What I want from a PSU:
- Good reviews
- History of making PSUs with good reviews
They are the only differentiators that count really.
Noise
Warranty
Price
Features
In that order.
Fundamentally price, but also import are efficiency and reliability.
I’d rather buy 2 Tesco-value PSU’s for £30 over 3 years, than a single £90 PSU
Being modular is also an advantage.
Warranty, “Green effect” and noise do not interest me, seeing as most other components tend to be much more audiable in my experience.
stability
noise
price
features
et voila, my list is complete :D
edit: i'd never noticed hexus vids on corsairs main page before :O
FoxdieUK
Fundamentally price, but also import are efficiency and reliability.
I’d rather buy 2 Tesco-value PSU’s for £30 over 3 years, than a single £90 PSU
Being modular is also an advantage.
I wouldn't at all, that's just false economy really.
The PSU is the most IMPORTANT part of the PC, this powers ALL the other parts within the PC and as such scrimping on this can cause all sorts of stability issues to arise in the future.
I would rather pay 60-70 pounds for a decent stable PSU that lasts for 5+ years than pay 40 pounds for a PSU to last 3 years and die just out of warranty (This has happened - recently) but before it dies it causes all sorts of weird and wonderful blue screens to appear and take up many hours.
Why bother to spend 5-600 pounds on QUALITY components to put a £30 PSU in and ruin it all? It just doesn't make sense.
No option for saying my next PSU would also be <500W :(
Fed up with PSU manufacturers peddling us wattage we don't need.
FoxdieUK
I’d rather buy 2 Tesco-value PSU’s for £30 over 3 years, than a single £90 PSU.
ouch :confused:
i take it your the kind of person that buys EZCools and QTecs?
you don't pay for the brand name (in most cases) you pay for the quality and security that if the PSU does fail, then it is less likely to kill your whole PC…
Stability
Efficiencey
Reliability
Price
Efficiency
Stability
Features
Noise
Warranty
To be able to put a fan filter on the intake fan without voiding the warranty (Maybe make a 2nd chamber where the fan still blocks access to the PSU but you get access to it's top so you can put a filter on), or put a filter on yourselves.
Not in any particular order just all what I'd want.
I think thats my list done :D
Stability
Performance
Efficiency..
Most of all.. really, risk control..
If manufacturer's can ensure that even if their PSU pop in 5-6 years time… some sort of protection for the inline components so they wont go to dead man's land with it would be good..
The last PSU I got, took out my motherboard and GPU as well…
What I look for is a corsair 450W HX that doesn't cost £25 more than it rightly should.
Otherwise, it's perfect for 95% single GPU setups.
Efficiency
Noise
Reliability
Power Output
Price
Power is quite low on my list because i've learnt that it's pretty stupid to go and splurge on a 700W behemoth when you just don't need it. It's frankly wasteful in this day and age unless you're runnning tri-sli! Price again isn't much object, a good PSU will last for a good many builds - ideally it'll last until it stops being able to provide all the plugs you need!
I've got an enermax on various people's, including Mike's recommendations (although an HX was an option, this one was cheaper) and i think it's great. Clean looking, good connections, and it's 425w - more than enough for me.
Whiternoise
Power is quite low on my list because i've learnt that it's pretty stupid to go and splurge on a 700W behemoth when you just don't need it. It's frankly wasteful in this day and age unless you're runnning tri-sli!
It would be low on the list if those lower powered PSU's could keep their efficiencies up like the higher Power PSU's. For example lets say a PC uses 250w or so. That's probably on the downhill part of the efficiency curve for the 450w PSU's etc so as the PC goes under load the efficiency keeps decreasing (not below 80% though). Whereas the 700w - 500w PSU's, on their efficiency curve the idle and load would hit near the top efficiencies on the PSU's, which have higher efficiencies as well. If they did make a semi-low wattage PSU which didn't reach it's limits as it gets loaded then I'd buy it too. But then it'd cost as much as a higher powered PSU :)
It'd be worth it I suppose if you didn't use the PC much too.
Well i think what i'm going to do is get one of those socket watt meter thingies to see just how much i'm actually using. Given what i've got in there at the moment, and i think it's a perfectly reasonable rig - runs far cry 2 on max with very little lag - it's not really using that much power. I'd expect 300W absolute maximum.
And buggerit no it's an Enermax, not a coolermaster :P
From reviews it seems to be hitting around 85% average efficiency which i don't think is too bad.
FoxdieUK
Fundamentally price, but also import are efficiency and reliability.
I’d rather buy 2 Tesco-value PSU’s for £30 over 3 years, than a single £90 PSU
Being modular is also an advantage.
Warranty, “Green effect” and noise do not interest me, seeing as most other components tend to be much more audiable in my experience.
