Which power supply should I get

[Slickzor]

Hello people,

I have a problem regarding my power supply (Coolermaster Silent Pro 600W). The voltages are fluctuating constantly in the BIOS and also when I'm monitoring them with HWMonitor. This causes my computer to be highly unstable (freezing up, crashing etc.). I think this is because my power supply can't handle my PC.

I want to buy a new power supply but I want the best price/quality wise and I keep in mind an upgrade of my Graphics Card in the future with which I don't want to buy a new power supply again (NO SLI).


What follows are my current PC specs :

PROC: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 Socket 1336LGA @ 3.07GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.1GHz
http://azerty.nl/0-912-212478/processor-1-x-intel-core-i7-.html

MOBOAsus Rampage III Gene x58
http://azerty.nl/0-844-307295/asus-rampage-iii-gene-republic.html
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/06/10 11:34:41 Ver: 08.00.15

GPUNVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 Display Memory: 4069 MB Dedicated Memory: 869 MB Shared Memory: 3199 MB

MEMORY4x 2GB Geil DDR3 1600MHZ PC12800 Memory (GV34GB1600C8DC)

HARDDRIVE Western Digital 1TB SATA 7200RPM

OPTICAL DVD +RW/-RW burner



What would be wise to buy as a power supply? Not too expensive please.

I know that my Geforce will need replacement in about a year or so, don't really have the money for it now and don't want to spend it either. I'm NOT! planning on going SLI, so I don't need the extra power for it.


Hope you guys can help me!


ps. Sorry for the Dutch links, i wanted to make sure i didn't link the wrong Motherboard and CPU (hope the specs are still clear, IF YOU NEED MORE INFO JUST TELL ME)

 

[sportsfanboy]

All you need is a good quality 500w power supply as long as your not going to be sli or crossfire in the future. Check out this review for the seasonic 520w it's actually 59.00 at newegg.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=185

 

[Slickzor]

Well i got a Coolermaster Silent Pro 600 Watts right now, does this simply mean my power supply is broken? I used this Antec program from a different topic and it tells me I need at least 720 Watts of power:

http://www.antec.outervision.com/PSUEngine

I don't know if the website is that coloured that it would give false data?

These are the voltages that HWMonitor gives me:

---------------------- Value --------------- Min --------------------- Max
CPU VCore ---------- 0.96V --------------- 0.94V --------------------- 1.24V
VIN1 ----------------- 1.77V --------------- 1.76V --------------------- 1.77V
+3.3V ---------------- 3.34V --------------- 3.34V --------------------- 3.34V
+5V -----------------4.97V --------------- 4.97V --------------------- 4.97V
+12V ---------------11.43V --------------- 11.43V --------------------- 11.43V
VIN6 ---------------- 1.11V --------------- 1.11V --------------------- 1.11V

CPU Vcore constantly changes within range (however, the Min and Max also change. For instance now they are this and a few minutes lates it's Min = 0.96V and Max = 1.19V)
CPU Powers constantly change within range
CPU Currents constantly change within range
Processor Powers constantly changes within range

Does this mean the power supply is all well or is it broken, or not giving enough power (regarding the +12V = 11.43V)

Sorry for the questions but I don't want to buy something AGAIN that isn't broken (It could also be my Memory that is messing with my computer, so that could also be a reason why it's so unstable... but that's a guess..)

I have no clue about power supplies, since I've never really looked in to them. That's why i figured I'd give you this information

Thanks!

 

[thechief73]

Hi Slickzor, it looks like to me your 12v is way to low and the 5v is just a tiny bit below normal(or at least what I am use to seeing). A 600w PSU is more than enough power for your PC, as sportsfanboy said "All you need is a good quality 500w power supply". So it would appear to me that your PSU is expeirencing some kind of PSU problem or failure.

 

[delluser1]

You entered something wrong in the calculator.
You've used the software, get a DMM and double check the voltage manually.

 

[Slickzor]

Hello Chief, Well i think i'm going to have to try a new power supply then. I got a 600 watts Maxdata at my parents home as well. Would it be wise to pick this up? I used it in an old PC (for which is was back then totally overpowered) which I don't use anymore. Shall i give that a try and if that doesn't work just buy a new one? Or is it not wise to put it in there in the first place?

