Power Supply Guide for Today's & Tomorrow's Computers

davidhammock200 · 10-25-2004, 09:35 PM

ALL mobo manufacturers recommend 24-pin native ATX for their newer mobos, not adaptors!

Quote:

All PSU's recommended for highend systems need to be Single +12V Rail PSU's.

This has now become necessary for several reasons:

PSU manufactures are now assigning the rails on their multi-rail (3 or more +12V rails) PSU's in whatever fashion pleases them.

Motherboard manufacturers are now requiring additional power connectors, beyond the standard ATX & P4/EPS connectors.

Sometimes the interaction of these unique rail assignments & additional power connectors results in mobo/PSU incompatibility.

All of these problems are of course caused by the ever higher power demands of ever more powerful GPU's.

Most Dual +12V Rail PSU's are not effected as one rail "should always" be used exclusively to power the CPU via the P4/EPS connector, however Dual Rail PSU's that follow the specs can not power highend SLI systems.

Therefore all PSU's recommended for highend systems now need to be Single +12V Rail PSU's.

Please note that the Seasonic built Corsairs & Antecs (HE & Trio) are, regardless of advertising,
Single +12V Rail PSU's, in that there is no per-rail current limiting, meaning that any +12V rail can pull whatever +12V amperage is available. This is also true of the Seasonic M-12's.
The Corsairs are built to higher standards than the Antecs.

From PC P&C's Power Supply Myths Exposed!: http://www.pcpower.com/technology/myths/

8. ARE MULTIPLE 12-VOLT RAILS BETTER THAN A SINGLE 12-VOLT RAIL?

With all the hype about multiple 12-volt rails (ads claim that two rails is better than one, five is better than four, etc.), you’d think it was a better design. Unfortunately, it’s not!

Here are the facts: A large, single 12-volt rail (without a 240VA limit) can transfer 100% of the 12-volt output from the PSU to the computer, while a multi-rail 12-volt design has distribution losses of up to 30% of the power supply’s rating. Those losses occur because power literally gets “trapped” on under-utilized rails. For example, if the 12-volt rail that powers the CPU is rated for 17 amps and the CPU only uses 7A, the remaining 10A is unusable, since it is isolated from the rest of the system.

Since the maximum current from any one 12-volt rail of a multiple-rail PSU is limited to 20 amps (240VA / 12 volts = 20 amps), PCs with high-performance components that draw over 20 amps from the same rail are subject to over-current shutdowns. With power requirements for multiple processors and graphics cards continuing to grow, the multiple-rail design, with its 240VA limit per rail, is basically obsolete.

PC Power and Cooling is once again leading the industry. All of our power supplies now feature a large, single 12-volt rail. The design is favored by major processor and graphics companies, complies with EPS12V specs (the 240VA limit is not a requirement) and is approved by all major safety agencies such as UL and TUV.

From Silverstone: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-da750.htm

"With the knowledge that single +12V rail power is the next generation power supply, SilverStone Technology introduces Decathlon series, offering enthusiasts more choices with single rail power selections to handle their system."

Quote:

Why Recommend Only Single +12V Rail PSU's for 600W or more?

An example of multi-rail PSU vs. mobo incompatibility:

DFI high performance mobos tend to be non-standard & very picky about PSU's & RAM.

The DFI Expert will not even boot with the now discontinued PC P&C Turbo-Cool 850W (3x +12V rails) or
most (non-server edition) PC P&C Turbo-Cool 1KW (4X +12V rail) PSU's, when the extra power connectors required/recommended by DFI are used. The use of these non-spec connectors crossed 2 of the +12V rails, the PSU saw this as a short & immediately shut down. PC P&C now offers ONLY single +12V rail PSU's!

Many mobo manufactures are putting non-spec power connectors on their mobos to feed these power-hog GPU's & it seems history is repeating.

The OCZ PowerStream 600W often can not power SLI rigs that the PowerStream 520W (single +12V rail) can easily power, this is due to the dual +12V rail design & the design's "per rail" current limiting. This was proven at DFI Street & agreed to by the OCZ engineers.

There are many similar examples, but none as thourghly researched as these & with the full agreement from the manufacturers.

By ATX/AMD/Intel specs the current per rail can not exceed +12V@20A, so no dual rail PSU that complies with the official specs can power a highend SLI/CF system.

