which psu is better

[een]

Hi guys,
I decided to ditch the generic 300w psu I have for:

Athlon 2600+
512Mb 2700 RAM
2 harddrives
1 dvd rom
1 external cdrw
1 zip drive
3 fans

However, which is the better choice (value for money and good for PC)
Antec Smart Blue 350W PSU
Enermax FMA 350W ATX PSU
Enermax FCA 350W ATX PSU
Antec TruePower 380W PSU
Thermaltake Purepower 420W ATX PSU

How much wattage do we really need? Like, when is it too much? (500W psu anyone?)

Thanks

Edward

 

[Nebor]

Any of those will be a great PSU. Go with whichever is cheaper.

 

[Chaotic42]

Any of those will work fine.

You can't really have too much power, but the tradeoff will be cost and noise. I have a 550W PSU and it doesn't flinch (see my sig for my system). I'd say 350-450W should be just fine.

 

[Sheriff]

Dunno your prices so flip a coin and give change to any of them.

 

[een]

Ok, however, what's with this True power,smartpower, purepower thing?

Which brand do u guys prefer due to noise?
Antec, thermaltake, or enermax?

Thanks heaps


Edward

 

[Chaotic42]

I'm not sure of the differences, but I've heard TruePowers are the best. I have one, and I like it. It's also very quiet. I'd pick Antec.

 

[Goi]

TruePowers are in a different league from the Smartpowers. I believe Truepowers have separate circuitry for the individual voltage rails so they don't eat into one another's reserves. Also, they're rated at higher current ratings. I would get either the Antec Truepower 380W or the Enermax 350Ws(whichever ones), followed by the Thermaltake 420W.

 

[jimmyl930]

The Antec ones seem to be really good.

 

[jaeger66]

All good, but the Truepowers are my least favorite. They run hot and while they are not loud, they are louder than the Smartpowers or the Enermaxes.

 

[lchyi]

If you look at AT's PSU roundup, the surprising value/performance winners were Fortron and Zalman PSUs.

However, which is the better choice (value for money and good for PC)

 

[Match]

Are you building a new system, or just swapping out the psu? If you're just swapping the psu, do you have stability issues? If the generic 300 Watt is working fine, there's no reason to replace it. Otherwise, like other people have said, any of those units you listed will work fine. My current psu is the 350 Watt Enermax, and it works fine for my system. If I could pick over again, I would probably go with a 350 Watt Sparkle and save some money.