Switching out a power supply- Need some advice!

[DFBHDTS]

Hi all,

I have a rather naff 700W PSU which I would like to exchange for a better, more reliable 800W PSU. I'm thinking of upgrading my GTX 770 to a 780Ti/880Ti so I could do with the extra power and a more reliable PSU!

My question is- Would somebody be able to provide a step by step guide on how to switch out a PSU?! I'm not a complete noobie as I know what all the components are inside my machine and I have switched out RAM and GPU before. But I'm just scared about unplugging all the PSU cables and trying to work out which ones go back in it's place, and if my new PSU I eventually purchase has the correct fittings to it. If not a step-by-step guide, a useful website or video?! Anything to give me a bit of confidence to do it myself!

I purchased my rig from Chillblast.com who are great and have neatly sorted out the cabling inside when they made it for me so I don't want to make a hash out of it and have wires everywhere!

Any help you could give me would be great. Below is my rig for reference.

Vantage Black Midi Mesh Gaming Case
Intel Core i7 3770K Processor Overclocked to up to 4.6GHz
Akasa Nero 3 Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste
Asus P8Z77-V Motherboard
16GB PC3-10666 1333MHz DDR3 Memory (2 x 8GB sticks)
Asus Direct CUII GTX 770 2GB OC
120GB Samsung 840 Series Solid State Drive
1000GB 7200RPM Hard Disk - 6Gbps
24x SATA DVD+/-RW Drive
Chillblast Basic 700W PSU
Onboard High Definition Audio
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

 

[prit87]

Hi all,

I have a rather naff 700W PSU which I would like to exchange for a better, more reliable 800W PSU. I'm thinking of upgrading my GTX 770 to a 780Ti/880Ti so I could do with the extra power and a more reliable PSU!

My question is- Would somebody be able to provide a step by step guide on how to switch out a PSU?! I'm not a complete noobie as I know what all the components are inside my machine and I have switched out RAM and GPU before. But I'm just scared about unplugging all the PSU cables and trying to work out which ones go back in it's place, and if my new PSU I eventually purchase has the correct fittings to it. If not a step-by-step guide, a useful website or video?! Anything to give me a bit of confidence to do it myself!

I purchased my rig from Chillblast.com who are great and have neatly sorted out the cabling inside when they made it for me so I don't want to make a hash out of it and have wires everywhere!

Any help you could give me would be great. Below is my rig for reference.

Vantage Black Midi Mesh Gaming Case
Intel Core i7 3770K Processor Overclocked to up to 4.6GHz
Akasa Nero 3 Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste
Asus P8Z77-V Motherboard
16GB PC3-10666 1333MHz DDR3 Memory (2 x 8GB sticks)
Asus Direct CUII GTX 770 2GB OC
120GB Samsung 840 Series Solid State Drive
1000GB 7200RPM Hard Disk - 6Gbps
24x SATA DVD+/-RW Drive
Chillblast Basic 700W PSU
Onboard High Definition Audio
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

its really easy just watch this video and u will have no problem...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea_bs5G1yYU

hope this helps

 

[DFBHDTS]

Video is great and very informative but it shows building a PC from scratch. I really just need some advice on how to swap out a PSU with a working built PC. Hints and tips and easy ways to do it? Like making sure all components are hooked up using the right cables as they were with old PSU etc.

Thanks for the video though. Will be helpful for when I eventually build a PC from scratch

 

[Luka Korica]

You are in a bit of a pickle here. Because your current PSU isn't modular. You need to turn your PC off and wait couple of minutes to reduce the risk of shock, wait for the capacitors to empty before you start any work on PC. I advise you to take a few pictures of the PC(MOBO, and all the cables), so you know where to put the cables back when you install the new PSU. Disconnect all cables from the MOBO and slide the old PSU out, insert the new one and put the cables back(consulting with the pictures you got). I recommend you to use the modular PSU due to its flexibility of cable management, and ease of use. This is a shortened process I left some details but the main thing has been sad.
I have included some links with guides how to do it, maybe visual guide is better for you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzolRkN7Eew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXGgK-Fpjfc

 

[DFBHDTS]

Cheers Luka Korica. I'm looking at getting a Corsair 860W modular PSU, link below

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-Professional-Series-Modular-Platinum/dp/B00A74X9RU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404205099&sr=8-2&keywords=corsair+800W+psu

This PSU should fit my case shouldn't it? I have no idea if they are different sizes or not. Pictures sound like my best bet for reference.

