Advice wanted for PSUs

[Hrothgar Óhreinsaður]

Howdy. This is a two-part thread.

1. What do you think of this PSU?

eXtreme Power Supply Calculator says I need approximately 314w to power my machine (336w after future upgrades), and, while my PSU is well above that, I'm not sure I'm getting what its box says I am. I have a CoolerMaster Extreme Power Plus 500w PSU which boasts +3.3V@22A, +5V@25A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@18A, -12V@0.5A, +5Vsb@2.5A for output. What are your thoughts on this PSU?

2. If I must upgrade

I've been reading threads about PSUs here and have learned: 80+ Certification is good; graphics card manufacturers prefer to exaggerate required wattage (HD 6770 says 500w); and Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, and Thermaltake make the best products. So I did some shopping and found the below PSUs:

CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W
+3.3V@25A, +5V@20A, +12V@34A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@3.0A

CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W
+3.3V@25A, +5V@25A, +12V@40A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@3.0A

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V@48A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A

I didn't see any Seasonic PSUs in the right range, neither wattage nor price. If you recommend other PSUs for my system, I'm all eyes.

[snuggans]

i am on my third replacement for the Corsair 850TX unit, so you can assume what i must think of buying Corsair.
1st PSU - started out perfect, developed this 'propeller' like sound while the processor was being put to heavy use. it eventually grew louder and louder, so i RMA'd it.
2nd PSU - started out perfect, again developed the propeller like sound after weeks of use. it grew louder, and then the PC started shutting down randomly. then one day it wouldn't turn on at all.
3rd PSU - started out perfect...
the third one was just installed today so not enough time has passed for me to see that there's something wrong with it but i'm expecting it to exhibit the same behavior.

i'm sensible enough to believe that there's something wrong with my system or that 850 watts is not enough for it (despite me doing the calculations already and it comes out to 630w) because it is very unlikely that i could have received two defective Corsair PSUs in a row.

maybe its just the TX line that doesn't agree with my system, i'm not sure. but if the third one starts going down the same road i'd probably go with Antec, Coolermaster or Seasonic.

[Darkpriest667]

i am on my third replacement for the Corsair 850TX unit, so you can assume what i must think of buying Corsair.
1st PSU - started out perfect, developed this 'propeller' like sound while the processor was being put to heavy use. it eventually grew louder and louder, so i RMA'd it.
2nd PSU - started out perfect, again developed the propeller like sound after weeks of use. it grew louder, and then the PC started shutting down randomly. then one day it wouldn't turn on at all.
3rd PSU - started out perfect...
the third one was just installed today so not enough time has passed for me to see that there's something wrong with it but i'm expecting it to exhibit the same behavior.

i'm sensible enough to believe that there's something wrong with my system or that 850 watts is not enough for it (despite me doing the calculations already and it comes out to 630w) because it is very unlikely that i could have received two defective Corsair PSUs in a row.

maybe its just the TX line that doesn't agree with my system, i'm not sure. but if the third one starts going down the same road i'd probably go with Antec, Coolermaster or Seasonic.

Thats really bad luck. I have had a Corsair TX850 M since September running almost 247 under 30-35 C ambient temps in my room and never experienced any problems similar to that.

[Hrothgar Óhreinsaður]

Thanks for the heads up: I'll stick with the CX line.

[Doono]

Thanks for the heads up: I'll stick with the CX line.

The CX line is well known for being of a far lower quality than the TX line, snuggans experience I would say is really bad luck, corsair tx series is considered excellent

Edit:

Slightly old now but still a very good guide

http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/1/323050/ShowThread.aspx

[Zerosliver]

I've got a 750HX, working like a charm.

[Totalheadache]

antec tp 850w going strong...will def get another antec psu again.

replacement cx 650w in another pc is very quiet though and so far great.

[irishron]

Antec 650 Earthwatts has been going for over two years.

[mrmouth]

Corsair did a re-shuffle of sorts, so there is some confusion at times. The old TX line was this, where the new TX line fall under the 'Enthusiast' category and look like this (also referred to as v2). The older TX850 (first link) was not terribly well thought of. There was a high failure rate, and it was that PSU that played a part in the re-shuffle. And more importantly, going back to Seasonic over CWT OEM for the AX/HX/TX.

I had the famed HX620 until recently. I sold it on ebay after I saw the prices a used one could pull down, and it was out of warranty. So I grabbed a TX750 v2 on sale. With the rebate I had a new PSU under warranty and more wattage for maybe a $10 difference. I was apprehensive of going with the TX line over the HX but Ive had it for a few months and it is rock solid. The fact that it is a Seasonic OEM sold me.

