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Recommended PSU for build

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Rollin
Profile Joined March 2011
Australia1552 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-11 01:54:13
June 10 2011 14:04 GMT
#1
Hello TL, just wondering how beastly of a PSU I would need for this build of mine, as well as if there was a simple way or program to disable/enable a dedicated graphics card when it isn't needed. This is for Australia, mostly supplied manufacturer direct (friends in high places), so that's why I didn't list prices for comparison, but if there are problems/better components, I'll happily change accordingly.

The build is as follows:
Core i5-2500K overclocking to about 4.5-5.0 GHz with stock cooling (read somewhere its easily possible on stock - yay!)
Asus GTX 560TI possibly overclocked with stock cooling (ie not much)
ASUS P8P67-LE REV3 Intel P67 Chipset motherboard (is it a reasonable choice? it was the only brand on the manufacturer list with the P67 chipset required for OCing the CPU)
2x4Gb 1333 Mhz Kingston RAM (to allow for unlikely upgrading, as it costs the same as 4x2Gb 1333Mhz RAM for me, and the brand sponsors EG ^^)
standard 3.5 inch 7200 rpm harddrive
Also might get a SSD, haven't quite decided, depends on overall cost
Might have some peripherals connected such as external harddrives etc also while under load

With these components, and taking into account the overclocking on the CPU and GPU, which of the following PSU's would you recommend? Or is there a better brand alternative for a decent price in Australia online?

Thermal Master 650W ATX Power Supply, 20/24pin ATX Power Connector, Intel Core i5/ i7 compatiable $45
CoolerMaster Silent Pro Modular 700W ATX V2.3 PSU. SLI Ready! 14cm Fan. 9xSATA. 2x 6/8pin PCI-E. 4+4pin CPU. 80+ Efficiency, 5yr Warranty! $125
CoolerMaster Silent Pro Modular 850W ATX V2.3 PSU. SLI Ready! 14cm Fan.9xSATA. 6x 6/8pin. 2x 4+4pin CPU. 80+ Efficiency, 5yr Warranty! $160
CoolerMaster Silent Pro Modular 1000W ATX V2.3 PSU. 14cm Fan. 9xSATA. 4x6pin, 6x6/8pin PCI-E. 2x 4+4pin CPU. 80+ Efficiency, 5yr Warranty! $195
These were the PSU's that seemed in the right bracket wattage-wise, don't know about branding though unfortunately...

Also, is there an easy way/program to disable the GTX 560TI when I don't need it for gaming, as the integrated chip on the CPU will be fine for other applications, and i presume it would use a lot less juice.

Thanks guys :D

EDIT:
Alright, so fortunately this build doesn't require a large PSU :D (I honestly had no idea)
Would the CoolerMaster 700W PSU be alright, or should I go with a 500W corsair one instead (would be more expensive as I would have to go retail). The reviews seem alright, but i am leaning towards the corsair option as it will be more efficient.

Will be changing the motherboard too, I don't like retarded bios interfaces and have had trouble with a couple in the past, thanks for mentioning that

Also I saw on a review on tomshardware or something similar the reviewer getting a stable 4.7 gHz OC with the i5-2500 or i7-2600 (can't remember which) and it ran full load at about 60-70(Celsius) iirc. Maybe 4.4-4.7 would be a more realistic aim, will probably find a better cooling solution too ^^

EDIT 2:
Just saw on a post that SkyR uses the P8P67 motherboard, hence I will too! :D (because it must be good.) Thanks for all the help, build is finalised now

EDIT 3:
Turns out the motherboard is a piece of shit, simply because the BIOS doesn't allow the ratio to be unlocked, nor manual control of BIOS. Would have been exremely annoying if you guys hadn't pointed it out, thanks...
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2138081
Will go with the full version, but it's $50 more, simply for a non-retarded bios x_x
Throw off those chains of reason, and your prison disappears. | Check your posting frequency timeline: http://www.teamliquid.net/mytlnet/post_activity_img.php
CoFran
Profile Joined August 2010
Canada342 Posts
June 10 2011 14:15 GMT
#2
Bought my new machine 2 months ago, pretty much the same as yours;

