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PSU advice

D

DodgerLD

Member
Hi,

I think my PSU might be the cause of the problem I'm having where my system is rebooting itself every once in a while. (see here)

So, I'm looking to purchase a new one -- any advice, suggestions, etc.?

Using this calculator gives me a figure of about 270W. My current PSU is a 450W Antec that came with my Sonata II case about 3 years ago, so it's obviously aged a lot.

Do you think this 460W Cooler Master Extreme PSU would be sufficient? (Link) Or should I go for higher wattage (550)? There's a 390W as well. Is it a good brand?

System specs:

- Asus P5Q m/board
- Intel E8500 CPU
- Asus Radeon HD3450 g/card
- 2 x 2GiB DDR2-800
- 1 SATA drive
- 1 CD-ROM drive
- 19" LCD

Thanks,

D.
 
A decent 300W PSU would be plenty. The Cooler Master would suffice, but I would recommend better quality such as Antec Earthwatts or Corsair.
 
You're sure that's enough?

An Antec 380W Earthwatts is more than double the price of a 390W Cooler Master -- I'm not sure I can justify paying that, especially since the problem might not be the PSU.

Thanks,

D.
 
Originally posted by: DodgerLD
You're sure that's enough?
Click to expand...
Your calculator said 270 was enough.

An Antec 380W Earthwatts is more than double the price of a 390W Cooler Master -- I'm not sure I can justify paying that, especially since the problem might not be the PSU.
Click to expand...
Better quality equals higher price.

Maybe borrow another one to try out before you buy a new one.
 
There have been some articles done on good PSUs that can be had for low prices, such as $50 etc. If you are on a tight budget, do some research before you buy or you could end up in the same boat you are in now.
 
Originally posted by: theAnimal
Originally posted by: DodgerLD
You're sure that's enough?
Click to expand...
Your calculator said 270 was enough.
Click to expand...
Right, but I'm not sure I trust it.

Originally posted by: theAnimal
An Antec 380W Earthwatts is more than double the price of a 390W Cooler Master -- I'm not sure I can justify paying that, especially since the problem might not be the PSU.
Click to expand...
Better quality equals higher price.

Maybe borrow another one to try out before you buy a new one.
Click to expand...
I tried, but couldn't find one to borrow.

I've gone with a 460W, mostly because there is only a small price difference between the 390 and the 460.

Thanks for your help.
 
Originally posted by: Yellowbeard
There have been some articles done on good PSUs that can be had for low prices, such as $50 etc. If you are on a tight budget, do some research before you buy or you could end up in the same boat you are in now.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I live in South Africa, so I don't have access to such prices ... the Antec Earthwatts 380W is about R820 / $90 here.

D.
 
Originally posted by: DodgerLD
Originally posted by: Yellowbeard
There have been some articles done on good PSUs that can be had for low prices, such as $50 etc. If you are on a tight budget, do some research before you buy or you could end up in the same boat you are in now.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I live in South Africa, so I don't have access to such prices ... the Antec Earthwatts 380W is about R820 / $90 here.

D.
Click to expand...

Even if the prices aren't the same cost, you can use the article as a guide to find good PSUs in the lower price segment. As I said, if you don't do your research, you may end up in the same situation.
 
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