Recommendation for a Power Supply

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Recommendation for a Power Supply

Dimitri

11:17 am on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

Hi,

On my desktop, my power supply is starting to show issues, it's a Seasonic. The warranty was 5 years, and it's now 6 years :).

So I am looking for a replacement, I am unsure if it's worth continuing with Seasonic.

I saw some Corsair VS And CX which sounded good. What's the difference between these two series? I also saw some BeQuiet ones too.

Any recommendations? or Experience? I need 400, 450 or 500 Watt (or eventually 550 Watt), but 450W would be nice. And 80+ certified ("white", the first level is fine).

Thanks!

engine

12:46 pm on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

I've only replaced a power supply a couple of times in many, many years, and I've always replaced it with the manufacturers part.
Therefore, I can only recommend going with the OEM parts.

Dimitri

1:02 pm on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

Thank you @engine, but I am the "manufacturer" :">

I always bought parts and assembled them myself, this is cheaper, I can get exactly what I need, and upgrade as my needs are evolving, and so far more robust, in 30 years this is the first time a part is starting to show signs of getting exhausted.

engine

1:16 pm on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

aha!
In which case, i'd suggest over-specify a little, and stick with the manufacturer which gives you confidence.
There are so many cheap and awful PSUs out there i'd probably go with a brand i recognise.

lammert

1:39 pm on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

Hmmm, ask ten people for car recommendations and you'll get ten different answers. The same for computer parts. Look therefore at the things which are important for your situation.

If compatibility with future motherboards is needed, modular designs may be useful.
Look at the current at 3.3V, 5V and 12V your computer really needs. Some PSUs are optimized for servers with lots of hard drivers while others are more useful in computers with a lot of CPU horsepower.
Don't look at the MTBF figures, except for power supplies in A-brand servers. These figures are totally made up by the manufacturers and mostly state just > 100000 hours while in practice they'll die much sooner.
For a desktop, sound of the fan may be an important issue. Fan design may have a large impact on sound levels at the same rotation speed. Also PSUs with a good temperature/fan control system may be beneficial in this case.
A main reason for PSU failure are electrolytic capacitors drying out. This speed of this process is increased with temperature and therefore using an oversized PSU may increase the lifetime of the power supply
Last but not least, especially when you use the computer many hours a day or when it is switched on 24/7, use a calculator to check the annual cost difference between power supplies from different efficiency levels. It may be worth investing in a more expensive but more energy efficient power supply.

tangor

3:14 pm on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

Keep it simple: Get a power supply that has the correct outputs, correct connectors, and the correct price and go from there. Other than having the right specs, the only other thing to consider is MTBF or reports in consumer news regarding the different mfgrs ...

Dimitri

4:56 pm on Jul 9, 2019 (gmt 0)

Thank you for your comments.There are so many models now :)

Dimitri

10:57 am on Jul 14, 2019 (gmt 0)

Just for the info, I will try this :

BE QUIET! PURE POWER 11 400W
[bequiet.com...]

engine

10:26 am on Jul 15, 2019 (gmt 0)

Let us know how that works out when running.

Dimitri

11:20 am on Jul 15, 2019 (gmt 0)

Hope I'll have nothing to say (meaning it goes well) :)

Dimitri

3:44 pm on Jul 26, 2019 (gmt 0)

So far so good. Very quiet, cables and materials look of good quality. Very pleased ... at least as much as you can be when it comes of talking about PSU :)