GV-N560SO-1GI-950 GIGABYTE GEFORCE GTX 560TI 1GB -DDR5, 256BIT, 2X DUAL-LINK D
GA-P67A-UD3-B3 GIGABYTE S.1155 INTEL P67 ATX 4D.DDR3,2PCIE X16/2PCIE 1X/2X
BX80623I52500K BOX CORE I5 2500K 3.30GHZ-4C 4T 6M S1155 TB ULKD
KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (Kit of 2) HyperX Blu
CSSD-F80GB2-BRKT-A CORSAIR FORCE 2.5 80GB SSD 2.5 TO 3.5 W/BRACKET 25NM
WD20EARS WD CAVIAR GREEN 2TB 64MB 3.5 SATA 3GB/S
TWO HUNDRED V2 ANTEC TWO HUNDRED GAMING ATX CASE,FRNT LOADED 2.5 HD CADDY 0
R-S12II-520 SEASONIC 520W ATX 12V PSU 12CM BALL BEARING COOLING FAN, 24

I heard great things about the Seasonic, but I just had to RMA it, 520 is supposably more then enough for this machine (read with a good quality 520..) and I never planned to go SLI, but the 12V rail would go below the recommended specs when on load and computer would reboot without BSOD or logs. It doesnt answer your question but i'd just like to put emphasis on how important your PSU is gonna be.

Now 1000W seems uselessly oversized, unless you plan on going SLI. You should try to get a review from http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/page/power as from what i gathered they are close to the best with PSU reviews. But it doesnt protect you from a defective unit even if reviews are great.

GL!
zere
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Germany1287 Posts
June 10 2011 14:24 GMT
#3
You don't need these 1000W monsters as long as you don't buy 3 of these PCs and run them simultaneously.
Corsair CX 500. Antec TruePower New 550 or Cougar S 550 if you want cable management.
Will you order from a specific online retailer? We could go search within his catalogue then.
ModeratorWenn ich einmal traurig bin, dann trink' ich einen Korn. Wenn ich dann noch traurig bin, dann trink' ich noch 'nen Korn. Und wenn ich dann noch traurig bin, dann fang' ich an von vorn!
Womwomwom
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
5930 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-10 14:28:23
June 10 2011 14:26 GMT
#4
Also, is there an easy way/program to disable the GTX 560TI when I don't need it for gaming, as the integrated chip on the CPU will be fine for other applications, and i presume it would use a lot less juice.


Don't bother with this, idle power draw on modern video cards is very good. Dealing with complex drivers is the last thing you want to do. Plus I don't even think it would work unless you've plugged your monitor into both the motherboard and the video card.

Also don't get a ASUS P8P67-LE. The BIOS is gimped for overclocking, don't bother and I doubt you can reach those clocks on a stock cooler. You can probably get low 4ghz and to 5ghz? Definitely not.
GTR
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
51489 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-10 14:39:11
June 10 2011 14:38 GMT
#5
if you ever reach those clocks, they will be at terrible temperatures you don't want
Commentator
TadH
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Canada1846 Posts
June 10 2011 14:45 GMT
#6
On June 10 2011 23:38 GTR wrote:
if you ever reach those clocks, they will be at terrible temperatures you don't want



On stock cooling yes.
Ashby
Profile Joined January 2011
Australia204 Posts
June 10 2011 15:00 GMT
#7
On June 10 2011 23:04 Rollin wrote:
The build is as follows:
Core i5-2500K overclocking to about 4.5-5.0 GHz with stock cooling (read somewhere its easily possible on stock - yay!)

Thanks guys :D


You're crazy if your going to overclock to that extent on stock cooling. It would without doubt run at extremely high temps under load and buying a decent after market cooler is really not that expensive, especially for the reduction in CPU heat.
http://sc2sig.com/s/sea/30597-1.png?1307082433
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-10 15:12:45
June 10 2011 15:11 GMT
#8
An overclocked i5-2500k takes about 70-120W depending on how far you go, on full CPU load (stock is under 65W when not using the IGP). Stock GTX 560 Ti is around 160W, so maybe 200W with a light overclock. Everything else is unlikely to be over 50W unless you're running several hard drives and/or high rpm windtunnel fans. The power draw you'd see in a game would be lower than that, so you're fine on a good 430W or higher.