There are no real specs for PSU's with more than 2X +12V rails & each manufacturer does as they please, so here are some examples.

Example for a 3X +12V rail PSU:

+12V1 powers the CPU via the P4/EPS connector

+12V2 powers the mobo, drives, fans & everything except the GPU's via their power connectors

+12V3 powers the GPU's via their power connectors

+12V1 & +12V2 are fine & can easily do their jobs within the +12V@20A per rail limits

+12V3 may not be able to do the job depending upon the GPU's.

Example for a 4X +12V rail PSU:

+12V1 powers the CPU via the P4/EPS connector

+12V2 powers the mobo

+12V3 powers all drives, fans, etc.

+12V4 powers the GPU's via their power connectors

+12V1, 12V2 & +12V3 are fine & can easily do their jobs within the +12V@20A per rail limits

+12V4 may not be able to do the job depending upon the GPU's.

R600's apparently will be able to draw up to 270W each, 540W per set, now 75W per card, 150W per set can come from the PCIe mobo connectors, so that leaves 195W per card, 390W per set that must be powered through the GPU power connectors, this is all +12V, 390W / 12V = 32.5A, as only 20A is available we have a problem.

Use other GPU's with other wattages, but the problems remain.

The same problem can occur with large HDD arrays, as each HDD pulls almost +12V@3A during spin up,
if you have 8X or more HDD's, without staggered spin up, then you could have a PSU OCP problem at boot.

Now since we have no idea, short of disassembling the PSU, to determine what rail powers what &
it changes not only from brand to brand, but it even changes on different models & without public notice on different revisions of the same model, therefore the ONLY universally safe & sound practice is to exclusively recommend single +12V rail PSU's for 600W or higher PSU's.

I HATE typing this much, but everyone willing to read this deserves a through explanation.
Dave

Dave's Short List: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=192
(Updated March 4, 2007)

Cheap, but Good Power Supplies! http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=197
(Updated March 4, 2007)

SLI & Crossfire Power Supplies: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=234
(Updated March 16, 2007)

High Amperage +12V Single Rail PSU's: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=239
(Updated March 5, 2007)

Modular Power Supplies: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=196
(Updated March 7, 2007)

PSU’s: The Best of the Best of the Best! http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=770
(Updated March 7, 2007)

PSU's for DFI High-Performance Mobos: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=401
(Updated October 20th, 2006)

What Dave Would Buy: http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=431
(Updated March 9, 2007)

This is a work in progress & it will never be finished (10-25-04).

Quote:

These quality brands are highly recommended,
however not every power supply they offer will meet your needs,
be especially careful to make sure that the +12V rail(s) offer a
Minimum of +12V@26A for Single Video Card Systems & +12V@34A for Dual Video Card (SLI/Crossfire) Systems & More is Better!.

Class 1: These are the Best:

PC Power & Cooling (All Turbo Cool & ULTRA-QUIET SILENCER 610W & 750W),
Seasonic (S-12, S-12E+, M-12),
Corsair,
Silverstone (Zeus models ST56ZF, ST75ZF, and ST85ZF),
Etasis &
Zippy.

Class 2:

Antec,
Enermax,
Enhance,
Fortron (FSP),
Hiper (Type-M 670W & 730W & Type-R 730W)
I-Star,
OCZ Technology,
PC Power & Cooling,
Seasonic,
Silverstone,
Sparkle,
Tagan,
Thermaltake ToughPower (Only the ToughPower Line!),
Vantec &
XCilo.

Class 3:

Hiper (Type-R 580W, 530W & 480W)
Mushkin &
Sunbeam NUUO

Links to all of these fine manufactures websites & reviews are provided at the end.

The only precise way to choose a PS is to add up the maximum current (amperage)
draw for each individual rail and then provide at least an additional 20% for overhead.
All PS calculators use averages, they are not precise.
A 1000Watt PS is useless if that wattage is delivered on the wrong rail(s)!

All of the above are very good PSU's & are recommended.

My personal "BEST BANG for the BUCK" choices are:

$38: XCilo 450W (Lowend to Midrange)

$52: XClio GoodPower 500W (Midrange)

$80: Antec TruePower Trio 550W (Highend to Midrange SLI/CF)

$103: Antec TruePower Trio 650W (8800GTS SLI)

$149: SilverStone Olympia OP750 750W (8800GTX SLI)

$335: SILVERSTONE Olympia OP1000 1000W (R600 CrossFire)

If you require extreme quiet & would like a modular PSU, then the Corsairs were made for you!

