Question I need help with choosing an appropriate PSU for my system under low budget

[Bless0911]

I have a very low-end desktop and I'm struggling with choosing which power supply is best for my system.

My system : i5-2400 3.1Ghz ( I know is old, but is what I can currently afford)
16Gb DDr3 1600Mhz ram
320Gb + 1TB HDDs
ZOTAC GTX 1060 6Gb AMP edition

The motherboard is nothing fancy, just a low-end LGA 1155 board with 2 fans only.

 

[DaleH]

I have a very low-end desktop and I'm struggling with choosing which power supply is best for my system.

My system : i5-2400 3.1Ghz ( I know is old, but is what I can currently afford)
16Gb DDr3 1600Mhz ram
320Gb + 1TB HDDs
ZOTAC GTX 1060 6Gb AMP edition

The motherboard is nothing fancy, just a low-end LGA 1155 board with 2 fans only.

This power supply calculator may help you: https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Where are you located? Preferred site for purchase? What is your budget and what is the make and model of your case? If the build is a prebuild system, you might want to specify that before you go shopping for a PSU.

 

[COLGeek]

I have a very low-end desktop and I'm struggling with choosing which power supply is best for my system.

My system : i5-2400 3.1Ghz ( I know is old, but is what I can currently afford)
16Gb DDr3 1600Mhz ram
320Gb + 1TB HDDs
ZOTAC GTX 1060 6Gb AMP edition

The motherboard is nothing fancy, just a low-end LGA 1155 board with 2 fans only.

What is your replacement budget?

 

[Bless0911]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Where are you located? Preferred site for purchase? What is your budget and what is the make and model of your case? If the build is a prebuild system, you might want to specify that before you go shopping for a PSU.

I'm located in South Africa. I would say my budget is around R1000 which is approximately $55. It is a pre-build system.

 

[Lutfij]

Since not all regions will have access to the same hardware, you might want to include sites you have access to, that helps us see what we can recommend without going back and forth on what you can and can't source.

 

[COLGeek]

Your location and budget limit your options, compared to other places. For your consideration:

https://www.evetech.co.za/deepcool-pf500-500w-power-supply/best-deal/15091.aspx

 

[Bless0911]

This power supply calculator may help you: https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator

I don't really care about wattage because I already bought an unbranded PSU with 500w but I'm not sure if I should use it. It doesn't even have a 6-pin pcie cable, just dual 4-pin molex.

 

[COLGeek]

I don't really care about wattage because I already bought an unbranded PSU with 500w but I'm not sure if I should use it. It doesn't even have a 6-pin pcie cable, just dual 4-pin molex.

Don't use that PSU. If it doesn't have the proper connectors, it isn't sufficient to your need.

 

[Bless0911]

Your location and budget limit your options, compared to other places. For your consideration:

https://www.evetech.co.za/deepcool-pf500-500w-power-supply/best-deal/15091.aspx

Honestly, this was one of my options but I thought it would not be enough cause of the 80+ rating, and I heard people saying that it's better to consider bronze and above.

 

[COLGeek]

Honestly, this was one of my options but I thought it would not be enough cause of the 80+ rating, and I heard people saying that it's better to consider bronze and above.

Those ratings are a matter of efficiency, not quality. See here:

Info - Power Supply Efficiency Ratings (80 Plus)

Often, members will ask questions regarding troubleshooting a system and the first question will be "What are the specifications for your system (make/model of all installed components)?" A typical response will include something like "750w Gold PSU". That sort of response offers nothing...

forums.tomshardware.com

You would need to increase your budget to get a higher quality PSU.

 

[Bless0911]

Since not all regions will have access to the same hardware, you might want to include sites you have access to, that helps us see what we can recommend without going back and forth on what you can and can't source.

I would say these 2 sites are the best we got

https://www.takealot.com/deepcool-pf500d-ha-500w-80-white-atx-psu-bk/PLID94161671
https://www.evetech.co.za/deepcool-pf500-500w-power-supply/best-deal/15091.aspx

 

[Bless0911]

Those ratings are a matter of efficiency, not quality. See here:

Info - Power Supply Efficiency Ratings (80 Plus)

Often, members will ask questions regarding troubleshooting a system and the first question will be "What are the specifications for your system (make/model of all installed components)?" A typical response will include something like "750w Gold PSU". That sort of response offers nothing...

forums.tomshardware.com

You would need to increase your budget to get a higher quality PSU.

I'm new to some of these things. So how much do you suggest I should spend? or which PSU should I consider?

 

[COLGeek]

Something like this:

https://www.evetech.co.za/corsair-rm750-750w-fully-modular-power-supply-black/best-deal/13193.aspx

The previous one will meet your basic needs. This Corsair is much better and could be used in a future build with more modern hardware.

I realize it is twice your stated budget.

 

[Bless0911]

Something like this:

https://www.evetech.co.za/corsair-rm750-750w-fully-modular-power-supply-black/best-deal/13193.aspx

The previous one will meet your basic needs. This Corsair is much better and could be used in a future build with more modern hardware.

I realize it is twice your stated budget.

I'll start saving up for it, but is it worth it? Considering I don't plan on upgrading it anytime soon.

 

[COLGeek]

I'll start saving up for it, but is it worth it? Considering I don't plan on upgrading it anytime soon.

Only you can determine the worth to you and how quickly you need a replacement.

For the older tech, even the first one recommended would be an improvement. Given the age of the rest of the system, I would go with the less expensive option and then start saving for a complete system upgrade in the future.

 

[Bless0911]

Only you can determine the worth to you and how quickly you need a replacement.

For the older tech, even the first one recommended would be an improvement. Given the age of the rest of the system, I would go with the less expensive option and then start saving for a complete system upgrade in the future.

Thanks a lot for the input. I think I'll upgrade to a gaming desktop in future but now I don't see the point cuz I only play old titles like GTA 5 and don't really care about FPS above 60. Thanks again.

 

[COLGeek]

Thanks a lot for the input. I think I'll upgrade to a gaming desktop in future but now I don't see the point cuz I only play old titles like GTA 5 and don't really care about FPS above 60. Thanks again.

My pleasure. Be well.