PCCaseGear has an Antec Neo Eco 520C for $69. It's not particularly the most premium, reliable unit ever, but reviews of that platform are almost always favorable.

Surely you have room in the budget for some $30 for an aftermarket CPU cooler? edit: and don't get the P8P67 LE. Gigabyte P67A-UD3, AsRock P67 Pro3, or MSI C43/G43/whatever, P67 or Z68 variants, are generally all better and cheaper.
JingleHell
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States11308 Posts
June 10 2011 15:21 GMT
#9
On June 10 2011 23:26 Womwomwom wrote:
Show nested quote +
Also, is there an easy way/program to disable the GTX 560TI when I don't need it for gaming, as the integrated chip on the CPU will be fine for other applications, and i presume it would use a lot less juice.


Don't bother with this, idle power draw on modern video cards is very good. Dealing with complex drivers is the last thing you want to do. Plus I don't even think it would work unless you've plugged your monitor into both the motherboard and the video card.



This. The video cards downclock when you aren't using them for 3d applications. Currently running a core clock of 50mhz in 2d mode. The power management is great, and trying to change it back and forth constantly would be more hassle than it's worth.

If you consider that too high, or want to get the fans quieter or something, there's some things involving custom card BIOS, but frankly, that scares the pants off me.

Anyways, the onboard vs discrete logic is in the BIOS, so I assume you'd actually have to shut down your PC and unplug the card or something obscenely annoying like that.
StimedSheep
Profile Joined October 2010
United States51 Posts
June 10 2011 15:28 GMT
#10
I would suggest a Seasonic or Enermax 700 to 800 watt power supply. This will give you the option of going SLI later if you really want the extra FPS in higher graphic demand games. Otherwise a 650 watt power supply will be good and supply all the power you need.
JingleHell
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States11308 Posts
June 10 2011 15:32 GMT
#11
On June 11 2011 00:28 StimedSheep wrote:
I would suggest a Seasonic or Enermax 700 to 800 watt power supply. This will give you the option of going SLI later if you really want the extra FPS in higher graphic demand games. Otherwise a 650 watt power supply will be good and supply all the power you need.


If he wants to be energy efficient, he doesn't want SLI. Single higher end GPU is generally more efficient.
ZeaL.
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States5955 Posts
June 10 2011 16:27 GMT
#12
You can get 4.4 ghz on the stock cooler, it won't run cool but you can do it stably. Honestly though, if you're considering overclocking and getting ridiculous 1000w psu's you might as well invest in a better cooler, its only like 30-40 for something which will give you a lot more headroom. For your powersupply, efficiency is good but think about reliability too. The PSU is the heart of your system, when it dies it can kill a lot of things with it so paying a bit more for a psu with better caps and cooling can save you a lot of money in the long run, especially since a good PSU will last you through multiple builds whereas the lower end ones end up being replaced frequently.
Rollin
Profile Joined March 2011
Australia1552 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-10 17:26:58
June 10 2011 16:45 GMT
#13
On June 11 2011 01:27 ZeaL. wrote:
You can get 4.4 ghz on the stock cooler, it won't run cool but you can do it stably. Honestly though, if you're considering overclocking and getting ridiculous 1000w psu's you might as well invest in a better cooler, its only like 30-40 for something which will give you a lot more headroom. For your powersupply, efficiency is good but think about reliability too. The PSU is the heart of your system, when it dies it can kill a lot of things with it so paying a bit more for a psu with better caps and cooling can save you a lot of money in the long run, especially since a good PSU will last you through multiple builds whereas the lower end ones end up being replaced frequently.


Yeah I was only considering that sort of high end PSU because I had no idea of the loading the build would have. Thing is the reviews are good for some of coolermaster's psu's, so I'm still a little unsure of what to go. I think either way for the psu would be adequate though, which is good, as they both seem fairly reputable.

