My First Build Ever... Need Advice On The PSU

[mrBA1105]

All right guys, looks like the time has finally come and I'm just about done with gathering all the parts for my first build ever. Just as an FYI the specs on my current computer are:

Micron Millenia MAX
Pentium III 600B
128 MB RAM (2x64)
20 GB WD Hard Drive
Aureal Sound Card
Monsoon 40W 2.1 Flat Panel Speakers
GeForce2 MX
8x CD-RW Drive
12x DVD-ROM Drive

And it's held up for 5 years pretty damn well. But, seriously guys, I'm well overdue for a good upgrade. Now, on to the main topic... I've ordered about 85% of the parts, but it's been particularly difficult choosing which PSU to get. Let me go ahead and hit you with some specs real quick so you can see what we're working with here:

Chieftec Matrix MX (Charcoal Gray/Silver/Window)
4x 80mm Panaflo Fans
Asus A8N SLI-Deluxe
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Winchester
Corsair TWINX1024-3200XLPT (2-2-2-5)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 SATA 200GB Hard Drive
NEC ND-3520A 16x DL DVD-RW Drive
LiteOn 52x CD-RW / 16x DVD-ROM Combo Drive
Mitsumi 7 in 1 Card Reader / Floppy Drive
BFG GeForce 6800 GT OC PCI-E
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum
Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Speaker System
Logitech MX510
Logitech Keyboard Elite
Dell 2005FPW

Now it's down to the PSU. I know that the A8N has issues with dual rail PSUs, so I definitely want a single rail PSU. Other than that, I really don't know a damn thing about PSUs. One I've really been looking into is the OCZ Modstream 450W: single rail, modular cable design, quiet (or so I hear). Could I rest my rig's life in this power supply's hands? I'm leaning towards a modular design because I really hate clutter in the case. Also, do all the TruePower Antecs come with the latest power cords for PCI-E and stuff?

Final question is: when is Antec releasing their new line of PSUs? Aren't they supposed to be super quiet, efficient, and powerful? I wouldn't mind waiting for some of those, even if it meant clutter.

Bottom line is, if you guys approve of the OCZ, I guess I can't go wrong. But any suggestions otherwise would be much appreciated. $79 for the Modstream, I guess my cap would be $100... MAYBE more if it's TRULY worth it. Thanks guys.

 

[Algere]

I know that the A8N has issues with dual rail PSUs

Not all dual rails have issues with SLI. Despite what others may say.

Could I rest my rig's life in this power supply's hands?

Yes IMO

do all the TruePower Antecs come with the latest power cords for PCI-E and stuff?

Not to my knowledge, not the current ones anyways. You'll most likely need a PCie adapter unless you can wait for the updated versions to surface or so I've heard.

when is Antec releasing their new line of PSUs? Aren't they supposed to be super quiet, efficient, and powerful? I wouldn't mind waiting for some of those, even if it meant clutter.

Don't think anyone (except Antec) has any clue when the 500W Phantom will come out.

 

[amol]

you dont need fancy RAM (unless you're OC'ing)

and you will be very happy with your monitor

<=== proud 2005FPw owner

 

[mrBA1105]

Should I just go with the non-XL version of the same RAM? I thought the TCCD memory improved performance, is that on for OCing?

 

[Patrick Wolf]

Hope you don't do a lot of gaming, the 2005FPW isn't too great for it.

I'm the proud ex-owner of a 2005FPW. It was great for everything except gaming and movies.

 

[Patrick Wolf]

A good OCZ Modstream review.

 

[amol]

Originally posted by: wolfman579
Hope you don't do a lot of gaming, the 2005FPW isn't too great for it.

I'm the proud ex-owner of a 2005FPW. It was great for everything except gaming and movies.

lol, i would say that out of your 105 posts, at least 60 of them are anti - 2005FPw

plus, they DO have software that helps control brightness :roll:

 

[Patrick Wolf]

Originally posted by: Amol

Originally posted by: wolfman579
Hope you don't do a lot of gaming, the 2005FPW isn't too great for it.

