OCZ 600w vs Antec 650w

[Atty]

My OCZ GameXStream 600w which I purchased last year with my rig died a few days ago, I promptly set out to best buy to buy an Antec TruePower Trio 650w on sale (was $111 on sale at Best Buy, I had some store credit/gift cards to use as well so it was a bit cheaper) to test it out to make sure nothing else had died before I RMA my OCZ, which I'm in the process of setting up right now. Now, the Antec seems like a good PSU (I did my research, however quickly, before actually buying it) but I'm unsure if I should keep it as a main or even at all.

My plan was to use the Antec to diagnoss the PC then return it (after my OCZ comes back in of course) but now I'm thinking more about keeping it around as a spare PSU or even main if it turns out to be as good as the OCZ.

So my question(s) are, which is the better? I'm pretty certain the OCZ GameXStream 600w is better then the Antec but I'm not too sure, I've never been too savy with PSUs. Also, should I go ahead and keep the Antec? I'm sure it will be a good spare PSU to have around but is it really worth keeping? Should I just get my 90 some odd back (after 15% stocking fee)? I'd get it back in full btw, Best Buy account purchase credits to my card, so I'm not out of pocket anything.

Thanks for the help! 🙂

 

[Atty]

Thirty nine views and zero posts. 😕

 

[John]

If you factor in JonnyGURU's in-depth reviews on both psu's.....

The OCZ (based on the FSP Epsilon) has ripple issues (that's a bad thing) at a >400W load - it has 4x 12V rails, 80%+ efficiency, and a 3yr. warranty

The Trio (Seasonic built) blew up instead of blowing a fuse at a 650W load (max load) - however it has good voltage regulation, 80%+ efficiency, single 12V rail design, and a 5 yr. warranty

With all of that in mind the Trio is the better of the two since you stand less of a chance reaching a 650W load on a psu, it doesn't have ripple that exceeds ATX spec, and you get an additional 2 years of warranty. Then again I am an Antec pimp so maybe my response is biased. 😛

 

[Atty]

Well then I'll stick with the Antec I suppose and keep the OCZ as a spare PSU to diagnose.

Although any other opinions are welcome! 🙂

Also, if I go for a better (higher efficiency PSU) would I save any on my Electric bill? My city is crazy but still, $500 a month is hurting the bank a bit.

 

[John]

The Trio is already an 80%+ efficient psu that has a max efficiency around 83% @ 300W

Example:

Let's say that your rig pulls a constant 300W (idle loads will be a lot less) from the psu / .8 (83%) / 1000 (kWhr) x 24 (if your pc is on 24 hours) x 365 (days in a yr) x $.15 (per kWhr) = $474.94 per yr.

Now let's say you have an 85% psu @ 300W that would be a net savings of $11.18 for the year (less than $1 per month) if your pc is left on 24/7.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: iAtticus
Well then I'll stick with the Antec I suppose and keep the OCZ as a spare PSU to diagnose.

Although any other opinions are welcome! 🙂

Also, if I go for a better (higher efficiency PSU) would I save any on my Electric bill? My city is crazy but still, $500 a month is hurting the bank a bit.

Yes you would, but how much?
Is it worth the savings?
Also just because you have a highly efficient PSU is no indicator of the quality of the PSU or the longevity of said PSU.

Peace!!

 

[Atty]

Well I wasn't just going to look for a highly efficient PSU, I was going to go for higher quality although I do hope that high efficiency and higher overall quality go hand in hand. 😉