New PSU

[TAKTAK]

Might have to take issue with that Agent :O

Anything other than anecdotal evidence?

Agent is 100% correct...

and after all, TBH it's not the wattage of the PSU that is important, it's the amperage on the rails and overall stability that you want, particularly on the 12v rails...

and that calculator is pants TBPH it's not accurate at all... (and it can't be)

just grap a power usage monitor and see for yourself...

thats as much as i am saying otherwise this thread will get dragged off track

[Agent]

Might have to take issue with that Agent :O

Anything other than anecdotal evidence?

Its probably best not to call it anecdotal evidence before seeing it

http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hardwa...ulator-10.html
The last few pages will cover the main parts.

In short - its possible to get figures that are impossible (it certainly was last time I used it) and most importantly it gives no figures for required amps. A PSU calculation without an amp rating is essentially useless - it just makes people think that a Q-tec or an EZCool is an acceptable alternative to Seasonic/Corsair/Tagan/Any other brand name.

They even have the cheek to tell you in black and white you shouldn't use the figures it gives for choosing a PSU:

The recommended total Power Supply Wattage gives you a general idea on what to look for BUT it is NOT a crucial factor in power supply selection!

Thats right, a PSU calculator that shouldn't be used for choosing your PSU by their own admission. That's before you upgrade to their paid version that will give you these figures, of course.

Wattage on its own means nothing. Watts and Amps go hand in hand, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[Blitzen]

I think for the price I'm still sticking with the HX520W PSU unless another PSU can top it for the price. Ticks all boxes for me modular design, reputable company and very efficient power consumption from reading reviews

For £10 more this is a better unit: http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=777991
This PSU has:
1. Better cabling
2. Higher Eficiency
3. RMA in the UK
4. Overall higher build quality

I have the 625W version and its amazing. I also have the Corsair 520W and the Enermax Liberty 500W. The MODU series from Enermax is by far and away the best PSU i have ever used. (i change them everytime time i do a new buid).


There is no doubt the Corsair 520W is decent. Its just not in the same league as these.

Its just not in the same league as these.

Actually, that is a little unfair on the Corsair.
They are in the same league!

Enermax MODU = Manchester United or Arsenal
Corsair 520W/620W = Newcastle or Spurs

Same league, but just have some catching up to do.

(Although, to be fair, i think the Corsair 620W price vs power, is the best value..........but personally i would rather have the better unit than value)

[kmac]

Agree with Blitzen for a £10 difference the MDU82+ is a no brainer.

The prices of the Enermax have come down a bit since their debut

[Sychie]

Thanks for your feedback I will look in more detail at the Enermax MODU and probably go for it. PSUs are something not worth me compromising on especially if I want one to last a while.

[staffsMike]

While I agree that the Modu82+ is one of the (if not, the) best out there right now, I don't think the corsair (seasonic) is a compromise as such.

The enermax does everything that little bit better but a lot of people will stick with seasonic for very good reason, they still make (arguably of course) the most reliable PSU's out there. I've not had a problem with them yet and that goes for before I bought my corsairs as well. They are very efficent, I believe the recent hexus review put them within 2% efficency of the Enermax most of the time. They are essentially inaudiable which is not to say the Enermax isn't even more quiet because it is, but it makes little difference.

You get a UK RMA if you buy it from scan as you can RMA it to them for 5 years.

So there is very little compromise about it, and you get to save £10 or so

[Blitzen]

Mike.
I can hear no difference between the MODU, Corsair or the Liberty.

Also, Enermax have a UK RMA centre.
Corsair only do this if purchased from Scan so you are limited there aswell.

Just remember also....you are just as likely to have a Corsair, Seasonic or Enermax go pop. There is no company that makes 100% first time right...and there is no company that ships 100% working product.

[staffsMike]

Just remember also....you are just as likely to have a Corsair, Seasonic or Enermax go pop. There is no company that makes 100% first time right...and there is no company that ships 100% working product.