Oh dear. I'd rather chop off my arm than risk my expensively bought hardware with a crappy PSU. I know that my PSU will never need to be able to run in a 50 degree environment, for example, but I like knowing that it can take serious punishment before it would fail.
I did pay around £90 for my PSU, I've had it a couple of years, and it has been rock solid during othat time. I know that I could buy any graphics card on the market, and it would still power the system without any problems (with the right connnectors).
kalniel
No option for saying my next PSU would also be <500W :(
Fed up with PSU manufacturers peddling us wattage we don't need.
I totally agree with you if you refer to the crazy number of 1000W+ models available, presumably they are being bought by people who like the idea of having a big one…
However there are plenty of smaller models available. I just built a system with a Corsair 400W, and the Corsair 450VX is very good too. I also have another system with a 430W (I think) PSU, I think from AKASA or maybe Coolermaster….. whatever it is, it does a good job and is very quiet. You don't have to buy a big wattage model just because the manufacturers want you to. :-)
SM
Whiternoise
Well i think what i'm going to do is get one of those socket watt meter thingies to see just how much i'm actually using. Given what i've got in there at the moment, and i think it's a perfectly reasonable rig - runs far cry 2 on max with very little lag - it's not really using that much power. I'd expect 300W absolute maximum.
And buggerit no it's an Enermax, not a coolermaster :P
From reviews it seems to be hitting around 85% average efficiency which i don't think is too bad.
Yep it helps to have that too. Plus you can peek at what your appliances use in standby or when turned off, and should you decide to get a new PSU for your “new setup” whenever that may be it would help you in determining which to choose. I usually go to the
80Plus website to look. But that comes after reading reviews and finding ones that tick your boxes :D
That Enermax is a decent choice for your system though, I'd agree if you got a 700w or so PSU for that it'd be a waste of money. I'd say you won't even reach 300w on load maybe :D
DeSean
You don't have to buy a big wattage model just because the manufacturers want you to. :-)
You'd only have to when the PSU's for your range don't come with enough connectors. Or you could make do with converters. Take the HX620 for example. Not certified for 8800GTX sli (I can only assume because it doesn't have enough connectors) but it can easily run them and a Quad with some Molex to 6 Pin PCI-E converters.
Shame they didn't have a section at the end for “extra comments”. To echo others' sentiments here, I would have said:
I'd be more interested in a 150-300W model with maximum efficiency, reliability and as-close-to-silence-as-possible being top priorities. My most-used PCs are for internet and general work, and each of them take between 35W and 90W at maximum load.
chis
Shame they didn't have a section at the end for “extra comments”. To echo others' sentiments here, I would have said:
I'd be more interested in a 150-300W model with maximum efficiency, reliability and as-close-to-silence-as-possible being top priorities. My most-used PCs are for internet and general work, and each of them take between 35W and 90W at maximum load.
corsair cx400w ;)
gives enough headroom for a decent GFX card and other stuffs
Yeah, but where's the option for that in the survey? The question about your next PSU starts at 500W..
I think a psu with a external power meter which plugs into rear of psu and can be placed on ones desk area would be a good idea thus avoiding need of plug in module with mains plug
Couger
I think a psu with a external power meter which plugs into rear of psu and can be placed on ones desk area would be a good idea thus avoiding need of plug in module with mains plug
Bet it'd add costs to the PSU that increase the price more than that of a normal power meter ;)
Then you'd have paid for the meter but stuck using it only on your PSU.
Stabilty
Silence
Modular
Security
Able to support 2 GPU's
Reasonably priced <Thats not too big an issue, just aslong as its not stupidly priced and low quality :)
What do I want?
- stability
- efficiency
- general build quality
- warranty
…. all of which must be at a sensible price.
By “stability”, I mean that something that supplies the correct voltages, pretty much regardless of any reasonable level of current draw.
By “efficiency”, I mean something that supplies as high an efficiency in terms of power out from power in as practical, and over a fairly wide load range.
By “general build quality”, I mean that fans are good with decent bearings, not rubbish that'll seize up just after the warranty tuns out, and connectors that will withstand a a reasonable amount of use, and neither break nor give intermittent power loss to drives.
I regard the power supply as being one of the least glamorous and yet most fundamental and critical components of any PC build. I certainly wouldn't trust any of the really cheap generic supplies, but nor do I want to pay for fancy case materials or glowing lights. I just want top design, good build quality and service and support, for a reasonable price. If that means paying double (or triple) what those cheap supplies cost, then so be it because it's worth it to me.
Wud have been nice to see a poll standings
I do not mean to offend, but i think you've been brand blinded. For as long as the rails carry the charge required, the total output of the device is within required figures then I don't care what brand it is. I've been building PC's for the last 9 years, I've never had an issue with a PSU that’s resulted in damage to any other component, sure i've had them die on me, but Im sure if your actually honest with yourself you've not had any problems which have resulted in failure to another component?
