Extra watts for better PSU

[amansultan1701]

Using a calculator, my paid wattage for my first build is going to be 416V, I can either get a Corsair TX550M tier 2 psu, or an TX650M which is tier 1, does the high power rating mean it will use more energy, and which one should I get?

 

[EpIckFa1LJoN]

Higher wattage means it can deliver more wattage not that it will use more necessarily. Rule of thumb is you want 20% more wattage than you actually will use asa buffer.

Higher efficiency means less heat in the peak performance range, which varies PSU to PSU but is generally around 50% of the capacity.

If you want to have a cooler and quieter unit, get double what you actually need.
Most of the time it's negligible so it's really just a luxury.

 

[EpIckFa1LJoN]

A wattage calculator isn't always right either. I would plug your build into PCPPer and see what the max is and get a PSU that is about 5-10% more than that.

Outside of using a tool to determine the actual wattage that's the best way to make sure you're getting enough watts with an appropriate buffer.

 

[lancerzero9]

PSUs don't use energy, your components that are connected to it use the power that it outputs from the wall. By tier I think you may be talking about gold, silver, bronze, platinum types of PSUs and that is more about efficiency and will not mean much difference on the electric bill. Just get the highest wattage you can afford within reason. Some PSUs overrate their numbers a little and you want room for overhead/future proofing. Get the 650

 

[Math Geek]

By tier I think you may be talking about gold, silver, bronze, platinum types of PSUs

he is actually referring to the psu ranking tiers that a tom's user maintains on the forum. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

it's based on reviews from experienced and respected reviewers and ranks the psu's based on quality and components and so on. good little reference for people who have not the time nor the technical know how to look up and interpret all those reviews for all the models out there.

but you are right in saying the extra wattage of the psu does not mean it will get used by the system. it will only draw the power it needs no matter how much more it is able to provide. either psu is top quality and price would be my way to decide. if the 650 is not much more in cost then go for it. if it is a lot more, then the 550 is plenty good enough for you.

that does assume you have the right power calculated. post the system specs and i can easily add up the needed amount plus a little extra (the 20% addition is a good way to go) for those warm and fuzzy feelings

 

[petersutton213]

Basically Its not the the power supply that uses the power. The power supply is there to supply all the components in your PC case, ie Graphics card, CPU etc. As mentioned above I think by tier you mean Gold,Silver, bronze or platinum. Personally I have never bought a power supply greater than a Bronze and Iv'e never had any issues. If your on a tight budget you should be fine with a bronze rated power supply, if money is no object go Platinum. 650w should be more than enough for your needs.

 

[geofelt]

I doubt you mean 416V, likely 416W.

A calculator is only as good as the inputs you give it.
For example, what capacitor ageing figure would you use?
Or, what will your future upgrades be?

For the most part, your psu requirements are gated by the graphics card you will use.
Here is a simple chart that does the job:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will allow for a stronger future graphics card upgrade.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.

Bronze/gold/silver efficiency really do not matter much.
You will save little in electricity costs between the least and most efficient units.
Modular is mostly good, but in a well sized psu, you are going to use most of the leads anyway.

Of perhaps most importance is that the psu should be a QUALITY unit.
I like the new Seasonic focus line.

 

[amansultan1701]

My specs:

Ryzen 5 1600
8 ddr4 3000mhz
b350 prime
gtx 680
120gb ssd

I've found a 650 g1+ yesterday night for £70, £20 cheaper then elsewhere so i ordered it, i believe this is better then a tx650m or same?

 

[Rexper]

Probably better, though there aren’t really any reviews for it so can’t say for sure. Your system only needs 550w, 650w is pointless. Even if you decide to upgrade GPU a 550w PSU is more than enough.

 

[Math Geek]

even 550w is overkill but leaves plenty of room for expansion down the road.

the G1+ is an update to the older G1 which was not a very good psu. not finding any reviews for this update so not sure what to say about it. your system is not going to pull crazy power even with an OC of the cpu so it is probably going to be ok but that is only a guess. i don't expect this psu to be much better than the first G1. i see 550w G3 and G2 for not much more and would get either one of those if possible since they are known to be high quality units.

as for comparing it to the TX, there is not really any comparison. the TX is near top of the line while the G1+ is lower end budget psu. i'd take the TX models over it without even hesitating.