Is my PSU good enough?

[byron182]

Hi, I just bought 6 Cougar Vortex HBD 120mm fans and I was wondering if my old psu can still handle it. Because I'd like to avoid buying a new psu if I can help it.

 

[EarthDog]

If you look on the back of the fan it shows you how much power it can use... In this case, .2A or 2.4W each or 14.4W total if they are all running at 100%.

That said... Im pretty sure that PSU is MEH at best and you have dual GPU running it. While it should work. Your next upgrade should be a better quality and slightly higher wattage (600W) PSU.

 

[byron182]

Yeah, I'm planning on upgrading my system in 5-6 months time. I'm getting the 650 or 750 psu together with a FX cpu in a couple of months. But at the meantime I'm stuck with this. A friend of mine said my psu is okay unless I overclock but Its good to have a second opinion about this things.

 

[EarthDog]

Its ok.. but with dubious quality, I pesonally would want to get a new PSU sooner rather than later.

 

[Bobnova]

That's one of the few old entry level CM units that was decent at the time: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CoolerMaster/RealPower550W/1.html
That said, that was an awfully long time ago and I'd be a bit concerned about OST caps lasting forever. More importantly it only has 360w of 12V available, and with the GPU/CPU combo you're right at that limit.
Between that and the age, I'm not sure I would add the fans. Generally speaking 14w isn't going to make a difference, but it's better to err on the side of caution IMO.

 

[byron182]

what's a good 12v rail total watts for future upgrades? like the latest ati gpus and 8 core FX chips?

 

[byron182]

That's one of the few old entry level CM units that was decent at the time: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CoolerMaster/RealPower550W/1.html
That said, that was an awfully long time ago and I'd be a bit concerned about OST caps lasting forever. More importantly it only has 360w of 12V available, and with the GPU/CPU combo you're right at that limit.
Between that and the age, I'm not sure I would add the fans. Generally speaking 14w isn't going to make a difference, but it's better to err on the side of caution IMO.

I haven't stressed my psu ever since I bought it. And I used an old athlon 64 and a 8800GT for atleast half of my psu's life. I don't overclock too. I don't know if that would make a difference.

 

[Bobnova]

It definitely helps.
For a single top end GPU with lots of OCing and a FX chip with lots of OCing I'd go for a 650W PSU of the sort that has 600W of 12V or more.
It's overkill, but it also means you can OC to your hearts content.
If you don't plan to OC at all, a 550W unit with >500W of 12V is fine.

 

[byron182]

I'm getting either the Corsair TX 650 or Thermaltake TR2 TR-700w. I'm still researching which one is quieter and has better life expectancy.

 

[Bobnova]

If the TR2 is a TR2-Bronze, it's pretty good.
If the TR2 is not a TR2-Bronze, avoid it.

The TX650 is a good unit.

 

[byron182]

Its a TR2-bronze model. And its cheaper too. Btw. If you remove the Corsair TX sticker, logo, and the case is all black paint, will the TR2 be equal to or better than the corsair? Haha. I wonder if there are some corsair decals for sale.

 

[Bobnova]

Either will work fine. The Corsair is likely a bit better.

 

[fandroid]

I have the 700w TR2 and it has been working great with my system. I have 2 hard drives, 5 80mm cheapo fans and 2 Cougar V12H 120mm fans mounted on my heatsink. Along with everything in my signature of course. Ohh and I only spent $40 because it was on sale at NewEgg at the time.

 

[EarthDog]

Great.. that doesnt make it a quality PSU however.

 

[fandroid]

Yes but it does mean it is working good for me and that I recommend it.

 

[Bobnova]

You have a ~450w system at most, the PSU is not being stressed.
You have no way of knowing whether the PSU is staying within reasonable temperature, regulation or ripple levels or whether it's running at levels that can cause long term damage. You have no way of knowing whether the unit would explode and kill everything if faced with another 100w of load.

In short, while I'm glad it's working for you, you really don't have anything close to enough data to say whether it is a good unit or not.

 

[fandroid]

Yeah I guess you're right.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermaltake-TR2-700-W-Power-Supply-Review/1422/11

 

[wingman99]

+1 Go for the TX650.

 

[byron182]

Yeah I guess you're right.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermaltake-TR2-700-W-Power-Supply-Review/1422/11

Although that psu have good reviews, that was a new test sample. They can't test for the degradation of parts over time. That's why when I research, I only refer those reviews as a guide but end user feedback is more important to me.

Have you tested it lately on full load? Is the fan loud at those loads? Mine was quiet when brand new. But the noise has increased lately even on idle. I probably have to lube the fan and I don't want to do it coz its dangerous.

 

[NiHaoMike]

On that PSU, it looks like you can just pull the top cover and splice in a new fan very easily.