How many watts above estimated power usage PSU should I get?

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dyl47

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Oct 2, 2014
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I am getting a 600w corsair PSU, according to a calculator I should get a minimum 540w PSU. Will this be enough?

The build is i7 4790k w/ 760ti, 32gb ram, 3HDD's
 
Solution
bicycle_repair_man
PSUs are usually most efficient between 50%-60% load, so bear that in mind. As said, the Corsair CX/CS series is fine for the most part, but certainly not the best. I had a CX750M which developed a horrendous fan noise after just a few months. I've now switched to an XFX XXX Pro, which is far superior and cheaper.

Your CPU and GPU should pull around 258W when both are at full load. Obviously, you need to add a few extra watts for drives, fans, overclocking, etc. so on that basis, a good 600W PSU will do just fine. It's slightly overkill, but it gives you room for expansion.

If the PSU is a CX600, you should know that it only delivers 480W on the all-important +12V rail. That's 120W less than the stated power output.
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that PSU should be more than enough it will be around 360Watt should always go 20% more to be safe.
EDIT: it depends on what make of GPU you plan to use (EVGA, ASUS) what HDD's, also fans and the motherboard, at least push the wattage up to 400 Watt. Also you do not mention what RAM you will use
 
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PSUs are usually most efficient between 50%-60% load, so bear that in mind. As said, the Corsair CX/CS series is fine for the most part, but certainly not the best. I had a CX750M which developed a horrendous fan noise after just a few months. I've now switched to an XFX XXX Pro, which is far superior and cheaper.

Your CPU and GPU should pull around 258W when both are at full load. Obviously, you need to add a few extra watts for drives, fans, overclocking, etc. so on that basis, a good 600W PSU will do just fine. It's slightly overkill, but it gives you room for expansion.

If the PSU is a CX600, you should know that it only delivers 480W on the all-important +12V rail. That's 120W less than the stated power output.
 
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Solution
I've just looked through Newegg. I honestly don't think you'll do much, if any better than the XFX I linked for $52 after MIR.

It does a full 540W on the 12V rail, so it's actually more powerful (where it matters) than the Corsair and is definitely a better quality unit. 5 Year warranty too.
 
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I agree.

OP, all XFX PSUs are simply rebadged Seasonics, which are arguably the best PSU OEM out there. The TS linked gives you 540W on the +12V rail, which is fine for your build. It only has two PCIe connectors though, so a second GPU is strictly a no-go.

The CSM is just a modular version of the CS series, which is in itself an 80+ Gold version of the CX series.

Tom's has a PSU tier list here, courtesy of Newegg; http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html.
 
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They're okay, but far from the best. Big step down from anything Seasonic built that's for sure.

You will get modular cables which helps if you like a nice tidy case. But I'd put up with a few surplus cables for a better build quality any day.
 
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As for myself I learned a long time ago the advantage of the power supply being a first consideration not the last thing on the shopping list, especially buying a CPU that you may be considering overclocking, along with other system components.

Then the unforeseen things like upgrading later and possibly adding a 2nd GPU to the mix, and the reality bites when your realize then you are under powered, but that's only trying to share logic.

When you are new to planning out a build the power supply is usually always the last consideration, if your build was my build and I had zero intentions of adding a 2nd GPU, I would go with a minimum 750w power supply.

WHY?

Because it could power your computer literally on cruise control and never have to kick into the higher cooling mode.



But when I saw what your budget was?, I'm just wasting my time, because you're extremely limited with choices anyway.

 
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That's weird, at first I thought it read $73. Hehe, sorry, I'm an idiot. Well the other one is full modular, explain to me why I should get that one.

I'm honestly just considering taking some money out of my E Trade
 
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The NZXT HALE V2 seems better statistically and states it is Hasewell ready... The only question is I believe at this point; will 550W be enough? Or should I go with at least 100 more?
 
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OEMs love to harp on about wattage and efficiency ratings, but they're usually baseless and only tell part of the story. It's the quality of the internal components that really matter.

If you judge a PSU on its headline specs, a bad one can look more favourable than a good one, but don't be fooled. Check the tier list I linked in a previous post.
 
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It's getting really confusing all these multiple threads covering the same question.

I'll re-iterate what I said in the other thread: spending $440 on hard drives, $300 on a processor, $220 on RAM and then tying your budget right back on the PSU is not the way to go.

The XFX linked to is about the only thing you can get, provided you don't mind that it's fully cabled. Otherwise your only sensible option is to save up for another month.
 
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