Hardware PSU help

[Maz7006]

Im about to purchase a bunch of PC parts, and i still can't get my head around the correct supply, these are the parts i have picked and they will not be subject to change (i know the urge of ppl suggesting better things, but im limited to these parts due to money and a small selection).

Any they are:

1. Intel 3.3 GHz - i5-2500 6M/LGA1155 - http://ark.intel.com/products/52209/Intel-...Cache-3_30-GHz)

2. Patriot PGD34G1600ELK Gamer Division 2Series 4GB (2GBx2) PC3-12800 (1600MHz) KIT- http://patriotmemory.com/products/detailp....1050&type=1

3. Intel DP67BG w/Sound+SATA+1GB - http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/moth...BG-overview.htm

4. ThermalTake VM20001W2Z Armor A60 case - http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx...325&ID=1968 (with all related fans included)

5. 1TB WD1002FAEX 7200RPM S-ATAII 64MB Black Edition - http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=100

6. Asus ENGTX560 Ti DCII TOP/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560Ti 1GB DDR5 http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/NVIDIA_...Ti_DCII2DI1GD5/ (NOTE: The link is the non-top one, the top one is clocked to 900mhz i can't find the the spec link to it, but that is the only diff between the top and the non-top)

From my personal calculations, i picked out the 650w toughpower grand thermaltake - it should be enough, but im a novice with PSU's; i don't know what is the best brand for i heard thermaltake wasnt the best so i started having doubts and started looking around again. Also im highly limited to the power supplies shown here : http://pcandparts.com/must.htm (scroll down and its to the left) - its the only local place with good pc parts and at competitive prices. So basically if the required PSU can be one from there it will make my life much easier.

 

[Joe88]

650w is more then enough for that setup

as for thermaltake, havnt heard anything bad about their psu's
the list on the site doesnt have any other brands that are better either

 

[Originality]

As long as it's a recognisable brand, the PSU will be good. Thermaltake specialise in cases, so it's no surprise they have a PSU line too. Antec and Coolermaster are the same.

 

[Maz7006]

Thanks for the reassurance

i have one question though, i read about things such as 12v rails and AMPs and what not, and i believe this is what i should essentially look at one it comes to PSU's, do you guys know any documentation (reliable) i can read from or can you somehow quickly explain it. From i what i understood, the AMPS that a PSU put out can vary, like a 700w can give less AMPS then a 650w depending on brand and what not ( The difference between Litepower and Toughpower with thermaltake)

Am i wrong in stating that or does that only exclusively apply to some PSU's and not to others?

I never had this issue in the past for i used to just go ahead with budget build (no gaming in mind) so i would through in any old PSU (yes i know that isn't smart of me but it's not exactly it was going to get stressed to the point it breaks); but now with much expensive hardware i want to be extra sure that i know what im doing.

Again thanks so much.

This http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2793 is much cheaper than the 650w grand; which is what i had in kind at first but then i was like whaaaa ? ... that is the confusion im facing here.

 

[marcus134]

to calculates your power supply strength, it goes like this:
core i5: 95w
mobo: 20w
hdd: 25w
DVD: 35w
560: 170w (from nvidia.com, OC cards will draw a bit more power)
+100w for headroom and inefficiencies.
=445, then a 500w should be more than enough.

For Thermaltake PSU, I remember a review of their psu line-up on xbit-labs (few years ago) and the results weren't all positive, while some model performed well and could be recommended, other were POS.

If you want quality brand go for Antec(not their entry level line-up), Seasonic or Enermax.
Enhance is a less known company, they manufacture the high-end psu for Antec and others.
2nd best choice: Corsair, OCZ, XFX
I'm not really sure if cooler master should be in 2nd best or lower.
(when it comes to ranking company nobody can pretend to be perfect, your are free to disagree with this)

i have one question though, i read about things such as 12v rails and AMPs and what not, and i believe this is what i should essentially look at one it comes to PSU's, do you guys know any documentation (reliable) i can read from or can you somehow quickly explain it. From i what i understood, the AMPS that a PSU put out can vary, like a 700w can give less AMPS then a 650w depending on brand and what not ( The difference between Litepower and Toughpower with thermaltake)

This is a bit complicated to answer as part of your answer is about PSU mechanics and another part is about psu quality.

to keep it simple, let just say that if your 12v amps is over 18 amps, it should be enough.
Here is an article that should point you some basic stuff on the 12v rails: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article28-page3.html

for some additional info:
The power rating of a psu is calculated by adding the watts of each rails (volt*amp).
Meaning, for two psu with the same amount of watt on the retail package one can show higher amps on lower voltage and have a lower amp rating on the 12v.
On most PSU, there are more amps than needed on the low V. ramps also explaining why you must choose a psu with a higher power rating than needed.

