How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

[thelostswede]

Article: How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

Good read. Now when it comes to understanding that "more is less" for power consumption usage I tend to lean more toward this article as a great reference tool:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/techtalk_cont.php?area=en&tid=wh10_005

That's why I have and use both of these in my systems:

- Silverstone ST1500W
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=175

- LEPA G1600 (My current PSU - check my sig). The newer circuitry that's setup in this PSU for the size is simply the BEST out there. "...extremely low ripple... Gold efficiency... fully modular... what more needs to be said?" - OklahomaWolf. Just read the review and look at page 3 - Hot Testing (link below):
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=283

I'm sorry to say, but you clearly missed the point of my write up entirely. No-one needs a 1500 or 1600W unless you've got a system with dual CPU's and four graphics cards. And more isn't less, as you can get 500-600W 80 Plus Gold/Platinum PSU's these days.
You're clearly not who this article was targeting considering the kind of hardware you're using, but even so, I think you're going way above and beyond your actual needs.
That said, you're welcome to spend your cash on whatever you like, so enjoy your PSUs.

 

[thelostswede]

Article: How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

Very interesting in deed. To get a first grasp of your estimated power consumption I suggest this very detailed PSU calculator. You can even check which effect overclocking your CPU to a certain speed will have on the required PSU power. http://www.enermax.outervision.com

That's actually not too bad, they're overestimating a bit, but it's not as crazy as some other ones I've seen. That said, better get a little bit more power than not quite enough.

 

[thelostswede]

Article: How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

Very enlightening!
One factor I have come to attach a lot of importance to is noise.
After trying power supplies from OCZ and Corsair which had good reviews but turned out to have quite audible fans, I found one that I'm really happy with, the Fortron Aurum 400 W -- a "80 PLUS Gold" labeled one. In Europe this sells for ca 50 Euro (60 US$) -- somewhat pricey, but it has a FR4 pcb rather than bakelite or varnished cardboard as some of the cheaper Chinese brands, and it's still a lot cheaper than the truly fan-less ones, and unless one puts one's ear right up against the case, its fan turns so slowly that it's inaudible.

Indeed, noise is a factor for many people, but it's not something that the manufacturers spec actually tells you anything about and this is why I didn't include it. I'm not familiar with your PSU, but Fortron Source (FSP) is a well known manufacturer.
Considering that your PSU passed 80 Plus Gold it won't be using any cheap components, as that certification pretty much means that it has to use high-end components to reach the rated power efficiency.

 

[krautzman]

Personally I do like the Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution Series PSU's. Fully modular , great air flow through. Magnetic filter screen included. Excellent voltage clipping and ripple specs. The inbuilt capacitors on the leads helps to fully balance out any remaining power ripples.

Overall a great product IMHO.

Not a bad article btw Swede

 

[thelostswede]

Article: How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

Personally I do like the Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution Series PSU's. Fully modular , great air flow through. Magnetic filter screen included. Excellent voltage clipping and ripple specs. The inbuilt capacitors on the leads helps to fully balance out any remaining power ripples.

Overall a great product IMHO.

Not a bad article btw Swede

Is that the new fan filter that's almost like a "pair of nylons" in terms of material? As those fan filters are really nice.

Expensive PSU's though, but if you have the money...

 

[thelostswede]

Article: How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

Yes, I do enjoy my PSUs and no, I didn't miss the point. Just making another one that's just as valid. Did you read the article that I provided? Here it is again:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/techtalk_cont.php?area=en&tid=wh10_005

Sure, you can buy a lesser wattage PSU (as most people do), and what your article was leaning towards and all your details as to why. All I was saying (through the Silverstonetek.com link), is that you will draw and use less electricity over time with a higher Wattage PSU. Hence the reason why I said: "more is less." In the end you will save more over a corse of an 18 to 24 month period in your electric bill over the difference paid for a ST1500 ($300) vs a 850W PSU ($190). Plus, it will extend the life of your PSU. That's all that I referring to and just wanted others to see the flip side of your article so they can decide between the two. Later...

Obviously you don't understand what you're reading then. That's not what the Silverstone article is saying at all. What it is saying is that you should get a PSU where your system load hits the optimal point in the PSU's power inefficiency curve, as most power supplies have a certain range where they're the most efficient, usually somewhere between 50-80 percent load. The article is also quite skewed and doesn't apply to all PSU designs.
Your example is terribly flawed and it's pretty clear that you don't have a good knowledge about how PSU's work if you think you can save $110 in 18-24 months on your electricity bill if you got a 1500W 80 Plus gold PSU over an 850W 80 Plus gold PSU, as not even if you had the 800W load in the example (which you and just about no-one else here will have) will you save that much money in such a short period of time. On top of that, if you don't hit at least somewhere around 40 percent load, you're not even close to hitting the ideal load of the PSU and might actually end up getting less than the rated 80 Plus certification,
Each to their own as I said, but your advice isn't correct.

 

[thierry37]

Can you sshare a bit your config with us. Are you only hitting 40% of your 1500W ??

What hardware you have to draw the 600W?

I totally follow the Swede on his thoughts. It's clear from manufacturers info. You have to hit around 80% to have the best efficiently. Not just 40%.

 

[mrhooks]

I've been using the Seasonic X-650. It's quiet, but it runs very hot. Its fan hardly ever turns on. It's also a little pricey if you don't find a deal (I was lucky to find it for ~35% off).

 

[krautzman]

Article: How to pick a Power Supply Unit that matches your hardware

Is that the new fan filter that's almost like a "pair of nylons" in terms of material? As those fan filters are really nice.

Expensive PSU's though, but if you have the money...

Yeah , the filters are fine.. Quite a nice setup really with the inbuilt magnets , but I don't need to use them as my Antec P280 case already has inbuilt PSU filters.

And yep they are slightly more expensive PSU's but well built and super stable...which for overclocking use is what you want.

 

[Xipper]

One important element that is missing is the discussion about how the load impacts efficiency. Any of you that buy a 1600W power supply and are only drawing 150W from it are never going to get the efficiency rating of that PSU. The deficiency ratings are generally in the range of 20%-50% of rated capacity for the given PSU, if you have 1600W PSU then you must be drawing at least 320W to get the efficiency spec.

I am using a Kingwin AP-550 which is one of the smallest Platinum rated PSUs out there. It is completely silent right now because the PSU fan itself has never turned on, as I am only drawing 60-120W with the lack of a discrete GPU. This is on an i7-3770K + 32GB that is OCd, water cooling, 2 SSDs, 1 Velociraptor, 1 7200rpm SATA drives, and an optical drive...but only using the HD4000. The AP-550 is one of the most efficient power supplies on the market, but it doesn't hit 92% efficiency until 100W of load. At my current load it is operating in the 88-90% range typically, according to the tests conducted by Tech Power Up.

As others have mentioned, most of the commentators are missing the point...more is not less. Bragging that you have a 3000W power supply gets you nowhere.