Voltages & Amperage: Only the +3.3V, +5V, +5VSB & +12V are used by modern computers. Spec is usually +/- 5%. When the original ATX spec was written the +3.3V & +5V were far more stressed by heavy usage demands than they are in today’s computers. Almost any high quality ATX spec PS of 300Watts or more can supply far more +3.3V & +5V amperage than today’s computers require. Today’s computers, especially the AMD A64’s and the latest Intel's stress the +12V rail the most, requiring far more amperage than was originally called for in the original ATX spec for the +12V rail. Video cards can be the biggest +12V resource hogs!

Wattage: Voltage times Amperage equals Wattage. Wattage is the ability to do work; it can be converted into Horse Power. A PS’s wattage rating is the total combined wattage output of all the rails combined. Older ATX designs created most of their wattage in the +3.3 & +5V rails, creating very little on the +12V rail. Newer ATX12V & ATX12 V2.0 designs are creating ever more wattage on the +12V rail, to meet the needs of today’s & tomorrow’s computers.
To see why total wattage should never be used to select a power supply, but that the properly allocated wattage is very important in selecting the proper PS, please click on the following link to the ONLY "Power Supply Calculator" that I can & DO RECOMMEND, provided by & constantly updated by "mnemonik23": http://www.extreme.outervision.com/

PC P&C Power Supply Selector: http://www.pcpowercooling.com/produc...lies/selector/

Hold Up Time: Measured in milliseconds (ms) is how long the PS will continue to supply in spec voltage & amperage, once the AC input voltage is removed. The longer the hold up time generally the higher the quality of the PS. Hold up time gives the time necessary for an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to switch to batteries and allow uninterrupted operation of the computer.

Efficiency and Temperature: There are no electronic devices that are 100% efficient & PS’s are no exception. Typically PS’s operate between 60% and 85% efficiency. The more efficient the PS, the less power that is lost as heat and the lower the cooling requirements. Newer PSU's meeting the ATX12V 2.xx specs have efficiency ratings from 70% to as high as 85%. The "80%+" certification requires 80% or higher efficiency.

Reading and Adjusting Voltages: BIOS and software such as Motherboard Monitor 5 (MM5) can not be fully trusted to give accurate voltage readings and since many of today's better PS's allow the user to easily adjust their voltages, it is very important that a voltmeter/multimeter be used to measure these voltages correctly.
How Measure PS Voltages (Rails): http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...d.php?t=137886
Recommended Digital Multimeter (DMM): http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=491

PFC: Power Factor Correction: This has always been important for large scale commerical applications,
now it is something that the home & small office user can also consider,
especially if you are going to be operating outside of north america.
Required by law in the EU, it is really not a "big deal" for the home & small office user in north america.
Here is a good explination of PFC: http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx...var1=81&var2=0
APC on PFC: ftp://www.apcmedia.com/salestools/SADE-5TNQYL_R0_EN.pdf

new egg: I started using new egg as the primary reference source for several reasons including their popularity, broad selection, low prices & format. There is also the fact that I’m basically lazy & using new egg made this much easier! I am now trying to link the factory specs & use Google/Froogle for lowest pricing.

Other PS’s: I am not perfect or all knowledgeable, it is highly probable that I have made errors of omission, please forgive me as I have done more or less the best that I could given the restraints of the real world. I am sure that there are other PS’s that deserve to be recommended and with any major price changes my recommendations might have been different.

I update this guide as often as possible, already (11-4-04) as a result of suggestions by knowledgeable EOCF members 4 additional PS's have been added to the recommended list. Please add your experiences, comments & recommendations to this thread. They will be appericated.

APC UPS: American Power Conversion (APC) http://www.apcc.com makers of IMO the world’s finest Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), check them out, I promise that you will be glad you did.
I recommend this one as it also protects your network connections.
Back-UPS ES 725 Broadband: http://www.apc.com/resource/include/...se_sku=BE725BB
Available at new egg for $81: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...101-127&depa=1

Use 2 or more PS’s: It is often better & cheaper to use more than one PS to power your computer. There are two methods of doing this, the first is simple & safe, the second requires the skills of an electronics technician and if performed improperly could damage your system, and so we will concentrate on the safe & simple method.