Warranty is not important to me either - If a cheap component breaks, i buy another. I value my time, when you equate this into the cost of being without a PSU while the other is reported. I find it cheaper and easier to just buy another, and if you haven't spent alot in the first place then you haven't lost anything.
Remember also, if you buy a £30 PSU, and it breaks on its third year, you go buy another £30 device, but your getting a newer, more technologically advanced device than you had a 3 years ago, infact, your most likely getting something that is at the original spec of the £90 device you guys bought three years earlier, only instead its cost me £30 – but mine has all the new plugs/sockets which may have been released in the mean time.
Working as an IT guy for a Manufacturer/importer (unrelated products) i can tell you from experience that 90% of these PSU manufacturers use exactly the same set of factories, with the same staff, and fundamentally the same component suppliers. So why feel you have to spend the extra £50 on a device because they've stuck “Corsair” on the side? They're only charging more in the first place because of the elaborate warranties, paint jobs and fancy packaging (and because they've spent tens of thousands marketing premium PSU's as a necessity to stable systems) – which is horse ****.
That’s why I say cheapness is my #1 priority. And why I would never buy a Corsair PSU while they pitch their products at what the “premium” manufacturers call the “enthusiast” market.
Just food for thought… and is of course my own opinion on the matter.
FoxdieUK
I do not mean to offend, but i think you've been brand blinded. For as long as the rails carry the charge required, the total output of the device is within required figures then I don't care what brand it is.
Usually those “no name” PSUs usually can't even supply their rated charge/power output. I had a 600w value PSU back in the days when I didn't know better and even that couldn't power my system when I upgraded to a 6600GT. I did research and tried buying a better quality one and because at the time my spending money limited me I got a 400w PSU (well made one, not the cheap crap) and it powered my system fine and continued to do so with upgrades until the end of S939. Still works anyway.
FoxdieUK
I've been building PC's for the last 9 years, I've never had an issue with a PSU that’s resulted in damage to any other component, sure i've had them die on me, but Im sure if your actually honest with yourself you've not had any problems which have resulted in failure to another component?
I can say you've been very lucky :)
Ironically it was my first Corsair PSU that damaged my system :laugh:
FoxdieUK
Warranty is not important to me either - If a cheap component breaks, i buy another. I value my time, when you equate this into the cost of being without a PSU while the other is reported. I find it cheaper and easier to just buy another, and if you haven't spent alot in the first place then you haven't lost anything.
Well you know I guess since you build alot you don't have the worries that the normal user has if their expensive component goes boom with the PSU as no warranty would cover that.
FoxdieUK
Remember also, if you buy a £30 PSU, and it breaks on its third year, you go buy another £30 device, but your getting a newer, more technologically advanced device than you had a 3 years ago, infact, your most likely getting something that is at the original spec of the £90 device you guys bought three years earlier, only instead its cost me £30 – but mine has all the new plugs/sockets which may have been released in the mean time.
Well for £30 I highly doubt your getting more technologically advanced devices than your previous £30 PSU. It'd cost you £60 instead because you'd have to buy another since it broke? The only new things it'd come with is the newer specced cables like you said. But really do you think those never heard of companies even bother to advance their product? They might research into how to make more of them that won't blow up as much, but most likely they just pocket the profits and keep churning out the same old junk.
FoxdieUK
I do not mean to offend, but i think you've been brand blinded. For as long as the rails carry the charge required, the total output of the device is within required figures then I don't care what brand it is. I've been building PC's for the last 9 years, I've never had an issue with a PSU that’s resulted in damage to any other component, sure i've had them die on me, but Im sure if your actually honest with yourself you've not had any problems which have resulted in failure to another component?
I had one of scan's ‘EZ-cool infinity’ power supplies die on me causing damage to the motherboard, memory, two hard drives and the graphics card. All needed replacing!
Some PSUs when under high load just cant supply the right voltages. Corsair did a video a while back testing some other PSUs to the limits of their load. With corsair they are tested stable right up to the limit so you know you're safe.
It's not really about the brand, as much as who actually makes the unit. For example CWT make a lot of the corsair units, at the same time they can also be found in a lot of the ‘no-brand’ units - my XClio cheapo PSU is actually a rock solid CWT unit.
kalniel
It's not really about the brand, as much as who actually makes the unit. For example CWT make a lot of the corsair units, at the same time they can also be found in a lot of the ‘no-brand’ units - my XClio cheapo PSU is actually a rock solid CWT unit.
actually, most of corsairs are rebranded Seasonics (/me gets my little table out again :D)
————————————-
Organised by rated wattage:————————————-
CX400w = Seasonic
VX450w = Seasonic
HX450w = Seasonic
HX520w = Seasonic
VX550w = CWT
HX620w = Seasonic
TX650w = Seasonic
TX750w = CWT
TX850w = CWT
HX1000w = CWT
—————————
Organised by series:—————————
CX400 = Seasonic
VX450 = Seasonic
VX550 = CWT
TX650 = Seasonic
TX750 = CWT
TX850 = CWT
HX450 = Seasonic
HX520 = Seasonic
HX620 = Seasonic
HX1000 = CWT
A third is a lot. :p And note how they tend to be the upper ones of the series.
