Which 1000W Power Supply to Get?

[Stangs55]

OCZ ProXStream 1000w - ($300) - http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/p...management/ocz_proxstream_power_supply

PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR - ($500) - http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=T1KWSR

Yes, I know PCP&C is the ferrari of PSU's...but at a few inches longer and $200 more...is the price justified?

Thanks for your thoughts. (except the ones that say don't get 1000W b/c I'll be running quad core and dual 8800's soon...so I'm set on 1000w)

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Neither! Get the Silverstone OP1000 http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=49

That is if you want / need a 1kW PSU.

 

[Jiggz]

Try this one Enermax Galaxy it combines both hardwired and modular connectors.

 

[oldman420]

why on earth would you need a 1000 watt PSU?
are you running a server with 20 drives and 4 CPU'S.
just curious

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Originally posted by: oldman420
why on earth would you need a 1000 watt PSU?
are you running a server with 20 drives and 4 CPU'S.
just curious

Probably 8800GTX SLI and a Quad Core CPU.

 

[myocardia]

I'd personally go with a single +12v rail psu, like the PC Power & Cooling, or the Silverstone OP1000. Note, though, that the Silverstone can't provide as much power as the PC P&C unit-- it shut itself down, either because of internal heat or because of over-amperage. And it wasn't providing 80A on the 12v rail, it was only providing 72A, the same as the PC P&C unit. That means that the 80A rating is a max, not a continuous output capability. 80A x .8= 64A continuous of 12v power, which is admittedly still alot.

So, unless you're planning on seriously overclocking your QX6700, and/or using watercooling, the Silverstone OP1000 shouldn't have any problems running SLI'd 8800GTX's, plus a QX6700. But, then again, if you're only planning on running SLI'd 8800GTS's, this psu would power it just fine: PC Power & Cooling 750 watt. It's guaranteed to run two 8800GTX's, and costs $120 less than an OP1000.

 

[Howard]

You don't need 1000W for one quad core CPU and two 8800GTX cards.

 

[krotchy]

Originally posted by: oldman420
why on earth would you need a 1000 watt PSU?
are you running a server with 20 drives and 4 CPU'S.
just curious

Does my Dual Clovertown 5355 workstation with 13 HDD's count? (12x500GB on Areca1130 Raid 6 + 1 Raptor X Boot)

:-D

Using an Enermax Galaxy 1KW on this one when the rest of the parts come in next week. So far all I have is my AJA 2Ke card for it.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
Neither! Get the Silverstone OP1000 http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=49

That is if you want / need a 1kW PSU.

Proprietary power cord! :thumbsdown:

Lose that and you have a paperweight. Otherwise a decent power box.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
Neither! Get the Silverstone OP1000 http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=49

That is if you want / need a 1kW PSU.

Because of the lower noise, the tight regulation and the lower price, the Silverstone finishes up with a "9."It's hard to attach a value score to the gold standard of power supplies, but the PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1kW at $550 is pretty expensive

way too funny.....Looks like Jonny was catering to those who have issues with PC Power & Cooling`s FUD.......
I don`t see Jonny contacting PC Power & Cooling to see if perhaps the first 1k unit he tested might have been defective,,,,lol

since when does price figure in on the quality of a PSU???
Things that make you go hmmm...

Jonny`s site still roxks though....

 

[purplehaze]

man who on earth needs the power to light a third world country... i find 600 watts plenty adequate and i only run a 520watt psu

 

[Roguestar]

Seriously there is no way an average gamer with SLI and quad core can use nearly 1KW.

 

[Stangs55]

I'm running 510w now (which, btw, almost EVERYONE on this forum told me was OVERKILL--just like now), and it's not enough to run my current rig of 2x7800GTX SLI, 5 raptor HD's, FX-55, 2 dvd-roms, 5 fans, and every usb peripheral you can imagine...So the "omg, that's wayy too much power!" arguement doesn't really work since I listened last time and I'm paying again now.

Which 1000W PSU would be the quietest? I'm almost debating the Silencer 750w PSU from PCP&C, but again...seeing the leaked power requirements of the ATI's next gen card...I'm worried (off the top of my head, I believe it was 260w each...in crossfire setups, that's 520w for the math wizards).

 

[StopSign]

510W what? The PCP&C Turbocool 510? Don't tell me the Turbocool 510 can't run that setup.

 

[Roguestar]

7800 SLI? Bet you wished you had saved for a better card...

 

[NicePants42]

I have a PCP&C Silencer 750 running an Opteron 165 @2.95Ghz, two X1900XTs in crossfire, 4 HDDs and two water pumps.

People who argue that a 1KW PSU is not 'needed' in order to run this guy's setup may be right, BUT I want to point out that when I start playing 3D games, my Silencer 750 sounds like a hairdryer on the low setting. It is very unpleasantly loud.

