psu for r9 280 (not 280x)

[rina23]

hi,
i'm on a budget and plan to upgrade my gpu..and i plan to get r9 280(non x).. i have a corsair cx500 (12v rail is 34) and i'm wondering if it is sufficient for the r9 280..i don't plan to overclock nor xfire..and also for my psu will it be better to get gtx 760

my specs:-
i5 4670k
asrock z87 pro 4
G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB)
wd caviar blue 1 tb (will be getting 120gb ssd in the near future)
lg optical drive.

 

[ksham]

It's not a good PSU. I recommend replacing it with a XFX TS 550W ($59.99).

It may be able to run it, but it's possible that if your build is under heavy load, your PSU may crap out.

 

[herrwizo]

Official specs for R9 280 state the requirement of 25A and a 500W psu minimum. This would normally be no problem if your PSU was a quality one, but CX series is not something I would rely on for gaming due to cheap capacitors. Your best bet is XFX or Seasonic power supply. At least 500W would be just fine, but since you are buying new, why not get 650W and have some headroom. If you prefer Corsair, stay away from CX for anything but office work - get AX/HX/TX/RM series.

 

[rina23]

thanks guys for your quick answer..but the problem is my gpu is dying on me and i need a new gpu and as i'm on a budget i cannot afford to buy a new psu..when i bought my psu 2 years back i didn't know that it was not a decent psu :-( but as i;m on a budget i'm stuck with it..and also in your opinion gtx 760 or r9 280 will be better..

 

[ksham]

In your case, GTX 760 because it uses less power.

 

[rina23]

thanks..if i'm going with my current build then 760 it is..
and btw is the seasonic eco series a good psu..i might be able to fit the Seasonic ECO 600 or Seasonic S12II 520 Watts into my tight budget..

 

[ksham]

Yes Seasonic is a really good brand. I think the S12II series is better. It's definitely a lot better than the CX. The 520W can run a GTX 760 or a R9 280 without problems.

 

[rina23]

what about the pcie connector for those psu..

 

[ksham]

I think the ECO has two 6-pin. I know the S12II has one 6-pin and one (6+2)-pin. The GTX 760 requires two 6-pin so either PSU will work. The R9 280 (or R9 280X) requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin so only the S12II will support it. You can still use the ECO to run the R9 280, but you'll need a molex to PCIe adapter, which is not as convenient.

 

[rina23]

ok..thank you very much..if i use the S12II..which will be better the gtx 760 or r9 280..and also is the asus direct cuII a good brand for both the product

 

[ksham]

Depends. If you plan to overclock the graphics card, the R9 280 is better. Otherwise, at stock, the GTX 760 is better.

For the high-end nvidia cards, my top brands are as follows:
1. EVGA with ACX Cooler
2. Gigabyte Windforce
3. Asus DirectCU II

For the high-end AMD cards, my top brands are as follows:
1. Sapphire Vapor-X or Dual-X
2. Gigabyte Windforce
3. Asus DirectCU II

The Asus one is decent. It may be the quietest card, but it's not as good in price/performance/temperature as the ones above it.

 

[rina23]

ok..thank you very much..i really appreciate your help..as i don't plan to overclock my card i think i'll get the 760..and also i want a quiet card i think i'll get the asus..