TAKTAK
actually, most of corsairs are rebranded Seasonics (/me gets my little table out again :D)
————————————-
Organised by rated wattage:
————————————-
CX400w = Seasonic
VX450w = Seasonic
HX450w = Seasonic
HX520w = Seasonic
VX550w = CWT
HX620w = Seasonic
TX650w = Seasonic
TX750w = CWT
HX1000w = CWT
—————————
Organised by series:
—————————
CX400 = Seasonic
VX450 = Seasonic
VX550 = CWT
TX650 = Seasonic
TX750 = CWT
HX450 = Seasonic
HX520 = Seasonic
HX620 = Seasonic
HX1000 = CWT
I knew they where made by them but what i wasnt expecting when i bought one for a friends computer, was that they are literally the exact same casing and fans etc with different stickers on the side.
Foxdie - i too have seen cheap PSUs blow taking expensive graphics cards with them so i can back up these peoples claims. What you say in your statement makes you a COMPLETE minority in pretty much any internet forum specializing in computers you will find and i promise you of that. Another thing worth noting is that a lot of these people are actual electrical and/or computer engineers who also build themselves and in a lot of cases make a living out of it.
I would strongly recommend you try these expensive PSUs in your next build just for the hell of it, because i can imaging you will see exactly where we are coming from :)
The next big thing will be braided, lead/copper/gold plated shielded, modular, dual fused kryptonite kettle leads…. Essential for any reliable “enthusiast” PC bulder… yours for a smidge @ £39.99 – comes complete with Corsair logo.
You heard it here first…
FoxdieUK
The next big thing will be braided, lead/copper/gold plated shielded, modular, dual fused kryptonite kettle leads…. Essential for any reliable “enthusiast” PC bulder… yours for a smidge @ £39.99 – comes complete with Corsair logo.
You heard it here first…
Braided and modular is nice :)
Not essential anyway. One thing I forgot to mention is those cheapy PSUs, have you got any idea what efficiency they have? :mrgreen:
I'd rather spend that £50 extra or more and get a more efficient PSU that will save me in a year or so (as I have my PC on alot of the time).
5 or so years ago you bought a case and it came with a Power supply. You didn't need to worry about the brand, the efficiency, how many fans it had etc - are your machines any more reliable these days? These days we are told to make sure the efficiency is high, you need x Watt to run this processor, xxx amount for this GPU, needs to be SLI/Crossfire approved etc. Its all marketing. And its there to make us think we need to spend large amounts on these devices. I ask you to question these features next time your in the market for your next PSU. And don't discount those un-branded suppliers.
FoxdieUK
Its all marketing. And its there to make us think we need to spend large amounts on these devices. I ask you to question these features next time your in the market for your next PSU. And don't discount those un-branded suppliers.
You know I wouldn't (discount them) if there were actual reviews, but reviews are what most users base their purchase on. Not just 1 site mind you a myriad of reviews/sites, only then will it convince me that it's not just bias sites paid to say good things etc. What are the names of thes “un-branded” PSU's and who makes them?
As for 5 years ago we didn't need to worry about efficiency and quality, well 5 years ago we (Joe public) really had no knowledge of efficiencies, wasting energy etc.
I'm surpised though you're using a 550w PSU to run a Q6600 and GTX280 though, in my opinion you're a brave man :heckle:
What I would like to see is how much power that is pulling (Base Unit only) and is the CPU overclocked at all. Would be nice to see how that PSU fares when it's overclocked and running 3DMark06.
Also don't forget those cheap PSU's don't offer me silence. I had 3 of them back in the day and they were all noisy. The cheap fans would vibrate and make noise in the case. Was easy to isolate it as the PSU running alone would still make the noise.
“You get what you pay for” - Really does apply when buying a PSU (for me that is).
Five years ago PCs didn't need nearly as much power as they do today, and the power requirements have also changed, with a heavy 12V bias.
If you're running the bare basics then an el-cheapo PSU probably would work, but a better model - one that doesn't cost massively more, such as a CX400W - will give you better efficiency, lower noise and more robust voltages and overall reliability. I'd argue that lower noise and better efficiency are worth it alone.