I'm the proud ex-owner of a 2005FPW. It was great for everything except gaming and movies.

lol, i would say that out of your 105 posts, at least 60 of them are anti - 2005FPw

plus, they DO have software that helps control brightness :roll:

I'm talking about the backlight being too bright in the 2005FPW, not the brightness. You can't turn down the backlight.

Have you played Doom 3, or any other dark games on this monitor? It sucks. Even when it's a bright game, the colors are a little washed out.

 

[amol]

Originally posted by: wolfman579

Originally posted by: Amol

Originally posted by: wolfman579
Hope you don't do a lot of gaming, the 2005FPW isn't too great for it.

I'm the proud ex-owner of a 2005FPW. It was great for everything except gaming and movies.

lol, i would say that out of your 105 posts, at least 60 of them are anti - 2005FPw

plus, they DO have software that helps control brightness :roll:

I'm talking about the backlight being too bright in the 2005FPW, not the brightness. You can't turn down the backlight.

Have you played Doom 3, or any other dark games on this monitor? It sucks. Even when it's a bright game, the colors are a little washed out.

ehh, im not a hardcore gamer like you probably are, so to me . . . it doesnt matter

for my own computer, i've never owned a CRT

LCDs all the way

 

[Patrick Wolf]

Originally posted by: Amol

Originally posted by: wolfman579

Originally posted by: Amol

Originally posted by: wolfman579
Hope you don't do a lot of gaming, the 2005FPW isn't too great for it.

I'm the proud ex-owner of a 2005FPW. It was great for everything except gaming and movies.

lol, i would say that out of your 105 posts, at least 60 of them are anti - 2005FPw

plus, they DO have software that helps control brightness :roll:

I'm talking about the backlight being too bright in the 2005FPW, not the brightness. You can't turn down the backlight.

Have you played Doom 3, or any other dark games on this monitor? It sucks. Even when it's a bright game, the colors are a little washed out.

ehh, im not a hardcore gamer like you probably are, so to me . . . it doesnt matter

for my own computer, i've never owned a CRT

LCDs all the way

Yes, I'm an extremely hardcore gamer, who will settle for nothing but the best.

 

[Zepper]

Fortron/Sparkle and Silverstone (made by Enhance) are very strong PSUs for the money. And the PSU in my sig will be dropping in price tomorrow morning at 11:00 EST - it's very sturdy too, but will need an adapter for the special SLI connector and has server-length cables. You can make ANY PSU into a modular with the kit from SVC et al...
.bh.

 

[jcromano]

Regarding your question on the cables that come with the latest TruePower supplies...

My Antec 380W TruePower PSU just arrived Friday (1/21), inside of a Sonata case. It came with a 20-pin ATX power cable. My Asus A8N-SLI board has a 24-pin socket, but my system is now up and running happily with 4 pins unused. I think some people have reported problems running that way, but many others have reported that it works for them. I have in mind in the future, if I upgrade to a more power-hungry processor or video card, that I'll look into getting a 24-pin supply too.

The TruePower supply that came did have several connectors for SATA power, and I didn't need to use any of the myriad of SATA power adapters that came with the A8N.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your build. My build was also my first, and it was very fun.

Jim

 

[Waylay00]

That rig is almost identical to what I am building (except the monitor, case, and maybe the mobo). The OCZ 520w should serve you fine.

 

[mrBA1105]

I'm currently looking at the Antec 550W power supplies. Between the TRUE550 and the TRUE550 EPS 12V, would the second one be overkill? I know the A8N can run on a 20 pin connector, so the EPS's 24 pin connector really isn't necessary, right? Should be ordering in a couple days, so a little more input would be useful.

EDIT: It would be nice to not have to use a PCI-Express power adapter. What are the top PSUs that are PCI-E ready? I've decided to splurge a little on the power supply, so I guess $150 is my max. THanks.