Need Help Finding the Right PSU
- Thread starter Koroviev
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It will definitely work, but it's not a great PSU.Koroviev said:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-Elite-Power-460-W-Power-Supply-Review/1005/7
To summarize, this is the exact same PSU as the 400W version but with 1 different part - but they both topped out at 420W and then shut down (no explosions though so it's safe).
According to reviews, an i5 2500k with a 5670 is only pulling 135W in 3DMark 11 so yeah, it's still plenty ok.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-6570-radeon-hd-6670-turks,2925-15.html
Yes, unless you start doing some big hardware changes. Throwing in an X4 955 BE and overclocking, for example, might be a bad idea.Koroviev said:
I would recommend before pulling the trigger on this CM PSU, try to google for deals on Corsair or Antec units and see if you can get a price match maybe at a local store. If not then just go for the CM unit. It'll be fine with your hardware.
That's overkill my friend. Providing that PSU can deliver enough power on the 12V rails you can easily Crossfire with it.somonels said:
Thing is, people pay way too much attention to a PSU's wattage, and wattage is far from everything. I've seen 1000W PSU's that could do fuck-all. Equally important questions are; is this PSU from a respectable brand (makes them way less likely to hurt your computer if they go down), can this PSU deliver enough power on the right lines and is this PSU efficient?
Especially the latter should be looked at, a PSU with 80%+ efficiency is ideal.
For your computer, a 550W PSU from a respectable brand like Corsair, XFX, Antec or Thermaltake would do the trick just fine. If you're planning on overclocking and/or getting two GPU's in the future, I advice looking for a 650W or 700W PSU.
Fairly little. Some manufacturers clock their cards a little higher. The biggest difference is usually in the type of cooler they use. Worth looking at but not that much to worry about.Koroviev said:
Also, I reckon that your CPU will be a pretty decent bottleneck when you get that new GPU. Just sayin'. I'm not an expert but it looks pretty weak. Upgrading your videocard won't give you terrific value-for-money when the rest of your PC looks like that. I'd consider waiting, saving a little longer and assemble an entirely new PC from scratch. It's not like a budget gaming rig is very expensive anyway.
I edited my post. I expected as much, hence why I said budget gaming rig. It's just a silly thing to do when looking at value-for-money.Koroviev said:
A Frankenstein PC works for a while, but at one point you pass a threshold after which it's economically just silly to keep upgrading individual parts instead of buying a new PC. Your computer seems to have passed that threshold.
Really, over here you can get a budget gaming rig for under ?400. Not sure how prices are in Russia though.
You bought that for a little over $300? Yikes. But I'm just saying it's a bit silly from an economical p.o.v, that's all. In the long run it'd just be cheaper to buy a better computer now instead of upgrading that Frankenstein PC all the time. Especially if you manage to sell that old one.Koroviev said:
I mean, consider that you spend $300 on it initially. Add to that an almost $100 graphics card and, probably a $50+ PSU and, in the near future, a $100-ish CPU. That's an estimated $550 spend on a computer that still runs on, probably, an old motherboard and really slow RAM that'll bottleneck all the upgrades you bought.
Hence why selling that old system for, say, $200 and buying a completely new $500 or even $600 (as you can detract the cash you earn from your old system anyway) computer will be a way smarter economical decision.
Ouch. Well, still consider the little calculation I made in my previous post. Save up the money you want to spend on a PSU and GPU now, set it aside, set aside as much money as possible for a couple months, sell your old PC and get a new one.Koroviev said:
In the end, it'll save you money. In the short term it seems more expensive, but you have to look past that. Think long term, especially when you have to manage your money so carefully.
Remember for example that you own a refurbished, older computer. Fat chance that when you upgrade, the older parts run out not that long after. Means you'll keep spending money to keep the ol' chugger going.
I'm really not going to have any money to set aside. The only reason I have any extra money right now is because I sold an iPod I wasn't using. My main platform is a PS3. I would simply like a new GPU for better performance in Bastion and other games that come down the Steam sale pike.Cowabungaa said:
Edit: It's really not that old. It was refurbished by the manufacturer after being returned by a previous customer. It's simply a budget desktop.
Nothing whatsoever? Well, if there's really no chance you can't scrunch up, say, $300 in the next 3-4 months, then fair enough, it can't be helped. Just another case of Samuel Vimes' 'Boots' theory of socio-economic unfairness [http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/vimes].Koroviev said:
But in that case, I wouldn't shell out on an HD 6770. Get yourself a cheaper model that needs less power so you can keep your current PSU. The rest of your system will bottleneck a 6770 anyway.
This wasn't my ideal PC. It was simply what I could afford at the time. I didn't even pay for it in its entirety. I paid two-thirds of the cost and my parents were generous enough to help me out with the rest.Cowabungaa said:
However, the part about the card is pertinent. Will I be able to capitalize on the potential of an x750, or would I be better off going with an x670? My current card is an x650 and it barely makes the cut in games that are a few years old. It's also not very stable. At the very least, I would like to have a more stable card, preferably one that also provides better performance.
Some more in-depth details about your GPU and also your PSU would really help the tech-wizards in this topic.Koroviev said:
Am I, by the way, correct in that you've got an ATI Radeon HD 3650?
Taking a quick glance at what you've got though, I'd reckon an 5670 would do you nicely.