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I need opinions and facts to choose a powersupply.

Last post 07-21-2008, 2:04 PM by CompWiz. 3 replies.
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  •  07-18-2008, 2:54 PM 359498

    I need opinions and facts to choose a powersupply.

    Being that I've had 2 power supplys in the past to die and cause damage. (the most recent exploded and caused my motherboard to no longer function)

    I am currently in the process of building a new computer. I will eventually have 2 evga nvidia 9800 gx2 ssc2's so I'm going to need a 1200watt power supply. (as recommened)

    Origionally I was going to go with a thermaltake brand due to good feedback. But I found I can save money by purchasing a xclio brand powersupply which newegg currently has a good combo for the current computer case that I plan on buying.

    I want opinions and facts as advice on this particular matter. Maybe someone here has used both of these or the products of both of these companies?

    Xclio: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817189018

    Thermaltake: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153054
  •  07-18-2008, 6:10 PM 359573 in reply to 359498

    Re: I need opinions and facts to choose a powersupply.

    I've had neither...but check this discussion out:

    Tiered power supply list discussion 

    Peace

    Homer


    The Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?
    Pinky: Wha, I think so Brain, but - *snort* No, no, it's too stupid.
  •  07-19-2008, 8:37 PM 359951 in reply to 359573

    Re: I need opinions and facts to choose a powersupply.

    So going by that list the xclio would be a tier 2 and I shouldn't have many if any problems. I see that my 2 dead power supplies are on the tier 5 list. Which are a foxconn 480 watt and an atrix 550 watt. Go figure that both of them happen to badly rated psu's.
  •  07-21-2008, 2:04 PM 360724 in reply to 359951

    Re: I need opinions and facts to choose a powersupply.

    yeah, the xclio is good.  in fact, it seems to be identical to the Thermaltake.  Look at the positioning of the toroidal coils in the newegg pictures.  Also, the power switch and amperage ratings match up.  Those power supplies are almost certainly made by the same manufacturer, and are likely almost identical inside. 

    However, those power supplies use an unusual design.  They contain two seperate 600watt power supplies, each with their own 12v outputs.  So, this is one of the few power supplies with a true multi 12v rail design.  This design does have limitations.  Because the rails are seperate, they probably suffer from the "trapped power" problem that tends to plague power supplies with truly seperate 12v rails.   What this means is that since the 12v rails are seperate from each other, you will probably not be able to use all of the 12v power, and you really need to perfectly balance the 12v rails to ensure that you won't have problems.  With the more common simulated multi 12v rail power supplies, the 12v power is all combined before being split into the rails.  So, if one rail pulls more power than the other, it's not a problem.  It all just comes from the full combined 12v power.  Also, the limits on the rails are generally higher than what is stated on the label, by a few amps, to eliminate trapped power problems, since the limits are arbitrary anyway.  This is not the case with the power supplies you were looking at. 

    So, you may want to consider other power supplies.   First off, let's get a power estimate for your system.

    CPU: 95watts(Intel Quad core)

    GPU: 197watts each (so 394watts total)

    optical drive: 25watts

    hard drive: 10watts

    motherboard: 50watts

    cooling, RAM, pci cards: 50watts

    total: 624watts

    so, throw in an extra 100watts for overclocking, and you're still under 750watts.  add in another 50watts for future hard drive and optical drive upgrades, and you're up to around 775watts. 

    So, you really don't need a 1200watt power supply.  

    Right now, the OCZ ProXStream 1000watt power supply is on sale for $70 w/ free shipping.  That is an amazing price for this high quality server-grade power supply.  In the review of that power supply at hardocp.com, they said:

    hardocp.com:
    The OCZ ProXStream was a product that demonstrated excellent build quality from the get go. Unlike the OCZ GameXStream 1010w there were no labeling issues, and the component selection was simply top-notch including the use of Rubycon primary capacitors. This build quality resulted in a product that performed well in all our tests

    The one shortcoming of that power supply is the loud fan, but at a price of $70, that is really an amazing deal.  

    If you do want a quieter fan, there are some other options:

    the OCZ EliteXStream 800watt power supply is currently on sale for $125 w/ free shipping on newegg.  The EliteXStream is OCZ's highest-end power supply line, and is a great power supply all around.  It's one of the few power supplies listed in tier 1 of the tiered power supply list.  

    The OCZ GameXStream 850watt power supply is currently on sale for $140 on newegg. 

    The Antec TruePower Quattro 850watt power supply is also on sale for $140 on newegg.  There is a review of an Antec TruePower Quattro at JonnyGuru.com, if you'd like to read more about it.  

    If you do want a full 1000watts, the Xclio Stablepower 1000watt power supply is currently selling on newegg for $160. 


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