Low power PSUs for low power PC

[Platibus]

Seeing how my first post was blalantly ignored, I decided to answer myself the questions I made and move onto the next subject. These are the components my new build will most likely have:

Kingston 2048MB Dual Channel PC8500 DDR3 1066MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB)(0.5 lbs)

Lite-On IHDP118-04 Internal DVD Drive - DVD-ROM 18x, CD-ROM 48x, IDE (OEM)(1.6 lbs)

Gigabyte GZPH2A30 Mid-Tower Case - ATX, Micro ATX, USB 2.0, No Fan, No PSU, Black(7.78 lbs)

Biostar A780L3L AMD 760G Motherboard - ATX, Socket AM3, AMD 760G Chipset, DDR3 1600MHz (O.C.), RAID, SATA 3.0 Gb/s, 6-Channel HD Audio, Radeon 3000, Fast Ethernet(0.8 lbs)

Western Digital WD3200AAJS Caviar Blue Hard Drive - 320GB, 3.5", 7200RPM, 8MB, SATA-300 (OEM)(1.1 lbs)

AMD Athlon II X2 255 Dual Core Processor ADX255OCGQBOX - 3.00GHz, Socket AM3, 2MB Cache, 2000MHz (4000 MT/s), Retail(0.3 lbs)

The only thing missing is the PSU. I narrowed my options to these three:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4844034&CatId=106

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6327573&CatId=106

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6327567&CatId=106

They were chosen because of the low price above all. The 6-pin connector on the Diablotek is unnecessary for me, but it could help me to sell the PC in the future. I won't overclock or put the PC under heavy stress, if you must know.

If there's a better option in my price range (below $35), please tell me, any help will be welcome. Thank you.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I wouldn't trust Diablotek nor Eagle. I'd go with this Cooler Master:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5079835&CatId=1078

Or this Thermaltake (preferably the Cooler Master):
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7213956&CatId=1077

 

[Rowsol]

I just read your previous post and since you have such a low budget I don't think there are any suggestions to be made other than get the cheapest parts available.

As far as a PSU is concerned I like the 380w earthwatts Antec. I believe it's like 40 ish. Cheapest one I would get. Or you could get a case with a PSU attached and hope it doesn't die on ya.

 

[Scheich]

Very cheap 380W psu means upto 50% loss, if you are unlucky. Thats 190 W for nothing + the actual power consumption of the machine. Try to get at least a 80+ psu.

 

[Platibus]

Thanks for answering. Yes, I did see that Thermaltake PSU but the wattage is too low, and overall, it didn't look as a better option than those other three I chose. The Cooler-Master looks good, it even has a 6-pin connector.

My $300.00 budget was set by me, because the importation service I'm planning on using charges 20% of the total cost, plus $35 for handling and shipping. All that adds to almost $400 minimum (because they tend to charge extra at the customs), so that's a whole hundred dollars I can't spend on better hardware.

What I want is the best non-gaming PC you can get for $300. It will only be used to browse the internet, watch videos, burn DL DVDs (this is very important by the way), and maybe play light games from the 2004 era. It won't be updated or overclocked in any way, so the PSU doesn't need to have room for expansion.

If you were to build the best PC possible (for the tasks I mentioned) with $300 at hand, how would it be? what would it have? That's all I want to know right now. Please answer and comment guys, I really need your help.

PS. Since Bulldozer is coming soon, do you think that the current gen CPUs will get price cuts worth waiting for? Like an Athlon x4 going from $100 to $80 or something like that. Thanks again and don't forget to answer. \m/

 

[Rowsol]

Here ya go.

 

[silkstone]

Here ya go.

Newegg don't ship internationally.

 

[Rowsol]

Newegg don't ship internationally.

The parts remain the same.

 

[Batou1986]

Definitely avoid the diablowtek those things wont even power your average dell

from tiger direct you might as well get this combo, quality stuff that you can build on later
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=309329&CatId=31

 

[Zyon]

I'd go for Antec or Thermaltake but use Coolermaster at your own risk, bought a brand new 500W Coolermaster recently that was DOA and on top of that, the I/O switch was also broken (any attempt to turn the switch to the off position will cause it to eject back 'on').