Use a second PS to power your lights & fans and maybe your HDD’s, FDD’s & OD’s. Allowing your main PS to concentrate on your MoBo, CPU & Video Card(s). As your lights, fans & various drives are electrically isolated from your MoBo, this is safe & simple, allowing you to use as many PS’s as required, to power all of the eye candy imaginable. Turn your Fans & Drives "ON" first & turn them "OFF" last.

To be recommended to power a modern system the power supply must meet the following criteria:

(1) It must meet all usual ATX, AMD, Intel & UL standards for USA operation,

(2) It must have been manufactured by a well known reputable company, known to offer products of very high quality, their products having been used, tested, reviewed & recommended by many experienced & knowledgeable users, and

(3) It must supply a minimum of 26A on the +12V rail(s), as this is critical for today's computers.

To be recommended as a “BEST BANG for the BUCK”, in addition to meeting all of the above criteria,

the PS must clearly supply more +12V amperage for less money, than its competitors.

Cheap, but Good Power Supplies! http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=197

To be recommended for “Premium Choices”, in addition to meeting to meeting the basic criteria,

the PS must be of exceptional quality, literally being one of the very best in the world.

Many of these also offer special features not usually found on lesser PS’s,

such as tighter load/voltage regulation, extreme power, silent operation or user adjustable voltages.

To be recommended for “Professional Choices”, in addition to meeting to meeting the basic criteria,

the PS must have been designed & built to the exacting standards required to

power professional workstations & servers, where failure is not an option.

These PSU's must be "The Best of the Best of the Best"!

Quote:

These PSU's were/are designed for older systems where the CPU is often powered from the +5V rail.
However these still provide enough +12V amperage to run most of today's lowend to midrange systems.

[20-pin ATX Only]
ENERMAX EG301P-VB-1-FM 300W
Output +3.3V@28A; +5V@30A; -5V@1A; +12V@22A; -12V@1A; +5VSB@2.2A
$32: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103463
Discontinued Model.

[Many Different Versions, many are 20-pin ATX Only]
ENERMAX EG365AX-VE(W) / EG365AX-VE(G) / EG365P-VE 350W
Output +3.3V@32A; +5V@32A; -5V@1A; +12V@26A; -12V@1A; +5VSB@2.2A
Specs: http://www.enermax.com.tw/english/pr...y1.asp?PrID=29
From $43: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

[Many Different Versions, many are 20-pin ATX Only]
ENERMAX EG465AX-VE(W) / EG465AX-VE(G) / EG465P-VE
Output +3.3V@35A; +5V@35A; -5V@1A; +12V@33A; -12V@1A; +5VSB@2.2A
Specs: http://www.enermax.com.tw/english/pr...y1.asp?PrID=28
From $46: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

[20/24-pin ATX]
VANTEC ION 2 VAN-460N ATX12V/ EPS12V 460W
Output +3.3V@28A; +5V@30A; -5V@0.5A; +12V@30A; -12V@0.8A; +5VSB@3.0A
Specs: http://www.vantecusa.com/p_ion2460.html
From $60: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p
This is my #1 Recommendation for this class of PSU's.

[20-pin ATX Only]
PC P&C Silencer 360 ATX 360W
Output: +5V @ 30A, +12V @ 21A, -12V @ 0.8A, +3.3V @ 26A, +5VSB @ 2A
Specs: http://www.pcpowercooling.com/produc...view=techspecs
$65: http://www.pcpowercooling.com/produc...ATX&view=about

"BEST BANG for the BUCK"

$39.99 & shipping [24-pin & 20-pin]
FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN ATX12V 400W
+3.3V@22A, +5V@21A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@16A (+12V@25A total max), -12V@0.3A, +5VSB@2A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104953

$29.99 & shipping
FSP Group (Fortron Source) ATX350-PA ATX12V 350W
+3.3V@22A, +5V@21A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@16A (+12V@21A total max), -12V@0.3A, +5VSB@2A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104901
http://www.directron.com/atx350pa.html

ENERMAX Noisetaker EG325P-VE SFMA ATX12V 320W
+3.3V@24A, +5V@24A, +12V1@16A, +12V2@16A (+12V@23A total max), -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A
From $45: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...5P&sa=N&tab=wf

$41.99 & shipping
FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN ATX12V 400W
+3.3V@22A, +5V@21A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@16A (+12V@25A total max), -12V@0.3A, +5VSB@2A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104953

$49.99 & shipping
FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX450-PN ATX12V 450W
3.3V@30A, +5V@28A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@18A (+12V@29A total max), -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954

XClio 450BL ATX 450W [Dual +12V Rails] (Best Bang for the Buck!)
Specs: http://www.xclio.com/htm/products-PSU-450BL.htm
$38: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817189003
Review: http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/r...io_450W_1.html
I have personally tested this PSU & I highly recommend it for low to mid-range systems.

