- Apr 29, 2012
- 10
- 0
- 66
Hi, everyone...
Let me apologize in advance for the length of this post. That said, I wanted to make sure I gave ample background info on what I already bought, the system I am dealing with, what I am looking for, etc.
Thank you in advance for your patience and help.
When all of the rumors were swirling towards the end of April that Ivy Bridge systems were going to start shipping, I started seriously looking at buying a new desktop PC for my kids to share. Yes, I could build my own, but I haven't built a new system in many years now and didn't feel like I was up on the latest tech as I should be or ideally would be. Furthermore, I didn't feel like I really had the time to research parts, etc. [It turns out, I have had to spend enough time that I could have built my own system...] Anyway, I have been fairly happy with HP systems when I buy them. So, I was really leaning towards the purchase of an HP desktop PC, but I knew I didn't really want the power supply that HP would include with the system. I say that thinking that the PSUs they include are probably fairly cheap and inefficient compared to what I could get for reasonable money.
I was planning on getting a low-end Ivy Bridge i7 proc or a mid-level i5. With that in mind, I ended up buying...
* OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W Modular PSU (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EZMEZO/)
* ASUS EAH6670/DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 6670 GDDR5 128-bit 1 GB Video Card (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X8EODY/)
When the Ivy Bridge systems launched, there was some crazy configurations for the first couple of days and I was blessed to be able to get a Ivy Bridge i7-3770 for about the same money as I was going to get a low-end i7 or a mid to upper level i5.
My kids do not play Modern Warfare, Crisis, Assassin's Creed, or anything like that. They play primarily LEGO Indiana Jones 2, Toy Story 3, etc. They are looking to buy LEGO Batman 2, LEGO Lord of the Rings, and so on.
The system I ended up buying had the following specs...
Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit]
Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7-3770 quad-core processor [3.4GHz, 8MB Shared Cache]
8GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
1TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
1GB DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 7570 [HDMI, DVI, VGA via adapter]
300W Power supply
SuperMulti DVD Burner
Wireless-N LAN card (integrated into the motherboard)
15-in-1 memory card reader, 4 USB 2.0 (front), 2 USB 3.0 (top)
Beats Audio (tm) -- integrated studio quality sound
HP keyboard and optical mouse
After testing the system for a couple of days, I removed the included PSU and video card and installed the OCZ PSU and ASUS video card I had bought. All seemed fine for about 3-4 weeks. Then, I started having shut-downs, crashes, etc. Finally, after messing around with things for a few weeks, I put the original PSU and original video card back in the system and all has been fine.
However, I would still like to install a better PSU in the system, something that hopefully provides cleaner power and is more efficient, maybe some form of voltage regulation too. I would also like to be able to possibly put the ASUS video card back in the system or something similar. I might not need it now, but that might change over the next year or two.
OCZ did replace the PSU, but I had to spend $15 returning it to them after only a month of good performance (and a couple of months of crap performance, crashes, etc.) and to top it off, they sent me back a re-certified/refurbished unit. So, I do not really trust OCZ PSUs, nor do I want to give them another chance, at least not for now. So, I will probably sell the PSU they sent me as a replacement.
Question #1
-- Was the OCZ 500W PSU sufficient for this system I bought and my kid's needs as I thought it was, even if it did function properly? Or should I have purchased maybe a PSU with a little higher peak/continuous wattage capability?
Question #2 -- It seems like Seasonic, Corsair, PC Power and Cooling, or Antec are probably the brands I should have been looking at more, but I know just focusing on a brand is not a guarantee of quality or performance. Can anyone recommend a solid PSU or two that is efficient (80 Plus Bronze or better), produces fairly clean power, and has at least a 3 or 4 year warranty?
Thank you again in advance for your patience and feedback/help.
-SM1LE
Let me apologize in advance for the length of this post. That said, I wanted to make sure I gave ample background info on what I already bought, the system I am dealing with, what I am looking for, etc.
Thank you in advance for your patience and help.
When all of the rumors were swirling towards the end of April that Ivy Bridge systems were going to start shipping, I started seriously looking at buying a new desktop PC for my kids to share. Yes, I could build my own, but I haven't built a new system in many years now and didn't feel like I was up on the latest tech as I should be or ideally would be. Furthermore, I didn't feel like I really had the time to research parts, etc. [It turns out, I have had to spend enough time that I could have built my own system...] Anyway, I have been fairly happy with HP systems when I buy them. So, I was really leaning towards the purchase of an HP desktop PC, but I knew I didn't really want the power supply that HP would include with the system. I say that thinking that the PSUs they include are probably fairly cheap and inefficient compared to what I could get for reasonable money.
I was planning on getting a low-end Ivy Bridge i7 proc or a mid-level i5. With that in mind, I ended up buying...
* OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W Modular PSU (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EZMEZO/)
* ASUS EAH6670/DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 6670 GDDR5 128-bit 1 GB Video Card (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X8EODY/)
When the Ivy Bridge systems launched, there was some crazy configurations for the first couple of days and I was blessed to be able to get a Ivy Bridge i7-3770 for about the same money as I was going to get a low-end i7 or a mid to upper level i5.
My kids do not play Modern Warfare, Crisis, Assassin's Creed, or anything like that. They play primarily LEGO Indiana Jones 2, Toy Story 3, etc. They are looking to buy LEGO Batman 2, LEGO Lord of the Rings, and so on.
The system I ended up buying had the following specs...
Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit]
Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7-3770 quad-core processor [3.4GHz, 8MB Shared Cache]
8GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
1TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
1GB DDR3 AMD Radeon HD 7570 [HDMI, DVI, VGA via adapter]
300W Power supply
SuperMulti DVD Burner
Wireless-N LAN card (integrated into the motherboard)
15-in-1 memory card reader, 4 USB 2.0 (front), 2 USB 3.0 (top)
Beats Audio (tm) -- integrated studio quality sound
HP keyboard and optical mouse
After testing the system for a couple of days, I removed the included PSU and video card and installed the OCZ PSU and ASUS video card I had bought. All seemed fine for about 3-4 weeks. Then, I started having shut-downs, crashes, etc. Finally, after messing around with things for a few weeks, I put the original PSU and original video card back in the system and all has been fine.
However, I would still like to install a better PSU in the system, something that hopefully provides cleaner power and is more efficient, maybe some form of voltage regulation too. I would also like to be able to possibly put the ASUS video card back in the system or something similar. I might not need it now, but that might change over the next year or two.
OCZ did replace the PSU, but I had to spend $15 returning it to them after only a month of good performance (and a couple of months of crap performance, crashes, etc.) and to top it off, they sent me back a re-certified/refurbished unit. So, I do not really trust OCZ PSUs, nor do I want to give them another chance, at least not for now. So, I will probably sell the PSU they sent me as a replacement.
Question #1
-- Was the OCZ 500W PSU sufficient for this system I bought and my kid's needs as I thought it was, even if it did function properly? Or should I have purchased maybe a PSU with a little higher peak/continuous wattage capability?Question #2
-- It seems like Seasonic, Corsair, PC Power and Cooling, or Antec are probably the brands I should have been looking at more, but I know just focusing on a brand is not a guarantee of quality or performance. Can anyone recommend a solid PSU or two that is efficient (80 Plus Bronze or better), produces fairly clean power, and has at least a 3 or 4 year warranty?Thank you again in advance for your patience and feedback/help.
-SM1LE
Facebook
Twitter