Good (and quiet) PSU to handle 8800GTX

[Skyguy]

A few people over at Anandtech recommended this site, and after looking around and reading some reviews, it seems I've come to the right place. Very impressive!!

I know this may be a bit premature, but DailyTech has released some preliminary, non-official benchmarks and power requirements of the new 8800 DX10 cards.......and it seems they are not as bad as most people had feared/imagined as far as power consumption/requirements go. It appears that a 600W PSU that pushes some good amps will do the trick for a single gpu, an overclocked C2D CPU, 2 hard drives, a few LED fans on a standard mid-tower system with nothing else fancy.......?

So I'm looking for a PSU that can handle a single GTX.....but I'd rather not have one that sounds like a jet engine (past mistakes ;) ) and will easily invest an extra $50 for a better PSU.

I've read the reviews here and have cross-checked the positive ones against pricing......I'm not worried much about aesthetics since it will be mostly hidden.....here's what I'm thinking:

-Seasonic M12 600W
-Corsair 620HX (but isn't this just basically a Seasonic anyway?)
-Enermax Liberty 620W
-Silverstone Zeus 650W

Can anyone please critique these capable PSUs and offer any personal experience or recommendations, keeping in mind my DX10 and noise requirements? Each of them are in the same general price range, so a few bucks won't make a difference to me. The OCZ GameXstream is much more affordable and seems capable, so that may be another option......

I saw Jonny's post "Don't be Shy" LOL, so I'm not. I'm looking for some expert advice ;) I'd really appreciate any help. Thanks.

[CAD4466HK]

"A few people over at Anandtech recommended this site, and after looking around and reading some reviews, it seems I've come to the right place. Very impressive!!

I know this may be a bit premature, but DailyTech has released some preliminary, non-official benchmarks and power requirements of the new 8800 DX10 cards.......and it seems they are not as bad as most people had feared/imagined as far as power consumption/requirements go. It appears that a 600W PSU that pushes some good amps will do the trick for a single gpu, an overclocked C2D CPU, 2 hard drives, a few LED fans on a standard mid-tower system with nothing else fancy.......?

So I'm looking for a PSU that can handle a single GTX.....but I'd rather not have one that sounds like a jet engine (past mistakes ;) ) and will easily invest an extra $50 for a better PSU.

I've read the reviews here and have cross-checked the positive ones against pricing......I'm not worried much about aesthetics since it will be mostly hidden.....here's what I'm thinking:

-Seasonic M12 600W
-Corsair 620HX (but isn't this just basically a Seasonic anyway?)
-Enermax Liberty 620W
-Silverstone Zeus 650W

Can anyone please critique these capable PSUs and offer any personal experience or recommendations, keeping in mind my DX10 and noise requirements? Each of them are in the same general price range, so a few bucks won't make a difference to me. The OCZ GameXstream is much more affordable and seems capable, so that may be another option......

I saw Jonny's post "Don't be Shy" LOL, so I'm not. I'm looking for some expert advice ;) I'd really appreciate any help. Thanks.

If you want a "quite" PSU and a good one at that-Corsair 620HX
The M12 is a great PSU, but that 60mm fan.....
The Etasis built Zeus is great, but not known for its silence.....not modular like the others
I know the Corsair has 105C caps, pretty sure the Zeus does too
The Liberty? I would pass on it compared with the others....
The OCZ? same as above, but with ripple:)

[Skyguy]

Nice to get some quick, straight, and informative answers....some of the other forums I visit (*names withheld*) give me nothing but noob answers or things that are off-topic.......so thank you so far. :D

The Corsair does seem appealing....not cheap, but appealing as far as features and peformance go. I know I'm stretching here, but any idea how it would handle an 8800 GTX? According to DailyTech HERE (http://dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4812), 620W on the Corsair should cover it. Anything in the crystal ball point to Yes or No? ;)

[CAD4466HK]

Nice to get some quick, straight, and informative answers....some of the other forums I visit (*names withheld*) give me nothing but noob answers or things that are off-topic.......so thank you so far. :D

The Corsair does seem appealing....not cheap, but appealing as far as features and peformance go. I know I'm stretching here, but any idea how it would handle an 8800 GTX? According to DailyTech HERE (http://dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4812), 620W on the Corsair should cover it. Anything in the crystal ball point to Yes or No? ;)

Check out jG's sticky about a BFG 8800GTX only needs a 400w PSU, in the GPU forum.:)
And if your stuck on that Silverstone, here's a nice mod for it, straight from
Silstone themselves:D http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-pp02.htm

[Skyguy]

Nice. But I'm actually not set on the Silverstone.....though I do like their Temjin TJ05 mid-tower case ;)

I'll check out the Corsair some more. Thanks for the input, much appreciated. If anyone else wishes to add, by all means!!

