Most Powerful GPU with Corsair CX430 PSU (without bottleneck)?

[Aaron M]

What is the most powerful GPU that I could buy with a 430 watt PSU (Corsair CX430)?

Other system specs are:
AMD FX-4130
4 GB of RAM
1 320 GB 7200 RPM HDD
1 DVD Reader/Writer

Currently running a 7770, so I'd like it to be a bit of an upgrade from that, if possible.

I'm not planning to buy a new GPU until around Black Friday times, so do you think a new GTX 800 series GPU will be out by then that could run with these specs?

Also, please don't recommend something that's going to create a bottleneck, cause I don't want to spend TOO much money.

 

[robax91]

Any 750ti would be a good choice. It doesn't draw much power, doesn't require a connector (uses board only), and can do well with that CPU.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Start here:

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gt-720/specifications

720 says it wants 300 watter .... and start moving up
740 says it wants 400 watter
750 is back to 300 watter as is 750 Ti
760 wants 500 watts

As for AMD, they don't make it easy to find that info on their site anymore but Guru3D gives good numbers

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/amd_radeon_r9_270_review,8.html

This is Guru3D's generic power supply recommendation for the R7 and R9 series:

AMD R7 260X - On your average system the card requires you to have a 450 Watt power supply unit.
AMD R7 260X Crossfire - On your average system the cards require you to have a 650 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

AMD R9 270 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 500 Watt power supply unit.
AMD R9 270 Crossfire - On your average system the cards require you to have a 700 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

AMD R9 270X - On your average system the card requires you to have a 500 Watt power supply unit.
AMD R9 270X Crossfire - On your average system the cards require you to have a 700 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

AMD R9 280X - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
AMD R9 280X Crossfire - On your average system the cards require you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nvidia_geforce_gtx_750_and_750_ti_review,5.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 750 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 450 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 750 Ti - On your average system the card requires you to have a 450 Watt power supply unit.

There's reportedly 2 versions of the 430CX, one is good, other not so much.... if it's one of the good ones, I wouldn't sweat the 20 watts if not overclocking.

 

[Aaron M]

So then an R7 265x is too much? That's what I had my eye on, especially since my friend has one and may be upgrading to something more powerful in the somewhat near future.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

265 draws about 132 watts .... 750 Ti draws 74..... so add 58 watts plus a lil bit for the "x" on a 265x

The 265x is a lil bit faster tho....about 12% outta the box.....less so when both OCs but I wouldn't be doing any OC with a 430 watter.

 

[Aaron M]

Okay.

Do you guys have any idea as to whether or not I'd be able to get the step up from what would be the next generation 750 Ti (i.e. the GTX 860) when it comes out this fall? If the Maxwell architecture's power savings in the 750 Ti are any indication of the power savings in the 800 series, I'd hope I'd be able to.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Generally yes there is a drop .... but can't be sure just where and I don't expect those cards to break till just before Xmas .... 880 yes, not the low end tho.

the 650 Ti boost is an interesting card in that it's faster than the 750 ti, can be paired up in SLI if ya get a bigger PSU in future....118 watts tho.

 

[smeezekitty]

I am going to point out that upgrading your GPU will likely make a CPU bottleneck apparent

 

[Aaron M]

Generally yes there is a drop .... but can't be sure just where and I don't expect those cards to break till just before Xmas .... 880 yes, not the low end tho.

the 650 Ti boost is an interesting card in that it's faster than the 750 ti, can be paired up in SLI if ya get a bigger PSU in future....118 watts tho.

Okay

I was just looking, and found I can get a GTX 660 for around the same price as the 650 Ti Boost, but my guess is that requires a larger PSU then I have, right?

 

[smeezekitty]

Generally yes there is a drop .... but can't be sure just where and I don't expect those cards to break till just before Xmas .... 880 yes, not the low end tho.

the 650 Ti boost is an interesting card in that it's faster than the 750 ti, can be paired up in SLI if ya get a bigger PSU in future....118 watts tho.

Okay

I was just looking, and found I can get a GTX 660 for around the same price as the 650 Ti Boost, but my guess is that requires a larger PSU then I have, right?

Yes

 

[Aaron M]

Okay.

So, lets say I have $200 and I want to upgrade my PSU and GPU. What GPU + PSU would you recommend to get the most of my money?

 

[smeezekitty]

The problem is assuming about $60 for a decent PSU the remaining will not let you get more than about a 750ti
which will run on your existing supply (it is similar in wattage to the 7770)

 

[JackNaylorPE]

]Okay

I was just looking, and found I can get a GTX 660 for around the same price as the 650 Ti Boost, but my guess is that requires a larger PSU then I have, right?

See above image .... 138 watts

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I suggest ya wait a month, wait for the 880 to drop and see what that does to the pricing structure.

really no reason to get lower than this ..... a decent 550 is same price.....that leaves ya $120

A 760 + that would be $300 but at some point, as said above, ya CPU will limit you a bit.

 

[Aaron M]

The problem is assuming about $60 for a decent PSU the remaining will not let you get more than about a 750ti
which will run on your existing supply (it is similar in wattage to the 7770)

yah, I had a feeling that might happen.

Alright, what I may do is wait until the Black Friday sales (worth it even if I only save a $10), and get a Corsair CX500 and a R9 270 or 270x. Probably R9 270x, because I eventually plan to upgrade my RAM and CPU to rid myself of the bottleneck, and it's only a few dollars more expensive.