About quality:
PSU power rating is unregulated
for that matter a random Chinese 500w (bought on ebay) can die with a 200W load, while a Seasonic 300W can sustain a 400W load.

manufacturer uses different standart to rate their PSU, and they don't always tells you what the advertised load means.
peak power - can sustain the advertised load for a few second/minute, any higher and it dies, if lower but near, it will shorten it's life span.
"average high" - if working at advertised load, it will run hot and will have a shorten life span, can sustain higher load but risky.
"recommended load" - made to work at the advertised load, can work at higher load but it will shorten it's life span.
"underrated" - can take the advertised load and higher without problem - Seasonic is known for doing this, this is why they're pricy.

 

[Maz7006]

thank you.

Feel much more confident.

 

[marcus134]

This http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2793 is much cheaper than the 650w grand; which is what i had in kind at first but then i was like whaaaa ? ... that is the confusion im facing here.

Despite the name, if you take the time to read the specs, you'll see a bit of honesty in their power rating, as this is a 610w psu.

if you want to get in the game look at this:

-------------------3.3------5-----12----12-----12----12v---(-12)---5VSB---power rating
Gigabyte 720-----25------25----18----18----18----none---0.5----2.5------720(peak) 610(?recommended?)
antec TP550------25------25----20----20----20----20------0.8-----3-------550(recommended, but probably underrated, made by Seasonic)
TT 650 grand-----25------25----52---none--none--none---0.8----3--------650

on Antec vs Gigabyte: as you can see, the amps supported on each rail is much higher on the Antec although its power rating is lower, Antec is probably of better quality.

Thermaltake is a different build, it uses only one 12v rail, if you read the link I posted erlier, you should know that it is not better or worst than multiple 12v rail if the psu is well built.

 

[Originality]

Fun fact: most PSUs with well-known brands underrate their power rating. On average, they could probably take roughly 130% load (from the stated power rating) before experiencing problems (power droops, unstable voltage, other electronics-related problems). This is because up to the stated power rating it will work reliably, whilst if you overtax your PSU (which is a bad idea) you could cause problems, instability, and damage throughout the system (especially the motherboard).

EDIT: Probably worth mentioning; non-branded PSUs are famously overrated in their power rating. Some, when tested, blow up at around 80% load. Some are unstable at anything above 60% load. Nobody has ever done a study to find out how many of these unbranded PSUs come from China.

It's recommended to always get a PSU that provides 10-20% more power than you actually needs (e.g. if you need 600W, get a 650W PSU or better).

@Marcus, Tagan is another PSU company that make high quality PSUs (comparable to Antec, maybe just a lil bit higher quality). Germans are good at that kind of thing.
EDIT (since it's not worth another post): I always recommend Tagan, Antec and Enermax when people look for PSUs, since they're the ones I have the best experience with.

 

[marcus134]

@Marcus, Tagan is another PSU company that make high quality PSUs (comparable to Antec, maybe just a lil bit higher quality). Germans are good at that kind of thing.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-...rer,2913-9.html
From the looks of it,Tagan should a recommended brand, they use their own design with reputable OEM.

QUOTE(Originality @ Jul 17 2011, 03:14 PM) EDIT: Probably worth mentioning; non-branded PSUs are famously overrated in their power rating. Some, when tested, blow up at around 80% load. Some are unstable at anything above 60% load. Nobody has ever done a study to find out how many of these unbranded PSUs come from China.

Did I say something I shouldn't. I used the chinese reference cause it's a widespread stereotype.
I don't have anything personal against the people who lives there or come from there. I even encourage people to boycott Apple and Foxconn because of the way the employee are treated.
But, it's not as if they didn't have a good reputation about cheap manufactured goods and bootlegged stuff.

 

[Maz7006]

im glad we had this talk, got the thermaltake 650w grand .. waiting for all my parts to come, can't wait to put it all together

again thanks guys

 

[Originality]

Did I say something I shouldn't. I used the chinese reference cause it's a widespread stereotype.

It's a justified widespread stereotype. A large number of the non-branded PSUs I've seen over the years are made in China. And some in Russia, which feels just as bad to me. Some are made in Thailand, and those are the ones that tend to not blow up. Doesn't make them good, but at least they work. Thailand is the capital of electronics in the world.