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PSU for 5770/i5-2500k

B

Bester

Junior Member
Hi Gents

I'm making a new rig for my brother and wanted to know what would be the lowest power PSU I could get away with for the following:

mATX H67 board
Core-i5 2500k
8GB (2x4GB or 4x2GB) RAM DDR3 1600mhz
2TB Samsung F4
XFX ATI Radeon 5770 Single Slot
300mbps Wifi Card
Blu Ray drive

I was hoping to get a 430w 80%+ PSU (like Corsair Builder) or 500w.

Some sites say after a bit of Google-fu that it needs at least a 500w yet others have had it with a 350w PSU?

Thanks gents

Also, how would the above far vs AMD880G/PhenomII X6 combo? Everythin else remains the same..

I'm presuming that the above would be better all around with the X6 edging out in multi threaded apps...?

It will be used for 3d modelling, Photoshop and heavy gaming. Monitor res at 1920x1080
 
The i5-2500k would rape an x6 in pretty much anything.

But with the i5 2500k and the 5770 if you are doing gaming i would recommend a little more power (gtx 460? 1gb). If you cant fit that in dont worry the corsair builder 430W should be fine. Just DO NOT expect to OC too high (4.0Ghz should be fine though) on the 2500k, if you want a good OC then get a 500W.
 
The 5770 demands little power as modern graphics cards go, but the manufacturer recommends at least a 450w psu. Those estimates are usually a bit conservative and you might be able to get by with a 430w psu from a quality manufacturer like corsair that uses a single 12v rail. However, the i5 2500k is made for overclocking and such a low powered psu would seriously limit your upgrade possibilities.

I'd go for at least the 500w and shoot for something as high as 650w. Corsair, antec, xfx, and seasonic make some of the best and you can often find them on sale. When it comes to power supplies its best to be safe and when the difference is only 10-15 bucks it doesn't make sense to take chances.
 
wuliheron said:
The 5770 demands little power as modern graphics cards go, but the manufacturer recommends at least a 450w psu. Those estimates are usually a bit conservative and you might be able to get by with a 430w psu from a quality manufacturer like corsair that uses a single 12v rail. However, the i5 2500k is made for overclocking and such a low powered psu would seriously limit your upgrade possibilities.

I'd go for at least the 500w and shoot for something as high as 650w. Corsair, antec, xfx, and seasonic make some of the best and you can often find them on sale. When it comes to power supplies its best to be safe and when the difference is only 10-15 bucks it doesn't make sense to take chances.
Click to expand...

650w is beyond overkill, you can fit a GTX 570 on a 650w. 500w would be my MAX on this type of build, 500w lets you have room to get pretty much any (except the TOP of the line) 7xxx series GPU when they release.
 
The new Corsair builder series PSUs are not getting very favorable reviews, at least not nearly as favorable as the previous builder series PSUs did. I'd go with an Antec Earthwatts 430W instead for your current build. If you want more headroom for future upgrades (more hard drives, more powerful video card), go with an Antec TruePower New 550W. I'm using the TPN 550W in my current system and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
 
I've seen an i5 760 and a 5850 run off the old 400CX with no trouble. I'd probably go with a 430W to be safe, though you could probably get away with a 350W even. I'd spend the $35 AR on a 430CX and call it a day.
 
mnewsham said:
650w is beyond overkill, you can fit a GTX 570 on a 650w. 500w would be my MAX on this type of build, 500w lets you have room to get pretty much any (except the TOP of the line) 7xxx series GPU when they release.
Click to expand...

I agree, its overkill. But that's the kind of wattage you'll find for decent power supplies on sale. I also agree that 500w is enough for the build he has, but if he wants to make sure it is future proof and it costs little or no more then other power supplies he might as well go for overkill. Today's TOP gpu becomes tomorrow's bargan bin special.
 
Let me put it this way, I just bought a kill-a-watt meter. My i5 750 (same TDP), Radeon 5770, and 1 TB hard drive powered by a relatively inefficient 600W OCZ power supply drew 254 watts from the WALL under prime95 4 thread torture test + furmark torture. If you don't plan on over clocking a quality (80 plus) 350 W PSU is fine. The 430W would be nice. When I bought my rig it was powered by a no-name 350W PSU, and ran fine.

PSU requirements have been grossly overestimated because of the black sheep power supplies out there. Any PSU that has been 80 plus rated has been load tested at 100% so I would trust it.
 
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Thanks for the great response guys. Sadly I can't get rebates being in the UK 🙂

Here's a question I've always wondered. Would a higher power PSU draw more power from the wall even though not much was connected?

I think I'll go for the 430w..however if I went for a P67 (hell by the time I'm finished I might get Z67 as its for his birthday on Dec 26th) and wanted to over clock, would I not get far with the 430w? Would the PSU be "maxed" with those components?

I'll probably swap the 5770 for a 6870..
 
Bester said:
Thanks for the great response guys. Sadly I can't get rebates being in the UK 🙂

Here's a question I've always wondered. Would a higher power PSU draw more power from the wall even though not much was connected?

I think I'll go for the 430w..however if I went for a P67 (hell by the time I'm finished I might get Z67 as its for his birthday on Dec 26th) and wanted to over clock, would I not get far with the 430w? Would the PSU be "maxed" with those components?

I'll probably swap the 5770 for a 6870..
Click to expand...

You want your PSU to draw somewhere between 50-80% under load. If you get a 6870, 8Gb ram, i5-2500k OC'd to a reasonable 4.2Ghz, 1TB samsung f3, and a few fans i would recommend a 500w PSU, like this. That should allow for a 4.2Ghz OC and a 6870 with a bit of room left over. If you had an 800w PSU for this setup however you would be using MORE power as a PSU is not very efficient until it is underload (50%-80%). That is why bigger is NOT always better.
 
Good advice.

Last question.

Would there be a perceivable difference between 430w and 500w? Power/electricity bill wise?
 
Thanks. I was originally looking at builder series 430 or 500 although someone mentioned they are not as good now?

OCZ, Coolermaster or Corsair?
I like the look of the Corsairs more than the others mind..strange I know.
 
I do too, dont worry 😉 and i used a corsair builder 500w in the build i recently did for a friend runs fine. no problem to report.
 
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