Cheap PSUs often can't deliver their rated output, are rated at room temperature and so on. I've cracked a model open that used components that were, according to their datasheets, simply incapable of producing the claimed current. Why risk using something like this to power your PC? You're asking for trouble imho.
For a modern spec PC, fitting a cheapo PSU is a false economy, and I'm speaking from experience too (having built PCs since the 386 days), not just from the POV of a company that builds PSUs :)
Also, regarding the comment about Corsair PSUs simply being re-badged CWTs or Seasonics; that isn't actually true, and it's a shame if that's a widely held perception. We do use CWT and Seasonic as engineering partners, and have never hidden that fact, but Corsair PSUs are not simply the same units with a Corsair sticker on them. We have a power engineer in the US who analyses the various designs and then modifies and upgrades them to Corsair's specification. The HX1000W, for example, had numerous component changes, including adding solid-state caps and so on, and was then qualified at 50C in an oven at 100% load (VX450W upwards must pass the same qualification standards). HX1000W is actually based on a 1200W design too, which we modified and re-rated at 1000W, because we felt that making a really, really good 1kW PSU was better than a not quite so good 1200W PSU.
The point of this survey is to find out the features that you guys want so that we can tune our product offerings accordingly.
Also, if you guys do want gold-plated PSUs, diamond-encrusted PCI-E cables or Kryptonite-powered 12V rails, then we'll happily oblige (well, maybe not the last one) :mrgreen:
FoxdieUK
5 or so years ago you bought a case and it came with a Power supply. You didn't need to worry about the brand, the efficiency, how many fans it had etc - are your machines any more reliable these days? These days we are told to make sure the efficiency is high, you need x Watt to run this processor, xxx amount for this GPU, needs to be SLI/Crossfire approved etc. Its all marketing. And its there to make us think we need to spend large amounts on these devices. I ask you to question these features next time your in the market for your next PSU. And don't discount those un-branded suppliers.
XXXw for such a GPU is there to cover the GPU manufacturers arse when you use one of your cheap unbranded PSU's as they do not output the stated power. Also, those PSU's spew out all kinds of voltages into your system that should not be there. You will find if you use a decent PSU, that your componant life will be alot longer as they do not output horrible nasties.
Ive measured the voltages from both an EZcool that came with a computer I bought and the Corsair I was replacing it with, and the difference is considerable. Try it and see :)
Blackbeard
Also, if you guys do want gold-plated PSUs, diamond-encrusted PCI-E cables or Kryptonite-powered 12V rails, then we'll happily oblige (well, maybe not the last one) :mrgreen:
Hey I'm all for braided cables :D
If you could offer them as well as if you wanted to keep the current style cables I'd get one :)
FoxdieUK
I do not mean to offend, but i think you've been brand blinded. For as long as the rails carry the charge required, the total output of the device is within required figures then I don't care what brand it is. I've been building PC's for the last 9 years, I've never had an issue with a PSU that’s resulted in damage to any other component, sure i've had them die on me, but Im sure if your actually honest with yourself you've not had any problems which have resulted in failure to another component?
Warranty is not important to me either - If a cheap component breaks, i buy another. I value my time, when you equate this into the cost of being without a PSU while the other is reported. I find it cheaper and easier to just buy another, and if you haven't spent alot in the first place then you haven't lost anything.
Remember also, if you buy a £30 PSU, and it breaks on its third year, you go buy another £30 device, but your getting a newer, more technologically advanced device than you had a 3 years ago, infact, your most likely getting something that is at the original spec of the £90 device you guys bought three years earlier, only instead its cost me £30 – but mine has all the new plugs/sockets which may have been released in the mean time.
Working as an IT guy for a Manufacturer/importer (unrelated products) i can tell you from experience that 90% of these PSU manufacturers use exactly the same set of factories, with the same staff, and fundamentally the same component suppliers. So why feel you have to spend the extra £50 on a device because they've stuck “Corsair” on the side? They're only charging more in the first place because of the elaborate warranties, paint jobs and fancy packaging (and because they've spent tens of thousands marketing premium PSU's as a necessity to stable systems) – which is horse ****.
That’s why I say cheapness is my #1 priority. And why I would never buy a Corsair PSU while they pitch their products at what the “premium” manufacturers call the “enthusiast” market.
Just food for thought… and is of course my own opinion on the matter.
You're entitled to your opinion, but please don't think that
everyone that doesn't share it is “brand-blinded”. Do some people buy a fashionable brand? Yup. Are Corsair and others fashionable? Yup, perhaps so.
But there's a reason why they are.
