[SOLVED] Which PSU: Corsair CV550 / Seasonic S12III-550 / any other suggestions?

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Aug 14, 2020
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Hi!

I need a power supply for my new PC build. Budget: $50 -$70.
I know I won't be able to get a very good/long lasting one for that amount of money, but it should: last for a few months without frying any of my other components; have 20+4/24 pin cable for the mobo, 4 pin for the CPU, 6+2/8 pin PCIe for the GPU; handle office work + the occasional weekend-long gaming sessions (think open world, but no multiplayers); preferably not be very noisy; 500W minimum (preferably 550W). No RGB or any other "shiny" stuff necessary, doesn’t matter what it looks like.

Here's my list of components:
  • motherboard: MSI B450M-A PRO MAX (micro-ATX)
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (3rd gen) + Wraith Stealth cooler
  • GPU: XFX Radeon RX 570 RS 8GB GDDR5 256-bit
  • RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 16GB DDR4 3000MHz CL16 Dual Channel Kit
  • SSD: Kingston A2000 500GB PCI Express 3.0 x4 M.2 2280
  • HDD: Western Digital Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM
  • monitor: Dell SE2717H 27.0" 1920x1080 75Hz
  • case: Segotep S3 Black
  • optical drive: an older LG DVD-RW
  • one case fan (I’ll probably add more later)
I shopped around and it seems that my only options from reputable brands are Corsair CV550 ($66) or Seasonic S12III-550 ($72). Both are a little bit more than what I had planned to spend, but I don’t see a lot of good alternatives. There are lots of other options, from various brands, but I don’t know if their products are decent (e.g.: a lot of cheaper Thermaltake products, but I hear those aren’t any good).

I just found a Corsair CV650 for $76. It’s a bit too expensive, but if it makes a noticeable difference(in terms of quality), I’d choose it over CV550 or S12III-550. Not for the extra wattage though, I probably don’t need that much power.

So, what should I go with? Are these even valid options? Do you have other suggestions within my budget?

This is where I’m shopping:
https://www.pcgarage.ro/surse/filtr...tere-500/general-tip-atx/pret-48-pana-la-310/?
or
https://www.emag.ro/surse-pc/filter...t,intre-59-si-350/vendor/emag/sort-priceasc/c

It’s not in English, but I think you can get an idea about what’s available (manufacturers in the left column, under “Producator”/ “Brand”).

Thanks!


ETA:
I should add that I received some good recommendations from some nice people around here on an earlier post, like: Corsair TX550M, Corsair CX550, Seasonic S12II/M12II 520W/620W. I’ve looked into all of them, but they're either above what I can afford to spend this month and/or not even available.

It doesn’t really seem to be the best time to buy a PSU. I’ve been monitoring the market for the last couple of weeks. Products are frequently out of stock and prices are fluctuating. I think we’re starting to see the effects of the pandemic around here. I wouldn’t buy now if I didn’t have to.
 
Solution
CV650 is a fair bit better than the CV550 as the differences are more than just wattage.

I would avoid the S12iii and instead choose the CV650 is at all possible.
Aug 14, 2020
10
2
15
CV650 is a fair bit better than the CV550 as the differences are more than just wattage.

Got it.

The CX450M's price is ok. It’s almost the same as the CV650 ($74 vs $76). I just didn’t think it would be an option, because the GPU manufacturer recommends a 550W GPU. PCPartPicker gave me ~340W and the RealHardTechX list says I need 500W. So I thought I’d better stay on the safe side, and get what the manufacturer recommends, which is why I filtered out anything below 500W.

Do you think I should go for the CX450M instead of CV650? I know it's better quality, but is it going to provide enough power?
I'm going to use this PC mostly for work, but I do have my one-more-dungeon periods every now and then, and it's never just one more… J
 
Aug 14, 2020
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Hmm, so no room for upgrade either way. I think I’ll go for the CV650 to make sure I have the needed power. On the other hand, I kind of hope I won’t use a lot of watts very often… I extracted some specifications from JonnyGURU’s website for the TX, CX and CV series to an Excel spreadsheet and the CV650 seems to be the noisiest 650W PSU (but still quieter than what I have now)…

Thanks, NightHawk!
 
Aug 14, 2020
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Yep, you do remember correctly and you're right about the CXM too. I really should check my email more often to see the notifications from Tom's Hardware. :)
I ordered the CV650 last night and it already came in about an hour ago. These guys deliver fast. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping that it'll work. As long as it holds on for a few months and it doesn't take any components with it when it dies, it should be fine. I might save to get an actually decent one on Black Friday.
Thanks again and have a fantastic weekend! :)
 
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