[SOLVED] How to select a compatible power supply for my PC ?

[pc-hardware]

Hi dear friends.
How to select compatible power supply for my pc? I have 2 questions:

1- There are different in sockets for connect to mainboard or all sockets are similar?
2- 330 Watt is enough or I must use 480 watt? how to select it?

I have these hardwares:

CPU : i5-8400
Motherboard : ASUS H370 TUF Pro Gaming
Graphic Card : None (I use CPU as GPU)
Ram : 16GB
SSD : 256GB
DVD : 1

 

[lvt]

1- There are different in sockets for connect to mainboard or all sockets are similar?

Your motherboard has ATX form factor, so all ATX PSU are compatible.

2- 330 Watt is enough or I must use 480 watt? how to select it?

330W is the typical PSU usually seen in some pre-built computers with little or no upgrade.

In case of a self-built computer, you should use something more powerful in case you want to add accessories or GPU.

I'd say 550W is highly recommended nowadays, you would be able to add a low-end GPU later (or 650W for a higher-end GPU).

 

[pc-hardware]

Your motherboard has ATX form factor, so all ATX PSU are compatible.



330W is the typical PSU usually seen in some pre-built computers with little or no upgrade.

In case of a self-built computer, you should use something more powerful in case you want to add accessories or GPU.

I'd say 550W is highly recommended nowadays, you would be able to add a low-end GPU later (or 650W for a higher-end GPU).

Thanks alot for your reply.
So the number of pin or Modular - semi Modular - full modular is not different? whitch one is better? how many pin and connector they have?

 

[lvt]

Thanks alot for your reply.
So the number of pin or Modular - semi Modular - full modular is not different? whitch one is better? how many pin and connector they have?

The term "modular" simply indicates that your cables are removable / replaceable, it has nothing to do with PSU quality or cables's end connector.

The image belows will give you an idea, but the number of connectors may vary from PSU to PSU, depending on design and wattage.

 

[pc-hardware]

The term "modular" simply indicates that your cables are removable / replaceable, it has nothing to do with PSU quality or cables's end connector.

The image belows will give you an idea, but the number of connectors may vary from PSU to PSU, depending on design and wattage.

WOW... really thanks. I understand now.
So my mainboard is ATX so I choose Power Supply with ATX Factor and Higher Than 500 Watt maybe I add Graphic Card Later.
and Number Of Pin are not Important for my choose. Am I Right?

 

[lvt]

WOW... really thanks. I understand now.
So my mainboard is ATX so I choose Power Supply with ATX Factor and Higher Than 500 Watt maybe I add Graphic Card Later.
and Number Of Pin are not Important for my choose. Am I Right?

Your motherboard requires a 24-pin connector and a 8-pin connector, those cables should come with the PSU as standard.

The package should include one or two SATA power cables too.

 

[jasonf2]

If you are ever going to upgrade to discrete graphics and 3000 series NVidias are on your radar I highly suggest going no lower than 750 watts.

 

[pc-hardware]

Your motherboard requires a 24-pin connector and a 8-pin connector, those cables should come with the PSU as standard.

The package should include one or two SATA power cables too.

I choosed a Power Supply whith below specs:

Power : 500 W
Form Factor : ATX PS2
Dim : 150 * 150 * 86 mm
ATX 12V : V2.4
80 Plus : GOLD
MB 20+4 Pin : 1 n
CPU 12V 4+4 Pin : 1n
PCI-e 6+2 Pin : 2n
SATA : 6n
4Pin Molex : 3n

please check if it is ok for ASUS H370 TUF Pro Gaming.

 

[lvt]

MB 20+4 Pin : 1 n
CPU 12V 4+4 Pin : 1n

It's OK

 

[pc-hardware]

If you are ever going to upgrade to discrete graphics and 3000 series NVidias are on your radar I highly suggest going no lower than 750 watts.

Yes. Thank u so much.

 

[sizzling]

I choosed a Power Supply whith below specs:

Power : 500 W
Form Factor : ATX PS2
Dim : 150 * 150 * 86 mm
ATX 12V : V2.4
80 Plus : GOLD
MB 20+4 Pin : 1 n
CPU 12V 4+4 Pin : 1n
PCI-e 6+2 Pin : 2n
SATA : 6n
4Pin Molex : 3n

please check if it is ok for ASUS H370 TUF Pro Gaming.

What is the make and model of the psu? Quality is equally as important as the spec.

 

[jasonf2]

The fact that it is an ATX makes it compatible with the ASUS motherboard assuming you have an ATX compatible case. Really unless you are in a prebuilt or some small form factor board/case config everything is based on the ATX standard. When picking a PSU there are really three things to look for: Wattage, efficiency and stability. Wattage is obvious but understand that you cannot oversize a psu, but you certainly can undersize one. If you put a 1500 watt psu in a computer that is only using 150 there is no real penalty other than price. If you put a 300 watt in a unit that needs 750 the computer won't work.

Efficiency is generally based on the 80+ standard. In application the pieces you are going to see will range from bronze, gold and titanium, titanium being the most efficient. It is particularly important to understand that there are no quality standard requirements related to the 80+ standard, only input to output efficiency at given loads. Even with this in mind though most manufactures line their product cards along the levels of the 80+ with bronze being their value line (junk) and titanium being flagship. So while there are quality wise very stable bronze psus and poor titanium units as a general rule of thumb the higher level, the more expensive the psu and the better the power quality output when it comes to PSUs.

