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Is it worth it to buy a more expensive PSU for less watts?

I

iamtheone

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Jan 12, 2011
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Lets say I need 600w max draw. I can buy a 850W for say $100. Or a 650W for $135.

My mate says I should go for the more expensive PSUs from Corsair or Seasonic instead of "cheaping out on the PSU", by which he means most other brands.

I mean, is that worth it/recommended? Surely a bigger wattage number at a lower price = win?
 
Yea i wouldn't buy a cheap PC for a expensive rig. I would get Corsair, Enermax, Seasonic, and other high end brands. Even if you buy the higher wattage PSU, It will not use 850W 24/7, it will only use what your components ask for
 
I would say your friend is mostly right but its not just about the money. Knowing the reputation of the brand you choose is more important than price alone. When shopping for a PSU I look at the wattage I need and then see what the top brands have for sale in that market. Usually I just buy Corsair.
 
iamtheone said:
they only happen to cost a fair bit more than the competition is all :( I just thought the PSU would be a nice place to save $40.

The rest of my rig components is $$$, i5-2500k, hd6970, corsair vengeance ram, corsair ssd, msi gd65 mobo etc
Click to expand...

Unless a killer PSU is on sale for a good price you should never really save on the PSU. Save on things like optical drives or recycling an old full ATX case.
 
iamtheone said:
they only happen to cost a fair bit more than the competition is all :( I just thought the PSU would be a nice place to save $40.

The rest of my rig components is $$$, i5-2500k, hd6970, corsair vengeance ram, corsair ssd, msi gd65 mobo etc
Click to expand...

900W, 880W, 875W, 860W, 850W, 800W, 780W, 775W, ...

pick off of that list and you should be good to go i suggest on of these specifically

Recertified: PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750 Qua...

SILVERSTONE DA700 700W ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V SLI C...

Jamborhgini313 said:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready...

Single 60A Rail for 100 bucks

or if your planning on buying another 6970,
CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EP...

That thing acts like a 1k watt according to johnnyguru
Click to expand...

that overkill for a pair of 6970...i ran way more off of a thermaltake TR2 RX-850
 
My friend got a rosewill 1000w psu and i laughed at him. He got it because of the led fan :laugh:
 
Jamborhgini313 said:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready...

Single 60A Rail for 100 bucks

or if your planning on buying another 6970,
CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EP...

That thing acts like a 1k watt according to johnnyguru
Click to expand...

Well I don't think i'll be adding another hd6970. But I will be overclocking the solo hd6970 to it's max, as well as overclocking the i5-2500k to it's max (got a Zalman CNPS 9900 MAX ready for that).

I reckon I'll only need like 550W max with everything?
 
Saying "more expensive PSUs are better than cheap ones" is too vague and sometimes true but not always.

Saying "certain PSU brands are better than others" is too vague and, while often true, does not always guarantee you will get a good unit.

You don't always get what you pay for, and just about every brand puts out some quality units and some potentially dangerous ones. You can also pay far more than you need to if you go by brand alone. You really have to choose on a model by model basis. To illustrate, Rosewill has a 650w PSU that has been shown to fail to put out its rated power cleanly, whereas Rosewill also sells a 630w that has been shown to be good for about 670w.

If you're not well in touch with which units are good models and which aren't, I would suggest asking for a specific model suggestion for your build.
 
nvidiaintelftw said:
My friend got a rosewill 1000w psu and i laughed at him. He got it because of the led fan :laugh:
Click to expand...

I have a friend that did the same thing, like the kights, not sure what brand it was.
 
IMO, you should not skimp on the PSU. The case and the PSU are the two components that you will most likely keep the longest as you upgrade.

A PSU usually runs most efficiently as you get closer to 50% of its rated output, so getting a larger PSU to handle 600w (ie. 850w) will be more efficient than getting a 650w.
 
Kreij said:
IMO, you should not skimp on the PSU. The case and the PSU are the two components that you will most likely keep the longest as you upgrade.

A PSU usually runs most efficiently as you get closer to 50% of its rated output, so getting a larger PSU to handle 600w (ie. 850w) will be more efficient than getting a 650w.
Click to expand...

thats not always true part of 80+ rating is 20% 50% and 100% so yes at 50% it might be more efficient but they are designed to run 100%...that being said in a hot room most PSU's will not hold up to being pushed close to 100% i popped my OCZ modxtreme pro after about 1.5yrs due to TX summers and not running the ac all the way down.
 
I agree, cd, but my statement is true. They are the most efficient in the middle of their rated output.
I buy 80 gold for that reason. Seasonics or Corsair.
Plus I like the spiffy black and gold velvet bags they come in. :D
 
The Rosewill 850 Watt models I got are pretty good

nvidiaintelftw said:
My friend got a rosewill 1000w psu and i laughed at him. He got it because of the led fan :laugh:
Click to expand...

