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Power supply

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Dec 30, 2013
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Motherboard
GA-Z97X-UDH5
CPU
i5-4690K
Graphics
GTX950
Hi,

it's been a long time since I've build my own computer. Last time the PSU came with the case... :)
The recommend power supply for the budget build is a Corsair Modular 650W. The linked typed is currently not available in the German Amazon store. So I'm looking for alternatives.

The build is going to be without a dedicated GPU for now. But I would like to have that option. How many Watts do I need? This will be single single card only and nothing too fancy.

Efficiency is a big plus here as the machine will be running 24/7. Should that be 'Gold' then?

Thanks!
 
Hi,

it's been a long time since I've build my own computer. Last time the PSU came with the case... :)
The recommend power supply for the budget build is a Corsair Modular 650W. The linked typed is currently not available in the German Amazon store. So I'm looking for alternatives.

The build is going to be without a dedicated GPU for now. But I would like to have that option. How many Watts do I need? This will be single single card only and nothing too fancy.

Efficiency is a big plus here as the machine will be running 24/7. Should that be 'Gold' then?

Thanks!

I always try to get the most efficient psu possible. Usually gold rated is a good choice from a
price perspective. For a gfx card addition later on get at least 500W for a mid range card or
650W for a higher end card like a GTX 770. Take a look at the Seasonic G series if you can
get those in Germany.
 
Use a site like PCPartsPicker or a Power Supply Calculator to estimate your power needs. Once you figure out how many Watts you need, you may want to add about 100 watts for overhead. More if you plan on adding big graphics cards or several hard drives later. Also, all power supplies lose wattage as they age. Cheap ones can loose 50-100 watts in the first year. Nicer units, much less. You get what you pay for.

Just about everything draws from 12 volts these days. Once you find your total Wattage need (including overhead and expansion) take the wattage and divide it by 12 (for 12 volts). So 500 watts / 12 volts = ~42. This tell you to look for a power supply with 42 AMPS on the 12 volt rails. Don't just look at the overall box rating. You can also take the AMPs rating and multiply by 12 to get the total 12 volt wattage (AMPS X VOLTS = WATTS).

Look at product descriptions or the PSU stickers and look for the +12V section. This should tell you how many 12 volt amps are available. Sometimes you'll see 12v1, 12v2 (and even 12v3). This means the amperage is split among multiple rails. This can be good in terms of safety/heat, but bad if your power usage isn't balanced properly. If 12v1 has 20 amps and 12v2 has 20 amps...if you only have a draw of 10 amps on 12v1, you don't get the extra 10 amps on 12v2 if your system needs it. A power supply can only provide max amperage to 1 rail. Mostly because these aren't true multi-rail units (a rarity). My preference is single rail units.

If you shop by 12v Amps and not box ratings, you should end up with a power supply that can satisfy your needs well.

If efficiency is important an 80 Plus rating of Gold or Platinum should suffice. As trs96 said, Gold is probably the better price point. A platinum would probably double the cost. Corsair RM Series is my favorite 80 Plus Gold. Their 450 watt RM series actually provides 450 watts of 12 volt power.

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00F4UYVZ6/?tag=tonymacx8603-21
 
Thanks for the tips and the links. I put together my system and got 200W without GPU and 360W with.
To be a bit on the safer side I took your recommended model at 550W.

Again, thanks for tips & help!
 
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