I've been building PCs for about 20 years. I've also got the relevant training and qualifications in electronics and, in the past, have both designed and built power supplies (though for radio gear, including transmitters and RF amplifiers, not for PCs). I've also had the benefit of direct contact with technical directors at all sorts of PC manufacturers, like Elonex, over a good many years. I've had power supplies on the test bench and watched what happens to many cheap ones under load - they tend to lose their voltage stability. I've had cheap power supplies fail because, for instance, the used the cheapest sleeve-bearing fan they could find, which seized, failed to cool and “killed” the PSU. I've also had that happen such that the PSU shut itself down after a few minutes, but replacing the fan cured the shut-down problems.
I've also had a PSU fail and take out a large part of the internals of the PC, including three matched hard drives in a RAID array, an expensive (in those days) DVD-RAM drive and a golden-sample NVidia graphics card that cost the equivalent of about 13 cheap PSUs
on it's own. The total cost of hardware killed by that PSU? About £600.
And if a PSU fails, it isn't just a case of replacing it, and the cost of doing so. It's also the hassle and aggravation involved, and for some of us, the downtime. And, in the worst cases, the data loss and the time involved in restoring backups …. assuming you've got one. ;)
Sure, some more expensive PSUs have an element of being marketing-led, with stupid names and daft graphics. And perhaps you pay a brand-name premium as well. But, when you start to look at component quality, you see a marked difference. For instance, an extra couple of quid spent using a half-decent fan with proper bearings is well worth the extra cost, and that's what you don't tend to get in the really cheap stuff. And when you see some of the test results when you put cheap supplies under load, well, you buy them if you're happy with them, but I won't and it's NOTHING to do with brands. Even with Russian roulette, you stand an 86% chance of getting away with it. That doesn't make me feel inclined to play, though.
As someone who builds HTPCs, I'd like to find a PSU of about 250-300 watt of decent quality since most of them don't draw more than about 150 watts at full load.
No option to ask for one on that questioaire though.
On the subject of HTPC's, perhaps offering a set of shortened cables for modular PSU's might be nice. Again if the 450W HX was cheap enough it would useful for that.
I see the seasonic side of things are a great positive for you guys. If you feel it necessary to tinker and make them better that is cool but I've never had a problem with seasonic or yourselves :)
The main feature that would make me buy a new PSU would be it's ability to make me breakfast in the morning.
Since that is not likely to happen any time soon, efficiency, quietness and those modular removable wires.
I think a lot of the “it's just a rebranded seasonic” comes from the original hx520 and HX620, which when opened by reviewers were discovered to have exactly the same pcb's and components as the seasonic M12, however no one complained because the M12 is a very good unit and the hx's were priced lower to the consumer (ie the retail price to us was less than the m12's)
@FoxdieUK
Yes you're correct that the majority of psu's are only made by a few companies, however if you'd read a few of the psu threads on hexus you'd of realised we already make this point and the point of finding out who actually makes a psu and to what quality. (CWT for example make a large number of psu's for many people and over a large quality range)
You'd of also notice that we don't advise getting really high wattage psu's as it generally wasted.
What we do advise against as you should of realised is cheap psu's that are overrated, badly made, have no over current or voltage protection and will take out components when they go or you put a bit of load overthem (I had a cheap eagle psu that took out a graphics card and motherboard, my otherhalf lost a motherboard, cpu, memory and hard drive to a cheap psu which tiny supplied with there computers)
back to topic
I applaud corsair for the hx450w :clapping: a good modular low cost 450w psu is what I had been waiting for for some time. It's pritty much what I'd want from a corsair psu.
Only a pitty it got caught up in the global financial troubles and falling value of the pound :( if you could get it down the the £40 of the original vx450w it would be great, but I realise impossible due to chage in £ to $ value then and now.
(yes if you look at my specs with my 700w psu I sound like a hypocrite, in my defense, I got it a year ago for half price (damaged packageing) and before I did I checked carefully, inside it's an fsp with the same pcb and components as the epsilon, so at the time it was cheaper than a good 450w unit like the vx450w which I was going to get)
Not a feature, but how about a UK based address to send returns to? Makes the postage cost £6-8 instead of £20+! :rolleyes:
Otherwise, modular cables as standard, silent and stable. Maybe do a passive model as well?
Efficientcy no1
Stability joint no1
Reliability no 3
quietness no 4
modular no 5
VERY difficult one to judge I kept switching them all around, seriously they are all VERY important and I would'nt buy ANY PSU that wasn't in the top 5 in all those catagories in the wattage group I require.
To me The PSU is THE most important part of any PC, I build them for my living and I refuse to build any PC with a cheap PSU I have lost many sales because of it as well, fact is all my work is recommended and PSU's caused me more trouble than anything over 10 years ago, in fact for over a 3 months I didn't build a single PC where the PSU didn't fail, that's including fan noise failures.
When I have to repair a broken PC at my expense I want it to be a genuine fault not something that is certain to happen at some point.