Enhance ENP-5140GH 400W [Dual +12V Rails]
Specs: http://www.enhanceusa.com/series.php?series_id=4#43
From $54: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p
If the XCilo 450W is not available, this is a good alternative for low to mid-range systems.

XCLIO GOODPOWER 500W[Dual +12V Rails](Best Bang for the Buck!)
Specs: http://www.xclio.com/htm/products-PSU-Goodpower500w.htm
$52: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817189005
I have personally tested this PSU & I highly recommend it for mid-range systems.

Enhance ENP-5150GH 500W [Dual +12V Rails]
Specs: http://www.enhanceusa.com/series.php?series_id=4#115
From $67: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p
If the XCilo GoodPower 500W is not available, this is a good alternative for midrange systems.

$67 & shipping
Fortron 500W Blue Storm AX500-A ATX12V:
+3.3V@30A, +5V@28A, +12V1@15A, +12V2@15A, -12V@0.5A, +5Vsb@2.0A
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=PS-FS500A&c=pw

Antec Neo HE 500W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@38A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/NeoHE500_spe.html
From $74: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Antec TruePower Trio 550W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@42A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/TP3_550_spe.html
From $80: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=r

Sparkle 550W (EPS) FSP550-60PLG (+12V@36A)
From $81: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?ti...Search+Froogle

Antec Neo HE 550W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@42A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/NeoHE550_spe.html
From $89: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Corsair HX 520W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.] (My #1 Choice for ANY single GPU!)
Up to +12V@40A, +5VSB@3A
Specs: http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair...er_supply.html
From $97: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p
I have personally tested this PSU & I highly recommend it for highend systems with any single video card.

Antec TruePower Trio 650W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@52A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/TP3_650_spe.html
From $103: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=r

FSP Group (Fortron Source) BoosterX 3, 300W SLI Graphic Power Supply
Dedicated Multi-GPU Graphic Power Supply Unit
Specs: http://www.fspgroupusa.com/FSPNEWS/BOOSTERX3.asp
From $66: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p
If you have a good PSU, but need more power for SLI,
just put this +12V (only) GPU PSU in an empty 5.25" bay!

Premium Choices

Quote:

For R600 CrossFire:

PC P&C Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR [Single +12V Rail] (+12V@72A) (The Best of the Best of the Best!)
Specs: http://www.pcpower.com/products/view...view=techspecs
$499: http://www.pcpower.com/products/view...WSR&view=about

SILVERSTONE Olympia OP1000 1000W [Single +12V Rail]
Up to +12V@80A
Specs: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-op1000.htm
From: $335: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Quote:

For 8800GTX or 8800GTS in SLI:

PSL-6850P(G1)-PCIE4 850W [Single +12V Rail] (+12V@60A)
Gaming Specs: http://www.zippy.com/P_product_detai...850P(G1)-PCIE4
From $368: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

PSL-6800P(G1)-PCIE4 800W [Single +12V Rail] (+12V@60A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com/P_PRODUCT_DETAI...=20&lv_rfnbr=2
From $334: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

PC P&C Silencer 750W [Single +12V Rail] (My #1 Choice for 8800GTX SLI!)
Up to +12V@60A
Specs: http://www.pcpower.com/products/view...view=techspecs
$199: http://www.pcpower.com/products/view...php?show=S75QB

Silverstone Decathlon DA750 750W [Single +12V Rail] [Modular]
Up to +12V@60A
Specs: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-da750.htm
From $178: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p

SilverStone Olympia OP750 750W [Single +12V Rail]
Up to +12V@60A
Specs: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-op750.htm
From $149: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Quote:

For 8800GTS or 7950 GX2 or 7900 GTX or 7800 GTX in SLI or ANY Single R600:

Zippy Gaming‧PSL-6720P(G1)（720W）(+12V@52A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;PSL-6720P(G1)
From $

SeaSonic M12 SS-700HM 700W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.] [Modular]
Up to +12V@56A, Rated@40C, Efficiency up to 85%, 3yr warranty
Specs: http://www.seasonicusa.com/m12.htm
Review: http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=13
From $189: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p

Corsair HX 620W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@50A, +5VSB@3A
Specs: http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair...er_supply.html
From $129: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p
Review: 8800 GTX's in SLI: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/462/1/
Review: http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/articl...50aHVzaWFzdA==
I have personally tested this PSU & I highly recommend it.