So it is clear that now it is: Professional/Gold (AX/HX) > Enthusiast (TX) > Gaming (GS) > Builder (CX)

Builder (CX) really is geared towards system builders. People who build for profit. Those are still CWT, and that is still a great OEM. And I really dont know what they are trying to achieve with the gaming series. None of the prices make either any more attractive than the TX series, which is the lowest I would go. Maybe a $30 difference.

maybe its just the TX line that doesn't agree with my system, i'm not sure. but if the third one starts going down the same road i'd probably go with Antec, Coolermaster or Seasonic.

As outlined above, if you had the 850 in the first link, I believe that was a CWT, and not very popular due to failure rates. Now, TX and up is back to using Seasonic OEM. A Seasonic PSU with a Corsair name on it, and likely some beefed up guts. So you know, buying a Seasonic is kind of pointless, and will cost you more.

Im a little surprised that they have sent you two replacements of the same PSU and haven't at least upgraded you for your trouble.

[snuggans]

As outlined above, if you had the 850 in the first link, I believe that was a CWT, and not very popular due to failure rates. Now, TX and up is back to using Seasonic OEM. A Seasonic PSU with a Corsair name on it, and likely some beefed up guts. So you know, buying a Seasonic is kind of pointless, and will cost you more.

Im a little surprised that they have sent you two replacements of the same PSU and haven't at least upgraded you for your trouble.

yes all 3 PSUs i've used were the 850 from the first link (the V1, they're calling the new one V2).

i'm also noticing the propeller-like noise resurfacing with the third replacement. i've almost spent the original cost of the power supply in shipping fees for the RMAs (i don't live in mainland USA so it costs more).

i'll probably end up buying a good Antec PSU and selling this one or sending it back to Corsair and demanding something better. in the most recent RMA i actually included a request for a replacement of a different unit and even spoke with RamGuy in the forums and linked to the thread in the RMA form, but they just sent me the same thing.

[Darkpriest667]

yes all 3 PSUs i've used were the 850 from the first link (the V1, they're calling the new one V2).

i'm also noticing the propeller-like noise resurfacing with the third replacement. i've almost spent the original cost of the power supply in shipping fees for the RMAs (i don't live in mainland USA so it costs more).

i'll probably end up buying a good Antec PSU and selling this one or sending it back to Corsair and demanding something better. in the most recent RMA i actually included a request for a replacement of a different unit and even spoke with RamGuy in the forums and linked to the thread in the RMA form, but they just sent me the same thing.

Antec is a good brand. I've had a few earthwatts and they always treated me good. Sorry about your luck with the TX850 v1. they were notoriously bad.

[mrmouth]

i'll probably end up buying a good Antec PSU and selling this one or sending it back to Corsair and demanding something better. in the most recent RMA i actually included a request for a replacement of a different unit and even spoke with RamGuy in the forums and linked to the thread in the RMA form, but they just sent me the same thing.

Ive dealt with RAM GUY a few times going back to 2005 and he is good people. Like I said, Im a little shocked that they haven't offered you something better just to make up for it. Id see it through. You are in a good position to get an upgrade.

@Hrothgar Óhreinsaður - Go with the best bang/buck. The Antec 620C is based on a Seasonic S12. That same PSU without the Antec name if $80. It's a very good PSU.

Id stay away from OCZ. I read a reviews of their newer low/mid range stuff and it seems that the buyout PC Power & Cooling by OCZ has finally caught up with them. They are cutting corners now on everything but the higher end 1Kw PSUs. Not surprising. I really dislike OCZ at this point.

[snuggans]

Ive dealt with RAM GUY a few times going back to 2005 and he is good people. Like I said, Im a little shocked that they haven't offered you something better just to make up for it. Id see it through. You are in a good position to get an upgrade.

(in the RMA form i specifically requested something else, anything except the same)

guess not. time to go looking for a new power supply for me as well. roughly $200 wasted, both in the original cost of the PSU and shipping fees. never buying Corsair again for sure.

btw, the third TX850 v1 i'm using right now is already having problems. the propeller noise is back and it's shutting down.

i have suspected the motherboard as well, but if it was the motherboard how come every time a new PSU replacement is put in, everything works great and the PSU is silent, but then degrades quickly?

[Darkpriest667]

(in the RMA form i specifically requested something else, anything except the same)

guess not. time to go looking for a new power supply for me as well. roughly $200 wasted, both in the original cost of the PSU and shipping fees. never buying Corsair again for sure.

btw, the third TX850 v1 i'm using right now is already having problems. the propeller noise is back and it's shutting down.

i have suspected the motherboard as well, but if it was the motherboard how come every time a new PSU replacement is put in, everything works great and the PSU is silent, but then degrades quickly?

Its just a bad PSU snuggans. That doesn't make the entire company's products bad. go with Antec if you're worried.

[Hrothgar Óhreinsaður]

I'm wondering if the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator is correct that I need 336w to power my system under full load. Also, I have no clue what I should be looking for on the 12v rail. I'm not looking to upgrade anything other than RAM and maybe a video card in the next few years, so I doubt I'll need something as powerful as 750w+; but I'm no PSU expert. My budget is approximately $60.