There are only really a handful of companies that actually make the hardware and a ton of sticker brands. Unless you have specifically done your homework on a given psu I suggest never going lower than gold and always buy from a reputable brand. PSUs that come with the case or serious off brand imports, while cheap, have honestly been the biggest causes of post build instability and rework for me over the years and I simply won't do it anymore. If I have a case that comes with one I pull it and let someone on Ebay fight it.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

500W, ATX Gold. Should be fine.

Without knowing the manufacturer and model number it is impossible to say for sure, but from the numbers you posted, it should be fine.

The 330W you suggested originally would also be ok for that PC, but only if you plan on never adding a GPU. It would be strange to have a "Pro Gaming" motherboard and never add a GPU.

 

[bignastyid]

500W, ATX Gold. Should be fine.

Without knowing the manufacturer and model number it is impossible to say for sure, but from the numbers you posted, it should be fine.

The 330W you suggested originally would also be ok for that PC, but only if you plan on never adding a GPU. It would be strange to have a "Pro Gaming" motherboard and never add a GPU.

There is no info on the rails(the 500w rating could be misleading), component quality is a mystery and that gold rating could be faked. So even with the info posted your conclusion is potentially dangerous.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

your conclusion is potentially dangerous.

Huh? What specific danger are you referring to?

 

[DSzymborski]

Huh? What specific danger are you referring to?

Fake 80 Plus badges, especially in Eastern Europe and southeastern Asia, are more plentiful than cicadas in the mid-Atlantic this year. There's a reason specifics are requested.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

Fake 80 Plus badges, especially in Eastern Europe and southeastern Asia, are more plentiful than cicadas in the mid-Atlantic this year. There's a reason specifics are requested.

Well OP hasn't exactly been forthcoming about what he's buying so I imagine yeah there's a good chance the PSU credentials are faked and it's a dodgy no-brand Chinese thing, but even still, all its powering is one 65W CPU, one motherboard and a couple of sticks of RAM. At the absolute most it's going to be using 100W total. You could probably run a PC that needed so little power on one of those fake Chinese units for decades with no problems at all.

 

[DSzymborski]

Well OP hasn't exactly been forthcoming about what he's buying so I imagine yeah there's a good chance the PSU credentials are faked and it's a dodgy no-brand Chinese thing, but even still, all its powering is one 65W CPU, one motherboard and a couple of sticks of RAM. At the absolute most it's going to be using 100W total. You could probably run a PC that needed so little power on one of those fake Chinese units for decades with no problems at all.

It's always good to know the quality of the product and the risks involved. Telling the OP basically not to worry about them enables them to skip being forthcoming about the PSU.

 

[geofelt]

The wattage you need will be based primarily on the graphics card you will install.
Here is a handy chart:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

Once that is settled, buy only a quality psu.
A cheap PSU will be made of substandard components. It will not have safety and overload protections.
The danger is if it fails under load, it can destroy anything it is connected to.
It will deliver advertised power only at room temperatures, not at higher temperatures found when installed in a case.
The wattage will be delivered on the 3 and 5v rails, not on the 12v rails where modern parts
like the CPU and Graphics cards need it. What power is delivered may fluctuate and cause instability
issues that are hard to diagnose.
The fan will need to spin up higher to cool it, making it noisy.
A cheap PSU can become very expensive.

Do not buy one.

Here is one list of estimated psu quality:

[EOL] PSU Tier List rev. 14.8

PSU Tier List 4.0 rev. 14.8 (END OF LIFE) Last Update: 27-07-2021 Legend : Gray - EoL/obsolete and/or otherwise not recommended for purchase. Green - small form-factor (gold and blue colors are disregarded due to scarcity of SFX PSUs) Gold - best units in the tier (includes requirements for blue ...

linustechtips.com

Consider a quality psu as a long term investment. Look for one with a 7-10 year warranty.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

The wattage will be delivered on the 3 and 5v rails, not on the 12v rails where modern parts
like the CPU and Graphics cards need it.

There is no GPU, and his CPU is 65W with locked multiplier. At most, this system is going to pull 100W. Even a cheap fake Chinese PSU should be able to handle that without any issue.

 

[bignastyid]

There is no GPU, and his CPU is 65W with locked multiplier. At most, this system is going to pull 100W. Even a cheap fake Chinese PSU should be able to handle that without any issue.

Cheap generic units can be dangerous at any load. The risk just increases with higher loads.

 

[pc-hardware]

Thank you all Dear friends as you replied my question.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

Cheap generic units can be dangerous at any load. The risk just increases with higher loads.

Crossing the street can be dangerous, dude. At some point you just have to assume things will be fine.

 

[DSzymborski]

Crossing the street can be dangerous, dude. At some point you just have to assume things will be fine.

Just because walking across the street can be dangerous doesn't mean we walk across the street with our eyes shut.

I assume you're offering a warranty to the OP?

 

[bignastyid]

Crossing the street can be dangerous, dude. At some point you just have to assume things will be fine.

Please assume with your own money and hardware not somebody else's.