The closer you get to reaching the limit of your PSU's output, the hotter it gets and the faster the fan needs to go. I would suggest the OCZ unit. PCP&C is great, but considering how loud the silencer gets, I wouldn't want their 1KW unit if I were going to be taxing it. I haven't used OCZ's 1KW unit, but I had an old Powerstream that was quiet and didn't give me any problems, and OCZ's tech support is great.

 

[NicePants42]

Incidentally, I'd also like to suggest that you get a bigger monitor. There is no point in dropping $1000+ on two 8800GTXs and another $700+ on quad core if your monitor only runs 1920 x 1200. A new 30" Dell costs ~$1300. On top of that, last I heard nVidia still had some work to do on their 8800 SLI drivers.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
Neither! Get the Silverstone OP1000 http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=49

That is if you want / need a 1kW PSU.

Proprietary power cord! :thumbsdown:

Lose that and you have a paperweight. Otherwise a decent power box.

1...We don't lose the power cord, unless we are silverstoners.

2...If we do, Silverstone is a phone call away for any silverstoner.

 

[StopSign]

Originally posted by: NicePants42
I have a PCP&C Silencer 750 running an Opteron 165 @2.95Ghz, two X1900XTs in crossfire, 4 HDDs and two water pumps.

People who argue that a 1KW PSU is not 'needed' in order to run this guy's setup may be right, BUT I want to point out that when I start playing 3D games, my Silencer 750 sounds like a hairdryer on the low setting. It is very unpleasantly loud.

The closer you get to reaching the limit of your PSU's output, the hotter it gets and the faster the fan needs to go. I would suggest the OCZ unit. PCP&C is great, but considering how loud the silencer gets, I wouldn't want their 1KW unit if I were going to be taxing it. I haven't used OCZ's 1KW unit, but I had an old Powerstream that was quiet and didn't give me any problems, and OCZ's tech support is great.

It's loud because PCP&C units are server grade power supplies.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

1...We don't lose the power cord, unless we are silverstoners.

2...If we do, Silverstone is a phone call away for any silverstoner.

Unacceptable in my position - I'd would be required to have a spare. I could not be without a system for weeks!

 

[oldman420]

Originally posted by: krotchy

Originally posted by: oldman420
why on earth would you need a 1000 watt PSU?
are you running a server with 20 drives and 4 CPU'S.
just curious

Does my Dual Clovertown 5355 workstation with 13 HDD's count? (12x500GB on Areca1130 Raid 6 + 1 Raptor X Boot)

:-D

Using an Enermax Galaxy 1KW on this one when the rest of the parts come in next week. So far all I have is my AJA 2Ke card for it.

yes now with that system I can see a kw psu You need it.

 

[Oyeve]

Imagine a 1000w PS blowing! Man, thats a scary thought.

 

[rjnejad]

If anyone is curious you can get the PC Power for

439.99+tax at

Microcenter (20% of all power supplies)

 

[Keleka]

I think 1000W PS is overkill and a waste of money.

I use a SOHO server case and i could run my C2D, SLI x2 8800 *only use one atm* as well as 5 hard drives a burner or two with all my expansion slots and memory slots maxed and not be short on power. I use a 700W OCZ Gamestream and for what i use it for *gaming* i think its overkill still.

 

[Matthias99]

I think 1000W PS is overkill and a waste of money.

I have to agree.

The 8800GTX's maximum thermal load (the maximum amount of net heat it generates, which includes some assumed inefficiency in the PSU) is 185W. HardOCP took some current measurements and estimated the actual draw from the PSU around 150W. So two of those is 300W. The QX6700 has a TDP (Thermal Design Power, very close to the maximum power the chip can draw) of 130W. Now you're up to 430W, or about 36A on your 12V rail/rails.

Unless you're putting a lot of other high-power components in this system (hard drives, most likely), you just don't need a 1000W PSU. Now, you'd probably need a 550-650W unit to get an adequate amount of slack on the +12V rail(s), but not a 750-1000W one. This assumes, of course, that you're buying a quality PSU that can actually deliver its rated amount of power. And that you are picking PSUs that are properly engineered for modern systems:

This "600W" would have problems. There's only a maximum of 38A on the +12V lines, and the layout of them would make it hard to deliver power properly to both video cards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817171011

Whereas this "550W" can deliver more power on the +12V rails, and all the 12V rails are 18A (making it much easier to keep all the rails under the rated current limits):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151027

In case you don't believe this, SPCR beat the heck out of this exact PSU, and it was able to output 15+A on all four +12V lines simultaneously at >40 degrees C for an extended period of time.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article656-page4.html

Seasonic also has a 650W version of this PSU, and an "M12" line (500/600/700W) that is very similar but has detachable cables.

If you want to overclock (and especially overvolt) like crazy, that's another story. You'd quickly be looking at 500-600+W required on the +12V lines, and then you would need a 750-850W PSU. Ditto for having more than a couple hard drives, especially if they are 10KRPM or 15KRPM models.