[Darkpriest667]

I'm wondering if the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator is correct that I need 336w to power my system under full load. Also, I have no clue what I should be looking for on the 12v rail. I'm not looking to upgrade anything other than RAM and maybe a video card in the next few years, so I doubt I'll need something as powerful as 750w+; but I'm no PSU expert. My budget is approximately $60.

Can I give you some personal advice? Make the PSU in your system the highest quality (and ergo probably the highest priced) object in your system. Because if this thing goes bad.. Everything else can go with it. I'm not saying go all out and buy a 1500W seasonic for 500 bucks. What I am saying is up your budget some more with something you know will handle anything up to 550W from Seasonic, Corsair, or Antec. That puts you around the 80 dollar mark.


remember 80 plus certified only means its rated for continuous load of 80% of what its listed.

EX: 450W = 360 continuous 550W = 440 continuous

Not necessarily 80 but 80 is the minimum they will run so I always go lowest to be on the safe side. If its not an 80 plus certified PSU it probably wont even do that good.

If you plan on upgrading your GPU you can expect anything higher end to drain a lot more power on loads. My GPU for instance will drain an astounding 275 watts at load. Its more than the rest of my system COMBINED + 2 40+ inch LCD monitors. So keep that in mind. Ram uses very little .. about 2 watts if i remember correctly.

[Hrothgar Óhreinsaður]

Ok. What do you think of the below PSUs?

Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V@40A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V@48A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A

OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply
+3.3V@25A, +5V@25A, +12V1@25A, +12V2@25A, -12V@0.3A, +5VSB@2.5A

SILVERSTONE Strider Essential series ST60F-ES 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@25A, +5V@25A, +12V1@42A, +5VSB@2.5A, -12V@0.3A

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@28A, +5V@26A, +12V1@22A, +12V2@22A, +12V3@25A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.5A

And what should I be looking for on the 12v rail?

[snuggans]

And what should I be looking for on the 12v rail?

generally, higher amperage.

also, it could be single rail or multi-rail, only the multi-rail might be a bit safer because the short circuit protection will have a lower warning point (i.g 25A 4x multi rail vs 100A single rail) and will shut down to protect itself should a short circuit occur.

[Darkpriest667]

Ok. What do you think of the below PSUs?

Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V@40A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V@48A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A

OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply
+3.3V@25A, +5V@25A, +12V1@25A, +12V2@25A, -12V@0.3A, +5VSB@2.5A

SILVERSTONE Strider Essential series ST60F-ES 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@25A, +5V@25A, +12V1@42A, +5VSB@2.5A, -12V@0.3A

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@28A, +5V@26A, +12V1@22A, +12V2@22A, +12V3@25A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.5A

And what should I be looking for on the 12v rail?

12v rail = highest amperage or most redundancy (most 12v rails with 20+ amps

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@28A, +5V@26A, +12V1@22A, +12V2@22A, +12V3@25A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.5A

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V@48A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A

Choose between those two. If you don't ever plan on crossfiring or SLI ing multiple video cards go with the 620W

[Crazyeyesreaper]

Okay need to clear up some info 80+ spec is not rated at 80% usage its rated as efficency,

and 80+ unit will hit 80% efficiency it means that at 20% 50% and 100% load it meets a standard set by a consortium,

a rough example an 80+ certified 1000w PSU will draw at 1000w max load pull 1200w from the wall aka 80% efficient i could be off dosent matter you get the idea,
http://www.plugloadsolutions.com/80P...rSupplies.aspx

Essentially 80+ is a good thing to look for go to there site look for the PSU you want to buy if its listed you can at least count on it being able to supply the power its rated for 9 times out of 10 as they are tested at 20% 50% and 100% loads, the problem is they test at 25c or room temp, so check reviews as well as most PSU reviews namely

Techpowerup!
Hardware Secrets
Johnny Guru

will test at temps of 45-50c to truly see if the unit lives up to its claims.


500-600cx will get the job done

surprising

Corsair Gaming Series 500w is on sale its $80 but has a 15% off promo code and as a $5 MIR (mail in rebate) so $80 -> $68 -> $63 with free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139033

Corsair Gaming Series 600w if you want more headroom again 15% off promo code $5 MIR $90 -> $77 -> $72 shipped
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139023

Lepa 550w its based on the Enermax NAXN 82+ series essentially a rebrand $70 due to a different name it sees a lower price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817194102

Antec High Current Gamer 620w $82
http://www.directron.com/hcg620.html?gsear=1

Antec High Current Gamer 520w MODULAR $84
http://www.jr.com/antec/pe/ANT_HCG520M/

Antec High Current Gamer 520w NON Modular $63


those are some options that i can vouch for,

as for your current coolermaster that lineup is dodgy and not well liked to say the least.