Best Tool to know Power Supply

[MrHendrix]

I would like to know which is the best method to calculate what Power Supply I need.

A simple tool to say...

" 1 x HD 7200 rpm, 1 x i5 processor, 1 motherboard with 5 PCie, 1 x Pcie Graphics card..." = 480 W

Ok then i choose a 600 W.

 

[delluser1]

The psu calculator already has the overhead built in, no need to add another 20% to it's reccomendation
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

 

[MrHendrix]

Thanks man.

I used it but... I think that it is very happy. I put a lot of HD, card's, etc, but I can work with a 400 W !!!.

:-/ ???

 

[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 5XXX series cards which use less power due to their energy efficiency.

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 of the 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 series which is a major improvement over Antec’s older psu’s like the Basiq models.