[SpardaSon21]

I currently have a 350W (if that) PSU, and since Christmas is coming up, now seems like a good time to get one.  Any recommendations for a good 600W ATX PSU?  I'm trying to future-proof this as much as possible, aside from the lack of SLi/Crossfire support since I doubt I'll ever be running more than one video card any time in the next few years.

[Klaustrophobia]

i used hardware secrets to pick out my kick-ass unit.  in general, modular is really handy, especially if you care about neatness inside your case; single 12v rail with very high amps is better than multi-rail, and i personally like to spend a little extra money (or time hunting for insane deals like i found last time) to get a high efficiency.  if your case mounts the psu at the top, it's hard to find a good one that will vent out the back instead of into the case (and right onto the cpu) anymore, but it's something to keep in mind if you stumble across one.  these also have to use 80mm fans so they're typically louder.

[Suongadon]

I cant seem to link, cause mobile, but i see a 650w seasonic on newegg for 90$ (half price)  should be the first hit if you search seasonic. (Also supposing you are in the us where the sale is...)

A bit more 'buy it now!!!1' then you might have been looking for, but in general ive never had a problem with any seasonic psus, except one rma (out of 4 or 5)

Corsairs are good too i hear, (and a bit lower price) but i havent owned one in years that i can recall.

At the same time i dont think youre going to need a 600+ w psu unless youre going to have multiple vid cards, but that depends on what else you have in the system, etc.

[Grizzly]

At the same time i dont think youre going to need a 600+ w psu unless youre going to have multiple vid cards, but that depends on what else you have in the system, etc.

This is one of those "Correct me if I am wrong but..." questions.
Isn't a PSU that is built to perform at 600 watts or more very reliable when it only has to deliver a maximum power of 350watts?

[SpardaSon21]

If a PSU is built to handle high loads, it will last longer under lighter loads, yes.  I'd also like a much more powerful PSU than what I have now since that means I can throw more of everything in and not need to worry about my tower exploding under the stress, plus the decreased strain means it won't need replacement.  For example, I would have gotten a more powerful video card last November (I definitely needed better than an Nvidia 9400GT) if I had a better PSU than what I currently have.

Yes, my PSU is top-mounted, so I'll need to watch for PSU's that have an 80mm fan instead of a 120/140mm one?

[Nuke]

im glad to say the trend in power supply requirements going up is over. 22nm process <3.

[Mongoose]

Unfortunately we're going to hit some hard physical limits at some point, unless someone knows how to handwave around quantum.

[Nuke]

i think there is still a little bit of wiggle room with how small the process can get. and as the process grows smaller, the power requirements also grow smaller. eventually we will hit a brick wall. at which point new generations of cpus will be pure architecture tweaks, and getting more of the support hardware on die. also cpu architecture wont be the only advancement. currently experimental memory architectures will come of age and hopefully reduce memory latency. and the power requirements of all the components will continue to come down.

[Mikes]

Everything (and more) that you always wanted to know about a PSU, but were too afraid to ask: http://www.jonnyguru.com/

And yeah, Seasonic is a good bet... Antec, Corsair and others also make good stuff.

But don't forget... the PSU is more or less the heart of your computer and if it fails it has the potential to take everything else with it. With any PSU you buy... I recommend very careful research before committing to it. Any PSU, even the top of the line units, do have at least some drawbacks that one should be aware of before buying.

For example... Corsair makes top of the line units... but has been known to have issues with loose heatsink screws occasionally.
One of the top of the line Antec units that is pretty much perfect all around... has the board with the connectors for the modular cables only soldered (not screwed) on, which means the whole thing may potentially break off if you are too rough with it while plugging the cables in.

As for the really cheap brands... almost all of their units usually have at least some cheap/crappy capacitors that are more or less timebombs (literally) in disguise. LOL.

Never skimp on the PSU.

Since Seasonic was mentioned already:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=235 , or the Seasonic X-Series in general, might be worth a closer look for you.

[SpardaSon21]

Thanks for the advice.  I should have mentioned that I'm not buying it, but rather hoping my poor (not literally) mother knows how to buy the right computer equipment for my Christmas present, assuming I tell her in no uncertain terms that this exact item is what I want, need, and can actually use.  There's still an upper limit of around $100 on the PSU though, and like I said earlier, I have a top-mounted PSU so I'm stuck with an 80mm fan.

[Mikes]

Holiday blowout sale on newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088 95$ lol.

Are you sure the fan wouldbe an issue? I ve had one of those in a top mounted case before and no problems.

[jr2]

What does top-mounted have to do with it?  The PSU draws air into itself from the inside of the case and blows it out the rear.  It doesn't exhaust into the case... at least I've never seen one that does.

[SpardaSon21]

if your case mounts the psu at the top, it's hard to find a good one that will vent out the back instead of into the case (and right onto the cpu) anymore, but it's something to keep in mind if you stumble across one.

Well, I was going by that.

[jr2]

The correct air flow in a case is front to back, bottom to top.

[SpardaSon21]

*Facepalm

Yes, and my PSU is mounted at the top of my case, and according to Klaustrophobia most modern PSU's vent into the case (and directly onto my CPU heat sink) instead of exhausting out the rear.  Is he wrong?

[Klaustrophobia]

 

What does top-mounted have to do with it?  The PSU draws air into itself from the inside of the case and blows it out the rear.  It doesn't exhaust into the case... at least I've never seen one that does.

the vast majority of modern mid to high-end PSUs use a single large (120mm or bigger) fan that blows out the bottom of the PSU.  i suspect this is a big contributing factor to the rise of bottom-mount cases.  really, i shouldn't have even mentioned it, because it's not going to make a meaningful difference unless you're a hardcore overclocker that needs every fraction of a degree.  i was just throwing it out there as something to think about, if you're the type of person who wants to have as close to perfect cooling as possible.  i've used bottom-exhaust in a top-mounted case, it's fine.  i've also bought a dual-80 design over a single 120 for this very reason, and it was noticeably louder.

[jr2]

Hmm... well, the latest designs I've seen are 3-5 years old, so maybe now they are, but that doesn't make sense.. odd.  *shuffles over by Nuke in the outdated irrelevant corner*

[Klaustrophobia]

i'm guessing it cools the PSU itself better, which is what the designers care about.  and it's definitely quieter, which is usually a bigger selling point that putting a little extra heat in your case.

[Mikes]

Umm.... NONE of the PSUs I have vent INTO the case LOL.

Where did you get THAT idea Klaustrophobia?

All the PSUs with fans on the botton/top that I have seen suck air into the PSU and have an opening/grille towards the back of the (computer) case where it can get out. Anything else would be incredibly silly.

[Klaustrophobia]

derp.

yeah, didn't think about reversing the fan.  where i got the idea that the single fan vents out the bottom is because the first one i had DID.  it had a grill on both the internal and external sides for intake.  i could have sworn the unit i'm using now vented out the bottom, but now i'll have to check to be sure.

like i said, shouldn't have even brought it up. :/