Need quick help in choosing a budget PSU for this system

[Francesco2]

Hi everyone, I'm building a system for my girlfriend... I would like some help to choose a PSU that can handle this system:

ASUS M2V Mobo (K8T890)
AMD Sempron 3000 Manila
ATI x1650 Pro 256Mb
2x512 Corsair PC5400 XMS2
HD 250GB Western Digital , SATA2, 16 MB CACHE
+ a DVD recorder and a DVD reader

We are not going to do major overclockings.. I won't overclock the graphic card... but I would like to push the sempron as I know they overclock very well... I won't rise the volts though.. gonna try to bring it at around 2.0-2.2Ghz on stock voltage.

I am not going to "waste" too much money on the PSU for this system though.. I need something very low budget for now. I was considering two PSUs:

LC POWER Super Silent rev.2 550W, PFC ... two +12v rails (18A + 16A), +5v 40 A, +3.3v 45 A

ENLIGHT GPS Low Noise 400W +3.3 22A, +5 21A, two 12v rails (10A + 15A) (priced a little lower than the LC POWER unit)

For the same price of the LC power PSU I found a Tagan 330W +5v 28A +3.3v 28A +12v 18A... just 330W but maybe 18A could be enough for this system?

And again for the same price there's a 380W Seasonic +5v 21A +3.3v 22A and two 12v rails... 10A + 15A

The ENLIGHT one doesn't look bad and it's priced very low.. but I wonder if 10A+15A 12v are enough for the system I'm building?

Other possible choices are:

TAKEI Pw500w2f +3.3 14A, +5 30A, +12 16A (apparently just 16A on the 12v .. this could be not enough I guess)

CODEGEN 600W V2 (wasn't able to find the amperage... I heard bad things about codegen.. but maybe it could still be a good solution for a low-mid end system like the one I'm building?)

CUBIK A213 600 W (again.. no amperage)

 

[jivetrky]

Seasonic has a prety good reputation around here. I would probably recommend that one out of the choices.

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

Use the Enlight - it looks to be OEM Delta, which completely towers over the rest of the lot for build quality. Everything else is either unknown (Takei?) or borderline junk (low end Topower - Tagan).

A good quality PSU is never a "waste." However, the Enlight does appear to be a good quality unit.

Edit - missed the Seasonic in there. Also a good option, though it may have OST caps being low end Seasonic.

 

[jivetrky]

Use the Enlight - it looks to be OEM Delta, which completely towers over the rest of the lot for build quality. Everything else is either unknown (Takei?) or borderline junk (low end Topower - Tagan).

A good quality PSU is never a "waste." However, the Enlight does appear to be a good quality unit.

Can you share some of that knowledge as to how you can identify PSUs like that? Just experience?

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

In this case, I googled "Enlight" and "GPS" and came up with a pile of Delta looking part numbers (ie GPS-400AB) connected to Enlight units. That's about as far as I got. So, I can't be 100% sure it's a Delta, but odds are pretty good it is. Delta part numbers are pretty unique - once you see one it's pretty obvious it's Delta.

I have Delta above Seasonic on my list of good units btw

It's also rumored a fairly big name in PSU's is about to go Delta soon. Not at liberty to say which one, but I'm excited about it

 

[Francesco2]

Use the Enlight - it looks to be OEM Delta, which completely towers over the rest of the lot for build quality. Everything else is either unknown (Takei?) or borderline junk (low end Topower - Tagan).

A good quality PSU is never a "waste." However, the Enlight does appear to be a good quality unit.

Edit - missed the Seasonic in there. Also a good option, though it may have OST caps being low end Seasonic.

Thank you for the reply.
I think it's called Power Tank, here is a picture (the website is in italian):
http://www.chl.it/w3obj/h/default/$...&A_CodArt=56825&I_CDSRoot=17902449&Folder=ZOO
It's 350W and not 400W as I initially said.
But the specs are still 3.3 22A, +5 21A, +12V1 10A, +12V2 15A
The question is... is really a 350W +12V1 10A, +12V2 15A enough for that system?

 

[jivetrky]

In this case, I googled "Enlight" and "GPS" and came up with a pile of Delta looking part numbers (ie GPS-400AB) connected to Enlight units. That's about as far as I got. So, I can't be 100% sure it's a Delta, but odds are pretty good it is. Delta part numbers are pretty unique - once you see one it's pretty obvious it's Delta.

