How do I know which PSU and Case I need for my new build?!

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rladngus

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Oct 30, 2012
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how can I tell which computer case will fit my new build exactly so that I can avoid overspending on a size that is larger than needed? and, equally, to avoid wasting money on a case that is too small and won't accommodate my new build or if it does, that it won't have enough room for proper air flow or extra fans?

Also how do I know which PSU I need exactly? Is it enough to look at the power consumption of every single component in my new build and add them all up and get a PSU that supplies just that amount? Or a little over?


And while I'm at it, is it okay to get storage drives (including main drive) of different physical dimensions? Like, I just realized my main SSD is 2.5" and my storage / back-up HDD is 3.5". if I get a case that fits the 3.5", will the 2.5" SSD fit nicely?
 
Solution
A
it important because their are different sizes of motherboards and lengths of video cards, i.e. an ATX size motherboard fits ATX and larger cases

alot of people just gut their existing case and reuse it, others buy more on aethetics, some on specific features, there are plenty of articles on here about cases. MY Rule of Thumb: bigger is better

and there is no problem mixing 3.5 and 2.5 drives , if you're concerned about exact fit buy an adapter or cage
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What size motherboard are you using? Find a case that supports that. Find a case that will fit your graphics card (they'll usually say this in the description, if not look at reviews) Look at pictures of finished builds in the case to get a sense of scale and see if it's the right size that you want.

As for power supplies, use a power supply calculator and get a little bit more than the total wattage calculation for your system (most people go way overkill with this) You shouldn't cheap out with a PSU either, look for something 80+ certified with Japanese capacitors and you should be good. I'd recommend looking at Antec, Seasonic, and Corsair.
 
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this is the motherboard I'm getting:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

as for the GPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-130-768&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=4#scrollFullInfo


Sorry, but simply knowing my motherboard and GPU isn't really helping. I'm still not sure what size I should be getting.

Maybe you could tell me some general rule of thumb or guideline about computer cases?
 
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it important because their are different sizes of motherboards and lengths of video cards, i.e. an ATX size motherboard fits ATX and larger cases

alot of people just gut their existing case and reuse it, others buy more on aethetics, some on specific features, there are plenty of articles on here about cases. MY Rule of Thumb: bigger is better

and there is no problem mixing 3.5 and 2.5 drives , if you're concerned about exact fit buy an adapter or cage
 
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Solution
well I just looked at the computer case section in Newegg and looked at sample specs from the most reviewed item (rated 5 stars with 6,000+ reviews) which was selling at only around $50

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

it says that its dimensions are 18.40" x 8.10" x 19.40"
the motherboard dimensions are 12" x 8.6"

Is the case too large? Is it just fine?

What other specs do I need to look out for? The sample case has 2 USB 3.0 ports while the ASROCK Motherboard has many, many rear ports of different types... will these two components conflict one another?

Also it says in the computer case specs that it has 6 internal 3.5" drive bays but one of the drives that i'm getting (samsung 840 pro SSD) is only 2.5". Will the samsung ssd fit just fine in the case or did I get the wrong SSD? (I heard that 2.5" drives are for laptops but I couldn't find any samsung SSD that was 3.5" large)
 
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Okay, so are the motherboard and video card the ONLY components that I need to look out for in terms of size? So if I get a computer case that is large enough for both, then I won't need to worry about its size aside from how many fans of what size can be installed? (this information is easily noticeable in newegg specs so I don't worry about the fans. All I'm worried about is getting a case that will fit only a few components or a case that is really, really large and there's too much space left over).
 
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Too large is a matter of preference. Extra space is good for extra stuff of course, but also helps with air flow and make it easier to work on. Those ports are an optional convience that you can connect to the motherboard. No conflict. There are no 2.5" SSD, again if the case doesn't come with any specific mounting hardware, then get a 3.5 to 2.5 enclosure/bay if you want a "nice fit" otherwise just lay is it anywhere

FYI that link came up with $100 case, but all those stays the same
 
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Thanks 😀

But I'm still confused about the PSU. I'm really lost in this one. How do I find out how much voltage or wattage I need from the PSU? By adding the power consumption of all the individual components?
 
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It's an educated guess based more on experience/experiment than anything else. Add it up then headroom. 500-600 is good for modern system on a single card. But make sure the PSU is QUALITY, more important the wattage.

edit: i say 500-600 to include those odd but common middle wattages with good rebates or sales
 
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Last question about computer cases:

if you look at this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196, it says that it has room for 3 fans, 1 120 mm and 2 140 mm. Does the case come with those fans or do you have to buy the fans with the correct sizes separately? If you buy them separately, do they have to have LED since it says so in the computer case specs?



Thank you very much 😀!! you've been extremely helpful and friendly all along. Thanks, I appreciate it :)



I'm really sorry but I have ONE MORE question! Last one, I promise!

In the link given in this post, it says in the specs that one of the dimensions of the computer case is 8.60". That same dimension (which I'm guessing is the width?) is exactly 8.6" on the motherboard that i'm getting as well. Will there be problems? Or should I just get a larger case?
 
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The width of a case has nothing to do with your motherboard, which mounts on the side of the case. You need to know the width of a case to know how big of a CPU cooler you can fit, and how wide of a graphics card will fit (gpu should't be a problem, but some large cpu coolers won't fit in narrower cases)

You should really be looking at pictures of built systems if you haven't already.
 
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You're welcome, be glad you caught me before midnight ...

The fan and LEDs, I _think_ so, but you want to double check the company's website for a clearer answer. Fans can be hit or miss. You can buy them after the fact but it's REAL nice when they are included (especially the bigger ones).

I think they are mixing HWL with HLW. If you think about it and look at the picture the 20x20x8 will make sense.
 
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