Which PSU?

iZach · Mar 29, 2010

Hey all,

Just putting the final touches on my new system build, but the Power Supply I was after (The HX-850) won't be in stock at my builder until the 14th of April, and I'm keen to get this made ASAP. He's given me a few alternate options of PSU they have in stock right now, so I thought I'd put it to you guys to see which one you'd choose. I'm running an i7 930 with 6gb of RAM & a HD5870 GPU.

AcBel 900W Max Power Supply True Rated Lifetime New Replacement Warranty Version 2.3 with 12cm Fan – $235.00

Thermaltake ToughPower QFan 850 Watt Active PFC Cable Management Lifetime WTY – $245.00

Antec 850W TruePower Quattro ATX & EPS 12V Power Supply, Modular Cables, Four 12V Rails, 80Plus Certified, 2x8-pin PCI-E, 2x6-pin PCI-E (TPQ-850) – $212.00

All prices are in AUD.

Thanks guys,

iZach.

collinsl · Mar 29, 2010

Personally I would go for the Antec from that list, but just in case you choose to make another choice, I will provide you with this information kindly provided for reproduction by Digerati:

Digerati said:

It is important to ensure power supplies are capable of supporting the demands placed on them. A stressed or overworked power supply can cause stability problems, system lockups and reboots. In worse-case scenarios, a stressed supply can fail catastrophically and damage any device connected to it. Sadly, many computers, especially factory made computers, come with PSUs that are barely adequate to support the existing hardware. Simply adding two more RAM modules (sticks) can overtax them. Therefore is important to consider the greater power demands whenever adding or upgrading hardware. This is critically important with graphics card as they can, and often do demand more power than CPUs.

There are several calculators out there but I have found this to be the best. Note the results indicate the minimum size supply you need. And the default settings do not take into consideration how the computer is used, future upgrades or hardware changes. To ensure your new supply will provide years of faithful service, has enough horsepower to support heavy demands and is ready for future hardware upgrades, please follow the advice below to modify the specified parameters.
Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. To ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free operation and future demands, I recommend the following settings:

CPU Utilization (TDP) - 100%

Capacitor Aging - 30%

System Load 100%

Motherboard - High End Desktop (optional but recommended)

Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,

Efficiency,

Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. And don't count on supplies that come included with a case. They are often underrated, budget or poor quality models "tossed in" to make the case sale. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), as surge and spike protectors are inadequate.
Note: There is often some confusion over buying too big of a supply. It is important to remember that electronics draw from their power supplies what they need and not what the supply is capable of delivering. That is, if the motherboard plus the RAM, drives, fans, and graphics card all need 360 watts of power, they will only consume 360 watts regardless if the power supply is a 400W, 650W or a 1000W supply. And the power drawn from the wall outlet will also only be 360W (plus up to 30% more for PSU inefficiencies). So there is no risk of damage from using too big of a supply, except to your budget. That said, if the calculator says you need a 400 watt supply, a quality 400 watt supply will work, but note it will be working near its peak capacity full time. This will likely cause its internal fan(s) to spin at full speed, and maximum loudness. A 500 - 600 watt PSU will be under less strain, and not require the fans to run at full speeds.
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dlb · Mar 29, 2010

I had a tough time trying to find out anything about the AcBel 900w unit; it appears that they are quite popular in Australia and New Zealand. The only AcBel units I have personally seen here in the USA have been low end 250-350-450w models, and they were well known to be decidedly "low end". As in :crap . . . Both ThermalTake and Antec are well-known, well made brands, and you can find many reviews to back this up. However, the Antec unit you listed (the 850w Quattro) is cooled by a single 80mm fan. This means two things: the unit will probably run warm due to the small fan, and when the unit gets really warm, that little fan will get REALLY loud. So, if noise is an issue, go with the ThermalTake unit. If the Antec had a better cooling system, I would fully recommend it over the ThermalTake..... if you had more time, I would seriously consider waiting for the Corsair unit you mentioned: it is FAMOUS for being an excellent power supply, and it is the preferred unit of all the brands you listed above. On the other hand, you probably don't need 850w of power, you should be just fine with a quality 750w unit (like the Antec TruePowerNew TP-750 or the Corsair 750TX; but neither of these 2 models is modular, but they have EXCELLENT performance for the price; check the reviews for the Antec TP-750 and for the Corsair TX750). If one of these is readily available, it's something to consider.

pclover · Mar 31, 2010

That sucks

Corsair IMO is the best power supply brand in the industry.

I would wait but if you really have to have it I would go with the antec or thermaltake one.

Burrell · Mar 31, 2010

pclover said: ↑

Corsair IMO is the best power supply brand in the industry.
Click to expand...

Me too.

Go for the Antec if you have to, but if you can, go for the Corsair TX950.

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Which PSU?

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