Oh I know, I just fear change

I am actually quite happy with my OCZ (FSP), does quite a good job, just a little bit nosier than I have come to expect (from the likes of the corsair) but with the freezer 7 and active chipset cooling it doesn't really matter lol

[tensim]

Another vote for the Dark Power 650W... presentation is fantastic (the box it comes in, the modular cables, the finish on the supply itself; all are top notch).

Plus it's the quietest supply out there and is rated at 87% efficient... it is more expensive though, definitely and at the end of the day, I'm sure either the Enermax (I was originally going to go for their 615W MODU82+ model but decided I liked the Dark Power better ) or the Corsair 520W will both be excellent choices for a reliable, efficient and quiet PSU...

[mrsobvious]

Not wanting to drag this too far off topic...

Thanks Agent. I agree entirely that the script in question is no good for amperage but for a pretty good idea of how many watts you're likely to need I've tended to believe the people with power meters posting over at SPCR who say it's reasonably accurate. Having said that, I wasn't aware that someone had been self promoting their site here which is never pleasant.

I guess the thing that rankles is when graphics card manufacturers give inflated recommendations for minimum PSU wattage.

[Agent]

Thanks Agent. I agree entirely that the script in question is no good for amperage but for a pretty good idea of how many watts you're likely to need I've tended to believe the people with power meters posting over at SPCR who say it's reasonably accurate. Having said that, I wasn't aware that someone had been self promoting their site here which is never pleasant.

Thats the problem though - it doesn't even give a good indication of what wattage is needed. Almost every time I have used it the figures it has gave are nothing short of silly, some were simply impossible.

I know a few of the SPCR guys and they are ace people so I'll word this carefully: I'm not sure what results they have got from their power meters, but I certainly don't have the same here. The same can probably said for the thread called "Actual load readings" which is taken from people with power measurement devices here - they are very different to this "PSU Calculator".

I don't have anything against the linked site or any other PSU calculator, but many of them are so inaccurate it doesn't help the people that really need it - people that are new to building computers.

[peterb]

Mike.

Just remember also....you are just as likely to have a Corsair, Seasonic or Enermax go pop. There is no company that makes 100% first time right...and there is no company that ships 100% working product.

Not strictly true - one of the things that pushes costs up is teh testing before shipment. An outfit selling OEM PSUs at rock bottom prices for system builders may skimp on the testing knowing that the system builder will test it when they have built the system, If you are buying a boxed and branded after market PSU it is likely that it will have had a rather more extensive post mfr test - ideally on a dummy load.

Of course there are no gurantees, and a top brand PSU can go pop during the initial burn in period - but it is less likely than the cheap "750W for £35" version.

The specs on the cheap no brand version are dubious too. Agent referred to it earlier - but power distribution is important. I could design a PSU that delivered 2 Amps at 5 volts, 3 Amps at 3 Volts and 50 amps at 12 volts - its 620W PSU (in fact I'd sell it at its input power which would be around 750W assuming an (unlikely) 80% efficiency) buit it would be pretty useless! It is an extreme case - but you need to look at what the load is.

TBH - unless you are paying close attention to design detail, the branded PSUs are pretty much balanced to suit 'typical' systems - but it is something to be aware of.

[Sychie]

I had forgotten about the Be Quiet! range of PSUs, its now between the Be Quiet! 550w dark power, Corsair HX520w or the Enermax MODU82+ 525W. Which one, overall, would be best to go for if you don't include the price? I thought I had decided but I just want to be sure on this one

[TAKTAK]

I had forgotten about the Be Quiet! range of PSUs, its now between the Be Quiet! 550w dark power, Corsair HX520w or the Enermax MODU82+ 525W. Which one, overall, would be best to go for? I thought I had decided but I just want to be sure on this one

they are all very capable PSU's so i would just go with the cheapest

[kmac]

If you want the quietest one, with quality connectors go for the Enermax Modu82+
Second I would say the Corsair and then third the Be Quiet - if I had to force rank them this would be my order.

[Zhaoman]

I'd have to disagree, CPC were so impressed with the first Be Quiet that they instantly placed it on their premium grade list. They said it was the most stable, quiet and efficient PSU they had ever seen. Truth is, all of them are 100% quality so it wouldn't matter if you asked your dog to pick one; there's no bad choices in that list