Im quite surprised im the only person to thank the Corsair rep as im pretty sure he isnt lying AND is giving pretty damn useful information to anyone wanting or considering buying a new PSU! I dont know for sure but i do knwo next time a buy a PSU il take a much more careful look before i assume the obvious.
Biscuit
Im quite surprised im the only person to thank the Corsair rep as im pretty sure he isnt lying AND is giving pretty damn useful information to anyone wanting or considering buying a new PSU! I dont know for sure but i do knwo next time a buy a PSU il take a much more careful look before i assume the obvious.
Here here.:rockon2:
(Edited)
Good reviews
Reliability
Stability
Efficiency
Warranty
Value (I mean it has to be money well spent - not necessarily cheap).
All of the above are important to me - possibly in that order.
I really don't think any PSU manufacturer does this, they will replace the PSU and that's it. But it would be good if they had a UK address to ship the PSUs to.
Not really a feature but what would be great to see is after market Shuttle PSU's with slightly higher power ratings for example my shuttle uses a 450w. If you could get a modular 500w psu to fit into a shuttle and also allowing you to use cables you need without molex connectors everywhere.
Its a shame that warranties don't cover this - after all if you've just spent lots of money on a new PC and the power supply destroys it, that sounds very unfair. If the motherboard was fried for example, would it's own warranty cover this?
Efficiency - given the high price of power and the ‘green’ issue these days it is more important than ever and also creates less…
Heat/Cooling/Noise - don't want the computer to act as my heating source - have radiators for that or be noisy as some of us have these in bedrooms!
Power output - needed to cover present and future upgrades. Also look at what current rating is on the rails and rather not have lots of 12V rails tbh.
Stability/Ripple - High/low important for obvious reasons
Connectors (SATA etc) and Modularity are considerations too
Warranty - no manufacturer actually wants to repair supplies so this signifies their confidence in their own products' reliability.
Reviews based on the above are important to me.
Hope that helps Mr Corsair.
Efficiency - 80PLUS GOLD in the 400-620w range, not only for power saving , but for less heat too.
Heat/Cooling/Noise - 14 cm silent fan ; traditional heatsinks plus heatpipe that will move part of the heat near the exit.
Cables - full sleeved (HX type) and long enough for tall cases and a good wire management.
This are the most important things for me. (and probably for all those who seek to have a silent PC as primary target)
Output and Stability
Modular
Warranty
Price
I usually buy a PSU that will do more than i need incase i want to add more to my rig at a later date.
So thats what i look for :)
Blackbeard
The point of this survey is to find out the features that you guys want so that we can tune our product offerings accordingly.
Honestly, the psu is possibly the most important part of my build choice every upgrade cycle. It's also the most annoying one to research properly due to the sheer volume of “rubbish” out there now.
To me the most important things to look for are:
- Stable amps on the +12V rails (note plural) - and LOTS of them.
- Fully modular ability for multi gpu setups.
- I simply don't want preinstalled cables asides from the 24 pin / 8 pin combo, and i'd like the option for a second 8 pin cable to be added if i go dual socket mobo.
- Cable lengths, for bottom mounted psu design cases, the cables never seem to be long enough once i've done cable management. It's a huge shame to have high quality connections ruined by adding a “cheap extension cable” from Tesco (:rolleyes:)
- A decent quiet fan (or take a note from Zalman and use heatpipes as well)
- Being efficient, if i'm going to use an 800-1000W psu, i'd like it to be more efficient than 80+. 80+ Gold is about right. It would be even better if it could adjust the load it uses and stay 80+ efficient along a much wider curve than a psu provides currently.
- Decent cable braiding.
Something i really would LOVE to see in a future psu, why do i have to connect everything to the back end of the psu, how about the side of the psu facing the tray of the motherboard? Just for those cases where there is plenty of space for cable management? It would make it so much neater and improve airflow a fair amount.
I almost went with a Corsair psu on my last build, it just didn't have enough amps on the +12V :O_o1:
Iota
I almost went with a Corsair psu on my last build, it just didn't have enough amps on the +12V :O_o1:
Our current top model has 80A @ 12V (at 50C) - you need / desire more than this? :eek:
Maybe ‘last build’ refers to a car? ;)
Or, another MFR says 1 million amps is necessary to run his hardware and only their PSUs can do that?
Blackbeard, that's 48amps less than what i currently have with the Zalman 850 on the +12V rails. I wanted enough stable amps for my graphics cards which are heavily overclocked, and i really didn't want to see any crashes while doing that, or system stability issues elsewhere. Hence i like to have some headroom available.