How do I pick a best answer, lol, I've strayed so far from the original topic.

EDIT: I'd probably actually go for the regular 270, the 270x is a tad more than I thought.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I would avoid the CX series or anything else with a C in it entirely ..... if ya read the reviews, every says "it's a good PSU for the money". That's the blind date equivalent of being told that he / she "has a good personality"

 

[Aaron M]

I would avoid the CX series or anything else with a C in it entirely ..... if ya read the reviews, every says "it's a good PSU for the money". That's the blind date equivalent of being told that he / she "has a good personality"

It's probably the highest quality 500 watt PSU you can get in that price range. I have the CX430 right now, and it works just fine for my purposes.

 

[smeezekitty]

CX430->CX500 is not worth it.
You should get something like a Seasonic 620w with more power and batter capacitors

 

[Aaron M]

CX430->CX500 is not worth it.
You should get something like a Seasonic 620w with more power and batter capacitors

Okay. Well, I have a while to figure things out, as I don't plan on upgrading for another couple months. I'll see how prices are around Black Friday times, wait for the GTX 880 like Jack said, and see how things are in a few months.

In the meantime, better start saving some money... 😛

 

[JackNaylorPE]

$60 Seasonic S12 - 520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

$67 Seasonioc M12-520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

$65 Seasonic S12-620
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

$70 Seasonic M12-620 better than above
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

$80 XFX Core Edition 650, equivalent to S12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

Given the numbers, can't make a case for the 520/550s

 

[Aaron M]

$60 Seasonic S12 - 520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

$67 Seasonioc M12-520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

$65 Seasonic S12-620
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

$70 Seasonic M12-620 better than above
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

$80 XFX Core Edition 650, equivalent to S12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

Given the numbers, can't make a case for the 520/550s

But then there's the 500 watt CX500, which should be enough to power my system with an R9 270, for a mere $49 after a rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050&cm_re=corsair_CX500-_-17-139-050-_-Product

Although I do agree that out of the PSUs you listed, going for the 520 doesn't really make sense.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

But then there's the 500 watt CX500, which should be enough to power my system with an R9 270, for a mere $49 after a rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Although I do agree that out of the PSUs you listed, going for the 520 doesn't really make sense.

I wouldn't let a Corsair CX or C anything PSU in any gaming or enthusiast build for reasons stated 6 posts up.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1415677/whats-exactly-the-problem-with-corsairs-cx-psus

It's probably the highest quality 500 watt PSU you can get in that price range. I have the CX430 right now, and it works just fine for my purposes.

The CX430 was the one exception to the dismal quality of the CX series....saying that it is the "highest quality in it's price range" does not make it the high quality PSU. The fact is there are zero high quality PSUs in that price range. Read the above OCN thread and below

http://www.overclock.net/t/1470731/corsair-cx600-psu-on-smoke

Remeber reviewers get parts sent tot hem for free and few are willing to risk getting the supplier PO'd at them for a skanky review .... so when ya see "It's a good PSU for the money", look elsewhere.....and avoid china / taiwan sourced caps to the greatest extent possible.

 

[Aaron M]

But then there's the 500 watt CX500, which should be enough to power my system with an R9 270, for a mere $49 after a rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Although I do agree that out of the PSUs you listed, going for the 520 doesn't really make sense.

I wouldn't let a Corsair CX or C anything PSU in any gaming or enthusiast build for reasons stated 6 posts up.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1415677/whats-exactly-the-problem-with-corsairs-cx-psus

It's probably the highest quality 500 watt PSU you can get in that price range. I have the CX430 right now, and it works just fine for my purposes.

The CX430 was the one exception to the dismal quality of the CX series....saying that it is the "highest quality in it's price range" does not make it the high quality PSU. The fact is there are zero high quality PSUs in that price range. Read the above OCN thread and below

http://www.overclock.net/t/1470731/corsair-cx600-psu-on-smoke

Remeber reviewers get parts sent tot hem for free and few are willing to risk getting the supplier PO'd at them for a skanky review .... so when ya see "It's a good PSU for the money", look elsewhere.....and avoid china / taiwan sourced caps to the greatest extent possible.

 

[Aaron M]

But then there's the 500 watt CX500, which should be enough to power my system with an R9 270, for a mere $49 after a rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Although I do agree that out of the PSUs you listed, going for the 520 doesn't really make sense.

I wouldn't let a Corsair CX or C anything PSU in any gaming or enthusiast build for reasons stated 6 posts up.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1415677/whats-exactly-the-problem-with-corsairs-cx-psus

It's probably the highest quality 500 watt PSU you can get in that price range. I have the CX430 right now, and it works just fine for my purposes.

The CX430 was the one exception to the dismal quality of the CX series....saying that it is the "highest quality in it's price range" does not make it the high quality PSU. The fact is there are zero high quality PSUs in that price range. Read the above OCN thread and below

http://www.overclock.net/t/1470731/corsair-cx600-psu-on-smoke

Remeber reviewers get parts sent tot hem for free and few are willing to risk getting the supplier PO'd at them for a skanky review .... so when ya see "It's a good PSU for the money", look elsewhere.....and avoid china / taiwan sourced caps to the greatest extent possible.

Okay, so maybe it's not the best PSU. But it's still the best in its price range, and I'd rather not go out of my price range.

 

[smeezekitty]

I don't see any reason to buy a whole new supply for 70 more watts and the same marginal caps