Power supply help.

[ItsMeeYourDaddy]

I have a Giga. 78LMT-USB3 motherboard running a FX-6300 with a MSI R9 390x. What PSU should I get with what types of connectors for my specific build. The connectors/type of connectors are what is messing me up the most with choosing a PSU.

 

[lehtv]

You need
- 8-pin CPU cable, provided in any modern ATX PSU
- 24-pin ATX cable, provided in any modern ATX PSU
- one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCIe power connector for the graphics card, provided in almost any decent 500 watt and bigger PSU
- as many SATA power connectors as you have SATA devices (SSD's, hard disks, optical drives), preferably with a few extra for possible upgrades

That's it for connectors. If you need 4-pin Molex for something like a case fan controller or a LED strip, any power supply will have those too.

As for capacity, R9 390X is so power hungry that I would recommend a 650W unit. 550W will also work fine as long as it's high quality, but typically a 650W unit in the same model series will be quieter at load.

Speaking of quality: Corsair RM650x $80 after promo code and mail-in-rebate @ newegg. 10 year warranty, excellent stability, extremely quiet fan, fully modular cables. Of course there are a little cheaper units that also fit the bill, but nothing that screams out long term value for money like this one.

EDIT Some PSU's are too big for some cases. The above is 160mm deep and will fit almost all microATX and ATX cases without problems, but if you have a particularly compact case then you'll want to make sure it will fit. For instance, Corsair 88R can fit up to 160mm but is better used with shorter units so that you can more easily connect and disconnect cables on the modular interface.

 

[OCNewbie]

Speaking of quality: Corsair RM650x $80 after promo code and mail-in-rebate @ newegg. 10 year warranty, excellent stability, extremely quiet fan, fully modular cables. Of course there are a little cheaper units that also fit the bill, but nothing that screams out long term value for money like this one.

How about this one? It's an EVGA SUPERNOVA 750W G2 80 PLUS GOLD CERTIFIED PSU

Currently $84.99 after MIR at NCIXUS.com. If you add an NCIX $20 gift card to your cart, and add this coupon code - NEWNCIXCUST20, you get $20 knocked off the total, so the $20 gift card is free. So, you get the PSU, and the $20 gift card for $84.99 total. That's like getting the PSU for $64.99, if you end up using the gift card (I don't believe it ever expires).

Here's jonnyguru's review on the EVGA unit - it scores a 9.8/10 - Link

I'm leaning towards getting it myself, if I decide to replace my ~8 year old BFG-ES800 (which I'm unsure if I need to or not).

 

[lehtv]

How about this one? It's an EVGA SUPERNOVA 750W G2 80 PLUS GOLD CERTIFIED PSU

Currently $84.99 after MIR at NCIXUS.com. If you add an NCIX $20 gift card to your cart, and add this coupon code - NEWNCIXCUST20, you get $20 knocked off the total, so the $20 gift card is free. So, you get the PSU, and the $20 gift card for $84.99 total. That's like getting the PSU for $64.99, if you end up using the gift card (I don't believe it ever expires).

Yes, that is a very good deal as well. How much is shipping from NCIX though?

 

[OCNewbie]

Yes, that is a very good deal as well. How much is shipping from NCIX though?

I think free, but I'll have to check. Yup... free, but it says 5-8 business days, so it's not exactly fast shipping. That said, my net cost here, after factoring in the gift card, is $64.99 vs. Newegg, which currently has this for $89.99 after rebate. I suppose it's worth the $25 difference.

 

[ItsMeeYourDaddy]

You need
- 8-pin CPU cable, provided in any modern ATX PSU
- 24-pin ATX cable, provided in any modern ATX PSU
- one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCIe power connector for the graphics card, provided in almost any decent 500 watt and bigger PSU
- as many SATA power connectors as you have SATA devices (SSD's, hard disks, optical drives), preferably with a few extra for possible upgrades

That's it for connectors. If you need 4-pin Molex for something like a case fan controller or a LED strip, any power supply will have those too.

As for capacity, R9 390X is so power hungry that I would recommend a 650W unit. 550W will also work fine as long as it's high quality, but typically a 650W unit in the same model series will be quieter at load. I just don't really know what it is. I checked the website and it says its good for pc's but they were created for Bitcoin mining machines. I just don't know.

Speaking of quality: Corsair RM650x $80 after promo code and mail-in-rebate @ newegg. 10 year warranty, excellent stability, extremely quiet fan, fully modular cables. Of course there are a little cheaper units that also fit the bill, but nothing that screams out long term value for money like this one.

EDIT Some PSU's are too big for some cases. The above is 160mm deep and will fit almost all microATX and ATX cases without problems, but if you have a particularly compact case then you'll want to make sure it will fit. For instance, Corsair 88R can fit up to 160mm but is better used with shorter units so that you can more easily connect and disconnect cables on the modular interface.

sounds easy enough to find "the one". I did find a Butterfly Labs BFL 1250W 80+ Gold ATX Fully Modular Power Supply for $80 bucks on Ebay. Its a overkill but I have so much stuff connected that I wouldn't mind it. It seems like it fits all the criteria too.

 

[lehtv]

I did find a Butterfly Labs BFL 1250W 80+ Gold ATX Fully Modular Power Supply for $80 bucks on Ebay. Its a overkill but I have so much stuff connected that I wouldn't mind it. It seems like it fits all the criteria too.

No, just because a power supply meets the criteria with respect to advertised capacity and available connectors doesn't make it a good buy. It also has to be good quality. That one almost certainly is terrible quality because no one can manufacture a good quality 1250W 80+ Gold unit that cheap, and I've never heard of Butterfly Labs either so it's probably junk. All the good power supply brands that exist, I've heard of them.

I'm not really sure if you're being serious though. 1250W, really? Why would you think that such a massive unit is even remotely appropriate? Just stick to the units we recommended and you will have no problems whatsoever. =)