SilverStone Olympia OP650 650W [Single +12V Rail]
Up to +12V@54A
Specs: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-op650.htm
Fron $127: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Antec TruePower Trio 650W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@52A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/TP3_650_spe.html
From $103: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=r

Quote:

For Midrange SLI or ANY Single Nvidia GPU:

Gaming‧GSM-6600P(G1)（600W）(+12V@40A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;GSM-6600P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧GSM-6550P(G1)（550W）(+12V@40A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;GSM-6550P(G1)
From $

Corsair HX 520W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.] [Modular]
Up to +12V@40A, +5VSB@3A
Specs: http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair...er_supply.html
From $97: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p
Review: http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=28
I have personally tested this PSU & I highly recommend it.

Silverstone Zeus ST56ZF 560W [Single +12V Rail] (+12V@38A)
Specs: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-56zf.htm
From $115: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p

Antec Neo HE 550W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.] [Modular]
Up to +12V@42A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/NeoHE550_spe.html
From $89: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Antec TruePower Trio 550W [Performs as a Single +12V Rail PSU.]
Up to +12V@42A
Specs: http://www.antec.com/specs/TP3_550_spe.html
From $80: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=r

FSP Group (Fortron Source) BoosterX 3, 300W SLI Graphic Power Supply
Dedicated Multi-GPU Graphic Power Supply Unit
Specs: http://www.fspgroupusa.com/FSPNEWS/BOOSTERX3.asp
From $66: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p
If you have a good PSU, but need more power for SLI,
just put this +12V (only) GPU PSU in an empty 5.25" bay!

Gaming‧HP2-6500PE(G1（500W） (+12V@36A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...;HP2-6500PE(G1
From $

Professional Choices "The Very Best"!

PC P&C: 1KW, 750W & 610W.

PC P&C Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR (+12V@72A)
$499: http://www.pcpower.com/products/view...view=techspecs

Zippy: All Single +12V Rail PSU's.

Gaming‧PSL-6850P(G1)-PCIE4（850W）(+12V@60A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...850P(G1)-PCIE4
From $

Gaming‧PSL-6850P(G1) (850W) (+12V@60A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;PSL-6850P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧PSL-6800P(G1)-PCIE4（800W）(+12V@60A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...800P(G1)-PCIE4
From $

Gaming‧PSL-6800P(G1)（800W）(+12V@60A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;PSL-6800P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧PSL-6720P(G1)（720W）(+12V@52A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;PSL-6720P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧GSM-6600P(G1)（600W）(+12V@40A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;GSM-6600P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧GSM-6550P(G1)（550W）(+12V@40A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;GSM-6550P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧HP2-6500PE(G1（500W） (+12V@36A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...;HP2-6500PE(G1
From $

Gaming‧HP2-6460P(G1)（460W）(+12V@32A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;HP2-6460P(G1)
From $

Gaming‧HG2-6400P(G1)（400W） (+12V@30A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_product_de...1;HG2-6400P(G1)
From $

Zippy PSL-6701P-SATA 700W (+12V@45A)
http://www.zippy.com/P_PRODUCT_DETAI...r=3&lv_rfnbr=2
From $250: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Zippy PSL 6850P 850W (+12V@60A)
Specs: http://www.zippy.com.tw/P_PRODUCT_DE...r=3&lv_rfnbr=2
From $322: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p

Corsair: 620W & 520W

Corsair HX 620W (My #1 Choice for Highend SLI/CF!)
Specs: http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair...er_supply.html
Up to +12V@50A, +5VSB@3A
From $127: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?so...line&scoring=p

Corsair HX 520W (My #1 Choice for Everything else!)
Specs: http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair...er_supply.html
Up to +12V@40A, +5VSB@3A
From $96: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...line&scoring=p

Seasonic: All M12's.

Links & Reviews:

Please add you choices, comments, experiences & recommendations.

trans am · 10-25-2004, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhammock200

This is a work in progress & I should finish by the weekend.