I still have a warranty on my Coolermaster so I'm just going to return that one then since the voltages are too low. So, put in the Maxdata oldie and see if it runs smoothly or just get the Seasonic from Sportsfanboy?

EDIT: And there you go, great sign of my noobyness regarding power supplies haha. Anyways, what was the Wattage you got when filling it in delluser?

Appreciate all the help guys! Really!

 

[thechief73]

Well, first off I would not go on my word alone best wait for some more opinions, because I dont want to steer you wrong and I not 100% confident when it comes to saying whats a good voltage, I can only go on my little expierence with my own PC's.

It would be a good idea to try the spare PSU that you have as long as it was working ok when you stoped using it, it will not cause any problems or harm and it would be a good way to diagnose the problem, make sure to clean the dust out of it though. If the spare fixes it then you know for sure what was happening.

After that, Yes, get the Coolermaster replaced if your spare resolves the PC problems you have been having and your voltages look better.

The Seasonic that sportsfanboy listed is a nice PSU, Seasonic is at the top when it comes to making them, but dont buy one blindly without testing with your PC with the spare first.

 

[delluser1]

EDIT: what was the Wattage you got when filling it in delluser?

Didn't fill it in, no idea what other peripherals you may have, just know from having a similar base system.

 

[Slickzor]

Thanks, that will help me a lot. I'm going to try the spare part then first(if it fits). I can get that Seasonic for 70 euro close by so that shouldn't be much of a problem.

I've replaced the CPU and Motherboard so it's out of the question that that's causing it. I've checked my DIMM's after 20 hours 2 of them gave 1 slight error in memtest. The others were fine. So i pulled the ones with the errors out (which left me with 4gb DDR3), same thing happened, computer was unstable. I really recon it's the power supply. I'll come back here as soon as I know for sure! Thanks a lot for the help!

Oke thanks delluser1

 

[Emperus]

The silent pro M600 is one of the better PSU's from the CoolerMaster camp.. However it does not do that good to lift them up to the standards of Seasonic (agree with thechief here that those +12V readings look very low).. The S12II 520W is an excellent PSU and will serve you well even when you opt for a better and more powerful video card.. Am not sure on you giving the Maxdata a try though.. Definitely not recommended
If you are not sure that its safe..

P.S. - Your ram setup is rather strange.. The X58 operates ram in triple channel configuration.. So you'll fetch better benefits while using a 3 x 2GB config rather than a 2 x 2GB or a 4 x 2GB config..

 

[Slickzor]

Yeah it is strange that it doesn't work well indeed. I'll go for the S12II 520W if I can't get the maxdata to work. It worked perfectly with my former computer, I don't see why it's dangerous to put it in this one. Or is it really unwise to do so and might I be able to mess up my PC with it? In that case I go straight for the Seasonic.

I know it's triple channel, sucky part is, I bought these chips for a different motherboard which supported dual channel. Well, I'm just going to have to sell one or keep a spare one then I guess. I already thought it was a bit odd, thanks for pointing it out again .

 

[delluser1]

I know it's triple channel, sucky part is, I bought these chips for a different motherboard which supported dual channel. Well, I'm just going to have to sell one or keep a spare one then I guess. I already thought it was a bit odd, thanks for pointing it out again .

Your board supports 4 dimms in Tri channel mode, read the manual

 

[Slickzor]

I read the manual, and it says that on page 21 indeed. But support and performance are different things... You think I should keep it this way then and just get a new power supply?

 

[delluser1]

The memory will perform the same, there's just more of it.
I don't trust software voltage readings, you'll find that to be the case with many of the veterans here, but a reading as low as what you are getting deserves a second opinion.
I think you should try to get your hands on a DMM and manually check the psu voltage's before spending the money on a new psu.

 

[kikireeki]

The only slightly abnormal reading in your voltage is the +12v rail which is on the edge of the tolerance rate, others are ok.

