What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

[Fizzycapola]

Been thinking about this PSU I see it has 60amp rail which sounds
good to me as in the past I think most of my PSU have failed due to
overloading more than any other reason I feel. Especially considering the
graphics cards I choose can use more power than the rest of the computer
combined and operate at full load constantly.

Silencer 750 Quad

http://www.pcpower.com/products/view...view=techspecs

[Galvanized]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

PCP&C is good but at a price. If you can get it cheap enough...Buy it.
I did offer a couple of suggestions in Sparky's Antec thread when I quoted you.
PCP&C offers bragging rights, customer service and Viagra like support for one's e-penis.

Look to the reviews that should be coming out soon on the Silverstone OP650, 12V@54A, single rail.

No current high end gaming system needs over 50A on a single rail. People have just gone nuts with high wattage PSUs.

Look over jonnyguru.com > forums and ask the gamers there.

jonny is ready to do some Kill-A-Watt testing of rigs. This should be real interesting. Kill-A-Watt is a small unit that plugs into the mains then the PSU plugs into it, the wattage drawn is shown on the LCD. You will be blown away by how little wattage most PCs really need.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Eheh thanks for the replies Galvanized. I will keep reading for what to get. No rush really I will wait until the perfect one appears. Was surprising to see the PSU with rubycons have so much ripple at jonnyguru hmmph.

[gonzo0815]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

My actuall system is consuming 150w (Amd Athlon 64 3200 @2,6Ghz, 1GB RAm, 2 HDD, x800GTO)
I have build a system for a friend today, it`s an E6300, GF7900GS, Gigabyte mATX I945 Board with obG.

I have choosen a Seasonic S12 380w, it cost 62€.
Probably the 330w version would have ben sufficinet, but any way better safe than sorry.
I will test this rig tomorow inclusive power consumption (yep, not that an accurat device, but hey this will be sufficiently accurat for that purpose).

The big point, where this PSu has absolutely shocked me, where the caps.
Immagin, not only all (through the fins) visible big capacitors where UCC, even all those littel small bastard caps are from Rubycon!
I can say, this is the first PSu i ever seen, wich does not feature at least a few klasik badcaps.
So what abouth PCP&C with their high power and $$ units, but no capable in supplying good quality caps (or have they stoped using TEapo?)?
I would suggest to think twice about all the other manufacturers, if this Seasonic PSu will be the standard for seasonics future S12 PSu`s i certainely will never buy enything else.
Show me the system, that is consuming anything near 500w. I would not expect this bevor the next GFX generation, and only if SLI (wow, who has too mutch money in buying this? is one 600$ card not good anymore?) is in question.
I certainely will never buy a system, where i need a 2kw airkondition too.

Any way, if i can manage to make pics, i will do this. The PSu has a dull black paint and a 3 years warranty .......somhow i must missed this psu or Seasonic has changed something.
It is absolut silent, at least as long i am in Bios (no os so far). I am tempted to sell my Amacrox 500GLN .....

[Galvanized]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Gonzo, all the Enhance units, all the Strider & Elements Enhance builds for Silverstone are populated with Teapo. All the Win-Tact built Turbo series PCP&C units are populated with Teapo also. Teapo does very well in SMPSs as long as cooling air is NOT compromised. That is why these units are not quiet like Seasonic provided units are, plus Seasonic has a much more sophisticated thermal fan control.

Seasonic builds the PCP&C Silencers, the Corsair HX units and all three brands are populated with Nipponese caps. The Antec NeoHE units are not using Nipponese caps, as far as I know but are OEMed by Seasonic.

jonnyguru.com > reviews is indicating caps in all current testing, plus he is doing hot-box full load testing for his reviews.

[gonzo0815]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Thx for the explanatios, and yes i agree that TEAPO can do well in PSU`s.
At least some of my FSP units have them are working fine.

Any way, why buying somethig with TEAPo if i can get something with UCC and Rubycon and may be a more sophisticatet fan control too.

I duno if the stronger Seasonic units are similar to this 380w, but if they are, i would not buy anything else. But ok if the other PSu`s are oem by Seasonic, than they are probably on par with the S12 ones, except may be Antec, as they again prefer to make money and do not sell a to long lasting produkt, capwise ;-)

[Fizzycapola]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Hmmm now I'm looking at Corsair, buyers say they have good caps inside and also 5 year warranty. Quite pricey. Note searching ebay for Corsair PSU gives no result even worldwide. I know they're new on the market but it looks to be a good sign.

Agree too much wattage makes PC into a bit of a heater, these high watt supplies still have poor usage efficiency percentages. A good point, if I did buy 1kw+ one come the summer it'd be unusable without some industrial quality air conditioning or usuable but would I survive heat exhaustion.

[gonzo0815]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

You can buy 1kw psu w/o problem, only if your CPu & GFX realy need that amount of power, you have the heat and need the AC.


ATM i do only know abouth Seasonic to use good caps, but not in all units.
As mentioned above, i have seen not mutch PSU`s, with good caps, expect from this.

The only thing i would appreciate over the above mentioned S12 (ok it is NOT suited for older 5v powered AMD systems, as probably severe cross loading and may be overloading of the 3,3 &5v rail would occure)

would be a PSU with independent regulation of the different voltages with seperate transformers. Exactly, was Intel suggested to meet future standards.

