power supply question.

[mx2702]

If I get a new ATI x1950 pro graphics card, would the power supply listed at this amazon link be sufficient to power my computer and the graphics card ok? And is that a good brand ... or is there a better recommended brand?

With my old card (an ATI xpress 200 series card), the old 300 w power supply was enough to power card and computer sufficiently....

Link Edit

[Dusty]

550w seems to be a good level but why not check out your total power requirements here then add say 20% for further expansion.

Good luck.

[mx2702]

I have found a 600 w power supply on anazon that I can get instead of the 550 w one for only $22.00 + $6.49 shipping! (see link below)

Is it a good brand? Is it a good buy? It's a good steal in terms of price but i don't want to buy it if it's not good product!

Link to Amazon 600 W power supply

[patio]

A 22 dollar PSU isn't worth the cardboard it is shipped in...

A decent 500W PSU should start at around 40 to 50 bucks.

Travel to PC Power and Cooling for some great info on PSU's how they are built and what the difference is between a budget and quality unit.

[contrex]

A 22 dollar PSU isn't worth the cardboard it is shipped in...

I do so agree Patio! 22 dollars is about eleven quid! He wants to be spending 2 or 3 times that and look for a good name, and if necessary do some homework.

[TonyRichens]

www.thermaltake.com

The Zeus of psu's
The soul power of the psu industry
The bees knees

 

[soybean]

Use eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite to get an actual number on the power supply profile for your system.

According to http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=3122113, you should have;
 450-Watt power supply or greater, 30 Amps on 12 volt rail recommended (assumes fully loaded system)

I believe the "30 Amps on 12 volt rail" is going to mean a rather expensive power supply.

[mx2702]

How about this 600 w power supply? (see link below) It's a different one also listed on amazon. It says it is compatible with ATI SLI configuration, but I am going to use only one graphics card in my system. Would that be enough to power the graphics card I am looking at?

And what exactly does it mean "30 Amps on 12 volt rail"? I don't see it listed in the specs....

Link to Amazon 600 W power supply

[soybean]

I prefer to shop at sites that specialize in computers and computer components, such as newegg.com and tigerdirect.com.  I believe  you're more likely to see the technical details clearly stated on such sites than on Amazon.  For example, see http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2974508&Sku=ULT31847%20K and go down the page to Detailed Features where you'll see a table showing amperage ratings for the various voltage outputs. 

User reviews posted on such websites as newegg and tigerdirect can also be helpful.

[contrex]

And what exactly does it mean "30 Amps on 12 volt rail"? I don't see it listed in the specs....

Computer power supplies provide a number of different voltages - 3.3 volts, 5 volts, and 12 volts. It means that the power supply should be capable of supplying a current of 30 Ampères at 12 volts.

A quick Google found me this site, full of praise for the ULT31849, which has a detailed spec table of currents supplied on the various rails, as follows

http://www.case-mod.com/ultra-ult31849-xfinity-600w-psu-flex-force-cable-technology-blue-p-1782.html

+5V   30A
+3.3V 25A
+12V1 18A
+12v2 20A
-12V  0.6A
+5VSB 2.5A

So you see it has a split rail 12v arrangement, with a total of 38 Ampères capability, well over the spec mentioned earlier.

This is a beefy, premium power supply. Should be OK unless you are going for EXTREME overclocking, like e.g. taking a Prescott up to 5 GHz (you'd need some very serious cooling!) in which case a PSU with a beefy single +12v rail is best. E.g. the OCZ Powerstream 520w, Sparkle FSP550-60PLG and the PC P&C 510.

[soybean]

contrex, I was wondering whether the amp figures for the two rails are added together for this purpose.  I thought perhaps the requirement was an individual 12V rail.  So, according to your post, they are added together.  I imagine that's correct; in fact, power supplies with 30 amp on one 12V rail may be very hard to find, or may not exist.

[contrex]

contrex, I was wondering whether the amp figures for the two rails are added together for this purpose.  I thought perhaps the requirement was an individual 12V rail.

Modern high-end video cards are described as requiring a 30 amp 12 volt (single) rail because they assume that your other components are using around 15 amps (average) and they want a certain amount left over for the vid card. A dual-rail 12 volt system feeds those other components via a separate rail thus achieving the desired objective. It is actually better in many ways, but can cause problems for running VERY heavily overclocked CPUs as I mentioned before, but that is a special case and need not concern us I think.

in fact, power supplies with 30 amp on one 12V rail may be very hard to find, or may not exist.

Not at all. Where did you get that idea? The three power supplies I mentioned already, OCZ Powerstream 520w, Sparkle FSP550-60PLG and the PC Power & Cooling 510, have single 12 volt rails rated at 30 A, 36 A and 34 A respectively. These are very far from being the only ones.

[mx2702]

Oh yeah i decided 550 watts might be enough, if i do get myself the geforce 7900. Check out this 550 w psu at amazon:

Link to Amazon 550 W power supply

It costs $59.34 if i buy new from amazon BUT lowest price from other sellers on amazon is $38.99 for new one. Prices are not including shipping. Would this be a good option to take?

[contrex]

It's by Coolermaster - a good brand. From a review on Newegg

heavy, well constructed, quiet, the cables are long, for my average 'mid tower' fifty dollar case, i had to find room to put the extra length. load tested my quad and survive. the last cheap power supply did not.

[Jess607]

It's by Coolermaster - a good brand. From a review on Newegg

heavy, well constructed, quiet, the cables are long, for my average 'mid tower' fifty dollar case, i had to find room to put the extra length. load tested my quad and survive. the last cheap power supply did not.

No, it's not a good brand. You might as well buy Rosewell.

A single X1950 Pro shouldn't take too much power. A Enermax Noisetaker II 400w should be enough.