Ok PSUs are probably my my weakest knowledge base when it comes to computer stuff and of course combining it with the new PCI express and SLI technology really leaves me stumped.

Anywho... Planning on overhauling, basically new system. Either going ASUS or DFI SLI motherboards. Now as far as the PSU - I have read that this will work fine on an SLI config, but while looking for other options on newegg I bumped into one of these. It has 12v1 and 12v2 rails and also states it supports sli.

Now my question is what is the difference, besides the physical 2 lines? Will one out perform the other? How exactliy does the 2 seperate lines work? I won't need any weird adapters or anything will I?

I don't think it matters too much, 1x12v vs 2x12v that is, so long as it aint a generic POS PSU

No adapters needed for dual 12v rails. All it means is that your motherboard and CPU get a one of the 12v rails and your other stuff (hard disks.. anything you'd plug in to a 4 pin molex) get the other 12v rail.

Personally out of those two I would get the OCZ, but... if I could get hold on one of these instead (510 SLI) ... http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/pow...s/510/index.htm

They're like... the best of the best

EDIT: http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/pow...s/510/index.htm there's the little brochure thing.

i have a dual line psu, but that's neither here nor there, what i looked at when i was shopping for a psu for this rig was:

* tolerances: voltage swing on all lines (mine are 3%, tighter than almost all psu's), voltage swing is BAD bad bad, voltage differing on load or just swinging around randomly will mess up your stability

* 12V total amperage: add the dual lines to give you the total 12V amperage, i was looking for 28A bare minimum, i have 33A, more power on the 12v line is ever important seeing as pretty much everything uses it these days

* reviews: these are a pain to find these days, i HATE the stupid retailer "add your review" feature cos it makes reviews nigh on impossible to find sometimes... but persevere and you should find an in-depth review that has some lab-test putting the psu under heavy load, high-temperature, and basically just beating the psu until it screams... read a few of these and cross-reference them and you should be able to finalise your decision

that's how i do it anyway, price may be a factor, as it is for most people, so you may have to compromise away from the best zippy/pcp&c/whatever, but rest assured that you'll get sound advice from people in the know here at OCC

Right, I know better than to trust those kinds of reviews.

Ok so basically a single 12v high amp rail has no advantage over two 12v average amp rails or vise versa. Does nVidia SLI certified mean anything?

As far as brands, I'm not super familiar with most either. But like you said price is a factor and theres no way I'm getting a pcp&c

I guess I'll have to figure out what are decent brands usually if I've never heard of them I won't buy em, but I have no clue on psu manu's so I'm lost. EDIT: found a good post on psu manufacturers on here, so I think im set as far as brands.

You mentioned "zippy" so how's about this.

Markiemrboo got the defenition of dual 12v rails almost right. The "P4" 4-pin connector is the 12v rail #1 dedicated for the CPU, while the other 12v rail wires are dedicated to 12v rail #2. What makes the dual 12v rails (or even more on some SSI Server PSU's) is that it provides much more overall stability. Suppose you have two 6800GT's/Ultra's in SLI, lots of HD's, cold cathodes, lots of fans, etc. All of these components (especially the 6800's) will draw a lot of amps from the 12v line. With a single 12v rail the amp draw will affect the all the components including the CPU. With the dual 12v rails the CPU wont be affected by the heavy draw on the second 12v rail; it is totally independant.

Since you are searching for a new PSU and have a price budget, let us know what you max budget is and we can recommend some PSU's in that price range.

^EXACTLY the problem I have, and I cannot stress this enough...dont skimp one the psu!!!. You'll be adding stuff quick, and before you know it you maxed out your "500w" psu, with under 20a on the 12v rail :cry:(spontaneous computer show buy...couldnt resist for 14 dollars!!! ). I'd definetly go for one with over ~25a@12v...the more the better. Amps are much more important then watts, and some rate their psu's by "max" instead of "sustained" watt ratings...another thing to look out for .

well as far as budget goes on a PSU, I'd say max around $150. If I'm unable to get what I want for that price, I can always wait a bit or sell some junk to add to it.

I just want one that will be ok when/if I expand to dual 6800 gts, FX proc, and 500gb to tera of hd space

If you're looking for a high-quality, no-frills PSU, take a look at Antec's TruePower series:

Antec's PSU Page
http://www.bizrate.com/nc/buy/products__ca...er,sort--5.html

Prices (if it doesn't work, go to bizrate.com and search for "truepower")
http://www.bizrate.com/nc/buy/products__ca...er,sort--5.html

EDIT: You can get an Antec TruePower 550 Watt PSU for $145 plus shipping. I think Thermaltake also makes good PSU's, but check with others on that. I don't know about pricing for those either.

EDIT: I just re-read your last post... if you want to power all of that, PC Power & Cooling is the best choice. I wouldn't go with the prices listed on their website. Look around on the web for better prices, I know that you can find better prices.

Hmm... So how about this.

I do like the idea of the modular cables, and black is nice I guess. It looks good on the rails and other stuff number wise. It's lacking a bit in wattage but I think I can live with that for a while.

Here are some recommendations from Newegg. These are all ATX v2.0 PSU's (dual 12v rails and the 24pin ATX connector) and not ATX v1.3

Fortron 550watt EPS12v PSU for $95. It looks generic, but its performance is far from it. It also has adjustable pots inside the PSU to allow you to tweak voltage rails to your liking.

Antec NeoPower 480watt PSU for $127. A excellent PSU overall. Modular cables is a plus somewhat if you are attracted to that type of idea.

Antec TruePower v2 480watt PSU for $99. Virtually the same thing as the Antec NeoPower minus the modular cables.

Antec TruePower v2 550watt PSU for $109. Same thing as the the ones listed above minus the modular cables with a slightly higher power rating.

Enermax Whisper 535watt PSU for $100. Another excellent PSU for a potential SLI setup.

EPower 570watt PSU for $120. This is my personnal recommendation for your price budget as it has the best bang for the buck.

All of the above mentioned PSU's are within your indicated budget. There are other PSU's that are better, but they are closer to the $180-200 range. Some of the PSU's that are listed only have 1 6-pin PCI express connector, but you can buy one of these in order to obtain a second 6-pin PCI express power connector. If you have any other needs like certain looks, etc. just let us know.

As far as I know, that's a good PSU. Look for some reviews on it to find out for sure (no "customer reviews" either... lol). One thing that you want to look out for is the mobo connector. Is it 20 or 24 pin? If you're getting a new mobo, chances are you'll want a 24 pin connector. That looks like a 20 pin connector with an adapter (I might be wrong). I think 480 Watts should be more than enough.

thanks lilkev715 that helped a lot. One of the things i wasn't sure about was the pci-e connectors. Couple bucks for an adapter is a good thing.

Yes, 24 pin is what im looking for. I've read problems with the 20 to 24 adapters so im staying away from those.

I'll probably get that Antec NeoPower 480watt PSU. It sounds like its just what I need plus its a little flashier and modular cables will be nicer than not.

Thanks for all the help fellas!