BP550 or EA500

[Pinks]

Here goes my first post on this forum...but...

I've been going back and forth between the EA500 and the BP550 for a while now, as I'm about to build, but I just can't make my mind up.

The BP550 has modular cabling (Which I'm actually fond of), 3x12V rails (I read the sticky about multiple 12V rails...helped me understand that a little better), and it's around the same price range as the EA500 which I read up on about this site.

The thing is, I can't really find any reviews for the BP550, which kinda makes me wonder how reliable it really is, as I know Newegg reviews are to be taken with a grain of salt.

Antec BP550 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

OR

Antec EA500...

It would be powering this:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8665692&WishListTitle=MAH%20FUCKIN%20COMP

Since this is my first build, I will probably also pick up an aftermarket CPU cooler (Thinking about the Xig S1283), so I can be comfortable with overclocking as well. Have a aftermarket picked out for the GPU too, not sure if that requires extra power or not...

I'll also take any suggestions as to what parts I have picked out for the above wishlist as well :D. But keep in mind I'm trying to stay around the 750-800 mark. Anyways, any suggestions and any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! :D.

[MrWicked1968]

in that price range, I like this one:

Seasonic M12II Modular 500w (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151056)

[dangman4ever]

I recommending the extra $5 for a faster and larger drive:
Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218) - $85

Do you have a Fry's nearby? If so, go there and buy the Antec 300 for $40. It's a much better case than the CM Centurion 5 in terms of cooling. Also, no need to buy AS5. The stock thermal grease/TIM that comes with the Xigmatek HSF is actually pretty decent.

I have a PNY 8800GT and the cooling isn't so bad. 50C idle, 70C under load. Well within the temperature ranges of the 8800GT. Also, do note that your warranty will be void on that PNY 8800GT if you use a 3rd party HSF.

[Pinks]

I had went back and forth between the Antec 300 and the CM 5. Guess I'm going with the Antec now :3. Also I picked up a 120mm fan that can go in the side vent where the GPU will be...got rid of the aftermarket for the GPU as well, and if the TIM on the Xigamatek is good, threw out the AS5 as well.

And I had thought that the 7200.11 was faster than the WD...but I was wrong. Thanks for the help :D. Just want most things to go fine with my first build...probably the hardest thing to pick was that damned power supply, cause I'm just apprehensive about that...I've had a computer die on me completely cause of it.

Are there any specific precautions to take whenever building? Anyone got any tips for that sort of thing?

[SnooP]

Out of those choices, the earthwatts has higher 12V combined, 32A/384w (BP550) vs 34A/408w (EA500). So earthwatts is more powerful where it counts, plus its a known product whereas bp550 hasn't had any reviews done yet.

[hhhhhhhh]

I also want to upgrade to EA500 because it is 80 Plus certified. But base on this link (http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/?tag=PSU_Recommendations), EA500 is no longer made by Seasonic. I wonder that the new EA500 still has the same quality as the old EA500.

[dangman4ever]

I wonder that the new EA500 still has the same quality as the old EA500.

You and I both. I have a EA500D right now sitting in a box unused from RMA. It is made by Delta who does make quality PSUs from what I've been told. Still a bit unsure about the EA500D though.

Anyway, Pinks, I have a few tips for you for building a PC:
- Take your time, don't rush building it. Haste makes waste and all that.
- If you do run into a problem that frustrates you, walk away. Just walk away, take a break and then come back to the PC. Trust me, you'll avoid running into problems that way.

Also, I recommend spending the extra $5 for the P43 chipset version since it has an extra 2 SATA ports and PCI_E 2.0, which might be useful for future GPU upgrades:
Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L Intel P43 Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347) - $90

Hmm, just noticied that Seasonic PSU jumped in price by about $40. In that price range, I recommend this PSU instead:
Corsair 520HX 520W Modular PSU (http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-520w-sli-certified-modular-atx-power-supply-corsair-hx-cmpsu/q/loc/101/203270716.html) - $105

[Docho]

You and I both. I have a EA500D right now sitting in a box unused from RMA. It is made by Delta who does make quality PSUs from what I've been told. Still a bit unsure about the EA500D though.


That makes 3 of us, I'm also planning to buy that PSU. (You don't happen to be that curious that you'd want to look inside the PSU and see what kind of caps it has and if it's decently built?;))

[Boinkers]

I also want to upgrade to EA500 because it is 80 Plus certified. But base on this link (http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/?tag=PSU_Recommendations), EA500 is no longer made by Seasonic. I wonder that the new EA500 still has the same quality as the old EA500.
i have an EA500D. have had it for 5 weeks and its been great. its very quiet, moves enough air when under load, and stays fairly cool. i have a fairly power hungry AMD 5600+ and an overclocked 8800GT, two DVD burners, sound card, wireless, and two HD's. will be adding a TV tuner soon and have no doubts about the psu. i don't do any testing or anything...i know very little about it. which is why i signed up here. to learn more. but so far as how it works and powers things? i have an 18 hour a day computer and it keeps more then just me busy. and its running the computer fine.

i actually found these forums while researching my purchase. i came across this thread here:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4067&page=3


someone bought one and opened it up. he posted pics if you scroll down a little and also on the next page. this is actually my first time seeing them because i couldn't without being a member and didn't sign up 'til this morning. JohnnyGuru himself seemed unimpressed with a couple of cost cutting measures over the Seasonic, but all in all everything seemed right. at least thats what i took away from the thread

so after looking into Delta (what little i could find) and discovering they are reputable and respected, and even make one of Johnny Guru's top rated PS's ever (the 850w "Antec Signature SG850"), i decided with the same three year warranty, a Johnny Guru thread that basically said it looked ok, and 22amps on both 12v rails (the Seasonic model has 17) it was a great buy on sale for $59. i couldn't get anything near the reputable quality of the Earthwatts with the same specs for less then $30 more

right now its actually $45 after the newegg sale price and an additional 20% off:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007

that is a steal for it imo. if you want modualr obviously this is not the one for you. it has long cables and lots of them. but its more then manageable with plastic cable ties or twist ties. some sleeving. w/e gets you by

it replaced a 400w cheapo and is in a very actively used computer. its heavy, quiet, and runs fairly cool with its little 80mm fan. thats all i can really say about it. as psu's go i like it. seems stable and reliable.