Four 12v rails or just two

[newhit]

Hi, confused newbie alert

I've just upgraded to an 8800GTX and am thinking I need a PSU aswell. I've read the FAQ at the top but there is more that I cannot get my head round.

To cut to the chase, I was going for a Silverstone ST85F or the Etasis ET850. From the recommended list i can see that they are both Etasis units so the cheaper of the two is the way to go............but, I suddenly found myself getting bogged down with whether i need 4 x 12v rails or just 2. I'm not too bothered about SLI atm and was going for the Silverstone unit as it has two 35amp rails as against the Etasis unit that has four but of lower amperage. I really would prefer the Silverstone unit as i already have a Jeantech 600w item that has 2x12v @ 19 amps each but does seem to struggle with my C2D cpu, P5B Dlx mbd and 8800GTX together.
Also, I seem to be unable to decipher what rail is connected to which part of the system. How do you know if 12v1 is only for the mbd or includes PCIe or has the cpu on it also or is that on 12v2.........very confusing.
Is there a standard that has to be followed or are all manufacturers at liberty to do as they please. I had to open the Jeantech and follow the cables to get some idea what went where but even that was haphazard at best.

Sorry if i have missed something in the forum.

[madmat]

Here's a thought. To avoid any stress you could go with an Ultra X-Pro 750W with one 50A 12V rail. It's based on a SevenTeam 750W server grade PSU and I've personally put an 840W load on the 12V rails of another unit based off the same base unit and it held that load remarkably well considering it's just a 750W PSU.

There are other options that won't cost an arm and leg but will do the job just as well. I'd put SevenTeam built power supplies up against Etasis built power supplies with no hesitation at all.

[jonnyGURU]

SOME SevenTeam power supplies. I wouldn't say all of them are great, although that SevenTeam external 500W.. well... it's in my closet waiting for something to use it on.

[newhit]

Originally Posted by newhit

Hi, confused newbie alert

a Silverstone ST85F or the Etasis ET850. From the recommended list i can see that they are both Etasis units so the cheaper of the two is the way to go............but, .

Doh! I've even got that wrong.......according to the list the Silverstone is an Enhance unit. Perhaps I should start again

I'm limited in my area for good quality PSU's so the Etasis, Silverstone or maybe an Xclio unit is where I'm heading. Is there any reason to take one against the other two or can I rely on any of them to give me reasonable longevity.......the Xclio is about 15% cheaper than the other two and I could get the 1000W version for the same money as the Silverstone/Etasis units........unless the quality is that much worse of course. I realise that I've deviated from my original question but an answer to the above will point me in the right direction.

Thanx in advance.

[jonnyGURU]

This really is going to echo what's already been said: I think you'll find the general consensus here is that the Etasis built units, either Etasis branded or Silverstone branded, is the way to go.

The SevenTeam built Ultra X-Pro 750W is a good choice too and has construction that rivals the Etasis.

The Enhance is a notch below either and the Xclio probably another notch below that. So if you have the $200 budget for the Etasis or the Ultra, I just wouldn't bother with the Enhance or Xclio, although they're still good units.

To answer your initial question:

What rails go where depend on the PSU. I've never held a Jeantech. But if it's REALLY a dual +12V rail PSU, then one rail would be to the CPU and the other goes to everything else.

But if having more than one +12V rail with a limited amount of amps going to it was really your power supply's "problem," it wouldn't just "struggle." It will shut down as soon as the load exceeds the over current prootection of that particular rail.

EDIT: Ahh!! I see now. You say "you're limited in your area." We don't know what your "area" is unless you post it, but I have to assume it's outside of the U.S. or Canada.

Go with the Etasis of the three if those are the three choices in "your area."

[newhit]

Many thanx for the replies, I can now choose with some degree of confidence.

[newhit]

I seem to be finalizing my choice on the Silverstone ST75ZF version 2, with one 12v rail dedicated to the PCIe. I realize that this is different to my original choice but the design seems the best for my needs. If I am able to justify an SLI setup in the future this will be able to handle it as it's listed at Nvidia.

I was tempted by the ST85ZF, however, the 850 seems to be just a 750 with an uprated Transformer (with huge price hike relatively speaking). Why bother if the 750 is already SLI certified and easily capable of powering the latest power hungry Graphics?

[Shinobi]

The design of the 850 seems to be different from the 750 I have a 850 coming here tomorrow for my build I'll be powering a Cm stacker 830 with quite a few case fans and a 8800GTX along with a conroe and 2 raptors in raid with other goodies aswell. I'll be sure to report back on how things go.

[jonnyGURU]

Originally Posted by Shinobi

The design of the 850 seems to be different from the 750...

How do you figure?

Are you comparing a Zeus 750W with a Zeus 850W or a Zeus with a Strider?

The 750W and 850W Zeus models are nearly identical in every way.

EDIT: Ok. Just saw your other thread. YOU are talking about the Strider. newhit is talking about the Zeus.

Try to keep up.

[ve2007]

Originally Posted by Shinobi

The design of the 850 seems to be different from the 750 I have a 850 coming here tomorrow for my build I'll be powering a Cm stacker 830 with quite a few case fans and a 8800GTX along with a conroe and 2 raptors in raid with other goodies aswell. I'll be sure to report back on how things go.

How quite is your case? My setup is very similar to yours with CM stacker,
8800GTX, 7 fans, 3 hard drives and the 850 power supply which Im getting
next week