I have Delta above Seasonic on my list of good units btw

It's also rumored a fairly big name in PSU's is about to go Delta soon. Not at liberty to say which one, but I'm excited about it

Ahh good to know. Is this list of good units a mental list or would it be something you could share with us?

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

It's always changing... that's why I haven't written it down anywhere. For now though, here's a partial list of OEM's:

Zippy (still haven't found anything better)
Etasis
Win-Tact
Seventeam
3Y
Andyson
Delta
Lite-On
Seasonic
Enhance
FSP
Channel Well
Sirtec
Wintech
Topower

Andyson's been moving up the list lately - if they start using the Japanese caps, I'll seriously put them above Win-Tact. Topower's going in the opposite direction for using old illogical designs and questionable caps in underwhelmingly performing units.

 

[RollingThunder]

It's always changing... that's why I haven't written it down anywhere. For now though, here's a partial list of OEM's:

Zippy (still haven't found anything better)
Etasis
Win-Tact
Seventeam
3Y
Andyson
Delta
Seasonic
Enhance
FSP
Channel Well
Sirtec
Wintech
Topower

Andyson's been moving up the list lately - if they start using the Japanese caps, I'll seriously put them above Win-Tact. Topower's going in the opposite direction for using old illogical designs and questionable caps in underwhelmingly performing units.

OW,

The more I read the less I realize I know. Just because you have an excellent brand name PS doesn't necessarily mean it's one of their best ones. And it appears in most, but not all instances, you get what you pay for. I think I'll leave all this up to guys like you, SN and Jonny and a few others.

Is it correct that you can also match up OEMs by the UL number if you know who they are?

 

[Francesco2]

So the choice should be either

Seasonic S12-380 (SS-380HB Active PFC) 380W +5v 21A +3.3v 22A and two +12v rails (10A + 15A)

or

Enlight GPS Power Tank Low Noise 350W +5 21A, +3.3 22A, two +12v rails (10A + 15A)

They apparenty are very similiar.... the enlight PSU is priced about 25% lower than the seasonic one... it's rated 30W lower but apparently has the same amperages.

But a 350W PSU with +12v 10A + 15A is enough for that system?

 

[jivetrky]

So the choice should be either

Seasonic S12-380 (SS-380HB Active PFC) 380W +5v 21A +3.3v 22A and two +12v rails (10A + 15A)

or

Enlight GPS Power Tank Low Noise 350W +5 21A, +3.3 22A, two +12v rails (10A + 15A)

They apparenty are very similiar.... the enlight PSU is priced about 25% lower than the seasonic one... it's rated 30W lower but apparently has the same amperages.

But a 350W PSU with +12v 10A + 15A is enough for that system?

Yeah, it should be good enough for that system. You aren't upping the CPU voltage, the vid card isn't terribly power hungry. I think it should be fine. You will probably not be able to use it when you upgrade from this system

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

Is it correct that you can also match up OEMs by the UL number if you know who they are?

To a point - some companies like PC P&C have their own UL number, making it hard to figure out who does the building for them. And in Europe, a lot of cheap units are sold without a UL number. But, most of the time it does work.

 

[Super Nade]

I think I'll leave all this up to guys like you, SN and Jonny and a few others.

You can safely leave me out the list when you are talking about guys like OK Wolf and Jonny. I am way out of their league.

Quite a few Dell units seem to be OEM Delta. The one's I've seen seem to exclusively use UCC/NCC caps.


PS#
Wolf, any particular reason you've dropped Lite-On from your list?

 

[RollingThunder]

You can safely leave me out the list when you are talking about guys like OK Wolf and Jonny. I am way out of their league.

Quite a few Dell units seem to be OEM Delta. The one's I've seen seem to exclusively use UCC/NCC caps.

SN,

That may or may not be true but nevertheless, your guidance has been invaluable with referrals to the proper web sites and guys like OW here if nothing else!

By the way, my alternate computer is a Dell Dimension 4100 Intel P3 1000 Mhz 6+ years old that I use faithfully to message this board when my new build is broken down! I have no idea what it has for a power supply (250w), wish I could find one as reliable now!

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

Wolf, any particular reason you've dropped Lite-On from your list?

Forgot about them - they'll go in somewhere between Seasonic and Andyson