Fortron 500W Blue Storm vs Seasonic 500W vs OCZ 520W Powerstream

espn2829 · Sep 28, 2005

i just revised my list:

I have narrowed it down to about 4 power supplies:

Fortron 500W Blue Storm
Seasonic S-12 500W
Enermax Noisetaker 485W
OCZ Powerstream 520W

out of all these, which one delivers the most power? which one is the most reliable? and which one will last me the longest because I dont want to upgrade to a new power supply each time I upgrade.

The Fortron 500W Blue Storm is nice although the Seasonic S-12 and the OCZ Powerstream seem better. is this true?

if price was not a concern, which would you choose?

Know Nuttin · Sep 28, 2005

please list your components first. That will help in making a better decision.

espn2829 · Sep 28, 2005

sorry didnt post them right away

dfi lanparty nf4
3700 san diego
2gb of ram (still deciding)
7800gt (still deciding which one)
probably 2 hard drives or maybe 1 large one
xp-90 maybe
a few case fans
cooler master case

etc

and i will be overclocking heavily

espn2829 · Sep 29, 2005

how does the Enermax Noisetaker 485W compare to these two?

the Smartpower 500W and the Noisetaker 485W both have better specs than the Blue Storm. Are they better for handling an overclocked system?

Oklahoma Wolf · Sep 29, 2005

I'd put them in this order: Smartpower -> Noisetaker -> AX500-A

Specs aren't everything, but all 3 should handle the system in question.

espn2829 · Sep 29, 2005

so the Blue Storm is the best one out of those?

thanks for your help

espn2829 · Sep 29, 2005

bumparoo

Category 5 · Sep 30, 2005

I think the OCZ is the best. Maybe the Fortron second, and the Seasonic 3rd.

...although I used to use Enermax exclusively, and never had a single failure.

One OCZ520 (running OC'ed Dual Core) and two AX500-A's also purring, cool and quiet here though. I easily recommend either of those. They were recommended to me dozens of times in these forums before I bought them...and those two (OCZ PS520 and Fortron AX500-A) are still the two most recommended power supplies of all around here.

thelostrican · Sep 30, 2005

Fortron 500W Blue Storm
Seasonic S-12 500W

espn2829 · Sep 30, 2005

thanks guys. if Im not mistaken, all of the listed power supplies are more than capable of handling just about any system.

i've just read some online reviews and from what i gather, ocz powerstream 520w is the most powerful power supply in its class. many people who own DFIs say its the best for that motherboard. Seasonic is the quiestest and most efficient however.

i know the price for the powerstream is very high.

do you guys think its worth it?

LordDarik · Sep 30, 2005

OCZ would be the best choice, especially if you're going to be overclocking heavily.

Oklahoma Wolf · Sep 30, 2005

espn2829 said:
do you guys think its worth it?

If you plan on SLI, the OCZ 520w is the only one of the 4 that will do it well without the chance of running out of juice. Otherwise, the other 3 will do fine. Grab whichever you like best

darksparkz · Sep 30, 2005

1) OCZ PowerStream 520W
2) Forton AX500-A
3) Seasonic S-12 500W
4) Enermax Noisetaker 485W

I'd say all of the above should be able to handle your system, but maybe not #3 and #4 in heavy OCing. Most people use the Fortons for most things under a 6800GT, but I'd say you'll still be fine using your 7800GT.

In terms of best performance and best stability and reliability, it's obviously the OCZ. Most of the more extreme OCers use the OCZ since it has rock stable rails and such. But most of us here, which are more concerned about price/performance ratios, would go for the Forton. Because some say it's not worth the extra $20. Either way, I'd probably recommend getting either the OCZ or Forton. If you plan on adding things in the future, by all means for with the OCZ.

ALSO:
The OCZ is at Monarch for about $90 shipped, there's a $20 mail-in-rebate...check "Cyber Deals", someone has a link there. (Psst, $90 shipped means that its almost cheaper then the Forton, so go for OCZ)

jermaink · Oct 1, 2005

Out of the power supplies you've listed, I would only consider the Powerstream and the Seasonic S12. The Powerstream will supply the more power with supreme stability. The Seasonic S12 will be the quietest power supply out of the ones you listed by a longshot. If you're trying to keep things quiet while powering a SLI type system, go with the S12. If you just want stable reliable power, go with the Powerstream.

espn2829 · Oct 2, 2005

thanks for all the help, guys.

so the Powerstream is the best out of all of those? I am not really concerned that much about noise so the Seasonic S-12 500W is not really high on my list. I will probably consider the Powerstream

I have another question:

is the Tagan 480W power supply good? i have heard it is excellent and is quiet and delivers outstanding power. it combines switches so the 12v dual rails can act like a single rail. here it is:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817101516

it has great specs.

thanks for your time :santa:

DeepScience · Oct 2, 2005

I suggest looking at post 13 again

The Fortron is the same price at newegg

espn2829 · Oct 2, 2005

thanks, that is true but dont you think that the Tagan is a more powerful unit than the Fortron?

my question is, is the Tagan 480W that I listed above better than the OCZ Powerstream 520W?

better meaning more powerful.

also, a 450W Fortron has 36A on the 12V but the Blue Storm 500W has 30A combined. but i think only 30A total can be used at once. but having a single rail use 20A if need be, like the Tagan is a good thing to have.

as you can tell, I am a complete noob that is looking for some help in choosing a power supply. my top option as of right now is the OCZ but Im always open to other possibilities

Know Nuttin · Oct 2, 2005

OCZ powerstream is better than the Tagan. Both are Topower OEM but the OCZ has the independent voltage regulation. AFAIK, the Tagan does not have this.

in terms of comparison to the OCZ, the Fortron FSP550-PLG is another I would consider if going SLI. Both of those are more than sufficient.

Oklahoma Wolf · Oct 3, 2005

espn2829 said:
thanks, that is true but dont you think that the Tagan is a more powerful unit than the Fortron?

my question is, is the Tagan 480W that I listed above better than the OCZ Powerstream 520W?

No and no. Lower model Topowers like the Tagan don't regulate as well as the Powerstreams or most Fortron models. Still good, but could be better.

The Fortron 450w you're probably thinking of is the AX450-PN... this is a 400w PSU with a combined 29A limit on the 12v rails and somewhat "relaxed" ratings. Essentially a modified Blue Storm FSP400-60THN. It's not quite as powerful as the AX500-A, and doesn't quite regulate as well.

VinnyTAMU · Oct 3, 2005

I would recommend the OCZ Powerstream 520W. I use both OCZ memory and PSU's and have had great experiences with both.

Also at the present time the OCZ Powerstream 520W can be had at MonachComputer for $92.00 Shipped after MIR.

See Here!

*Edit*

Sorry for the repost as per Post #13

Fortron 500W Blue Storm vs Seasonic 500W vs OCZ 520W Powerstream

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