I would suggest you to RMA the PSU and get a new one, but I do not think it is the problem. so better to look elsewhere like the ram and pc temps

 

[Slickzor]

It can only be the RAM or PSU, I've done extensive tests on RAM which worked properly for 14 hours straight in Memtest (each DIMM seperate), 2 of them gave 1 error in that time. I pulled those out, put in the ones that should work properly, exactly the same problem as I had before. Also used the RAM on a different CPU and Motherboard, same problem (both compatible with the RAM).

It is incredibly weird that the RAM doesn't work on both Motherboards, but what about the readings Memtest gave me which shows that there is no problem with them whatsoever. The only things I can still replace are the DIMMs and the PSU.

- So I've got abnormal readings with my PSU
- I got Memory that isn't working properly on two different Motherboards whilst Memtest confirms them to be oke (this means it could still be a PSU issue).

I see 2 vs 1 here in favor of the broken PSU, I've been too so much hassle with bad components already that I want to do it right this time. No more money down the drain.

I can't get a hold of a DMM, and I wouldn't know how to do that in the first place delluser1. Btw, my Bios says it exceeds the +12V line, but when in Windows using the HWmonitor it shows 11.43V. Seems like a power loss to me. And the voltages are constantly changing in BIOS as well.

The exact problem with my PC is that it freezes up from time to time (regardless of 4gb or 8gb), which kicks me out of games i'm playing or let me wait around 30 seconds or more for it to unfreeze. This also happens whilst roaming the PC, rendering video with rendering software, surfing on the internet (with whatever browser). This happens in random intervals.

Really hope you can point me in the right direction. New DIMMs or new PSU?

Thanks a lot for the help so far, really appreciate it!

edit: In the booklet it says that the 1333mhz Geil memory is compatible but in the 1600mhz list there is no listing whatsoever of any Geil memory. Mine is simply not in the list.... I've got a feeling this is bad?

 

[thechief73]

edit: In the booklet it says that the 1333mhz Geil memory is compatible but in the 1600mhz list there is no listing whatsoever of any Geil memory. Mine is simply not in the list.... I've got a feeling this is bad?

Hi Slickzor, Just because you memory is not on the QVL of your motherboard does not mean its incompatible or does not work with it. It just means that the motherboard company did not test that particular set of RAM with that particular board.

 

[delluser1]

I can't get a hold of a DMM, and I wouldn't know how to do that in the first place delluser1.

If you could, we could help with that.

+1 for thechief; Memory not on the list doesn't mean that's it not compatible.

 

[Slickzor]

Thanks for the confirmation that there is probably no compatibility problem chief and delluser.

I changed the other post (didn't notice I had new responses) where I wrote that the voltage settings of +12V are set to 12+ and the readings give 11.43V in HWMonitor. The voltages in BIOS keep changing too (especially the DRam).

I think the best thing to do is just buy a new power supply and see where it leads me. I'm thinking about the Seasonic S12 II Bronze 520W that of which I was provided a review on page one. Since I'm planning on expanding with a new GPU in the future (which will probably take up a lot more power) I would like some confirmation if this will give enough power with for instance the latest Nvidia graphics card now say a GTX580 (price down in a year equals a new card I would buy in a year)(Antec Power Supply Calculator gives me 474Watts with a GTX 480) Since the power supply I have now isn't performing as it should in the first place I can just send it back with warranty to the manufacturer whom will send me a new one which I can then sell.

Thanks for answering all my questions so far (I've asked quite a lot already)!

 

[thechief73]

Also used the RAM on a different CPU and Motherboard, same problem (both compatible with the RAM). It is incredibly weird that the RAM doesn't work on both Motherboards.

So you have tried your RAM on a known working motherboard that supports it but it did not work? Are you sure that all the RAM moduals you are using are the exact same model or at least the same specifications? Have you tried using 3 sticks of RAM? OK you can probably forget about all of the above after reading your last two posts, but I'll leave it there anyhow.

And even so, this still does not address you low +12v readings. And I would put my vote on a RMA of your PSU and sell the replacement, buy the SeaSonic S12II 520w to put in your PC for good measure. If you order from Newegg today you may get it before the end of the week.

As for upgrading you GPU, it really depends on how long you are going to wait and how high of performance you are looking for. As they manufacture the newer models with better architecture and shrink the die processes of the GPU's in a year or two will be much more efficient than the high watage ones that are out currently.

