new build - Will 500w be enough?

PSU discussions can turn into heated arguments, there are as many Ideas/oponions as there are people;

My standard Power Supply answer;

Some things to keep in mind;
Electronics are not "IDEAL". IF you get a PSU with the exact wattage you "need" then you will probably end up having to replace more than just the PSU.
PSU's are the heart of your system, if your heart is always beating as fast as possable (to keep up with the demand) it won't last very long. The harder the PSU works the more heat it generates. A PSU that supplies more power than you need works less hard and last longer.
When Buying a NEW PSU, get the BEST, QUALITY PSU you can afford with MORE power than you "need". This allows room for future upgrades, and will give you better overclocks, smoother operation, and the PSU will last longer because it's not working so hard to supply the draw of your system.

Adding to that is that most PSU's run efficiently at between 70% and 80% so no need to go too big.
More power than you need is usually safer than not enough, Modern PSU's will NOT cost you more in electricity than the computer needs (draws)anyways.

In conclusion; Use one of the online calculators to see what it says then add your own judgement and expierence to choose the best option. Normally 500 watts should be enough unless planning on upgrading in the near future to a SLI or Crossfire setup or in cases of extreme overclocking.

try this http://support.asus.com/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator.aspx?SLanguage=en-us for calculating your needs... then try the following

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/1/

http://www.overclockers.com.au/article.php?id=359867

http://www.tomshardware.com/2002/10/21/inadequate_and_deceptive_product_labeling/

to read about your needs and always remember that is better to have better efficiency from your PSU so you spend less. I mean that if you get a good quality product rather than a cheap one with the same specs you'll earn money in the long run....

a decent 500 watt will be ample for your particular needs.. but u can buy a 1000 jobby just to make sure..

just make sure u buy a known make.. no generic rubbish..

trog

Psu calculator then add about 100 because you need some head room for the fact that aging and you may upgrade in the next year (add more stuff)... IMO

Man, why don't you buy a newer version ot this mainboard?? MSI K9A2 CF or Platinum (AM2+)?? 5200+ will be competely supported and later you can change it with Phenom.
With this mobo (K9A platinum) the upgrade will not be available.

P.S. 500W enogh, no doubt...I think even 400 will do...

a 400 would do but it takes a braver man than me to suggest it.. he he..

500 leaves plenty spare for a more powerfull card.. not a lot of price difference either..

trog

You're wellcomed .I'll buy the CF version soon, just will change with my mf570sli, which unfortunately will not support Phenom...
Kind Regards...

500w is fine, IF it has good stable rails and continuous watts. Don't go cheap on a power supply. You'll end up regretting in more than any other component.

500W would be fine. What does the budget look like?

in one word... NO! that 2900xt will take about 300 of the watts just on it's own. I would go with at least 750, with some 12v rails rated at 22 amps or more.

philbrown23 said:

in one word... NO! that 2900xt will take about 300 of the watts just on it's own. I would go with at least 750, with some 12v rails rated at 22 amps or more.

Click to expand...

Its a HD 2600 XT That should be fine.

Daniel

IMHO 500 watt would do fine.And since the technology gets narrower(90nm-->65nm-->55nm-->)Efficiency is high and have lower power consumption.Try the PSU calculator @ www.extreame.outervision.com .It is a good one and try the OC features to be on safer side.But you have to focus mainly on the build quality and stability of the PSU.

A 500W is overkill, the system most likely runs fine off a 300W.


Just look at these numbers

I would also recommend 750W for a 2900 XT

yea I know someone who runs a 2600XT GDDR4 on a 300w psu.

DanTheBanjoman said:

A 500W is overkill, the system most likely runs fine off a 300W.


Just look at these numbers

I would also recommend 750W for a 2900 XT

Click to expand...

Will it run at 300w? Sure, if it's a very stable psu with continuous watts. However, you then have no flexibility with adding components. I don't think 500w is overkill, if you're looking at future upgrades. Now on the other hand, a 600w+ may be overkill.

To add to my previous comments, I was busy at the time, go with a quality brand 450W or a non-branded 600W (at least 32a on 12V or 18a/18a dual 12v rail).

EDIT: I know the name of my power supply may scare you but I have been using the one currently for approximately 2 years and it was in my Socket A rig. Just some insight ....

Paulieg said:

Will it run at 300w? Sure, if it's a very stable psu with continuous watts. However, you then have no flexibility with adding components. I don't think 500w is overkill, if you're looking at future upgrades. Now on the other hand, a 600w+ may be overkill.

Click to expand...

I recommend looking at the second link. You're not going to need 500W in a desktop. The whole "very stable continuous watts" thing sounds nice, but do you truly believe a PSU rated at 300W can't deliver 2/3 of that constantly? If it can't it's defective. Even the cheapest you can find will do the trick. Though I do of course recommend using a decent PSU.

The topicstarters system is in no way powerhungry, he will be fine.

You could go 400w but that would leave you will leave you no room to upgrade, so go with a higher watt PSU, i went with 430w and im gonna need to dish out extra money when i go to upgrade.

Read this thread it may give you some idea. As long as it is a quality psu with decent 12V rails you will be able to get away with 500W.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?p=596890