Here David, I'll make it easy for you.

OCZ PowerStream Power Supply 520W

OCZ PowerWhisper™ Technology
OCZ PowerFlex™ individually adjustable power rails with LED indicators.
OCZ ConnectAll™ universal connector. (ATX, BTX, SATA, P4 and EPS12V)
OCZ PowerShield™ power leads.
5 year warranty backed by OCZ’s exclusive PowerSwap™ replacement program.* No more endless return-for-repair loops!

Technical specifications
175x150x86 mm
23 dBA @ 60% load
100-120Vac / 200-240Vac 10/6a
Overvoltage/Short-Circuit protection
Independent adjustable 3.3V/+5V/+12V rails.

OCZ520ADJ - 520W
The OCZ PowerStream power supply family offers the quietest, most versatile and adaptable PSU available today. The PowerStream PSU family comes in 420W, 470W and 520W configurations; they are the ideal solution to your computer power needs.

With its universal ConnectAll™ connector, the PowerStream power supply offers all-in-one connectivity. (ATX, BTX, Serial ATA, P4 and EPS12V) Every OCZ power supply offers PowerShield™ power leads with enhanced EMI-control technology to reduce RF interference, stabilize input current and filter out “ripple noise”.

Each OCZ PowerStream family member includes the PowerFlex™ feature for fine-tuning the three adjustable power rails. An LED sits below each of the three adjustment dials; a green light indicates voltage is within ±5% of optimal, a yellow light indicates undervoltage, and red indicates overvoltage.

The OCZ PowerStream PSU box has an eye-catching nickel-plated chrome finish and boasts green exhaust fan LED’s and colorfully wrapped wires.

davidhammock200 · 10-25-2004, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trans am

ocz powerstream 520
nuff said

I say make it a sticky and just show the OCZ powerstream 520 doing it's thing! ROFLMAO!

It will definitely be included as a Premium Choice!

Added 12-17-04:

Total Watts Do Not Matter, It Is Where You Put Your Watts That Matters!

The Total Amperage Available on the +12V Rail(s) is the most important,

followed by the +5V amperage & then the +3.3V amperage.

These are close to perfect:

$300: Output: +3.3V@30A, +5V@35A, +12V@45A, -5V@0.8A, -12V@1A, +5VSB@2A

$190: Output: +3.3V@28A, +5V@46A, +12V1@20A, +12V2@18A, -5V@0.5A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.0A

$180: Output: +3.3V@30A, +5V@30A, +12V1@26A, +12V2@20A, -5V@0.8A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2A

$120: Output: +3.3V@30A, +5V@38A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@15A, -12V@1A, +5VSB@2A

$110: Output: +3.3V@28A, +5V@34A, +12V@33A, -5V@0.5A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.0A

$100: Output: +3.3V@27A,+5V@29A, ,+12V@36A, -5V@0.3A -12V@0.8A,+5VSB@2A

$90: Output: +3.3V@28A, +5V@30A, +12V@30A, -5V@0.5A, -12V@0.5A, +5VSB@2.0A

$75: Output: +3.3V@35A, +5V@35A, +12V@33A, -5V@1A, -12V@1A, +5VSB@2.2A

$60: Output: +3.3V@32A, +5V@32A, +12V@26A, -5V@1A, -12V@1A, +5VSB@2.2A

So, the almost perfect PS will have about: +3.3V@30A, +5V@35A & +12V@33A or more.

To have faith that the published numbers are realistic and that the output is clean, steady and stable.

Try to stay with one of the "Known Good" name brands.

Dave

EDIT:

Example of what can be done for under $26:

$26: Output: +3.3V@28A, +5V@33A, +12V@22A, -5V@0.5A, -12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.3A

Not Perfect, however for less than $26, it's **** close!

