PSU very hot when playing games

[Denis Sitar]

Hello! I have opened the case and I touched the psu while playing games...it gets really hot! And from the back side of the case(where the psu is located) the air is getting out very hot and it has a strange smell. Let me describe you the situation. Yesterday with my old configuration, there were no problems (mobo: gigabyte ga-M52L-S3, cpu: athlon 64 x2 6000+, gpu: GTX 750 Ti MSI Gaming 2gb, ram: 6gb ddr2, psu: LC-POWER LC420H-12 (420W).

Today, I have bought a new mobo, cpu and ram. So my current configuration is: mobo: asrock 980DE3/U3S3, cpu: amd fx-6300, gpu: GTX 750 Ti MSI Gaming 2gb, ram: Crucial Ballistix 2x4gb ddr3 and psu LC-POWER LC420H-12 (420W).

I went to a page where components can be put together and it calculates your psu usage...it said around 215W. I do not know if that is correct? What could be the problem? Do you think I need a new PSU and if so, how powerfull psu do I need?

Thank you for your answer,
Denis

 

[gilbadon]

Because I do not know that power supply company, I am going to assume two things. They use cheap parts, and they are giving you max power instead of RMS power. RMS power is .707 times the actual power. In this case 297W. Yes that is still above your current 215W threshold but each rail (3.3V, 5V, 12V) has a power limit. It does not sound like you are exceeding it, but you are probably really really close if your PSU has to work that hard to keep your system alive. I would replace it for a better supply. Something from a more reputable manufacturer.

I could be wrong, just because I have never heard of them does not mean they are bad. Good luck.

 

[Denis Sitar]

Thank you for your answer. I will be overclocking my cpu (fx-6300) but not a lot so my question is: which psu manufacturers do you think are good one's to look at and how powerful should the unit be?

 

[Vynavill]

LC-POWER are known (at least AFAIK) for their cheap components, which is why they're usually very economical units. They're ok as long as you stay MUCH higher than your max power draw and don't overclock, but are otherwise bad quality units and should be changed ASAP.

Use this list to have a general idea of what's good and what's not. If you're on a very strict budget, go for a tier three, otherwise a tier two class A or B, but whatever you do don't go below tier three if you value your system. Tier one is mainly for overclockers or people with non-restricted budgets.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html

 

[toyftw]

Thank you for your answer. I will be overclocking my cpu (fx-6300) but not a lot so my question is: which psu manufacturers do you think are good one's to look at and how powerful should the unit be?

Hi - The problem you are experiencing is it really isn't a true 420w PSU. The key spec is the
amps available on the +12v rail (CPU & GPU draw their current from the +12v rail), your system
with a gtx 750ti requires 20 +12v amps, your PSU has only 15+ 12v available which is typical of
a 250w PSU.

So, the brands you should consider are:
Seasonic, XFX, EVGA Supernova series, Corsair HX, TX, AX series. There are others, if you find
something that interests you post it here, we can evaluate.

As for what wattage to get, any good quality 350w & greater will suffice. I'd be looking at a 450w model
as that's where the most choices will be and the cost/performance ratio is good.

If you think you might be upgrading your GPU in the near future, then look fo a 550w model.

 

[Denis Sitar]

how about a antec 500w psu would it work fine or a MS TECH MS N650 VAL or a CORSAIR VS450 450W

 

[toyftw]

how about a antec 500w psu would it work fine or a MS TECH MS N650 VAL or a CORSAIR VS450 450W

The actual model #'s would be helpful, as Antec & Corsair have several versions of those
450 & 500 PSU's. Generally of those three, I'd opt for the Antec.

 

[Denis Sitar]

the antec one is Antec VP500PC EU 500W
specs: 1 x 24 pin ATX z odstranljivim 4 pin delom
1 x power 8 pin EPS12V z odstranljivim 4 pin ATX12V delom
3 x molex (4 pin)
4 x 15 pin Serial ATA
1 x 6 pin PCI express
1 x 4 PIN disketnik
- izhodni tokovi:
+5V - 19 A, +3.3V - 22 A, +12V1 - 24 A, +12V2 - 21 A, -12V - 0.3 A, +5VSB - 2.5 A
- tih 120 mm ventilator z dvojnimi krogličnimi ležaji
- učinkovitost do 82%
- termalni monitor za nastavljanje hitrosti vrtenja ventilatorja
- CircuitShield™ zaščite

its in difrent language

 

[Adroid]

Seasonic/XFX are the best for what you are looking for. 500W would be fine for your current system, but I always recommend a 650W PSU, because a good quality 650W PSU can run any single GPU card on the market. So if you ever want to upgrade to a better GPU, you won't have to buy a new PSU. That said I wouldn't recommend using a PSU for more than 6 years give or take, it's really up to you if you may need the additional capacity one day.

 

[toyftw]

the antec one is Antec VP500PC EU 500W
specs: 1 x 24 pin ATX z odstranljivim 4 pin delom
1 x power 8 pin EPS12V z odstranljivim 4 pin ATX12V delom
3 x molex (4 pin)
4 x 15 pin Serial ATA
1 x 6 pin PCI express
1 x 4 PIN disketnik
- izhodni tokovi:
+5V - 19 A, +3.3V - 22 A, +12V1 - 24 A, +12V2 - 21 A, -12V - 0.3 A, +5VSB - 2.5 A
- tih 120 mm ventilator z dvojnimi krogličnimi ležaji
- učinkovitost do 82%
- termalni monitor za nastavljanje hitrosti vrtenja ventilatorja
- CircuitShield™ zaščite

its in difrent language

Hi again - That Antec is fine & gives you some headroom as well.

 

[Denis Sitar]

ok thanks