Ryan's Super Hardware / Budget Conundrum

[airhendrix13]

So I have a conundrum that I thought would be easier to compile into 1 thread in the general hardware section. Help would be greatly appreciated! If there is a better thread for this I apologize ahead of time.

So I'm trying to save money for my freshman year of college, but at the same time would like to upgrade my computer. I have a few upgrades that I would like to get and could probably afford, but I would be cutting it close so I would like to try to save money when and where possible.

My specs are posted in my sig and I would like to upgrade to a 4870, get 2 to 4 more gigs of RAM, and get a power supply.

Currently I'm thinking about getting:

1) Corsair 620HX
2) 2 - 4 gigs of XM2's
3) Radeon 4870

So here's the deal:

I would like to get the 4870 first, but I'm worried about not having enough power to properly supply my hardware. I currently have an Antec 450w SmartPower PSU that powers everything in my sig plus fans, 3 HDD's and a DVDRW drive. According to PSU Calculator (which I know is just a general estimate) I only need about 350w of power (PSU Calc doesn't have the 4870 listed so I plugged in the 9800 GX2 which has nearly the same load consumption), but I'm more worried about my 12v rails. According to my PSU's specs, 1 rail supplies 17A and the other 15A. Would this power a 4870 properly or do I have to buy the 620HX.

(Here's a link to my PSU's specs if you need it: Link)

I know I don't HAVE to spend $150 on the 620HX, I could go a cheaper route, but if I have to get a new PSU, I want a quality one that will last me through many builds.

Not having to buy the 620HX would allow me to only spend about $300 on the 4870, but if I had to get the 620HX, it would come to about $450.

The RAM isn't required, but would certainly be a nice upgrade.

Sorry for the huge post and the possible over-explanation, but this is important.

What should I do!?

Thanks in advance!

Ryan

 

[DaveSimmons]

The 4870 by itself only needs 2 x 6.5 A of 12V, so your PSU ratings are good enough.

I'll be plugging mine into a 500 watt seasonic on the 4th and I'm not expecting any fireworks.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: airhendrix13
What should I do!?

Let's start with as much detail as possible on your current setup, and what's driving the upgrade.

 

[airhendrix13]

That's great news DaveSimmons! Thanks for the quick response! Yeah, my post may have been a bit overkill, but too much info is better than too little I guess...

 

[BlueAcolyte]

Did you say Antec SmartPower?

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!

Apparently these things were built with bad capacitors that go boom.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: airhendrix13
1) Corsair 620HX
2) 2 - 4 gigs of XM2's
3) Radeon 4870

... I currently have an Antec 450w SmartPower PSU ... According to my PSU's specs, 1 rail supplies 17A and the other 15A. Would this power a 4870 properly or do I have to buy the 620HX.[/L])

I know I don't HAVE to spend $150 on the 620HX, I could go a cheaper route, but if I have to get a new PSU, I want a quality one that will last me through many builds.

Your SmartPower only does 22A combined +12v (17A+15A does not =32A ). That, plus as pointed out these units did suffer from capacitors that aged fairly quickly. You need a new PSU, however if you are on a tight budget then why consider the 620HX when you can get a 650TX for around $50 less? Modular is a "nice to have" but is absolutely not essential.

As for RAM, unless you have a 64 bit OS, don't get 4GB more RAM (for 6GB total). Also, you already have 2GB, which is usually enough for most things (such as gaming).

My recommendation is to get the video card and the non-modular Corsair PSU.

 

[airhendrix13]

I don't understand. So simply adding the 2 rails together doesn't get your total output? Because I'm pretty sure 17A + 15A = 32A. Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but just need some confirmation.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: airhendrix13
I don't understand. So simply adding the 2 rails together doesn't get your total output? Because I'm pretty sure 17A + 15A = 32A. Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but just need some confirmation.

One rail can deliver up to 17A at a time, while the other can deliver up to 15A. However, the PSU can only put out 22A @ 12V at any point in time.

Think of your PSU as a pump that can move at most 22 gallons of water per minute. It can pump into either of two pipes, one which has room for 17 gallons per minute, and one which has room for 15 gallons per minute. Even if the pump is working its hardest, it can't completely fill both pipes at the same time. It's not the world's greatest analogy, but hopefully it helps.

 

[airhendrix13]

Yes that helps. I decided to wait for the 4870 to hit BB stores and then use my 12% coupon. If it runs, which looks like it won't, then great, if not, then I'll just have to wait for my new PSU.

Thanks for the help!