Dave

EDIT 2:

Zippy/EMACS 950W: +12V@70A (+12V1@28A, +12V2@42A)

PC P&C 850W/950W:

$182.00 Zippy/EMACS 600W: +12V@46A (+12V1@26A, +12V2@20A)

$210.00 OCZ PowerStream 600W: +12V@38A (+12V1@20A, +12V2@18A)

$133.50 OCZ POWERSTREAM 520W: +12V@33A

$109.99 Antec NeoPower 480W: +12V@32A (+12V1@18A, +12V2@15A)

$86.99 OCZ PowerStream 420W: +12V@30A

$75.00 Enermax 460W: +12V@33A

$65.99 Super-Flower 550W: +12V@30A

$59.00 Enermax 350/365W: +12V@26A

$45.00 Sparkle 350W: +12V@25A (+12V1@10A, +12V2@15A)

$25.99 Super-Flower 350W: +12V@22A

**chris4404** · 10-25-2004, 09:46 PM

remember you get what you pay for. the one trans am pointed out is a great PSU. if not that one, get a brand name AT LEAST! antec, thermaltake, enermax, etc

davidhammock200 · 10-25-2004, 09:48 PM

Have to cover all the name brands for price & bang 4 buck!

EDIT:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ket

Ok well as I was asked and I was bored and felt like doing it here is some in-depth details about the Hiper 480w PSU, right well thats enough chat lets get to the details

Test Setup;

AN7 w\Tictac v1.8 BIOS
XP-M 2500+ @ 2.55GHz 11.5x multiplier
OCZ PC3200 @ 443MHz DDR 8-3-3-3
FX5700U @ 580\965 (custom BIOS, tighter timings etc)
Sonicfury Soundcard w\ latest WDM drivers
LG 16x DVD ROM (48x CD)
Artec CD-RW 52x32x52
1.44MB FDD (yay!)
Hiper 480w PSU

Cooling\bling bling;

1x 92mm exhaust fan @ 50CFM
1x 80mm blue LED intake fan @ 33CFM
1x 80mm adjustable RPM side intake fan @ 60CFM
1x 80mm adjustable RPM CPU fan @ 66CFM
1x blue cathode light

Right now lets get some typing done about the PSU, its shiny, really shiny, mirror shiny! It would seemingly be polished chrome with a honeycomb design but don't hold me to that. Although I got a pic of it i'll tell you here, the Hiper R Type 480w has dual 12v rails, one working @ 18A the other @ 16A for a total of 34A. The 3.3v rail has 28A and the 5v rail 32A. Finally the PSUs maximum total output wattage is 530w. Not sounding too bad for a £50 PSU eh?

Well it gets better, apart from how fukin sweet this PSU looks and is and all the cool stuff it comes in\with (of which I can't put enough emphasis on on how shizznuts it all looks) here are the results under the following conditions;

Idle;

+12v rail = 12.2v
+5v rail = 5.1v
+3.3v rail = 3.4v

Load;

+12v rail = 12.2v
+5v rail = 5.09v
+3.3v rail = 3.38v

No I've not made any typos, that is almost 0% fluctuation on the rails even on load.

Thoughs readings were taken with the following system voltage parameters;

1.92v CPU
3.3v Vdimm
1.75v NB
1.55v AGP

Well thats enough typing time for some pretty pictures

whats that? are you all going to see Kets highly modified uber shizznuts looking rig at last? No

Provided by Ket, THANK YOU!

Here it is:

Quote:

For our UK members:
Hiper Type-R series - 480W & 580W: Well known to any racing enthusiasts, Type R represents "Racing",
by using original manufacturer's platform, and then enhanced to its maximum output.
http://www.hipergroup.com/products/power.html

http://www.overclock.co.uk/customer/...roductid=18537

Dave

trans am · 10-25-2004, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4404

remember you get what you pay for. the one trans am pointed out is a great PSU. if not that one, get a brand name AT LEAST! antec, thermaltake, enermax, etc

Not so fast Chris. Sparkle makes good PSU's just not the one he posted. This is the one that has the 36A on the 12v, but then again it's $99 it's a 550w peak/528w TRUE!!!
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...103-478&depa=0 IMO a good psu is going to cost at least $70
I would say budget: Fortron 530W $70-80
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...104-968&depa=0

midrange: Ultra Xconnect 500w (some love it, some hate it, but nobody I can name. It's just personal preff.) but a **** good psu regardless. 34A on the 12v!!!
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=273003
read more here
http://reviews.pimprig.com/power_sup...t_500w_psu.php

Top Shelf: is ocz 520w or Pc power and cooling 510 dlx, but at $200 the Ocz kills it!

SemiSuperHero · 10-25-2004, 09:59 PM

A Sparkle 350W PSU would be really nice

Those PSUs are high quality, and are very conservative (not politically) in the power rating they give it. Most 500W PSUs don't give anything close to that.