[SOLVED] I need advice on upgrading my power supply.

ben1704

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Jan 8, 2016
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Here are my specs:
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-7700k (4.2GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard ASUS® PRIME B250-PLUS: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM) 20GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2133MHz
Graphics Card 8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070
Power Supply CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
I just need advice because I have never messed with a power supply before. I need advice on what to buy and from there I will have to work on my knowledge on fitting a power supply. Also I know the power supply is a little low for my pc, I am working on getting my pc to be better. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.
 
Solution
Ben,
As long as you buy a PSU from one of the larger, well known brands you should have no issues - most are fairly similar spec wise. The Corsair PSUs are very good (and expensive), but the standard supplied cables are horrible and I have had to replace them on 4 of my PCs (AX1600i, AX1500i, AX1500i, AX1200i) as the insulation is far too rigid and looks really cheap and tacky (noting that I am an Electronics/Avionics Engineer by trade and have been building PCs for family, friends and work mates for the past 27 years).

Seasonic used to (5-6 years ago) provide nice braided cables as standard on their modular PSUs (I have two , a 850W & a 1050W?), but I think this changed in 2015 and they have gone down the same dark 'all black...

punkncat

Champion
Ambassador
I am actually astounded that boots. That PSU is dangerously low.

The market and pricing for good PSU is really bad right now. Terrible time to be doing so, but in this case I would bite the bullet.
What and where can be according to where you are and what is available. There is a good article here as well as other places (Linus, cough) that have a hierarchy listing of good down to sketch.
 

ben1704

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Jan 8, 2016
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I am actually astounded that boots. That PSU is dangerously low.

The market and pricing for good PSU is really bad right now. Terrible time to be doing so, but in this case I would bite the bullet.
What and where can be according to where you are and what is available. There is a good article here as well as other places (Linus, cough) that have a hierarchy listing of good down to sketch.
Trust me I know, but for some reason it is working and has done for about 3 years now. I have been looking on amazon and other similar places but I am at a bit of a loss for it. But I am from the UK and looking for the easiest UK accessible places to buy from.
 

martinsykes

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Nov 9, 2008
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Yes, I agree with the above comments - you will be maxing out the PSU components. One of my Corsair AX1500i blew a few weeks ago and created a cloud of smoke and a sound akin to a lighting strike!

I am guessing that you are not using many fans, HDs and zero lighting?

I would recommend at least 600W, but 750 will give you capacity for LED fans/strips or other upgrades.

Regards,

Mart1968
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Not "any".

The PSU is a critical component and needs to be chosen with respect to wattage, power efficiency, quality, and price.

First use two or three calculators to determine the power requirements of your build. Include room for growth.

You should also do a manual total as well. Combine all for a consensus regarding wattage and then add in a cushion just as a sort of insurance.

Price likely to be higher but generally that will even out over time as the PSU continues to function and serve its' host system.

I will defer to UK members regarding suggestions with respect to "where to buy".
 

martinsykes

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Nov 9, 2008
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Ben,
As long as you buy a PSU from one of the larger, well known brands you should have no issues - most are fairly similar spec wise. The Corsair PSUs are very good (and expensive), but the standard supplied cables are horrible and I have had to replace them on 4 of my PCs (AX1600i, AX1500i, AX1500i, AX1200i) as the insulation is far too rigid and looks really cheap and tacky (noting that I am an Electronics/Avionics Engineer by trade and have been building PCs for family, friends and work mates for the past 27 years).

Seasonic used to (5-6 years ago) provide nice braided cables as standard on their modular PSUs (I have two , a 850W & a 1050W?), but I think this changed in 2015 and they have gone down the same dark 'all black, flat cable' path as Corsair, but their version seems a bit more flexible.

Thermaltake PSUs have always been good VFM and often have useful extras, but I do not have recent experience of their flat black cables.

Enermax used to produce (10+ years ago) an amazing PSU known as the 'Galaxy', these PSUs had the best quality cables I have ever come across on a consumer grade PSU (and far better, in terms of conductor and insulation quality, than any of the 'fancy', expensive custom cables you can currently buy). So good that I repurposed the cables when the PSU died and they live on inside a server!

Based on your system, and allowing for some growth, I would choose a 700-800W modular PSU, or if money is tight go for a fully wired, non-modular unit or part modular unit, which may be +£50 cheaper for the same quality PSU. If you choose these cheaper options, braided cables or truly flexible flat cables become more important as you will need to fold and hide/stow away the unused cables neatly within you case, i.e. with a modular PSU you only fit the cables you need to the PSU and the remainder sit safely in the box until you need them in the future. If your case is small and you have nowhere to stow surplus cables without disrupting the internal airflow a modular PSU is a godsend.
In sum, set your budget and have a good look at the cables which are being offered as standard, i.e. braided cables are easier to route around a case, look neat, but are becoming much harder to find as standard and are less important if the unit is at least semi-modular. Also, do not forget to check the manufacturer's warranty which range from 1 to 10 years! Select a few models within your budget, perhaps starting with a mid-range units (with 5 year warranties) such as an EVGA 750 Watt BQ Semi Modular ATX PSU & Corsair 750W CX750 Bronze ATX Power Supply, and then use google to search for reviews of each one to do a proper comparison.

Regards,
Mart68
 
Last edited:
Solution
Jul 22, 2020
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Hiya all new here but need help.
I have a 1060gtx l. I5 7400 1tb ssd and a MSI H310M PRO-M2 PLUS Motherboard mATX what power supply will I need as my old one won't work ( it turns on for a split second then turns off)
 

gambin0

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Sep 3, 2012
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Overclockers kill it with prices, i got my seasonic snow silent for £85 (normally 170)

Scan are good, used them many a time.

But for some reason i avoided overclockers for years, but my last big purchases for pc components (cpu, ram, mobo, psu, monitor) have all come from overclockers