But i am shure, that all vendors will avoid this under all circumstances, as this will certainely increase the BOM and would cut their high margin, as the majority of people would probably not accept a higher price (even today, most people chose the cheap psu`s why should this change).
We should do a poll, if there is a real market. If yes, somone should convice Seasonic to produce it with all good caps and high wattage on all rails. I think if you take a few thousand, this would be manageable

[kc8adu]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

i just recapped 8 seasonic super tornado 400.
full of ost.
+12 caps open causing bsod/reboots.

[Galvanized]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Fizzycapola, read this review http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=32 Yes, the Corsair units are good kit, both of them.

Avoid the Enermax Liberty series as they tend to flash-bang when the heat & load is on. My sweet PM buddy, Minerva, over at AnandTech just had one go. She said it sounded like a 22 gun shot.
They are off the recommended list.

Before you buy a high output PSU, please consider your system's needs in an honest state of mind. Remember that there is no future proof and power needs will be on the decline over the next couple of years.

Read and maybe post over at jonnyguru's forum before your next PSU buy. We have several Brits posting there.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Well my new system will be the following minimum:

~ P965 Skt775 Motherboard
1 x Intel Conroe Dual Core 2.6ghz (maybe clocked 3Ghz)
1 x Geforce 8800GTX (maybe overclocked)
8 x 120mm fans
4 x DDR2 RAM (1066Mhz rated)
2 x SATA2 HD
2 x DVD Multi Drive
1 x PCI-E Quad Port Gigabit NIC
1 x TV Encoder card full size PCI
1 x Audio Card full size PCI

The thing is if my Tagan 480W (which luckily is single rail 30Amps, most dual rails couldn't even handle my Geforce 6800U without tripping) can run all that then hopefully I won't have to spend an arm and a leg on a newer even more expensive PSU, I read reports at full load all these components can use serious power and overclocking exponentially increase power requirement.

Any PSU I get would have to be totally silent (quieter than the quietest HD's) even at 35oC ambient and totally reliable too. When I watch movies I don't have to listen to a humming noise from my TV so why should I hear noise when watching movies on my PC. When I was younger I used to tolerate it, I don't know why noisy PC's really annoy me now though.

[starfury1]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

sounds like a bit of a tall order, max power but dead quite....love the idea thought.
When I shut this pc off and turn on the old 1999 Imac the silence is deafening

So yeah I totally agree.

I do know there are some passive cooled psu's out there but have no idea of of the specs, how good or how well they will perform.

So thought I would ask if anyone knows of sites or has done any real testing on these units.

Thank you

I do remember I found something on people water cooling psu's too.

So I guess the question is are these options worth exploring in the quest for a quite PC Box


I know the passive cooling psu for you Fizzycapola may well not be an option
(I would guess they would be ok for a run of the mill low spec box)

but just thought I would ask our forum members for their thoughts on it and water cooling of a psu.
(if they don't mind)

Since I don't have a power system or OC I have never really looked into it

Going a bit off topic with this but I found this (below) interesting bit of news

That comment Galvanized made

Avoid the Enermax Liberty series as they tend to flash-bang when the heat & load is on. My sweet PM buddy, Minerva, over at AnandTech just had one go. She said it sounded like a 22 gun shot.

Do you know if they got any pictures of this unit...it would be nice to see what damaged was done.

I do have an Enermax Lib 620W in this box and read over at Johnny G's he had pulled his seal off it for not living up to reg spec under heavy load ..If I recall correctly
I really dont give it a work out with this box, room temp here during summer is liable to be 30c plus sometimes

Had I have waited the Corsair or seasonic would have been what I probably got (5 Years warranty sounds good if they honor it)

Thanks all and Cheers

[Galvanized]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Yes starfury1, enermax just might have screwed up with the placement of the thermal shut-down sensor or with the cooling fans thermal control or probably both. Minerva at Anandtech just had a Liberty 620 poping it's cork, probably a cap under moderate load. This is not uncommon. They are off the recommended list.

Fizzycapola, here is our thread on water-cooled PSUs. https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1723

For passive single 12V@18A rail there is the Etasis / Silverstone 300W unit. The Antec Phantom is 500W, does have a low flow 80mm fan internally(about mid-way into the PSU...BUT it is an Antec with a crap population and it's not single rail. It has a poor service History from what I've heard / read.

Read jonnyguru's reviews of the Corsair units because the OCP treats the rails as if they were one. Kinda silly but his testing and inspection confermed this...Read his reviews of the 520 & 620.
The 520 can be had for $80 w/free shipping and the 620 can be had for $120 w/free shipping at buy.com or clubit.com. You look them up.
Believe me, the Seasonic, Corsair or PCP&C Silencers (single rail on the 750) will be quiet enough. Do some reading over at http://www.silentpcreview.com/ > Power Supplies.

Here is a unit I'm keeping an eye on. I hope it tests / reviews well. http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1040

[starfury1]

Re: What new PSU for powering the latest power computers?

Humm interesting......oh well good thing this don't get a real work out!

although I did buy it for when I upgrade this box....

only driving Gigabyte with AMD2400 and 3 HDDs (at times 4) 2 DVD/CD roms now

Thanks Galvanised