Power Supply Question

[Rams2001]

Greetings,
I pulled the trigger today, and ordered some Computer guts for a new machine/upgrade. I'm going to need a new Power supply, and I was wondering what will be "just right" for my machine.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor Socket 939 Retail

MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum nForce3 Ultra

XFX PVT43AND GeForce 6600 GT AGP 128MB DDR3

2 sticks of Kingston HyperX KHX3200A/256 256MB DDR400 PC3200

It's been about 2 and a half years since I put my last machine together.

Thanks for any help sent my way!

-Chris...

 

[Rams2001]

Well,
I went with the Antec SL400
-Chris...

 

[slash196]

Nice midrange you've got there. I'd suggest something along the lines of this.

 

[WAZ]

I've been comparing that same Antec TruePower 430W with an Enermax Whisper II and Noisetaker (don't have the model numbers on hand, but I think they're the EG465-something and EG475-something).

The big thing I've heard is "more amps on the +12V" -- and the Enermax ones have dual +12V rails, with 16A and 15A each, for a total of 31A on the +12V.

Is the 20A on the Antec's +12V not considered worse? I've heard a ton of great things about the Antecs, especially the Truepowers, but the Enermax has the extra PCIx power adapter (or is this just an extra 4-pin molex, cleverly named?), the dual +12V rails, and the 2-minute fan running after shutdown feature.

 

[Thegonagle]

Good choice, IMO. A little more than "just right," which is fine, but not too expensive.

By this thread, you can see that you could also get by with a 350 watter, but a little headroom is not a bad thing.

(Here's an answer to a question you didn't ask, but if it's not too late, I'd probably go with Corsair, or maybe Mushkin, for the RAM. They both make great memory, and it's usually less expensive than Kingston for the same speed and timings.)

 

[Rams2001]

Regarding my selection for Memory.....

It was a mistake I made at order entry. When posting my message to this forum I discovered the mistake I made and was able to cancel my order and make things right. Whew!

Two sticks of Corsair VS512MB400C3 512MB DDR400 PC3200 CAS3

Thanks for all the help!

-Chris....

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Rams2001
Regarding my selection for Memory.....

It was a mistake I made at order entry. When posting my message to this forum I discovered the mistake I made and was able to cancel my order and make things right. Whew!

Two sticks of Corsair VS512MB400C3 512MB DDR400 PC3200 CAS3

Thanks for all the help!

-Chris....

Quick! Cancel it again!

You want this: http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=20-145-026&depa=0

CAS 2.5 instead of CAS 3.0. (I've used it before and it should run 2.5-3-3-7 if my own memory serves. Decently OC'able, too!)

EDIT: Or don't; from the user reviews it looks like the 3.0 stuff auto-detects at 2.5 also, but you seem to save $1 each stick for the official 2.5 stuff. I guess I don't have any idea what the real difference is between the two choices. I wonder why NewEgg is doing this. . .

 

[rforum]

I see your getting an MSI board. Thought you might want to read the following from the MSI forum about the need for power on the +12V rail - they suggest 24a or more. Speaking from experience, if you follow this suggestion you can save yourself multiple problems.

POWER SUPPLIES

No single component in a computer system is more important than the Power Supply.
With the advent of AMD's Athlon64 series of processors, this subject has to rank at the top
when it comes to component selection. In an effort not to influence or possibly mislead potential PSU buyers, it is felt that we should only provide the necessary requirements that are needed for these newer processor/motherboard combinations. Absolutely of utmost importance is amperage ratings - and especially on the +12v line. A suggested safe minimum of 24a on the +12v rail. There have seen some members that are satisfied with their 18 or 20amps on +12v....but as they add components to their systems, the requirement will likely change - and a bigger supply may be needed to power their system. While you don't need more than you will use, having a buffer that allows you to do some upgrades without having to change your PSU in the near future is always a good investment.

 

[Rams2001]

What are the biggest consumers of Power in a Computer?

CPU and "Modern" Video Cards seem to be obvious, but what else is thirsty?

What kind of an impact does Overclocking have on your Power Supply and what "rail" is going to take the hit?

 

[rforum]

Here is a link that may help you answer some of your questions (see page 2):

http://www.extremeoverclocking...er_Supply_Guide_1.html

 

[WAZ]

I've seen people saying two +12V rails is good, while others say it's pretty pointless. Do they combine for 31A (i.e. to cover the 25A needed by an MSI board), or are they independent of each other and incapable of providing more than 16A?