They have sloppy cabling but actually provide rated power output. Johnny Guru gave the power supply in my system specs about an 8 out of 10. Hey and I do like the blue LED. Johnny Guru is a good place to find out general quality but you also have to keep in mind that more than likely you will never put the stress they put on the supplies. They kind of remind of mythbusters over there and their methods of testing are a little extreme but quite funny at times and informative. :toast:

I try to always stick to the philosophy of getting twice the power you actually need. I do the same with audio equipment. Electronic components in general work better and last longer when they are not being stressed too hard.
 
Kreij said:
IMO, you should not skimp on the PSU. The case and the PSU are the two components that you will most likely keep the longest as you upgrade.

A PSU usually runs most efficiently as you get closer to 50% of its rated output, so getting a larger PSU to handle 600w (ie. 850w) will be more efficient than getting a 650w.
Click to expand...

And has the power to fry every thing in the computer.
 
I purposely did research when picking out my Corsair HX1000W. Its more than I will EVER need, but its damn good in every aspect. I would much rather pay $200 + for a reliable, quality PSU; rather than shell out ~$100 for a less than respectable PSU that will crap put in less than 6 months under everyday usage....
 
TIGR said:
If you're not well in touch with which units are good models and which aren't, I would suggest asking for a specific model suggestion for your build.
Click to expand...

How about these 2? Both are around the same price and 650W. The Corsair is Bronze rated, while the NZXT is Gold rated. They're roughly the same price for same watt except the latter is Gold rated.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w-corsair-hx-series-modular-80-plus-bronze-85-eff-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-120mm-fan
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w-nzxt-hale90-series-modular-80-plus-gold-90-eff-sli-crossfire-20db-eps-12v-140mm-fan

I used the Corsair power supply configurator and it recommended me a 650W one. Will be overclocking everything.

Intended System Specs
 
Last edited:
You shouldn't skimp on the PSU. Buying a decent PSU at a wattage and price range you are comfortable with is is better then just getting one on cheap. Sometimes you find a decent PSU on sale, etc. You should look for a PSU that has:
-Decent 80 Plus rating
-Adequate amperage for the 3.3V, 5.0V and 12.0V rails from the label
-Fits your PC case without compromises
-Wattage that you believe is adequate for your use

Those are just a few examples. But it's common to see better PSUs prices higher then others in the same wattage range.
 
Kreij said:
A PSU usually runs most efficiently as you get closer to 50% of its rated output, so getting a larger PSU to handle 600w (ie. 850w) will be more efficient than getting a 650w.
Click to expand...

This is true, but with two important caveats:

1. The efficiency curves of different models varies as wildly as the torque curves of different engines. Some can have such steep curves that their efficiency varies over 10% between 50% load and 90% load. Others have such flat curves that the difference in efficiency between 50% and 90% is negligible.

2. "Getting a larger PSU to handle 600w (ie. 850w) will be more efficient than getting a 650w." That is true if you are actually running at 600w on average. Unless you're running software (e.g. Folding@home) that puts your system under close to 100% load 24/7, your system's average power consumption will be significantly lower (usually >50% lower for a gaming rig) than its peak power consumption. So for most people, buying a PSU that is most efficient at their system's peak power consumption level will not result in the best average efficiency.

iamtheone said:
How about these 2? Both are around the same price and 650W. The Corsair is Bronze rated, while the NZXT is Gold rated. They're roughly the same price for same watt except the latter is Gold rated.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w-corsair-hx-series-modular-80-plus-bronze-85-eff-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-120mm-fan
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w-nzxt-hale90-series-modular-80-plus-gold-90-eff-sli-crossfire-20db-eps-12v-140mm-fan

I used the Corsair power supply configurator and it recommended me a 650W one. Will be overclocking everything.

Intended System Specs
Click to expand...

Checking into this now. Will take a bit.
 
The gold rated PSU use better components.
They have to do so, as they need to keep much tighter tolerances to maintain the efficiency rating over a broader output range.
By their nature, these better components will deliver cleaner power.

Whether you need that level of PSU is your decision.
Most 80+ anything will be fine for the average user/gamer.
 
iamtheone said:
How about these 2? Both are around the same price and 650W. The Corsair is Bronze rated, while the NZXT is Gold rated. They're roughly the same price for same watt except the latter is Gold rated.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w-corsair-hx-series-modular-80-plus-bronze-85-eff-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-120mm-fan
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/650w-nzxt-hale90-series-modular-80-plus-gold-90-eff-sli-crossfire-20db-eps-12v-140mm-fan

I used the Corsair power supply configurator and it recommended me a 650W one. Will be overclocking everything.

Intended System Specs
Click to expand...

80Plus Test Results
Corsair 650HX
NZXT HALE90-650-M

The Corsair has more/better connectors while the NZXT has 2 amps more on the 12v rail. The Corsair is far more well-known and tested while the NZXT is clearly more efficient across the board. Without knowing what type of fan is in the NZXT, its longevity is an unknown. FWIW, the 850w version of the NZXT tests well, putting out nearly 100ow of power cleanly (link).

I would guess that your system is going to have an average draw of under 250w due to the amount of time the average system spends idling (unless you put it under heavy load for the majority of the time, as in 8 hours a day or more). Its peak power consumption should also be well under 600w.
 
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