Is My PSU Powerful Enough?

chaztech

Reputable
Nov 1, 2014
11
0
4,510
Hey all,

I recently returned an R9 270X because I think it was faulty. Before buying it used the Coolermaster calculator for PSU to determine whether or not mine was strong enough. It said I needed less than 400W for my components so I thought I'd be fine with a Corsair CX500M.

However, a friend of mine said that it wasn't enough and after further research using different calculators they all recommend I have at least 550W; mine currently being 500W. Now I'm concerned to whether or not the GPU was actually faulty or that I didn't have a powerful enough PSU.

I was wondering whether or not my build (GPU included) will run on a 500W PSU. I've tried a few calculators but I'm hoping you guys can give me a second opinion. Would appreciate it.

Will this run?
PSU: Corsair CX500M
CPU : Intel i5 3330S @ 2.70GHz
GPU : Radeon Sapphire R9 270X
RAM : 8GB DDR3
HDD : 1x TOSHIBA DT01ACA100
DVD/CD Drive : 1x Asus GH95N
Motherboard: Asus K5130

Happy to provide any other details. Thanks in advance.

 
Solution


i think the 600/650W would be a bit better , but i would strongly recommend the Antec 500W PSU


i think the 600/650W would be a bit better , but i would strongly recommend the Antec 500W PSU
 
Solution
That PSU should be enough to power your system. Although it does have some cheaper capacitors in it, under testing it is still able to put out it's stated specifications. It's not really designed for high end gaming systems, especially ones that will be over clocked, but it won't blow up your system.
 
There is a tiered PSU list, and the CX lineup is listed as tier 3. There seems to be some misunderstandings on what that means. It does not mean the CX lineup is garbage. They are perfectly suited for builders on a tight budget where the system isn't a high end gaming machine that will be overclocked.

They are not designed to be run at high temps / high load, but they do meet their stated specifications.
 

I am running a fairly similar build on a CX 500M

My CPU is an i5 4590 which needs slightly more power than yours, I also have a GTX 970 which needs about the same amount of power as an R9 270x. I have no issues with my PSU at all and everything runs fine. I never get stuttering or system instabilities.
 


I really don't think it is your PSU, you should theoretically be O.K with the CX 430 with your build.
 


The 430 would be fine for OPs build as well. There's no way his components are maxing out a 500W PSU
 

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