Cheers

 

[Pondering]

Easiest thing is to take pictures and look over each of types of connections

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139044 if you will click on the picture of the cables laid out on the table.

Since the cables are modular you could actually replace each cable as you remove the cable from your other power supply.

General List:
24 PIN ATX motherboard power cable
8 Pin CPU power
PCI - E plugs to GPU
SATA power cables to optical drives, hard drives and solid state drives
(FYI: the sata power cables always seem to be upside down so be patient with those)

Make to lay the tower on its side since your case mounts the power supply up on the top of the case.

There shouldn't be any reason why the AX 860i won't fit since it is a gaming tower, but it is a good idea to double check the specs on the tower.

 

[DFBHDTS]

Ok will do. However my PSU is in fact at the bottom of my case.

http://www.chillblast.com/images/P/P800-0390397-05.jpg

That's quite a genius solution by taking the old PSU out, putting the modular one in and literally just replacing as I go along. Probably a better solution.

 

[Pondering]

Guess I was watching the wrong video on youtube then. If it is bottom mounted, then there is no worries about the power supply not fitting.

Just look over the power supply connections (scroll to the bottom here) - http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/corsair_ax860i_psu_review,1.html

-the ones on the top left are the for the GPU 6+2 Pin connection (Yes, all 6 of them) since it comes with 6 or 3 pairs of PCI-E cable I would swap them out every 6 months plus that would prevent me from losing any of the modular cables if I were to do this.

-the ones on the top right are for SATA connections.

The bottom one is for the 24 pin ATX connections and it is a different size from everything else so it can't be mistaken but I don't have personal experience with it.

Just don't bother with cable management since it is a modular power supply. Plug everything in and get it up and running so that you aren't paranoid about messing something up.

I just let all my cables lie where they may especially since it is a modular power supply.

 

[DFBHDTS]

Thanks Pondering. You have given me that extra bit of confidence I needed to just go and do it. Thanks for everyone else for contributing too. Will get to buying my PSU now.

Cheers guys. Now to wait for 800 series GPUS!

 

[Luka Korica]

Easiest thing is to take pictures and look over each of types of connections

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139044 if you will click on the picture of the cables laid out on the table.

Since the cables are modular you could actually replace each cable as you remove the cable from your other power supply.

General List:
24 PIN ATX motherboard power cable
8 Pin CPU power
PCI - E plugs to GPU
SATA power cables to optical drives, hard drives and solid state drives
(FYI: the sata power cables always seem to be upside down so be patient with those)

Make to lay the tower on its side since your case mounts the power supply up on the top of the case.

There shouldn't be any reason why the AX 860i won't fit since it is a gaming tower, but it is a good idea to double check the specs on the tower.

Guess I was watching the wrong video on youtube then. If it is bottom mounted, then there is no worries about the power supply not fitting.

Just look over the power supply connections (scroll to the bottom here) - http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/corsair_ax860i_psu_review,1.html

-the ones on the top left are the for the GPU 6+2 Pin connection (Yes, all 6 of them) since it comes with 6 or 3 pairs of PCI-E cable I would swap them out every 6 months plus that would prevent me from losing any of the modular cables if I were to do this.

-the ones on the top right are for SATA connections.

The bottom one is for the 24 pin ATX connections and it is a different size from everything else so it can't be mistaken but I don't have personal experience with it.

Just don't bother with cable management since it is a modular power supply. Plug everything in and get it up and running so that you aren't paranoid about messing something up.

I just let all my cables lie where they may especially since it is a modular power supply.

I don't think that he can do that because His current PSU is not modular, or I might be wrong :/

 

[Luka Korica]

No problem man . Best of luck putting it in place.