[VarHyid]

I'm planning to buy a new (custom) PC, here's the planned config:

MoBo: ASUS P5KPL/1600 Intel G31
CPU: Intel Celeron E1500 2.2GHz (Dual Core)
RAM: 2x Kingston HyperX DDR2 1GB 800MHz CL4
GPU: GeForce with CUDA 9400 GT Gainward 1GB TV & DVI (PCI-E)(DDR2) SilentFX

+ 1 SATA HDD
+ 1 DVD-RAM drive
+ 1 old SB Live Platinum sound card
+ 1 old ATI TV-Wonder

as mentioned, the budget is relatively tight and a PSU under $100 would be perfect, but... it's a PSU so this thing has to be stable and hold on 15 hours a day for the next... xx years. Hence - pro-stability advices desired.

What I was thinking of was one of these:
Antec EarthWatts (500W): http://www.antec.com...uct.php?id=NjU=
OCZ ModXStream Pro (500W): http://www.ocztechno...ro_power_supply

1. Which one of these and what else would you recommend?
2. 500W is enough for the above config... right?
3. What's with the different "ranges" (20A vs. 25A @ +5V; 0.3A vs 0.8A @ -12V etc.)?

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Of those two, it wouldn't really matter. 500W is plenty and both of those manufacturers put out decent units. I am a big fan of the Antec Earthwatts range and use them a lot in my builds. You could even downgrade to the 430W or 380W, they would be plenty for this build.

The different ranges specify how much power on each rail the PSU is capable of outputting. Components draw power from different rails as needed, so the PSU has to take power from the wall and split it up into useable power for all the different parts in your machine. You would need to make sure that all the parts you have add up to less than the total PSU output.

It's all good fun, and plain maths.

Cheers

[Troy]

Of those two, it wouldn't really matter. 500W is plenty and both of those manufacturers put out decent units. I am a big fan of the Antec Earthwatts range and use them a lot in my builds. You could even downgrade to the 430W or 380W, they would be plenty for this build.

The different ranges specify how much power on each rail the PSU is capable of outputting. Components draw power from different rails as needed, so the PSU has to take power from the wall and split it up into useable power for all the different parts in your machine. You would need to make sure that all the parts you have add up to less than the total PSU output.

It's all good fun, and plain maths.

Cheers

[rshaffer61]

You can use a PSU calculator to get a general ideal of what wattage you need.

Go here to run Extreme PSU Calculator to check if you have enough wattage to correctly run your system.

[VarHyid]

@rshaffer61
Thanks, been there already, couldn't find Celeron E1500 on the CPU list, though.

@Troy
430W or 380W plenty for this build? Good to know, but I'm leaving the doors open for future upgrades like another 2x 1GB of memory or even a Pentium Quad Core CPU and I don't want to worry about whether I can power it, so I guess I'll stick with 500W.

Know any cheaper but still good PSUs?

As for the ranges - why does one PSU have 20A and another one 25A on the same voltage? Which is "better" (if it matters)?

Edited by VarHyid, 23 July 2009 - 09:40 AM.

[edge2022]

This is a very powerful and stable PSU from Corsair: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139005
Only 90$ after rebate... 52 A on the +12V rail.

[stettybet0]

The amperages on the rails other than 12V rail really don't matter in a modern system. That's because a modern system draws about 80-90% of its power from the 12V rail. I've never come across a PSU with too little amperage on any other rail.

The best PSU for ~$50 is the Corsiar CMPSU-450VX. It is incredibly efficient, stable, and quiet, and it has more than enough power for your system, even if you did the upgrades.

EDIT: Edge's suggestion is nice, but definitely way more than you need for your system.

Edited by stettybet0, 23 July 2009 - 03:47 PM.

[VarHyid]

Thanks, guys

@edge2022
650W? Indeed, a little over the top even considering a future upgrade.

@stettybet0
Thanks for the suggestion. So the bottom line I'm getting here is to stick to the "big names" (Antec, OCZ, Corsair, Chieftec, Seasonic) and don't care about the amperages

BTW, Newegg isn't really an option, I'm from the EU and they don't ship outside the USA. Besides, the prices are funny, $75 for the 450W Corsair vs. $50 for a 430W Antec EarthWatts, while calculating from my currency, the Corsair costs $100 and the Antec ~$110.

And it's not only PSUs, we're being ripped off here! I want US prices!

[stettybet0]

@stettybet0
Thanks for the suggestion. So the bottom line I'm getting here is to stick to the "big names" (Antec, OCZ, Corsair, Chieftec, Seasonic) and don't care about the amperages

Well, not quite. The 12V amperage definitely matters. In fact, it matters more than just about any other number when it comes to PSUs! But any of the PSUs mentioned have more than enough 12V amperage for your needs.

Also, some names are "bigger" than others. Corsair and Seasonic are definitely a step above the others you listed, and I'd go with them if possible. At least in the US, Corsair tends to be cheaper, which is why I'll typically recommend them over Seasonic.

[edge2022]

650W? Indeed, a little over the top even considering a future upgrade.

Just if you ever feel the need to upgrade your mobo, or setup a SLI or CrossfireX config.

If you won't be doing any major upgrades, stettybet0's suggestion would work very well. Corsair is cheaper than other brands and they have the most reliable PSUs with high 12V rail amperage.

This is your mobo: http://www.asus.com/...dTU6DnRnZWCYVhR
Correct?

Having a good PSU is crucial if you want to setup CrossfireX (2-way)

[VarHyid]

@stettybet0
Well then, Corsair it will (most likely) be

@edge2022
Yes, that's the board, but there's practically 0% chance for 2 GFX-cards. I rarely play any games and even if mostly relatively old ones so the most probably upgrades I'll ever do is, as mentioned, a better CPU and some more RAM. That's why I've actually chosen this MoBo - it allows all these high-end CPUs (except i7, of course). This config as it is is more than enough for my needs

[edge2022]

If you don't game or do some 3D modeling, a multi-GPU setup is not worth the money...
This PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139003
Is what you need.

Sometime you should consider upgrading to a Core 2 Quad.