PSU's, why they can be overlooked
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Seems like there are a lot of questions on PSU size, efficiency, and other such things. I am not “all knowledgeable”, and what I say is not “law” but I like to share what I know and help others! Being an avid gamer and working in the IT field I’ve seen a lot of PSU’s. Hopefully this will help people make an informed decision.
The first tool you should use when determining what PSU size is [url=http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp]http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp[/url] IMHO. I find it very helpful to see what my system will consume power wise. If your so inclined, you can purchase the PRO version which will give you +3.3, +5, and +12 rail Amp recommendations as well as UPS sizing info, if not the lite version works very well.
The next thing that’s debated is single rail design vs multi rail. This post explains that theory in detail [url=http://www.overclock.net/t/761202/single-rail-vs-multi-rail-explained]http://www.overclock.net/t/761202/single-rail-vs-multi-rail-explained[/url] I tend to think old school and go for more single rail PSU’s, but any good manufacturer can design a multi rail system to take into account huge GPU’s. Look at the PSU and see what its output is on the rails, don’t under buy a PSU! Your PSU is the heart of the system, power IS everything.
Next, 80 plus is over-hyped I think, although I do like an efficent PSU, I probably wont go out of my way to buy one, especially not at a high premium. This explains 80 plus [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_Plus]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_Plus[/url] and this show you why 80 plus my be over-hyped [url=http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/.]http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/.[/url] Do I like 80 plus, sure, does it make the PSU better, maybe. Research your PSU in depth and find out what makes is a “great” PSU.
Manufacturers also can play a role in what PSU you buy, but just because manufacturer A is on the box does not mean they were the ones that developed and made the unit. Read and find out [url=http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/psu-manufacturer-oem,2729.html]http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/psu-manufacturer-oem,2729.html[/url]
Ripple, what is it and why is it bad? Another great post by Phaedrus2129 [url=http://www.overclock.net/t/719397/on-ripple-and-its-effects-on-overclocking.]http://www.overclock.net/t/719397/on-ripple-and-its-effects-on-overclocking.[/url]
At the end of the day, its ONLY a PSU but its the ONLY thing powering your rig!
Hopefully this wasn’t info overload, but if you did read it all, I hope you found it informational and helpful.
I take little credit for this info as its mostly other peoples.-Spec
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Thanks for the info, that was a good read. Im looking into what PSU i should buy right now.
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Thanks for the info! :)
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As above.
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Can we get this post stickied please? It needs more attention!
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Thanks guys, feel free to add to the info if there is missing data. I can add it to the first post.