2 Power Supplies - same AMP ratings, what's the diff?

[augiem]

I'm trying to find a good PSU for my new Conroe E6600@3.5+ (hopefully), 4GB DDR2, 7900 GT, 2-3 HD, DVDRW, several fans, and some room for future expansion.

After tons of looking around, I decided I like SilverStone PSUs, but I'm unsure whether I should get the 500w or the 560w. I read some of Johnny Guru's PSU threads, but now I'm confused whether a 560w 2x12v@18amp would give me any benefit whatsoever over a 500w 2x12v@18amp. Doesn't seem like it.

Check these two PSU's out:
Silverstone ST50EF 500w
Silverstone ST56F 560w

500w:
+3.3v: 25A
+5v: 25A
+12V1: 18A
+12V2: 18A
+5VSB: 3.0A
-12V: .3A
Combined +3.3, +5v: 210w
Combined +12V: 35A/420W
Efficiency: >80%

560w:
+3.3v: 30A
+5v: 30A
+12V1: 18A
+12V2: 18A
+5VSB: 2.0A
-12V: .5A
Combined +3.3, +5v: 180w
Combined +12V: 36A/432W
Efficiency: >80%


The only differences I notice:
560w has 5A more on each +3.3 and +5v.
560w has .2A more on -12V rail.
560w has 1A less on +5VSB.
560w has 30W less on combined +3.3 and +5v.
560w has 1A & 12W more on combined +12V.


What does this really mean? I see nearly no advantage on +12V rails, but I'm not sure what the .2 difference on the -12V rail means.
To me, it looks like the 500w actually has overall more juice. Same +12v rails , less amps on +3.3V and +5V, but the combined +3.3V and +5V rating is 30W _higher_ on the 500W. What would this extra juice on the +3.3 and +5V mean? I can power more fans/IDE drives?

Anyway, maybe there's a friendly PSU guru out there willing to give some advice!

BTW, I was also considering Enhance PSU's because of some messages I read from Galvanized Yankee, but I cannot find any reviews anywhere on the web on either of these. Would these be on par with the SilverStones I'm looking at in terms of quality and longevity?

Enhance ENS-0555 550W PSU
Enhance ENP-5150G 500W

The 550W has 4 rails, the 500W has 2. Also, I can't find efficiency ratings on either of these PSUs even on Enhance's website.
Also, the 550W has a smaller 80mm fan that does not blow from the bottom like all the others. I wonder if this is a problem for a hot OC'd system...

Thanks all!

Augie

 

[PurdueRy]

The 500 W looks like a updated of tweaker version of the 560 W with a more honest power rating

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Enhance builds the Strider and Element series for Silverstone.
Silverstone will bump the current limiters a tad(maybe). Enhance stays Intel compliant...As straight as a good arrow.

Consider the Enhance ENP-5150GH (*GH*). It has 12V combined at 30.5A and is 80Plus certed. Froogles for $69~$78.
And it's Crossfire certed.

If you can wait till mid-Septenber the series 4 5150GH will be out that has 12V at 36A combined. That's not peak.

Of the two you listed/linked, I'd go with the 500 *IF* the rig is not a server with lots of HDDs.


...Galvanized

 

[augiem]

Thanks for the responses!
And thanks Galvanized for your suggestion on the 5150GH. I never even saw that one.

That 5150GH looks like a really nice unit. The Crossfire cert is a bonus, but isn't the 30.5A combined rating a little low compared to the SilverStone 50EF's 35A (peak 38A)?
Should I assume Enhance is being more honest than SilverStone on the amperage ratings?

The 80Plus and Crossfire is definitely a bonus. Plus the Enhance comes out about $8 less than the silverstone. But I can't figure out why the Enhance would have 6 SATA connectors though... Silverstone has 4 SATA, 6 Molex, Enhance has 6 SATA, 4 molex. Seems like more molex is more useful with DVD-RW's and fans and such.

Thanks again,

Augie

 

[rise]

go with the enhance man. save yourself some $$. i have the 0560g and its a really nice unit. why spend more for someone to put their name on it?

 

[orangat]

If you look at the operating temps, you can see that the 500W model is rated higher at 50C.
So not only the 500W model could have better components but it is rated more stringently.

 

[augiem]

Hi,

What do you think of the 0560g? It's got quad rails right? For $33 more than I would be spending on the SilverStone 500w I could get this Enhance 600w, which should give me more headroom to grow. (I'm playing with the idea of putting together a 4-drive raid (striping and mirroring)... But I read about an issue of using this PS with crossfire, etc. where you have to use an adapter to combine two of the rails to get enough juice. I probably won't ever SLI, but I might do a RAID and some extra fans at some point...

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: augiem
Hi,

What do you think of the 0560g? It's got quad rails right? For $33 more than I would be spending on the SilverStone 500w I could get this Enhance 600w, which should give me more headroom to grow. (I'm playing with the idea of putting together a 4-drive raid (striping and mirroring)... But I read about an issue of using this PS with crossfire, etc. where you have to use an adapter to combine two of the rails to get enough juice. I probably won't ever SLI, but I might do a RAID and some extra fans at some point...

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

You don't need 600W for a 4 hard drive system without SLI/crossfire

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

The 500 watt is over kill w/o SLI/Crossfire but at 80%+efficiency it's no big deal.

I got a 0560 so I could plug in my winter motorcycling electric vest & chaps while on the comp in an unheated garage office. It will be nice being warm w/o using a space heater.
The gear draws 120W@12V. I will never go SLI.


...Galvanized

 

[augiem]

Okay, thanks for all the advice guys. I went ahead and ordered the SilverStone 500W

I got a pretty sweet price at Outpost.com on this thing...
SilverStone 500W @ Outpost.com for $69.90

I would have gone for the Enhance 5150GH were it not for the 5.5A less on combined +12v. The SilverStone is not 80+ cert , but it's 80% typical efficiency anyway.

Augie

 

[augiem]

Okay, so seems my plans were foiled... After ordering the SilverStone unit, I just came to realize it does not have the 8-pin EPS 12V connector on it.

I sent an email to cancel the order -- hope it gets through! Anyway, I may be ordering the Enhance afterall, though I'm still uneasy about the 30.5A combined +12V rails.

Time to do more searching/research... ugh.

Augie