Choosing the right PSU for my planned system.

I need some help choosing a high-end PSU for my next computer.

The power-using system specs will be something like this:


Heavily overvolted/overclocked Athlon 64
A half gig of heavily overvolted BH-5
A heavily overvolted/overclocked X8x0 video card
Two 36 gig WD Raptors
An undetermined S939 motherboard (likely the DFI for the 5V VDIMM)
One Optical Drive
One Floppy Drive
8-9 120mm fans
3-4 80mm fans
A 12V pump (An MCP600/MCP650)


I am somewhat concerned that with a heavily overvolted/overclocked video card, combined with a heavily overvolted/overclocked processor, voltage-hungry memory, and lots of fans, that I will end up having an enormous current draw on pretty much every rail of my PSU.

The issue here, is that I am using sub-zero cooling on both the video card and processor this time around, and will be going very heavy with the overvolts - in the past I have found that a heavily overvolted video card can cause havok (this in a system with only a watercooled, and lightly overvolted processor) with its power draw.



So, what caliber of PSU do I need in order to provide very stable, and very consistant power to all of these components? I need something that is of standard PSU dimensions, and I need adjustable rails. I have been looking at the OCZ 600W units, but am unsure if one of these will be sufficient for a very heavily overvolted and overclocked computer that will be run for extended periods of time (overvolted for day-to-day use, not just benchmarking).

TIA guys

i'd say thats fine, 600W is nuts.. if you really want some power, theres a dual 500W Istar (not a reputable brand, are they?) at neweg.. its crazy expensive...

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-147-006&depa=0

it says 500W, but then the desc. says dual 500w,..... do they mean dual rails?

My suggestions would be the Fortron AX500-A (www.ncix.com has them) or OCZ above 470w. The 600w OCZ is very much overkill.

That Istar is a redundant unit - one is there to take over when the other dies.

That OCZ will be just fine. Try PC power and cooling for a real power house.

PEACE

O.K., so an OCZ 600W unit should be sufficient, even for a VERY, VERY power-hungry system?

I guess my main concern, is that I'll be running the computer heavily overvolted for extended use, and need stable voltages day-to-day. My old Antec TruePower 550W actually drooped the +3.3VDC rail signifigantly, because of the current draw my overvolted video card, motherboard chipset, and RAM put on it when loaded - I do not want this to happen again, and want to future-proof so the unit will last me a long time without issue.

I am somewhat worried that my new system will be even worse in terms of power consumption. Thanks for the advice guys.

Btw. Do not get the 600W Powerstream. OCZ did a bad job of modding them into twin 12v+ and they have alot of *issues*

If you want the best PSUs that money can buy look at Zippy. I **** you not, they are better than anything except PC Power And Cooling. Lots of rumors say that this is what they use as the basis of their design.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=17-103-710&DEPA=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-708&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-706&depa=0

Just look at the specs The damn 400W has 30A on the 12v+

felinusz said:

O.K., so an OCZ 600W unit should be sufficient, even for a VERY, VERY power-hungry system?

Click to expand...

I've seen more demanding systems run on less powerful units.

Sentential said:

Do not get the 600W Powerstream. OCZ did a bad job of modding them into twin 12v+ and they have alot of *issues*

Click to expand...

I've always wondered how OCZ got a dual rail Topower 600w unit when Topower themselves only listed on their site single, triple, and quad designs for their 600w P6 unit. Maybe it's a triple with two rails merged...

theres always the Ultra powersupplies, my 500 has 25A 3.3, 30A 5, and 34A 12 volt. The other advantage is the looks, and the niceness of working with them, no extra cables anywhere.

There's always the FSP55o-60plg or the the FSP550-60PLN(Dual 12v rails).

Oklahoma Wolf said:

My suggestions would be the Fortron AX500-A or OCZ above 470w.

Click to expand...

I'm curious why you would not recomend the 470w Powerstream? I thought the 470 was nearly identical to the 520.

fldrice said:

I'm curious why you would not recomend the 470w Powerstream? I thought the 470 was nearly identical to the 520.

Click to expand...

I did recommend it, and the units above it. Actually, the 470w is a better value than the 520w, due to having the same 12v capacity.

Sentential

Btw. Do not get the 600W Powerstream. OCZ did a bad job of modding them into twin 12v+ and they have alot of *issues*

If you want the best PSUs that money can buy look at Zippy. I **** you not, they are better than anything except PC Power And Cooling. Lots of rumors say that this is what they use as the basis of their design.

Click to expand...

I've heard how good Zippy PSUs are. But, I have also heard that the Zippy PSUs have trouble with the DFI nForce4 motherboards for whatever reason... Is this true?

conrad.maranan, XS forums

Frustrated with the fact that my Zippy 6700 will not function on the DFI nF4 with the 4.0VDIMM jumper enabled, I started browsing around for an alternative PSU.

Click to expand...

I am finding several anecdotes like this one about the high-end Zippy units not working with the DFI NF4 boards, when using the 5V VDIMM setting . This is unfortunate, because they have quite the reputation.

Is an OCZ 600W really such a bad investment? With the excellent warranty coverage, adjustable rails (adjustable rails are very important to me), and strong output, it really is looking like the best option.

But, a PSU is the heart of the system - if I buy a sketchy PSU, and it kills my computer, I'm royally snookered (and broke!)!

Sentential - how bad are the Powerstream issues, and will a brand new unit directly from OCZ likely be O.K.?

Go with the OCZ 470W/520W or the Fortron Blue Storm. The adjustable pots seal the deal. My nod goes for the OCZ simply because of the LEDs which are actually very handy when it comes time to tune the rails.

Also, DO NOT buy a Zippy power supply if you plan on picking up a DFI. For some reason, the two just don't play well together. Some assume it's an issue with how the Zippy regulates the +5 rail, but what is certain is that the two are not compatible.

deception``

Sounds like an issue with the protection circuitry in Zippy units, rather than voltage regulation.

I have decided on an OCZ Powerstream 600W.

I will not be modifying the unit (the unit already has adjustable rails, which are very important to me), so the excellent warranty coverage is very attractive to me. I want to get a future-proof PSU, avoiding the same mistake that I made with my last PSU (an Antec Truepower 550W with a 24A 12V rail) - the overkill unit fits my needs in that respect as well.

My past experiences with OCZ as a company have all been very positive, and although I have read about the issues with these units, I intend to buy either a brand new one straight from OCZ, or a brand new RMA-replacement from someone whom I know. OCZ has reportedly fixed the issues, so a new unit should be clean of problems.

Thanks for all the advice and help guys!

felinusz,
have you had a chance to play around with the powerstream 600w? I am about to return my PC&P 510w SLI because it is too dang loud. The OCZ is on my short list for a replacement model.
thanks

I purchased a brand new OCZ Powerstream 600W RMA locally, and I'm picking it up tonight.

I'll let you know how it goes in terms of fan noise .

From the research I have done, the PCP&C unit is superior to the OCZ unit in pretty much every way. But the OCZ is cheaper, and the PCP&C is impossible for me to get in Canada for a good price.

i found this review:
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews/ocz600w/
they claim that it never broke 30db. seems like a stretch to me

felinusz,
you get a chance to play around with the ocz 600w yet? what do you think? how loud is it?
thanks ,