buying new PSU

[BombaTwist]

i want to know what is a good 450W-500W PSU there is

mine is 400W and i think its crap, it runs very slow. My Current PSU =/. so i was thinking of buying another that is between 450W and 500W more if at a cheap price. price range maybe around 80 bucks but try to go as low as you can go please =). i found a couple but i dont really know if they would fit in my case. here is the size of my current PSU

5.55W 3.25H 5.81D inches

and here are some of the PSUs i found:

500W Glacier Dual LED Fan Computer Power Supply

ASPIRE ATX-AS500-SV 12V ATX 500W Power Supply - Retail

PowMax 450W Power Supply with Blue/Red LED Fan (im thinking about getting this one but i dont know if its really good or not)

Logisys Pitbull 500W Computer Power Supply - Silver

[oldwolf]

Going by the pics, they look like they have standard screw positions, so they should fit OK.

Dont have those brands in OZ, so I cant help with recommendations on them.

[MCT]

if i were u. id get this, its what im gettin 4 my next psu

http://www.xoxide.com/x-connect-500-blue.html

[BombaTwist]

if i were u. id get this, its what im gettin 4 my next psu

http://www.xoxide.com/x-connect-500-blue.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the thing about that to me is that the plugs look confusing X_X

[Marthax]

@BombaTwist: Please, don't do the same mistake I almost did. PSU is the most important thing in your computer. Without it, your computer is nothing (duh?). So, even if it costs ya, it's worth it. Investing in a good PSU is very important and you should consider it because you want your equipment to live long, do you?

Cheap PSU's don't have the ability to provide your computer with a stable voltage when dealing with a lot of pressure. For example, if you're playing a game such as Doom 3, you're stressing your components, including the PSU. The result is that the PSU can't handle the stress and starts to deliver an unstable voltage to your CPU and all of your other components.

What does unstable mean? If we take the +12V rail for example then the PSU can provide you with +12.20V at one time and +11.80V the next time.

If this voltage exceeds the 10% limit (in this case, 10,8), your computer has every right to shut down because the PSU can't handle it. Here's the difference between high quality PSU's and those you mentioned. PSU's such as those made by OCZ and Antec are excellent at providing a stable voltage. This gives a healthy voltage that makes your computer stable.

Another thing that is very important is the amperages. You should avoid looking at the Wattage as it's not that important. You may think why? Well, because Wattage is just a result of using the Amperage and multiply it with the Voltage (P = U x I). You should get a PSU that has very strong +12V because this is the most important rail (the new Processors and all of your components such as HDD are stressing this rail). A minimum of 26 A on this rail is critical and necessary to supply are your components. If you have SLI installed in your computer then this is even more important. The newer components you have in your computer, the stronger the PSU's gotta be.

I had this problem a while ago too and so I found an excellent forum, extremeoverclocking.com. I even created a thread about this and I got a lot of help and advice from a lot of people which made me think. I was in the same position as you are now. I wanted to spend as little money as possible on the PSU, but the guys on that forum made me realize thatI was pure stupid. And so, today I have a Antec PSU 380W (Antec Sonata Chassi) which suites me very well. I've been OC'ing my CPU and RAM a lot without having any kind of problems. My previous PSU had a very poor quality and the consequences was that it couldn't take the pressure as my computer would shutdown as soon as I did some OC'ing. This is not only for OC'ing, but to supply your computer with pure & stable power.

Here's a link to the thread I created if you're interested.

Also, here's another excellent guide that a member on that forum has created concerning PSU's.

Hope this helps you!

Regards,

Marthax

EDIT: Also, I found a thread about a Aspire PSU. Just so you know how they perform.

Edited June 30, 2005 by Marthax

[BombaTwist]

Wow that really helped me alot on choosing the right PSU. Thanks =D. but the thing i dont understand is the voltage and those little numbers. what im trying to say is i dont understand if it has good voltage or bad. hows this one?

[Marthax]

That's a very nice PSU and also a famous PSU making brand.

Also, check this one out. It's even more powerful.

It all comes down to one question BombaTwist, what kind of computer do you have? Can you show us some specs from your comp cuz it's much easier to choose the right PSU for you then.

I would recommend that you read the guide that I linked to (the second link from my first post) because it explains all you need to know. I know, it's a bit of a reading, but you want to have a good PSU that suits your needs right? Then, start reading It's worth it, trust me.

Edited June 28, 2005 by Marthax

[BombaTwist]

You'd be suprised on how poorly my specs are

Biostar M7VIG (Pro) Motherboard

AMD Athlon XP, 1.8 GHz 2200+

256 mb RAM (not sure what brand)(i want to get another stick of memory, probably a 512 mb one)

Intergrated S3 Prosavage DDR Video Card(going to upgrade it sooner or later)

This Crap 400W PSU

2 Western Digital 40gb Hard Drives

1 cd-rom by LG

and i am willing to do a major upgrade =)

Edited June 28, 2005 by BombaTwist

[Marthax]

and i am willing to do a major upgrade =)

Then, you need a strong and good PSU and the Enermax is an excellent choice. You should have no problem providing sufficient power to your soon upgraded computer if you buy it.

EDIT: If you check here, they have awarded this PSU with the "Best bang of the buck" price I'd say, go for it BombaTwist

Edited June 28, 2005 by Marthax

[BombaTwist]

So This Antec

and

Enermax

are good too?

they are also cheap =D

[ssmokee]

Enermax and Antec both make solid power supplies. That Powmax you were looking at is a joke (better paper weight than a PSU). Here is a PSU quality ranking list if youre interested.

[Lost Soul]

if i were u. id get this, its what im gettin 4 my next psu

http://www.xoxide.com/x-connect-500-blue.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

now that ones sweet i like it,, i gotta get one now

[BombaTwist]

umm i just noticed on the Enermax PSU i just posted, does it support AMD too cause on the title of it, it says

ENERMAX 535W INTEL ATX 12V VER. 2.0 PSU, SLI, DUAL FAN, SATA, 24PIN POWER SUPPLY!

[ssmokee]

The CPU is irrelevant. The only thing there you really need to be concerned with there is "ATX", since you will be using an ATX motherboard and ATX case.

[BombaTwist]

umm why should i be concerned about the ATX mobo and ATX case? is the PSU too big for an ATX case?