 

[Slickzor]

Thechief73, already deleted that post because I thought it was obvious in my head already and rephrased it in the other post (when I posted the 2 above it gave me an error telling me the topic didn't exist, hence the 2 different posts with the same info). I tried everything with the RAM settings/setups. Nothing works well. All are 100% equal.

I can get the SeaSonic S12II-520Bronze within 2 days from a nearby Dutch vendor for almost the same price (I'm a Dutchy), so that shouldn't be much of a problem. The vendor also has the SeaSonic M12II-620Bronze, is +100 watts for 10 euro extra worth the money?

I'm looking to buy a GTX480 - GTX580 or something equal when the price is cut to around 300 euro or less. You think that Seasonic PSU can handle that?

 

[kikireeki]

Get a value Kingston ram and save yourself a headache and trust me you won't notice any performance difference!!
as for the PSU, as I mentioned earlier the 12v is not below acceptable rate but not as it should be from a 600w PSU AND it has Nothing to do with your problem and since you have mentioned the ram error then it is most likely the problem!
And memtest negatives (no errors detected) are unreliable.

 

[thechief73]

I'm looking to buy a GTX480 - GTX580 or something equal when the price is cut to around 300 euro or less. You think that Seasonic PSU can handle that?

Here is a link with detailed information on the power use of those cards and many others: GTX480 - GTX580 The 480 actually needs more power than he newer 580.

This is from Newegg.com product specs. for the GTX480 - Minimum of a 600 Watt power supply. (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 42 Amps.)

This is product specs. for the GTX580 - nvidia website states a minimum 600 watt psu requirement for the GTX 580, the evga website also says that there is a minimum 42 amps on the +12v rail.

With that said the SeaSonic M12II-620Bronze will be your better choice and I Think it will do the job, but I would have to look into it a bit more to be 100% sure.

Ok, from what I have read that your TOTAL system power usage would be MAX of 480w with the GTX 480 and 452w with the GTX 580. So really the SeaSonic S12II-520Bronze would work, but the SeaSonic M12II-620Bronze will give you and the PSu some extra headroom to breath.

 

[Slickzor]

I think I'll just go for the 620 then, at least I'm sure then. And it's only 10 euro extra which isn't that much really for a 100W extra.

@Kikireeki, I can't just replace the RAM at the store since a compatibility issue is not part of the RMA and I think I only have manufacturers warranty left (already got them for around 9 months). And it's not only about the voltage rates only, it fluctuates badly, which I've never had before thus I'm seeing it as an error (correct me if I'm wrong). In the end, getting a new power supply will only cost me around 30 euro in total (minus the recieved funds from selling the old one), getting new similar RAM will cost me around 150 euro and I don't think i can get a lot of money (if at all) for the Geil ones since they then don't work properly.

By the way Kiki, I see some sort of contradiction in your equation. First you say I should get new RAM because I had errors with memtest, and then you say that memtest is unreliable if it says there are no errors. That would mean the problem is total rubbish and the results shouldn't be regarded as truth in the first place. Am I right?

So I'm actually saving myself the headache since I'll know for sure what it is when I buy a new power supply excluding any other factors from the equation, and save me money (the only thing that CAN be the problem if the power supply wasn't it is my memory). And if I want to upgrade my GPU than at least I have a power supply that can handle it properly.

I can always buy some more RAM if that's truly necessary, it's just an annoying dilemma since some say it is probably a PSU problem and others state it's probably a RAM problem.

Might it come to needing new RAM, what would you guys recommend? I just need powerful RAM for a decent price, for rendering video and gaming. How much GB would I need and at what speeds?

 

[kikireeki]

I think I'll just go for the 620 then, at least I'm sure then. And it's only 10 euro extra which isn't that much really for a 100W extra.

If you are considering a PSU upgrade, go for a 750W trusted brand.

By the way Kiki, I see some sort of contradiction in your equation. First you say I should get new RAM because I had errors with memtest, and then you say that memtest is unreliable if it says there are no errors. That would mean the problem is total rubbish and the results shouldn't be regarded as truth in the first place. Am I right?

Memtest is like a (money checking machine) when it detects a fake money then it is absolutely fake, but when the money passes it doesn't necessarily mean a valid money!