[CAD4466HK]

Nice. But I'm actually not set on the Silverstone.....though I do like their Temjin TJ05 mid-tower case ;)

I'll check out the Corsair some more. Thanks for the input, much appreciated. If anyone else wishes to add, by all means!!

Post back when you get your purchase,
Goodluck;)

[burebista]

M-12 600. Deadly and silent. That little fan was designed for M-12 700 and for M-12 500/600 should kick in only in extreme conditions.
I'm pretty sure that in full-load at stock speeds with an 8800GTX you barely need 300W from PSU.
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but since Corsair is a M-12 why not get the original? I prefer a PSU from Seasonic and memory from Corsair not vice versa.

[CAD4466HK]

M-12 600. Deadly and silent. That little fan was designed for M-12 700 and for M-12 500/600 should kick in only in extreme conditions.
I'm pretty sure that in full-load at stock speeds with an 8800GTX you barely need 300W from PSU.
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but since Corsair is a M-12 why not get the original? I prefer a PSU from Seasonic and memory from Corsair not vice versa.

How is the M12 a Corsair?
Is it not the other way around?
short answer,no
105C Primary caps on the Corsair -- 85C on The M12
That's not the same in my opinon:)

BTW Good save with the editing;)

[jonnyGURU]

BTW Good save with the editing;)

LOL!

I was wondering what you were talking about as even your quote had the edit. :D

Quite frankly, 85C vs. 105C rating means very little on a primary cap. When's the last time you've seen ANY primary cap fail?

That said, I still like the Corsair better for it's looks, the cables and that it doesn't have the 60MM fan. :D

[Skyguy]

Now THIS is some great discussion, glad I came here....straight to the point info, no lollygagging around (did I just USE that word?!?) :D

Ok, lemme ask this:

Is the S12 built in the same manner as the M12 (minus the modular cables), or is its design contain some fundamental differences? The reason I ask is that I'm not sold on the idea that I need modular cables to be honest. I work very hard at cable management, and I'm not terribly concerned about a few extra wires to tuck away.

So I'm assuming the S12 wouldn't have the 60mm fan, so that would alleviate those concerns........and sounds like the 85C caps won't cause serious concerns......and the S12 is alot cheaper here in Canada than the M12.

So if I throw the S12 into the mix, how does that shake things up when you take that into account??

[burebista]

S-12 is different from M-12.
S-12 is an "older" design based on Seasonic Tornado, M-12 is redesigned from scratch, but you might consider also Seasonic S-12 Energy Plus (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article656-page1.html) a step further from S-12 "classic".

LE: I have both S-12 430 and M-12 500. Both are deadly silent and efficient, but M-12 is modular (duh) and (more important) basically a single 12V rail which can help with future video cards. ;)
And with M-12 all rails are strong, they barely fluctuate with 0.02V in my full-load (AM2 X2 3800+ @ 2.4GHz and BFG 7900GS OC @ 600/1600).

[Skyguy]

Well, I've checked prices here in Canada on the Seasonic Energy series and I must say I'm quite relieved (and surprise) that they are not THAT expensive.....at least not what I had imagined.

If so the Energy series is a "step forward" from the "old" S12, does that make the Corsair even further "forward"? Or is it the old argument of comparing apples and oranges?

Aesthetics don't concern me much because I'll have my case pimped out anyways LOL and the PSU will hardly been seen. The modular doesn't concern me much because the wires will be hidden or modded with UV accents. So I guess it comes down to which PSU is a solid and silent performer in that 600W middle-high end price range.......?


Oh, one other thing I don't understand (sorry, still trying to learn): is the single, big 12V rail preferred over smaller, dual ones overall? I don't plan on running SLI/CF, just a single DX10 card.

[burebista]

So I guess it comes down to which PSU is a solid and silent performer in that 600W middle-high end price range.......?
From that SPCR review:
For a high end, blazing performance, dual-graphics, overclocked monster of a system, we know of no quieter power supply than the Energy Plus. Acoustically, the Energy Plus has surpassed our expectations of what is possible from a quiet power supply and set a new standard. With a fan that doesn't begin to increase in speed until 250W output, it will take a concerted effort to force the Energy Plus to become noisy — a nice change from the need to put effort into preventing added noise.
For me is enough. :D

From tests made here an 8800GTX in full-load draw ~12A from +12V, so basically a good brand 400-430W PSU should be enough at stock speeds, but let's wait till 8 November when NDA is ending.

[Skott]

I dont see the advantage of that Silverstone mod. I see it directs the exhaust air out and down but so what? As long as its out thats what matter. :confused:

[CAD4466HK]

I dont see the advantage of that Silverstone mod. I see it directs the exhaust air out and down but so what? As long as its out thats what matter. :confused:

It's a sound deadner made out of ABS, and lined with accoustical foam,
like Dynamat, but not as good,kind of like the foam you see on the walls and ceilings
at recording studios