. I think the case is a 680 -- not so sure the PSU is a 680W. I'll look in it to more -- but I think the case is about $40??? If so I would be curious to get a part number off the actual PSU. Think it would end up being sub-acceptable.

I'll dig a little more. Be right back.

 

Not finding anything good on that case. Googled model and added "problems" & "issue" -- and there's quite a bit. Apparently the cases are brutally thin metal with sharp edges. Even if you don't fiddle inside your case, I def' would keep looking.

Myself, I start with PSU and then zero in on components. Even a Builders Series Corsair is a safer bet than a PSU you can't really find any info on. PSU/case manufacturers can basically say anything wattage wise. Peak watts or continuous makes a big difference. There's lots of good PSU's but, if you don't want to do a bunch of reading, I have no problem recommending Corsair. They've never made junk.

The short: wouldn't touch SHAW Tornado 680 myself.

 

Not me. The PSU is always the last, but one of the most important component purchases I make when doing a new build. This is because to properly size a PSU, you have to know the power requirements of all the devices first. Then you buy a quality PSU to meet your needs.

If you buy the PSU first, you are only guessing, and may guess wrong.

 

Exactly! In order to know the power requirements for a rig, you need to know what you're going to be powering.

Antec and Corsair make good quality PSUs (though they also have budget models), and there's higher end than them, but Antec or Corsair is a good choice for most machines, I believe.

This power calculator can help you figure out what you need:

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

Number of rails (less is better), power degradation over time, and other factors incorporate into the decision as well, but generally that calculator will help you get a good idea of what you need. Add 100W or so to the total to give yourself a good buffer.

 

Personally, if the PSU is not 80+ Gold rated, I won't touch it.. Though, you tend to spend a bit of $$$. But, to get a decent one that won't cause issues you pretty much have to.

Though, I'm partial to seasonic:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007657%2050001697%20600037998&IsNodeId=1&name=80%20PLUS%20GOLD%20Certified

The x850 will be mine soon, as soon as I pay for my new case.

 

Once you have built enough performance computers, you know what you will need. Agree novice users should use calculator. I don't need one. If you're experienced you'll know enough not to cut it even close. I've seen enough builders blow their wad on gpu's, and cpu's and have to scrimp on power that I advocate taking it out of the budget first.
Especially on a budget build.

Not everyone has the funds for an 80+ Gold, and for 90% of systems it is not necessary. Top of the line gear to protect, competitive folding & hardcore oc, sure. But I doubt anyone looking at a $40 case/psu combo can justify a $200 expenditure on the PSU.

You build a dozen similar computers and tell me you need to check the calculator. You'll be reading reviews, and planning your next build.

You're absolutely wrong if you say I am only guessing. I never said buy it first.

 

Yes you are. You are guessing. It may be based on experience, but you are still guessing. There is no way for you to know how much power your graphics card, RAM and CPU need, unless you do, or have done, the research first. So, unless you know how much power you need, that is, by doing your research, you are guessing. Period.

If you guess too small, then you risk stability issues and a hot PSU. If you guess too large, then no harm to the computer, but it dings the budget unnecessarily.

Anyone looking at a $40 case/PSU combo hopefully ignores the PSU and just looks at the case. I agree that not everyone needs 80+ "Gold", but 80+ certification of some kind is a good idea, and you don't have to spend near $200 to get it.

Oh?

And.

While I agree setting a chunk of the budget aside in the beginning of the research is a good idea, it is still best to buy only after you have selected your other components. If the budget is too tight, then adjustments may be necessary, or wait until the budget can grow a bit.

That's great! Myself, I am not even going to pretend I can remember the power requirements of the 1000s of ever changing motherboards, CPUs, GPUs, RAM types, fans, hard drives, SSDs, etc. And while I may guess at the needs, and probably guess pretty close, I still use a calculator (or research then add up in my head) to ensure my clients are getting what they need, without spending more than they have to - and I have 100s of builds under my belt.

That's a silly statement - and irrelevant to this thread. If I am building a dozen "similar" computers, of course it is not necessary to use the calculator a dozen times. rolleyes

But this thread is not about me or you and your human calculator skills. It is about killbox - who I suspect does not, and certainly I will NOT assume he has dozens of builds under his belt.

