Which power supply to get

[Manischewitz]

Okay I need to get a new PSU for a HTPC/Web PC im building. I've narrowed it down to these two power supplies

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341018

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817171036

I know I know they are complete overkills but I got a 40 dollar gift certificate from newegg and can apply newcustomer10 for both. So they'll both come down to about 30 bucks after rebate. The OCZ is 100 watts more but the corsair is bronze certified so Im assuming it'll run cooler and quieter. If anyone owns either of thes PSU's please provide input! And if you guys have any suggestion to cheaper/better alternatives let me know! Thanks.

 

[General Kenobi]

Can you post your system specs? People are going to need those to help you choose an appropriate PSU.

As for the 80 PLUS Bronze Certification... it's not really that much of a leap from the 80 PLUS Certification, but yes, it's technically better even if you won't really notice it when it comes to the noise or operating temperatures.

80 PLUS efficiency level certifications @ Wikipedia

 

[BoomerD]

IMO, neither one. (you linked to an OCZ and a Coolermaster...neither of which would i put in my computer)

This XFX 650 is about the same price, is (IMO) considerably better and more reliable, and comes with a 5 year warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817207014

Without knowing your exact system specs, it's difficult to recommend a power supply.

 

[Manischewitz]

System specs
AMD A6-3650 with stock CPU cooler
MSI A75MA-G55 Mobo
2 sticks of ram
2 HDD
DVD drive
low end graphics card 6670 - gtx 460 range

and some fans in the future.

I know a 400-500 watt will probably be enough but I figure at this price range might as well get a 600-700 watt PSU

 

[fffblackmage]

I know a 400-500 watt will probably be enough but I figure at this price range might as well get a 600-700 watt PSU

A high-quality 400-500W PSU is what you should be looking for over a mediocre 600-700W PSU.

This is what I would get:
Antec Neo ECO 400W - $35 ($25 AR)
It might look cheap, but it's an excellent Seasonic-built PSU.

 

[BoomerD]

I don't see a problem with a high quality 500-650 watt PSU for the OP's system. Yes, it's over-kill...but that's not a bad thing.
Odds are, even when gaming, his system won't draw more than 300-350 watts from the wall...so 500 to 650 gives him a very substantial cushion should he upgrade his hardware.
No, a 650 watt unit probably won't be enough if he decides to SLi GTX 580's, but it will work with some considerable upgrades/overclocking.

 

[Manischewitz]

A high-quality 400-500W PSU is what you should be looking for over a mediocre 600-700W PSU.

This is what I would get:
Antec Neo ECO 400W - $35 ($25 AR)
It might look cheap, but it's an excellent Seasonic-built PSU.

I'll keep this item in mind but from my position, it seems like it makes more sense for me to spend 5 extra dollar dollars and have PSU that I can potentially use for a gaming setup in the future.

 

[BoomerD]

The OCZ ModXstream 700 is a Sirfa build.

The Coolermaster Silent Pro M600 is an Enhance build.

While neither of them is "OMG, It's going to kill your components" bad, neither is as good as the XFX 650 I linked to up a couple of posts. That one is a Seasonic build.

I agree that, all things being equal, spending a couple more $$ to buy a higher wattage power supply makes sense...but only if you're getting one that's of GOOD quality. I'd rather have one with slightly lower wattage output that's of better quality than a crappy one with a higher rating.

Power supplies are the "heart" of any computer system. Buying cheap just doesn't make sense. Spend a bit more, get better quality. (although the XFX is the same price after rebate as the two you linked.)

 

[houe]

Never buy anything ocz and seriously look at always buying seasonic supplies or at least seasonic built.

 

[roguelife6]

this is an off-topic, but semi related question:

How do you tell if its a seasonic-built PSU?
Is it just brand recognition?

 

[BoomerD]

this is an off-topic, but semi related question:

How do you tell if its a seasonic-built PSU?
Is it just brand recognition?

For most of us, it's brand recognition, BUT, MOST companies use a variety of power supply manufacturers as their OEMs, so there are also lists and databases of manufacturers/models/end sellers.

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page541.htm

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDArticles&op=Story&ndar_id=24

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=205763

if you have one and you want to know whose platform it's built on, you can USUALLY tell from the UL Listing number or by the 80+ registration...

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/370

(that doesn't always work...some of the crappier manufacturers don't provide the necessary info to back track that.)

 

[m33pm33p]

Okay I need to get a new PSU for a HTPC/Web PC im building. I've narrowed it down to these two power supplies

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341018

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817171036

I know I know they are complete overkills but I got a 40 dollar gift certificate from newegg and can apply newcustomer10 for both. So they'll both come down to about 30 bucks after rebate. The OCZ is 100 watts more but the corsair is bronze certified so Im assuming it'll run cooler and quieter. If anyone owns either of thes PSU's please provide input! And if you guys have any suggestion to cheaper/better alternatives let me know! Thanks.

Also must realize, with those off brands just because it says "500w" doesn't mean its going to be pusing 500w, or even close sometimes. Id really look into a corsair or something similar. There's really good prices going on right now for them and a lot of them on sale/trade forum.

PSU is hands down one of the most important pieces to your PC puzzle, dont skimp.