[SOLVED] PSU selection for a cheap build

[Urusei6265]

Hi,

I am building a PC for a friends son. On a very tight budget and having to pull together a load of the kit from various sources. I am aware cheap PSUs can cause issues and hardware damage. I am attempting to build in a way that will enable him to keep his case (Which he loves) and some of the bits and upgrade in a modular and logical progression without having to replace the whole lot.

As such it seems stupid to cheap out right now on a PSU. I am looking at the Seasonic GX750. They seem to have a solid reputation and solid reviews.
Which leads to my questions.

1) is 750w enough to enable not needing to upgrade it in the next couple or 3 years. I know there will always be better and more powerful etc but it's likely he will always be behind the curve on components because of cost. If not what would be idea from a limited future proof p.o.v

2) That PSU is currently available for around £100. Are there better ones out there at that price point?

Basic details thus far of the build:

MB - Asus P8H67-M LE
CPU - i7-3770K
CPU cooler - Cooler master Hyper 212Evo
Graphics - RX580 8gb
240gb Samsung 860 SSD
Case: Cit F3 Micro ATX

I'm a total noob at this so cut me some slack if any of the above is a bit of a mish mash. However I would appreciate it if anyone who knows that the above just wont work together would let me know (Also why it won't work).

Thanks in advance

Tom

 

[Barty1884]

1. Nobody can definitively predict the future, but given trends in efficiency of components etc, 750W seems like a very safe bet on the upper end. In most situations, a quality 550W would be plenty, outside of the absolute upper-end (3080, 3090 etc).

2. Not for a quality 750W unit. You could save a bit of money with a lesser wattage (but still great quality) with either a 550W SuperNOVA G3 or Focus 550W, each for around £85-£90, but if you can find a GX750 for ~£100, I'd jump on that if I were you.


The build stated looks pretty good, for the money I'd expect it to cost. H67 is a bit restrictive with a 3770K since you won't be able to overclock the chip, but for the right price, it's 'good enough'.

Really depends on the budget though.... Used/older components are getting harder & harder to justify given the relative affordability of new parts.

Just to give you an example, a modern R3 3300X, B550 board & 16GB DDR4 comes in ~£250. Likely to net similar performance when paired with a 580, but has a bit more potential in it.... plus it puts them on a modern platform that could be upgraded.... Cost could be lowered slightly opting for a B450 board.

If the 3770K/H67/Cooler/RAM is coming in anywhere close to £200, then it starts to look like a pretty terrible value.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£113.37 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock B550M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£77.08 @ More Computers)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (£57.91 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £248.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-27 17:00 GMT+0000

 

[ChumP]

For that configuration even 550W will suffice, but 650W would be optimal for future upgrades.
Seasonic GX models are great and £100 for the 750W model sounds like a great deal... considering current prices and availability.

This Corsair TX650M would be a really great value (assuming that you're from the UK) too and is up there in quality with the Seasonic model:

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply (£79.98 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £79.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-27 17:05 GMT+0000

 

[Urusei6265]

1. Nobody can definitively predict the future, but given trends in efficiency of components etc, 750W seems like a very safe bet on the upper end. In most situations, a quality 550W would be plenty, outside of the absolute upper-end (3080, 3090 etc).

2. Not for a quality 750W unit. You could save a bit of money with a lesser wattage (but still great quality) with either a 550W SuperNOVA G3 or Focus 550W, each for around £85-£90, but if you can find a GX750 for ~£100, I'd jump on that if I were you.


The build stated looks pretty good, for the money I'd expect it to cost. H67 is a bit restrictive with a 3770K since you won't be able to overclock the chip, but for the right price, it's 'good enough'.

Really depends on the budget though.... Used/older components are getting harder & harder to justify given the relative affordability of new parts.

Just to give you an example, a modern R3 3300X, B550 board & 16GB DDR4 comes in ~£250. Likely to net similar performance when paired with a 580, but has a bit more potential in it.... plus it puts them on a modern platform that could be upgraded.... Cost could be lowered slightly opting for a B450 board.

If the 3770K/H67/Cooler/RAM is coming in anywhere close to £200, then it starts to look like a pretty terrible value.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£113.37 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock B550M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£77.08 @ More Computers)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory (£57.91 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £248.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-27 17:00 GMT+0000

Thanks very much for that. I already had the 3770k and the rx580 so I'm only in for about 85 quid for the board and ram so far.
It does sound like it was short sighted to shape the build around that cpu as your list of kit is a lot more impressive for that money. I guess with the fact he loves the case and if I get a good psu it's not so daunting to replace mother board and processor in future which was my overall goal as I am ducking out after this before I get carried away with mods and bankrupt myself setting someone else's kid up with a gaming rig.

Thanks for the advice on the psu. I'll get that deal for the seasonic and finish up the build and see how he goes.

Been a learning curve but quite enjoyed it.

 

[Urusei6265]

For that configuration even 550W will suffice, but 650W would be optimal for future upgrades.
Seasonic GX models are great and £100 for the 750W model sounds like a great deal... considering current prices and availability.

This Corsair TX650M would be a really great value (assuming that you're from the UK) too and is up there in quality with the Seasonic model:

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply (£79.98 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £79.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-27 17:05 GMT+0000

That's great. Confirms my thinking regarding the seasonic. Food for thought on the corsair as they are the other brand that seems to get consistently good reviews.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Really appreciate it.

 

[jonnyguru]

i7-3770K

FYI: Why that CPU? Is it on sale somewhere? It's discontinued and if you're using an RX580, you don't need the on-chip graphics. If you get a retail CPU with an included fan, you can save $30 to $40 by not having to buy that Cooler Master fan.