Is the 31A on the Enermax (15A and 16A on the two +12V lines) not significantly better than the 20A on the Antec 430?

I've got an MSI Neo2 coming in the next few days, so I want to make sure I have enough juice...

 

[rforum]

I've been reading the MSI board for some time since I have an MSI Neo Platinum. I've read many posts recommending against getting a PSU with dual rails and in favor of one with plenty of juice on the one +12V rail. I'm only reporting what I have read as I have no experience with a dual rail PSU.

 

[Rams2001]

rforum,
The Power Supply that I have purchased has 20A on the +12V rail. Am I in for some trouble with my MSI board? Is the recommendation to go with 24A on the +12V rail a "consensus" recommendation from anecdotal reports from owners of these MoBoards, or has MSI or one of it's engineers made a more scientific based recommendation to go 24A or higher on the +12V rail?
I don't think that I will be attempting to tweak my hardware to squeeze out anymore performance than what the stock settings are going to deliver out of the box.

Thank you for your help...

-Chris...

 

[rforum]

Chris,

It is my understanding that the MSI forum is not run by MSI. Here is a description of the forum from the site:

"This Forum is a User-to-User support community for users of all ages. There is no MSI support to be found here. The moderators are not paid by MSI and do not work for MSI, we are users just like you."

In many ways I think you get a clearer view of a product by listening to actual users rather than just the claims of the manufacturer.

As for your purchase of a 20A PSU, I can only suggest you do what I did - as I bought my PSU before reading the MSI forums. My first PSU had 18A on the +12V rail so I knew there was a possibility of problems. I put the computer together, and sure enough it powered on for a fraction of a second and immediately shut down. This happened every time I turned it on. I was actually glad I knew where the problem might be as this was my first build. Sure enough, I purchased a PSU with 26A on the 12V rail, hooked it up, and with no other changes the computer started right up and has been working well ever since. I suggest you use your 20A PSU (unless you can return it) and see if it works. If you have any problems that suggest to you an inadequate power supply you can replace it like I did.

Good luck.

 

[WAZ]

Why does Antec's official website have different numbers than every review and product listing out there?

http://www.antec.com/specs/true430_spe.html

This says that the 430 has 26A on the +12V.... everywhere else says it has 20A. What gives?

 

[OCNewbie]

Originally posted by: WAZ
Why does Antec's official website have different numbers than every review and product listing out there?

http://www.antec.com/specs/true430_spe.html

This says that the 430 has 26A on the +12V.... everywhere else says it has 20A. What gives?

At newegg they have a picture of the side of the unit, and it has 20A stamped on the side for the 12v rail. So I'm assuming that would be the most accurate.

Link

 

[WAZ]

Originally posted by: OCNewbie

Originally posted by: WAZ
Why does Antec's official website have different numbers than every review and product listing out there?

http://www.antec.com/specs/true430_spe.html

This says that the 430 has 26A on the +12V.... everywhere else says it has 20A. What gives?

At newegg they have a picture of the side of the unit, and it has 20A stamped on the side for the 12v rail. So I'm assuming that would be the most accurate.

Link

Ah, good find. Thanks.

Though it's a little disheartening to see Antec's own site post a misleading number...

 

[rforum]

I bought an Antec True430 at Best Buy for a friend about a week ago and it has 26A on the +12V. My understanding is that Antec is increasing the amps on many of it's products but there are many older models still in the pipeline. If you want the higher amp models be sure to verify before you buy.

 

[WAZ]

Originally posted by: rforum
I bought an Antec True430 at Best Buy for a friend about a week ago and it has 26A on the +12V. My understanding is that Antec is increasing the amps on many of it's products but there are many older models still in the pipeline. If you want the higher amp models be sure to verify before you buy.

Hmm... thanks for the info.

Everywhere I see the Truepowers online, they're listed with the lower "old" amp numbers...

 

[Chaotic42]

I'm a big proponent of PC Power and Cooling PSUs, which may be overkill for a lot of people. They're expensive ($180), but hopefully it will last me a few systems. My PCP&C 330W is still going strong almost six years later.

Here are the specs for my 510:

+5V @ 40A
+12V @ 34A, 38A pk
-5V @ 0.3A
-12V @ 2A
+3.3V @ 30A
+5VSB @ 3A
power<510W
peak power<650W
Regulation: 1% (+5, +12), 5% (-5, -12), 1% (+3.3)

Link