good power supply

[El_Capitan]

I've used:

Corsair CX, TX, HX, and AX

Seasonic X and Platinum

Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 1500W

NZXT Hale82

Rosewill CAPSTONE

Kingwin Lazer

 

None of these ever gave me any problems.

 

PC Power and Cooling is another good brand.

 

paulktreg is the resident PSU expert, but JonnyGuru is a good review site for PSU's that I usually take a look at before buying a PSU.

 

A good 550W PSU could handle an overclocked 3570K and HD 7970 (but you have to make sure there's enough amps on the +12V rail for the HD 7970). A 650W should work well an overclocked FX-8350 (Sandy/Ivy is more efficient, especially when overclocked).

 

That being said, you can find very good PSU's under $100 if you look hard enough. Maybe even as low as $60.

[freddie]

+1 for jonnyguru

 top review site for PSU's.

 

[ir_cow]

+1 jonnyguru web and paulktreg , both know their stuff

 

as for the PSU calculator I think the point that it gives you false numbers like 550watts for a system that only pulls 350 is to give you some headroom. Even really cheap garbage psu should be able to pull half its rated power. The good ones can pull more than its rated power. Just think how made you would be if the calculator told you that 350 is all thats needed and you buy a cheap psu and it burns out your computer?

 

I was flip out so thats why i think it lies in numbers to give you a good headroom.

[wevsspot]

Cappy - I see that you've taken the Rosewill Capstone unit for a ride.  How did that go?  I'm reading some really good stuff about their branded power supplies.  They seem to be pretty pricey though (considering the name) and fierce competition from the other longer term and well known name brands.

[El_Capitan]

Cappy - I see that you've taken the Rosewill Capstone unit for a ride.  How did that go?  I'm reading some really good stuff about their branded power supplies.  They seem to be pretty pricey though (considering the name) and fierce competition from the other longer term and well known name brands.

 

I liked it. Worked very well. Rosewill's are usually priced higher, but there's a lot of promo codes for them with MIR's. For instance:

 

[Newegg] Rosewill Fortress 750W 80+ Platinum PSU - $89.99 AR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182084

 

Promo Code: EMCXVXR28 for $25 off

 

JonnyGURU Review: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=306

 

(Offer good through 2/11)

 

You can't even find a 750W 80+ Gold PSU for that cheap, and that's a 80+ Platinum.

 

Remember, Rosewill is a Newegg brand, so you'll find good discounts for their brand quite often (from them). Rosewill's come a long way. A few years ago their product quality was really, really bad. However, the newer stuff they're releasing's been quite good and reliable.

[ohldboy]

Rosewill Capstone are Super Flower, very good.  I would have to check Fortress and Tachyon, but both get excellent reviews.

Capstone on sale is about my high limit for power supplies.

[El_Capitan]

There's a discount for a 650W Rosewill Capstone at Newegg starting at 3:00PM PST.

[d6bmg]

How about this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182082

80+ platinum and it comes at a great price.

[wevsspot]

I would never pay $100 for a non-modular 550W power supply - regardless of efficiency rating (might not even pay $100 for one that was modular).  

 

If you want a good 550W unit - buy this one;

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013

[freddie]

^ I bought that one recently for my second rig, good stuff.

 

[ohldboy]

Sale prices definitely make choices more difficult.

Seasonic are the best.

The better Rosewills offer a lot for the money.

Corsair and Antec are very good.

As far as modular goes, if you are using most of the cables supplied (usually with lower wattage units) it is not necessary. Too easy to misplace one or two cables when you might need them.

A case with better cable management can be a better upgrade.

OTOH modular does not cost much more, sometimes less on sale, and you should save psu boxes in case you ever need an RMA.

Maybe

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182264

[paulktreg]

If you are only an occasional gamer then 550W, heavy gamer 650W or if you feel the need to spend $200 then go totally over the top and get the Corsair AX760i. I like the look of the monitoring software and a seven year warranty is hard to beat plus I like things to run cool and quiet, call it overkill if you must, but I'd be looking for 750W.

 

Don't get too hung up on the 80 Plus certification, nice to have but the difference in cost from Bronze to Platinum can be hard to pull back over the life of the power supply. Stick with the major brands like Seasonic, Corsair, XFX, etc. and you really can't go wrong these days but always make sure your chosen power supply is backed up by one or two reviews on reputable sites.