how much amps on the +12V rail is enough

[gogoman123]

ok iam shopping for a psu for my 1st build which will be used mainly for gaming and browsing the net. so far its the following:
i3-2100, 4gb ddr3, asrock h61 board and one of the following:
gts450, gtx460, 6770 depending on price as iam on budget and will be gaming on 720p 19" lcd.
wont be overclocking/SLI/Crossfire

so for those cards whats enough amps on the +12V rail? and how do i find out as most websites dont mention it?
extreme psu calculator says i need about 400w for this build i will probably go 500w to be safe and if i might upgrade

so apart from wattage, +12v rail amps, warranty, noise and brand,
is there anything else i need to watch out for?

also the case iam getting (xigatek white knight) has the psu at the bottom, is this ok? or is it better at the top? thanks

 

[Soulkeeper]

I'd estimate about 22+ Amps would be a minimum number
figuring: 160W from vid card 100W rest of system 260W mostly from 12v rail ... 260/12 = 21.667
Also worth noting is having as much as 2x the max power you need won't hurt(psu's most efficient at ~50% load).

There is no way to be completely exact, but here are some links that could shed a little light on the matter.
Assuming that the vast majority of your estimated power draw will come from the 12v rail is not unwise

link 1
link 2
Most recent cards

the last link lists 102, 146, 95 for the cards you listed in that order ... depending on the clocks/model they could vary. and we both know an i3+mb+mem don't pull much power

A quality/recent 400W or 500W psu would be plenty/ideal for that system

so apart from wattage, +12v rail amps, warranty, noise and brand,
is there anything else i need to watch out for?

also the case iam getting (xigatek white knight) has the psu at the bottom, is this ok? or is it better at the top? thanks

Most things come down to preference imo
They should mount on top or bottom fine.

gl

 

[gogoman123]

ok can anyone help decide between these 3:
coolermaster 550w (12V@44A) 3yr warranty: http://www.ebuyer.com/200489-coolerm...-550-acaae3-uk
corsair 600w (12V@44A) 5yr warranty http://www.ebuyer.com/269259-corsair...mpsu-600cxv2uk
thermaltake 575w (12V@48A) 5yr warranty http://www.ebuyer.com/234911-thermal...r-psu-tpx-575m

 

[Fallengod]

nm, just noticed youre in the uk.

 

[Slugbait]

I'd say skip those three choices: http://www.ebuyer.com/245671-antec-...u-80plus-bronze-13-5cm-fan-3x-0761345-06205-3

If you need more wattage drop another 20 on http://www.ebuyer.com/246651-antec-...u-80plus-bronze-13-5cm-fan-3x-0761345-06209-1

 

[gogoman123]

but the 520W antec (+12V@40A) u linked has 3yr warranty and costs £55. i can get the 575W thermaltake (+12V@48A) 5yr warranty for that price

 

[fffblackmage]

but the 520W antec (+12V@40A) u linked has 3yr warranty and costs £55. i can get the 575W thermaltake (+12V@48A) 5yr warranty for that price

I couldn't find a review on jonnyguru.com for that particular Thermaltake model, but it looks like the Toughpower XT series had scored decently, though the reviews are a couple years old.

If you're interested in the reviews I found:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=147
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=171
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=182

Thermaltake PSUs just aren't consistently recommended because they have a mix of good and bad PSUs, but any Antec PSU would be good.

 

[gogoman123]

thanks fffblackmage. so out of the antec and the corsair, which would u recommend?

 

[Slugbait]

The Corsair unit is a CWT...the Antec unit is a Seasonic.

This is why I linked the Antecs.

 

[SuperMarioBro]

Just to avoid creating another thread since I have a similar question, I'll go ahead and ask it here.

Will this PSU be adequate for a modern HTPC with an i3-2100, H67, 8GB RAM, 1-2 HDDs (spinners), blu-ray drive, and a TV tuner card?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182006

I know this thing is like seven years old, but it appears to be good quality and has 15 amps on the 12V rail, which I *think* should be sufficient. The fact that it only has a 20-pin ATX connector is a little disconcerting, but I don't think it should really matter in this case.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Slugbait]

I know this thing is like seven years old, but it appears to be good quality and has 15 amps on the 12V rail, which I *think* should be sufficient.

The mobo for my living room HTPC wants 18 amps...it's running an old 4200+. So I think 15 amps might not be sufficient for your much newer machine. Also, that unit peaks at 350W...it's actually a 325W unit.

In your price range, and looking at current prices, I'd suggest either the Thermaltake http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023 or the Corsair http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

 

[SuperMarioBro]

Thanks for the quick response. You're probably right that I should forget about that Rosewill, but something over 400W feels like overkill for what should be a pretty low-power PC.

What about one of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371033
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817815007

... Although they're not really much less powerful.

 

[Slugbait]

Doesn't really matter what wattage the unit is capable of delivering since it will only draw as much as needed. Quality and the +12 is what matters more.

Of the latest two, I'd suggest the Antec...it's a Delta. Although ripple isn't nearly as good as a Seasonic, it does provide about twice as many +12 amps as that Rosewill. You just need to provide your own cable.