Definitely now going for some form of air cooler, just never bothered with one before and now have to work out which to get and how to install it etc.

Edit: Sorry, what I really meant was I didn't know about power usage before I made the thread, now I was looking at ~ 500W mark as the 1000W for example is just lol for this build xD

Also I will try this. Thanks Myrmidon, I'll go with the Antec TruePower New 550W then ^^
Throw off those chains of reason, and your prison disappears. | Check your posting frequency timeline: http://www.teamliquid.net/mytlnet/post_activity_img.php
Zeke50100
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States2220 Posts
June 10 2011 16:57 GMT
#14
Cooler Master PSUs are actually pretty terrible compared to what's out there.Just listen to what Myrmidon said, really. You definitely do not need 1000W unless you're running insane GPU set-ups on a first generation hexa-core i7 OCed to 5.0GHz.
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
June 10 2011 17:06 GMT
#15
Nah, the Silent Pro and Silent Pro Gold are decent for sure, just typically a bit overpriced compared to their value. Most of the rest is pretty bad or mediocre.

If you want something a little more reliable (i.e. should last well over 5 years on average, where the warranty is 5 years), get the Antec TruePower New 550W.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is a popular budget 120mm fan tower cooler usually around $30 and should be more than sufficient for overclocking a i5-2500k. Something better than that is really unnecessary. People use that thing for overclocking Bloomfield Core i7-9xx CPUs that have almost twice the power draw (and thus heat output) of the i5-2500k.
Zeke50100
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States2220 Posts
June 10 2011 17:16 GMT
#16
Well, I also meant terrible in that it's a waste of money if you wouldn't be making use of it in the first place ^_^
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
June 10 2011 17:44 GMT
#17
I use the regular P8P67 with no suffixes. Not the LE variant. Do not mistake them for being the same, there is a huge difference between the two.
JingleHell
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States11308 Posts
June 10 2011 17:45 GMT
#18
Anecdotally, the hyper 212+ has gotten 930's from 2.8 to 4.0, with the really good batch numbers.

It's really all the air cooler you should need if you aren't engaging in clock related e-peen wars on enthusiast boards.
Techno
Profile Joined June 2010
1900 Posts
June 10 2011 18:06 GMT
#19
Why overclock an i5? The performance increase will be negligible. It's not the computations that slow you down its things like cache misses, which will load from your 1333MHz memory.
Hell, its awesome to LOSE to nukes!
JingleHell
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States11308 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-10 18:18:59
June 10 2011 18:09 GMT
#20
On June 11 2011 03:06 Techno wrote:
Why overclock an i5? The performance increase will be negligible. It's not the computations that slow you down its things like cache misses, which will load from your 1333MHz memory.


http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/intel_corei7_2600k_and_corei5_2500k/6.htm

You sure? This shows pretty significant performance boosts.
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
June 10 2011 18:21 GMT
#21
You don't even have to look at benchmarks to know that there's a noticeable difference between running one at 3.4GHz and one at 4.7GHz -.-
JingleHell
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States11308 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-06-10 18:24:14
June 10 2011 18:23 GMT
#22
On June 11 2011 03:21 skyR wrote:
You don't even have to look at benchmarks to know that there's a noticeable difference between running one at 3.4GHz and one at 4.7GHz -.-


You'd hope, but sometimes it helps to be able to put actual numbers in people's faces to make things slightly more clear.

We are talking the same forum where somebody said that paging is almost as fast as RAM recently...
Sablar
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Sweden880 Posts
June 10 2011 18:27 GMT
#23
I think 4.5 maybe 4.6ghz is possible with stock cooling, since it's after those levels that at least my CPU is starting to require a lot of voltage.

But $30 for a CPU cooler would be well invested just to keep it from constantly running somewhat hot and/or higher OCs.

Agree with -LE statements.
ZeaL.
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States5955 Posts
June 10 2011 18:54 GMT
#24
I'm running my i-5 at 4.6 and there's definitely an increase in performance. I really don't see how you can claim that a >1 ghz clock boost is negligible.
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