 

[Platibus]

Thanks for answering. I think I can buy from Newegg after all. I made some changes, this is what my shopping cart looks like:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

BIOSTAR A780L3L AM3 AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-4GBRL

AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ADX640WFGMBOX

MASSCOOL FD08025S1M4 80mm Case Fan

I'll get the case somewhere else. I could use 2GB in dual channel (2x1GB) but I don't know if it'd make a big (negative) difference. Also, yesterday when I put everything together there was a CPU/Motherboard combo that saved me $20, but I guess it lasted untill today. Maybe I'll order when there's another good combo. Anyway, does it look good to you? Remember that I won't do any heavy gaming or overclocking on this rig, just basic stuff. Please answer and comment.

Thank you.

 

[de.das.dude]

dude go for higher memory speed. they basicallt cost the same (atleast here).

 

[Platibus]

dude go for higher memory speed. they basicallt cost the same (atleast here).

What for? The difference must be minimal for the tasks I'll assign to the PC. In which case, and how, does higher clock speed stand out? The difference in price might be minimal too, but I rather save as much as possible if doesn't compromise good performance. And by the way, could there be a compatibility problem between those components? I've read in some places that some memory modules and chipsets don't match.

Thanks for answering and keep on writing. \m/

 

[Rowsol]

Onboard video is bad hence why I suggested the fusion. It has good video for the price.

 

[de.das.dude]

get a 785 chipset mobo plz. they are pretty cheap. 785 Chipset has a wide range of compatibility with memory sticks. if you wont task it enough, go for a semprom. they are made from dual core phenom dies. and can be unlocked!

 

[Platibus]

Onboard video is bad hence why I suggested the fusion. It has good video for the price.

Thank you for suggesting it, but I don't think the better integrated graphics compensate for the weak processing power in comparison to the Athlon II. Actually I did consider Fusion E-350 for my build, but its APU didn't impress me enough to buy it; I'm certain that an Athlon II paired with a 4670 is better in every aspect. And I forgot to mention, maybe I'll get a graphics card after all, but until the 28nm GPUs come out. A card with hd4870 performance is good enough for me, by that time I hope they are >$100 and have low power consumption. In the meantime, IGP will do for me.

Now, I made yet some more changes and this is my current shopping cart:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-2GBNQ

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX250OCGMBOX

MASSCOOL FD08025S1M4 80mm Case Fan


Everything will be about $250 shipped to Denver, from there my aunt would mail it to me and finally I'll have myself a decent PC again \m/. If you think/feel that something is not right with that build please tell me. Also, that DVD drive will burn DVD R+ DL right? It says so in the Details list, but you never know.

get a 785 chipset mobo plz. they are pretty cheap. 785 Chipset has a wide range of compatibility with memory sticks. if you wont task it enough, go for a semprom. they are made from dual core phenom dies. and can be unlocked!

I went 880G+ instead, the price difference is low and, if the naming scheme of chipsets is the same GPUs, it should be better overall. Thanks for your suggestion but a single core won't cut it for me, and I'd rather not gamble the extra core. I had an Athlon II X2 before and it was really good, the PC never freezed on me while I had it (yes, that's my definition of good!). Thanks again for suggesting, and thanks to everyone else for answering.

 

[Zyon]

Since you're only doing basic activities on your PC and you don't want to take risks unlocking Sempron (even though majority do unlock nicely, I built two computers and undervolted them to 1.1V for running cooler and quieter), they look good so far but a card similar to HD4870 right now will cost you $109 minimum, see Powercolor HD5770 (PowerColor AX5770 1GBD5-H Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-b...), it's slightly worse but runs cooler and copes with Direct X11 better.

PS: Semprons are 45W compared to 65W from Athlon II.

 

[de.das.dude]

Thank you for suggesting it, but I don't think the better integrated graphics compensate for the weak processing power in comparison to the Athlon II. Actually I did consider Fusion E-350 for my build, but its APU didn't impress me enough to buy it; I'm certain that an Athlon II paired with a 4670 is better in every aspect. And I forgot to mention, maybe I'll get a graphics card after all, but until the 28nm GPUs come out. A card with hd4870 performance is good enough for me, by that time I hope they are >$100 and have low power consumption. In the meantime, IGP will do for me.

Now, I made yet some more changes and this is my current shopping cart:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-2GBNQ

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX250OCGMBOX

MASSCOOL FD08025S1M4 80mm Case Fan


Everything will be about $250 shipped to Denver, from there my aunt would mail it to me and finally I'll have myself a decent PC again \m/. If you think/feel that something is not right with that build please tell me. Also, that DVD drive will burn DVD R+ DL right? It says so in the Details list, but you never know.



