Power Supply Advice

[HugorHill]

Hello,

I'm going to be building a hackintosh based off of the buying guide components. I currently have the Corsair RM650 that's recommended in my shopping cart. I noticed the RM750 is on sale for $5 less. I know...only five bucks, but saving five bucks sounds really great at this point.

My questions is, is the 750 overkill? I've seen some opinions mention that you need to be in a certain range to maximize efficiency and if you had too much juice it might make it inefficient, but that's outside my area of knowledge.

Initially, I plan on running just onboard graphics then upgrading to something beefier within a few months or so.

Right now, I'm set on

i7-4770k
Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H
(2) Crucial M500 120GB SSD
Crucial M500 240GB SSD

I am a CS student, so I'm basically building this to be able to access OSX, Linux, and windows to write code mainly at the moment. Right now I just code on my Surface Pro (which has been great) for java and c++, puTTy into a linux box at school for any C or script stuff, and we're about to start working with xcode which is one of the main reason I'm building a hackintosh.

My intentions are to eventually add a good video card and use the system to do some graphics programming, rendering, and probably play some battlefield.

I'm close to just pulling the trigger on the power supply but just wanted to make sure I was making a good decision.

Thanks in advance for any advice, greatly appreciate it.

 

[zaptoons]

You'll be more than fine with the 750. While 750W a bit overkill, it won't make that much real world difference. It's not like PSUs run all the time using their full rated wattage. It should just use what your system needs with that much more overhead.

I do have to say this though: while the recommended PSUs are undoubtedly great, personally I find them overkill. It's nice to have a modular design, but really you don't *have* to have it. I find just zip-tying and tucking my unused cables into an empty drive bay keeps things neat enough, and non modular PSUs tend to cost a lot less. I've been building rock stable, reliable PCs since the late 90s and I've never spent $120 on a PSU.

If you really wanted to save a bit of money, I'd recommend shopping for a lower cost (but still high quality, high rated, 80+, good brand) PSU in the 500-700w /$60-$100 range.

You can even find modular PSUs in that range, and Corsair as well. I'm just personally not aware of anything that's that special about the recommended PSUs that they need to cost so much just for the fairly average systems most of our Hacks really are. (Most are not that exotic by way of PCs, like dual CPUs, multiple GPUs, server hardware, etc.)

My sig system (upgraded several times) has been running perfectly for 5 years now on a 600W Rosewill PSU I bought for $50.

Just sayin'. Don't skimp on quality, but you could really cut down on expense for a PSU.

 

[HugorHill]

Thanks for the advice, I went ahead with the 750. I'm getting a little OCD as I get older and the fully modular and quietness appealed to me. I looked at a Seasonic and some other Corsairs that were similarly priced after seeing your advice. I think I just hit the wall and said screwed it after dealing with shifting sands that are component prices this weekend. Of course was snake bit again and the RM650 went down $20 overnight. Needed to pull the trigger and move forward though. I should have just snagged everything on Friday but thought I'd sleep on it over the weekend and I'd say that indecision cost me about $85 bucks or so from price adjustments on the cpu, ram, and ssd's.

Regardless, I'm happy with what will be showing up at my door soon and that the 750 will fit into my plans okay. So, I am pretty stoked about the hackintosh and can't wait to get down and dirty. Thanks again for the help.

 

[comma1234]

Wattage only indicates the maximum flow the PSU is capable of delivering. If your system only draws 100 watts, either a 650 or 750 will only use 100 watts. The biggest difference is in how efficiently a power supply will produce that 100 watts of power. That's where the 80 Plus rating comes in (Bronze, Gold, Platinum, etc). While every manufacturer is different, generally speaking, a 750 watt PSU producing 100 watts will be more efficient than a 650 watt PSU.

Of course there are many more variables, but to answer your question, get the 750 if the Corsair RM is what you want to get and is cheaper. Concerning Corsair's RM series specifically: these PSUs are fanless up to 40% load. So getting a higher wattage version will let you draw more power without activating the fan, keeping your system quieter.

Another reason to get a larger power supply than you need right now is future-proofing. I still have power supplies I put in systems 3 build generations ago. Some of the connectors may have changed, but you can usually find adapters. But if you get a really good unit, it should last you for decades.

You can read more of my thoughts on power supplies here.

 

[trs96]

In my experience paying a little more for a better quality PSU pays much bigger
dividends than spending more on the case, ram or even the motherboard.
As Zaptoons mentioned, a high build quality PSU can last a really long time and
run trouble free. A poor quality PSU can lead to system instability, use more
electricity and actually damage other components. Saving a few dollars will
then end up costing a lot more in the long run. Bottom line: Don't try to
cheap out on your Power Supply, it doesn't make any sense.

 

[zaptoons]

I totally agree with don't cheap out advice.

I just was wanted to note for anyone unsure, this doesn't directly translate to "you HAVE to spend $120 in order to get a high quality PSU". You certainly can, but you can also get high quality PSUs in the $60-$100 range. Many even with higher end features like quiet/silent performance, modular, and certainly a good 80 plus rating.

I'm certianly one to point out that cheaping out on a PSU can lead to lockups and system instability, and often a person won't know its the PSU causing the problem. Judge quality based on stats, user reviews, and quality brands, not just the price.

 

[trs96]

you can also get high quality PSUs in the $60-$100 range. Many even with higher end features

+1
The 50-80 US dollar price range and 80+ bronze or higher, along with a name brand will
usually be adequate. I've always used that formula too, along with reading reviews by
professional reviewers. Seasonic is consistently rated most reliable, with brands like
Corsair and Antec a close second. For most builders 1000W Platinum PSUs are way
overkill for non-professional use. My definition of cheap refers to price and build
quality. You can often find $19.99 power supplies rated at a fictitious 500W made by
or branded with "MAX" or whatever in the name and they are very cheaply made with
low quality components. That's how I'd define going cheap. Stay far away from those.
Newegg will often give $15-20 rebates on many of the Corsair models that's usually
the best way to save some cash on a psu.