Tell me about power supplies

[Amplifier]

I have very little knowledge on what makes a good PSU.

For instance: What does it mean when someone talks about a good 12V Rail?

When I see a 500watt PSU from Antec and a 500watt PSU from a no name company what makes the Antec better?

Linking me to a good guide would be very helpful

 

[inveterate]

You don't need a good guide.

If you do SLI get something with at least 30 AMPS on the 12 V rail, because that is what 2 "HIGH END 7900,7800GT/GTX 6800Ultra" graphic cards would need. Here is the place u need good brand because u don't want to risk frying ur 600+ bux setup. "more expensive psu deliver cleaner voltage, better for overclocking.

If you don't do SLI, any power supply above 450 watt will suffice "assume no Overclocking",,
Also if ur not going SLI, the only difference between a cheapo brand and good brand is the durability.

General rule, Anything off NEWEGG 50-75 bux will be more than enough. stay away from POWMAX

 

[Amplifier]

Thanks.

 

[Howard]

Ask on the GH and C&C forums.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Amplifier
When I see a 500watt PSU from Antec and a 500watt PSU from a no name company what makes the Antec better?

Uh, perhaps lesser chance of it allowing the magic smoke to escape from your components? Seriously, if you read reviews where the PSU gets absolutely tortured then you'll see what separates the wheat from the chaff. Low quality power supplies, such as the Powmax made in recent years, tend to, ahem, fail - to put it mildly - when you try to pull as much power out of them as the label on them says they are capable of doing. Also, if you monitor the power output (whether using the monitoring on the motherboard or using a voltmeter) you'll find that the "better" power supplies put out power closer to what they are supposed to, and with less variance.

 

[furballi]

A good PSU will always come with good power regulation. Use a decent multimeter to check your 12V rail at the molex connector. Once at idle, and again with the CPU at full load (Prime95 max heat). Also transcode a DVD at the same time if the PC has this capability. The voltage drop at the 12V rail should not exceed 0.3 Volt. Anything less than 0.1 Volt is excellent. With a perfect PSU, the 12V rail should read 12.00VDC, regardless of load.

For the BEST system stability, the 12V rail should not drop below 11.6VDC under any condition.

There's a huge profit margin with PSUs. DO NOT pay more than $80 for any PSU. Make sure the case has adequate ventilation so you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for a fancy PSU rated at 40 or 50C operation. Your RAM, MB, CPU, and HDD will also benefit with the additional air flow!