I went 880G+ instead, the price difference is low and, if the naming scheme of chipsets is the same GPUs, it should be better overall. Thanks for your suggestion but a single core won't cut it for me, and I'd rather not gamble the extra core. I had an Athlon II X2 before and it was really good, the PC never freezed on me while I had it (yes, that's my definition of good!). Thanks again for suggesting, and thanks to everyone else for answering.

dont take the 880G, you can even go for the 760 or 740 ones, actually any, aslong as AM3 is completely supported. im telling you to go lower as this not only saves power but also less heat is generated.

if you go below the 785, you wont get to unlock a semprom though. and as noted, they are low on heat, 45W, comparing your 880G chipset is like 35W, its nothing! which means you can go for passive cooling!

 

[JrRacinFan]

If you can find a Coolermaster Elite Power or any Topower/Epower brand go for those. These are the best of the inexpensive I can think of.

 

[Platibus]

dont take the 880G, you can even go for the 760 or 740 ones, actually any, aslong as AM3 is completely supported. im telling you to go lower as this not only saves power but also less heat is generated.

if you go below the 785, you wont get to unlock a semprom though. and as noted, they are low on heat, 45W, comparing your 880G chipset is like 35W, its nothing! which means you can go for passive cooling!

Thanks for answering. Maybe I misread one of your posts, but you told me to get a 785G instead of a 760G, and now you're telling to get 740G or 760G instead of 880G? Are you saying that 785G>880G? And also, I already said that a Semptron is not enough for me, and that I'm not going to risk getting stuck with a single core to save some dollars. I rather go for a full dual core.

If you can find a Coolermaster Elite Power or any Topower/Epower brand go for those. These are the best of the inexpensive I can think of.

The PSU I have on my Newegg shopping cart is a 460W Elite from Cooler Master. I checked those brand you told me of, and I found this PSUs:

TOPOWER Galaxis MX Series GAPS-500MX 500W ATX12V v...

ePOWER EP-500NE-XV 500W ATX12V v2.2 / ESP12V v2.91...

They both look terrific for the price, I must say, but does anyone else recommend them? Which one is better? Because they seem a LOT better than the Cooler Master, on paper at least. If I get some positive responses on this, I'll add one of them to my shopping cart. Remember that I have no plans of upgrading the CPU or add a GPU at any time this year. When the 28nm come out, MAYBE I'll upgrade both of them along with a proper PSU, but right now a PSU that powers (with stability) the components from that list is enough for me. Thank you for your time and please answer and comment. \m/

 

[JrRacinFan]

Remember this, topower is their own oem. They arent bad but wouldnt call them an alternate to thehigher end stuff if you got the budget.

 

[sttubs]

If you're planning to use a 32bit O/S then the 2x1gb should be adequate, it can only utilize 3.25gb of memory total.

However if you plan on using a 64bit O/S you'd wan't 2x2gb, it can utilize pretty much all the memory you have.

Personally I'd get the 2x2gb either way since they're cheap right now.

The motherboard you chose (BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3) is a good solid board. While the 785g is a cheap, good board they are now harder to find new.

 

[Platibus]

If you're planning to use a 32bit O/S then the 2x1gb should be adequate, it can only utilize 3.25gb of memory total.

However if you plan on using a 64bit O/S you'd wan't 2x2gb, it can utilize pretty much all the memory you have.

Personally I'd get the 2x2gb either way since they're cheap right now.

The motherboard you chose (BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3) is a good solid board. While the 785g is a cheap, good board they are now harder to find new.

Thank you for answering. You know what, I'll go for 2X2GB, that way this new PC will be better than my last one in every aspect (and will cost half the price!). I liked this set:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231179


Looks good right? Or which of these kits do you think is better? Memory speed doesn't matter to me, so if the only difference between two kits is speed and price, I'll pick the cheapest. Thank you for answering and keep on posting \m/.

 

[sttubs]

Thank you for answering. You know what, I'll go for 2X2GB, that way this new PC will be better than my last one in every aspect (and will cost half the price!). I liked this set:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231179


Looks good right? Or which of these kits do you think is better? Memory speed doesn't matter to me, so if the only difference between two kits is speed and price, I'll pick the cheapest. Thank you for answering and keep on posting \m/.

I use GSkill ram myself & everyone of them have been rock stable. The 1333 is a good enough speed, but if you wanted to bump it up to the 1600 then you have that choice. The Ripjaws have a taller heatsink, so you will have to look at your boards ram slot orientation vs your cpu's coolers size to make sure the taller heatsinks don't get blocked.