Any recommendations?

[intense_mc]

I'm clueless on power supplies - so I'm making an effort to learn in my own time.

For the meantime though, I'm looking to build the following:

Board: Striker II NSE
CPU: Q6600 D0 @ 3.0Ghz
GPU: 8800GT 512MB
RAM: 3x1GB Corsair 1600 Triple Channel (TR3X3G1600C8D)

ETC: TT Armor Jr., WD3000HLFS, ULTRA MD3, 2xDVDRWs & FDD

What PSU should I be looking at? Price is not an issue - only interest is in keeping the power as low as necessary.

Also, I'm not looking to OC the RAM or 8800.

Any help would be much appreciated - thanks in advance.

 

[delluser1]

only interest is in keeping the power as low as necessary.

That is determined more by your components than anything else.
A more efficient power supply will have a lower draw from the wall, but we're talking small percentages.
Any good quality 500-550 watt unit would be more than enough for your system, I like these

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371020

 

[saaiello]

Corsair 400 watt 39.99 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008

The corsair will give you plenty of power for your rig but if you want room for futurw upgrades I would get this.

Corsair 550 watt 79.99 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

Corsair 550 watt will provide you with enough power to run just about any single GPU no problem.

Your system the way it sits would run fine on a 350 watt PSU minimum.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

The general rule of thumb is a high quality 500 to 550 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can easily power a system with any single video card made. A high quality 700 to 750 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can power a system with two video cards operating in dual mode. There are a few exceptions like the new ATI Radeon HD 5000 series cards which use less power due to their energy efficiency. On the other hand the top of the line 5970 video card uses more power.

A high quality 500 to 550 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 40 amps. A high quality 700 to 750 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 60 amps.

In addition the power supply should be at least 80+ Bronze certified for energy efficiency. There are some models available which have achieved 80+ Silver and 80+ Gold Certifications.

Before purchasing a new psu you will need to decide whether you will eventually have a pc with one or two video cards.

Corsair and Seasonic are two brands that have a reputation for high quality power supplies that consistently earn high marks in technical reviews. They are reliable, stable, and come with a 5 year warranty. Some of the newer models come with a 7 year warranty. Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units. One example would be the Antec Earthwatts and the Antec TruePower New series which are major improvements over Antec’s older psu’s like the Basiq models.

 

[intense_mc]

Thanks Johnny - that info will come in handy.

Ok - the 400CX seems like the way to go; energy efficient and quiet by the looks of it.

I was looking to swap out my 8800GT for a 1GB XFX 4850 - would this PSU still do the job?

 

[saaiello]

Yes it should be more then enough to run it. That unit has 30 Amps which is more then most cheaper 550 watt PSU's. Although you arent gonna see too much of a difference between those two cards the 4850 will perform a little quicker but the 8800GT is still a great card. If you are looking for an upgrade at least get an HD 5770

Now if you are thinking of maybe getting a little better of an upgrade check this SeaSonic.

SeaSonic S12II 520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

 

[delluser1]

and quiet by the looks of it.

Not really
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1008-page7.html

 

[intense_mc]

I'm sure it's still quieter than my current PSU, a 600W Jeantech JN-600-AP.

The fan is stops working once in a while and overheats my system ending in shutdown; the main reason I'm looking for a better PSU.

Regarding my 8800GT; it's 512MB so the 4850 would be something of an upgrade - it's £65 and the 5770 is double that. I'm only looking for an increase of around 10fps as a couple of the games I play can sometimes get under 60 on my resolution.

That SeaSonic looks amazing though - I'll have a look around. Trying to keep the electricity bill down

 

[delluser1]

I'm sure it's still quieter than my current PSU, a 600W Jeantech JN-600-AP.

More than likely, the JT isn't very efficient.

 

[intense_mc]

More than likely, the JT isn't very efficient.

That's an understatement

The SeaSonic is only around £10 more than the 400CX and would appear to do my electricity bill more favours

Unless there's anything else I'm missing, thanks for all the help.