PSU requirements?

[tanooki]

About 6 months ago I bought a Cooler Master Extreme 500 watt PSU so I could throw a 7900 GS into an Acer pre-built. Since then I have built an entire ne PC from the ground up but am still running it all on the CM. Here's what I have it pushing:
e8400@3.6 GHZ
Asus P5K
2 GB Corsair pc6400
Radeon HD 3870
Antec 900 case
2x WD 400 GB sata
1x WD 750 GB sata
1x WD 320 GB sata
1x Hitachi 250 GB sata
Samsung Writemaster sata DVD-RW
ATI HD 650 dual tuner card
Generic PCI sata adapter

Plus the various USB devices(mouse/keyboard/gamepad)

Am I pushing it? I just read that this PSU is only %70 efficient,does that mean it is only pushing 350 watt max?
Thanks for any and all input.

[RollingThunder]

About 6 months ago I bought a Cooler Master Extreme 500 watt PSU so I could throw a 7900 GS into an Acer pre-built. Since then I have built an entire ne PC from the ground up but am still running it all on the CM. Here's what I have it pushing:
e8400@3.6 GHZ
Asus P5K
2 GB Corsair pc6400
Radeon HD 3870
Antec 900 case
2x WD 400 GB sata
1x WD 750 GB sata
1x WD 320 GB sata
1x Hitachi 250 GB sata
Samsung Writemaster sata DVD-RW
ATI HD 650 dual tuner card
Generic PCI sata adapter

Plus the various USB devices(mouse/keyboard/gamepad)

Am I pushing it? I just read that this PSU is only %70 efficient,does that mean it is only pushing 350 watt max?
Thanks for any and all input.

Tanooki,

Personally, I think it's time for a more efficient and better quality power supply with a little more oomph to it. You have a lot of hard drives to power on and your dual 12v rails aren't that great.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10006757

[tanooki]

Well I wasn't able to get the PC P&C unit. I was looking at this one instead...http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0260161.

Any thoughts?

[RollingThunder]

Well I wasn't able to get the PC P&C unit. I was looking at this one instead...http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0260161.

Any thoughts?

That'll work fine!

[tanooki]

Which would you pick out of the two? The one you recommended or the OCZ?

[RollingThunder]

Which would you pick out of the two? The one you recommended or the OCZ?

Tanooki,

Personally, I like the Corsair from Zip Zoom fly. It's a better quality although somewhat less powerful, single rail 41 amp construction versus multi-rail 48 amps for the OCZ. There is a rebate, free shipping and no tax outside California if you are in the US. The bottom line price isn't much different after that. I'm not saying the OCZ is "bad," it's just not quite the quality of the Corsair. For either of our rigs, we probably couldn't tell the difference.

However, the OCZ has plenty to spare, good effciency, a little cheaper with the rebate, and it certainly wouldn't be a bad decision by any means. Nobody would criticize you for buying either one and it's a good price. If you feel better with a little extra power output, go for the OCZ.

[Vengance_01]

Personally I would go with the Corsair. Once you use them, its hard to go back to anything eles. What can I say, I am now a Corsair ***** now at least for power supplies. :)

[muddocktor]

Also, that OCZ is built on the FSP Epsilon platform if I'm not mistaken, which seem to have some problems controlling ripple at higher power draw. My choice would be the Corsair VX550; it has a 5 year warrantee to the OCZ 3 year warrantee and testing by both jonnyGURU and HardOCP have shown it to have excellent voltage regulation. Also, I have the VX550 myself and I can attest to the quality of it, as well as it being a very quiet psu too.

[RollingThunder]

Personally I would go with the Corsair. Once you use them, its hard to go back to anything eles. What can I say, I am now a Corsair ***** now at least for power supplies. :)

Vengance,

Go ahead, say it: "Fanboy" :) There's enough of us here that we can gang up on 'em.

Right, Doc? :D

[tanooki]

I went ahead and got the Corsair VX550...thanks for the help and suggestions guys.On a side note though,any recommendations on cable management? I have an Antec 900 and I am having a rough tome figuring the best way to route all those freaking cables.