FAQ - What sort of power supply (PSU) do I need?

[gwendes]

The general rule for guidance on purchasing a new or replacement PSU is to go for the highest wattage you can afford. This will generally give a much more stable supply at lower outputs and allow for upgrades and expansion in the future.

As with anything, you usually get what you pay for. If you are running a basic PC for web browsing and basic tasks and the PSU has failed then you will probably be absolutely fine with a 300-350 watt supply.

For a midrange gaming and multimedia computer it is advisable to increase the PSU wattage to around 450-500 watts. You might also like to consider moving into the branded supplies, these provide what is known as true wattage and they will often far exceed the budget supplies side-by-side as the quoted wattage specification for constant power and not the maximum.

Higher end gaming setups have a great range of high-wattage true PSUs well into the 600+watts range available.

If you know roughly what components are inside your computer try these online calculators to get an idea of the sort of supply you're going to need :
AMD (http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/Power_Supply_Calculator.php?cmd=AMD)
Intel (http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/Power_Supply_Calculator.php?cmd=INTEL)
Servers (http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/Power_Supply_Calculator.php?cmd=SERVER)

Please see this post if you are unsure which of these your computer uses: click here (http://forum.novatech.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=99)

[Matt]

I found that with my PC, my unbranded 550W supply wasn't enough. After adding RAID to my setup and a newer graphics card, I thought the cheap PSU was to blame.
I upgraded to a HIPER 480W and it's been really stable ever since.

I would recommend spending a little more on a decent brand of power supply, after all, no matter how much you spend on components for your PC, its the PSU that needs to give it a stable voltage for stable operation.

[Taxation]

i would reccomend getting a 580W psu from hiper
but more importantly get a MODULAR psu

modular: take cables out that arent needed, stops wires from clogging up air flow

[Lustral]

i would reccomend getting a 580W psu from hiper
but more importantly get a MODULAR psu

modular: take cables out that arent needed, stops wires from clogging up air flow

Im using one in my Tsunami Dream PC ;)

Yup they are top notch , but i havent really pushed it to the max yet :P

[Taxation]

hiper type R looks good, what colour have you got, i was gonna get red, but it looks pink, so im gonna go with a black one

[Lustral]

hiper type R looks good, what colour have you got, i was gonna get red, but it looks pink, so im gonna go with a black one

i have got the nice shiny black one, i would say play it safe and go for a black model ;)

I have seen the red ones in the warehouse at novatech and they do look a bit pink.

The only other PSU i wouldnt mind having is the Seasonic ones , but novatech dont stock them, maybe i can ask my purchasing guys to stock some of them.

[Nox]

Hiper are a great brand, would be second choice, behind PCP&C only. Infact, past 4 PSU's i've recommended that have resulted in a sale have all been Hiper. Do not get them confused with Hyper tho - very somewhat worrying when I first saw the Novatech stock codes...

Nox

[djgandy]

Hiper are great.
Don't buy enermax.

[Chewie]

these modular psus, where you can plug in the leads u wnat or need.

Remember this. By adding in a break in the cable, you are adding to the losses in voltage that all cables will get, because the extra ohmage of the interface for both the point where the cables are crimped onto the socket/plug pins AND the point where the pins interlock when you have will lead to voltage drops and possibly even current drops over what is expected.

Besides, they're just another fad which will soon blow over.

Just like these dual rail ATX2.01 psu's that state 20A plus on each 12v1/2 rail, but for total power output is reduced to 35A overall, and cannot run things like top line VGA cards in SLi mode.

[Matt]

I got a red type R, I don't think it looks pink, gives quite a nice red glow!

Didn't get a modular one, however I would recommend thinking about getting a modular version because it would be so much easier to remove the cables that you don't need - and as mentioned before, to help airflow and stop stray cables in your case. I can't say i've had experience with modular power supplies so can't comment on the build quality or connection issues.