 

I would love to buy a gold 80+ but it's too much $$ for me. I've got a pair of Corsair TX750W's (bronze 80+) powering my hungry horde 24/7 at %100 load. to each their own.

 

I too have a couple TX750s and am very happy with them. If any complaint, it is that I have to put my hand back there to feel for any air movement because otherwise, they are so quiet, you don't know they are running!

 

I feel sorry for posters who learn nothing from their builds.

I have the opinion that I have built enough mid-level, budget conscious, rigs to be comfortable estimating power consumption. It's not voodoo, I don't try to appear to be the man behind the curtain. It's not about my ego.

In my opinion; the calculator is great tool but, if you go by only what it says you ignore future proofing and peace of mind. On hardcore oc/gear sites, there's a common belief, that if you rely on calculator you're likely cutting it too close. I have never had a mid-level build suffer from lack of power. Never.

Perhaps some posters get off on making it seem more difficult than it is. In my opinion, a top name $100/$125 PSU will be adequate for most user's needs. It's not like Seasonic, Corsair, and Nexus don't do any market research.

If you were building a triple SLI, with an 8 core, underwater, 4 scsi hdd's with dual Adaptec cards -- I would not presume to know the power requirement. It would only be a guess. I'm guessing you would likely be alright with about $400--500 off the top of your budget. Before you spend all your money on gpu's, cpu & motherboard.

Think folks who tell posters not to concern themselves with the PSU until everything else is taken care, are likely less experienced than they want posters to infer by their advice.

It's not magic. It's a machine. Novice builders should not feel that they need to know what Corsair does or Seasonic does before considering building their own rig. Some prospective builders are turned off by notions that you must know every detail. Rely on a good PSU supplier, don't go crazy, or feel daunted. Building a PC is not hard. You don't have to be a Guru.

Stand firm in my opinion: budget for PSU before using vendor build calculator, or getting your heart set on candy you can't really afford to power. Power is of paramount importance. It does not need to be daunting. I paid $88 for my Corsair GS700. I did not check the calculator. Anybody says I'm guessing it's adequate for an AMD 4400+, X 1950 Pro, 1g Kingston Hyper-X, Creative Audigy-Z Platinum, Titan Vanessa, with 5x 80mm & 2x 140mm, Plextor dvd takes themselves too seriously.

Perhaps some posters should ask for clarification before pathetic, self-serving attacks. Just my opinion. And I am entitled to it.

I'm no Guru, don't pretend to be. Novice builders do not need to be either.

Apologies to OP for my part in this train wreck. I am truly sorry for detracting from the assistance you deserved.

 

Oh? You seem convinced you got it all figured out. The problem with your opinion is technology changes. CPUs consume less power than CPUs of days past. DDR3 consumes less power than DDR2. Some drives are "green", some not so much. At the same time GPUs are getting more and more power hungry. The power requirements of a computer 3 years ago may not be the same today.

As noted, there are 1000s of very different power consuming parts available on the market, and from years past still in use. I congratulate you that you are able to keep track. I can't.

I am not saying everyone needs to use a PSU calculator. I don't need the calculator to add up consumption rates for me. But I still research those demands, then add it up in my head, or with a pencil and paper. I may add some buffer for more RAM or a bigger GPU on down the road.

That said, the eXtreme calculator has a staff of people who do that research for us. As such there are 1200+ CPUs, over 300 GPUs and the list is constantly growing as new products come on line. It accounts for fans, drives, including SSDs, and more. So for me, it is much easier to pull from a verified database, than rely on my memory, or hit up all the makers' websites.

Sorry but that makes no sense. Market research? That has nothing to do with picking the right size for the job. And using your justification of 100 - 125 just illustrates my point about guessing, and guessing wrong. Here are 21 quality PSUs that you say will meet most peoples needs. Your criteria of going by price may have them selecting anywhere from 400W to 850W (both from Seasonic).

What users need to get off on is spending their money wisely. I could say that 600W from a quality maker will meet most users needs too - but that does not mean it is the best PSU for their needs, or money.

So I will continue to calculate my power needs with my builds. I will not use some arbitrary power rating or price range and assume it will be the right fit. That's not proper planning.