[ZmaN]

here are the three that I am looking at..  I need to know which one(s) (if any) are good..

RosewillRP500-2 psu

POWMAX Demon PSDE580 580W Power Supply - Retail at Newegg.com

ASPIRE ATX-AS520W SILVER 520W Power Supply - Retail at Newegg.com

please post links to good ones if none of those above qualify...  I cant really spend more than 40-50 bucks on a PSU so it must be @ or below 50 bucks...

thanks guys!  Zman.

[CP5670]

Rosewill is okay while the other two are no good. This one is supposed to be good as it appears on several server motherboard companies' recommended lists, but not many people have it and I don't know much about it:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104123

Other than that you will have to spend a bit more; around $75 or so can get you a good Enermax or OCZ model.

[pyro-manic]

Don't skimp on the PSU - you get what you pay for. Mine cost me about £60, though that was a few years back. One of the Antec Truepower ones - very nice, and quiet to boot.

[Grey Wolf]

I've always liked Antec myself.

[CP5670]

The absolute best is PC Power & Cooling, but their models cost a relative fortune. OCZ and Enermax units are very close to those and cost about half as much (I have an OCZ). Antec, Seasonic and FSP are all very good too.

[Nix]

I'd stay away from the budget power supplies.  Also, check to see if your PSU has what's called Active PFC.  I bought a thermaltake PSU without PFC and it just about died in a minor brownout.  It started emitting this high pitched shriek.  I did get a RMA on it though, which was good.  I replaced it with a Cooler Master PSU, with PFC.  It's holding out very well, and doesnt eat huge amounts of power as compared to Antec and PCPAC models.  If you want to save some green with your PSU, CoolerMaster's RS-450-ACLY is a pretty nice choice. 

[CP5670]

The active PFC thing is overhyped and is unrelated to efficiency. It was probably just a bad PSU, as TT ones aren't too great in general. If you live in Europe, the manufacturers all are required to have it on their units, but otherwise it makes no difference from an individual point of view.

[Nix]

The active PFC thing is overhyped and is unrelated to efficiency. It was probably just a bad PSU, as TT ones aren't too great in general. If you live in Europe, the manufacturers all are required to have it on their units, but otherwise it makes no difference from an individual point of view.

You're right about Active PFC being un-related to efficiency, what I should have said was the actual power supply unit is made to be more efficient with power in general.  Other models with Active PFC can be quite inefficent with power.  It might not save much, but it will make a difference if you have lots of stuff plugged in the same breaker of your house.  The model I reccomended would reduce the risk of overloading the outlet you're plugged into. 

[ZmaN]

I think I am going with the Rosewill power supply...  I have used 2 of them (a 350watt, 400 watt) before and they worked great, produced little heat and were very quiet.  they were heavy as well, which means alotta power!  Im gunna gop with the 500 watt rosewill PSU..  thanks guys..

Zman..

[Turnsky]

i'd shoot for a 550w powersuppy, however Turbo-Cool have a 850w power supply if you're really desparate for power

[Nix]

Heavy doesnt mean a lot of power necessarily.  Heavy means more heatsinks, which allow for better heat dissapation.  The capacitors inside could still be junk, you never really know untill the worst happens.  Then again, if you invest in a UPS, you'll always be able to properly shut down your system, and let the UPS take the abuse. 

The PSU I have, the one I reccomended, includes a little wattage gauge.  At most, my system only uses 220 W of power idling.  Now, if you're going nvidia and SLI, you'll see a higher wattage pull from the PSU.  At least this way you can see what your psu is doing.
If you still go for the Rosewill, good luck.  I have no experience with that brand and couldnt reccomend them.

[ZmaN]

oh i have had ALOTTA xperience with them...  they are GREAT power supplies.  Like i said, Ive never used Coolmax, or any other recommended brand, so I am going on experience..

[CP5670]

Rosewill products are just rebadged units from other companies (it's Newegg's house brand, I believe), although nobody is really sure where their PSUs come from. There is one very knowledgable guy on the AT forums who uses them and says they are good, however.