Power Supply Conundrum

[tonsofpuppies]

I'm building a very high end gaming / programming PC and I'm trying to decide on a power supply for the system. Based on wattage calculators, it seems that I'll be running roughly 650-700W, which means I could easily use a 850-1000W PSU. I was looking at the ToughPower iRGB Plus Platinum series by Thermaltake, due to the RBG integration, which is a big part of my build.

My problem is this - there's an incredible deal available for the highest spec model in the ToughPower iRGB series, the 1250W Titanium. For some reason, it's available on Amazon Canada right now for $295 CAD. This is a PSU that goes for $400+ USD ($550+ CAD) on any given day. I know the 1250W is way higher than I need for my setup, but that deal is a tough one to pass on. For comparison's sake, the 1000W version of the same series is only $20 less. Should I stick with that one, or pay the extra $20 for the extra 250W + Titanium grading? Are there any downsides to having a way higher wattage than needed? Here is my parts list for reference:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/RrF6r6

 

[USAFRet]

I'm new to a lot of this, so you'll have much more expertise than I do. Why in July?

"July" was just a random month. But I have personally bought something that was cheaper in July than it was on the magical Black Friday.
Exact same item...it was a 960GB SSD. $25 cheaper.

 

[smorizio]

old micocenter tech here. (121 cambrige mass). our biggest selling month out of the holidays were between july and back to school. as the store was between two collages. a lot of vendors used to drop new hardware (laptops) in that time slot.

 

[Rexper]

you again missed the point. it not about heat. it about amp load on the main rail. look at all the load test data of power supply out there. when people like jonny guru load test the power supply. when they hit the higher end of the power supply output look at the ripple and voltage and temp output of the units. it not a good thing to keep the main rails under near or full load for a long lenth of time (ie gaming). in real world a unit that passed but cant keep voltage stable cause user grief. bsod or just locking up or shutting down in games. going a little larger then needed gives the power supply a little breathing room. under full load. if you want to see this in real life go buy a cheap blender and try make crushed ice...see how long the motor last before it smells.

On good power supplies the ripple and voltage regulation will still be good at the high loads. This is why we call them “good”.
The rest of your comment is referencing things that may happen with a crap PSU, again OP’s budget could’ve easily fit any good, or great power supply.

And to the other comment regarding the 1250 may be in passive mode when the 850w isn’t, it depend so if it has an MCU. If it doesn’t the fan is just based upon temperature, if it does then load is accounted for as well.

I’m also surprised there aren’t many RGB PSUs on the market.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

I'm new to a lot of this, so you'll have much more expertise than I do. Why in July?

"July" was just a random month. But I have personally bought something that was cheaper in July than it was on the magical Black Friday.
Exact same item...it was a 960GB SSD. $25 cheaper.

Fair enough. I thought it might have had something to do with Computex. :lol: Anyway, I appreciate your input. Hopefully my hunch is correct, but if not, live and learn. I doubt it would be significantly cheaper at least.

 

[tonsofpuppies]

you again missed the point. it not about heat. it about amp load on the main rail. look at all the load test data of power supply out there. when people like jonny guru load test the power supply. when they hit the higher end of the power supply output look at the ripple and voltage and temp output of the units. it not a good thing to keep the main rails under near or full load for a long lenth of time (ie gaming). in real world a unit that passed but cant keep voltage stable cause user grief. bsod or just locking up or shutting down in games. going a little larger then needed gives the power supply a little breathing room. under full load. if you want to see this in real life go buy a cheap blender and try make crushed ice...see how long the motor last before it smells.

On good power supplies the ripple and voltage regulation will still be good at the high loads. This is why we call them “good”.
The rest of your comment is referencing things that may happen with a crap PSU, again OP’s budget could’ve easily fit any good, or great power supply.

And to the other comment regarding the 1250 may be in passive mode when the 850w isn’t, it depend so if it has an MCU. If it doesn’t the fan is just based upon temperature, if it does then load is accounted for as well.

I’m also surprised there aren’t many RGB PSUs on the market.

It does. Here's a quote from the TT website product page:

"Toughpower iRGB PLUS Platinum Series comes with Smart Zero Fan, which is activated through DPS G PC APP 3.0 and will turn on the fan on around 60% of rated load to minimize the audible noise of your PC and optimize the thermal performance."