I know the HX1000 has two +12V rails, providing 40amps each max. However the Zalman 850 provides me with 104amps over four +12V rails (3,4,5,6), and leaves the other two +12V rails (1,2) with 44amps. That's 128amps total. On the side of wattage being provided, each card gets 75w from a pci-e connector, plus 75w from the mobo, so for 2 cards i need at least 450w, and as long as the psu leaves enough headroom for the rest of the system i'm happy (in fact both the HX1000 and the Zalman 850 had enough wattage).
If the HX1000 had provided more amps on those two +12V rails i would have gone with that option, i just like to know i have plenty of amps available to cope with an overclock as well as enough wattage.
I was actually suprised, considering the HX1000 has more pci-e connectors than the Zalman, and is also certified while the Zalman isn't.
I'm not worried about prices either, iirc my Corsair DDR3 1800 cost quite a bit of money when it was first released, but i'm happy to pay for quality when it is there. As a rule Corsair does provide that quality (i've been buying your memory modules for years :cool:)
I'd just like the psu options to really stamp on anything else out there, hence why i suggested it above.
If you're talking about the Zalman ZM-850-HP then this actually has a combined +12V power limit of 768W. You can't just add up the various +12V rails, I'm afriad. The HX1000W has 960W available at +12V.
With two dedicated power sections (not two ‘rails’) it's easier to balance the load on the HX1000W as well. Some people prefer multi-rail PSUs, but there's no requirement for it and I think single or dual is easier to manage (from the POV of balancing the load).
Glad you have Corsair RAM though. Just change the PSU, chassis and add an SSD and you're there ;)
I'm actually waiting for you to release the new Corsair chassis :) Have Corsair made any changes to the Samsung SSD they are using?
I'm also aware about it not just being a case of adding up over the +12V rails :p
Iota
I'm also aware about it not just being a case of adding up over the +12V rails :p
I know the HX1000 has two +12V rails, providing 40amps each max. However the Zalman 850 provides me with 104amps over four +12V rails (3,4,5,6), and leaves the other two +12V rails (1,2) with 44amps. That's 128amps total. On the side of wattage being provided, each card gets 75w from a pci-e connector, plus 75w from the mobo, so for 2 cards i need at least 450w, and as long as the psu leaves enough headroom for the rest of the system i'm happy (in fact both the HX1000 and the Zalman 850 had enough wattage).
I think you are missing the point. Your math is totally wrong above. There is NO WAY an 850w PSU can do what you have described. 128a x 12v = 1536w. The Zalman you listed can do a maximum of 64a total on the 12v rails.
Good point…. :embarrassed:
But, a question then on the HX1000. Does it load balance across the +12V rail that should be dedicated to graphics?
Nvidia SLI certification these days REQUIRE that the PCIe connectors be on their own +12V rail to avoid any problems from running high end graphics cards on split +12V rail PSU's.
Because i wasn't entirely sure if it did / did not from the product description when i was looking at psu options (and will again on the release of the release of Westmere).
Because i worked it out something along the lines of this:
Zalman ZM850-HP
Dual Engine (2 +12V rails)
768W / 12V = 64AMPS
Which gives 64AMPS for my graphics cards (384watts)
64/4 = 16AMPS per pci-e (32 amps per card)
384/4 = 96watts per pci-e (75watts being the rated amount)
Corsair HX1000
Dual engine (2 +12V rails)
1000W / 12V = 83.3AMPS
Which gives 83.3AMPS for my graphics cards (500watts)
83.3/6 = 13.883333333333333333333333333333 AMPS per pci-e (27.766666666666666666666666666667AMPS per card)
500/6 = 83.333333333333333333333333333333watts per pci-e (75watts being the rated amount)
I mean i could be completely wrong! The product descriptions given to the consumer are fairly “ambiguous” and could be improved 10 fold to include the imformation on amps provided on each pci-e connector, depending on configuration.
Perhaps that should be added to the list of what i'd love to see, clearer product information that gives us ALL of the information we need at a glance without having to sit down and work it out for ourselves (and getting it wrong…. :embarrassed: )
:bowdown:
I think you probably over-complicated/confused things a bit by trying to work it out per PCI-E plug :O_o1:
The HX1000W has more power at 12V - that's the main thing to look for. For the HX1000, the CPU (24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS) and two of the modular PCI-E plugs run off 12V1 (40A), while the two fixed (captive) PCI-E plugs and other two modular PCI-E plugs run of 12V2 (40A). So it's nicely distributed.
If you have a single +12V rail (or two big ones, ooer) you don't have to worry about which cables to use - that's the main advantage over split, multi-rail units.
HX1000W is also triple SLI-certified (the first 1000Watter to get this, because of its meaty nature) which also tells you something about its capabilities. :rockon2:
in order
Reliability
Stability
Efficiency
module cables are nice
willing to pay a premium for the above
Reliability/Efficiency
Noise - has to be practically silent for me
Modular