Power Supply questions

[K0rN b4LL]

Got a few questions about power supplies.  Firstly what is the main difference between the form factors?  An article I read on Newegg (https://www.newegg.com/insider/how-to-choose-a-pc-power-supply-buying-guide/) that says the main ones are the ATX12V and EPS12V but I don't really understand what the difference is outside of different connector types.  Also for the motherboard I want (https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/X570-AORUS-ELITE-rev-10#kf) it says it has both 24 pin and 8 pin connectors but only shows one connector in the picture.  Would both types just plug into the same spot?

 

Is there any real benefit to using a hardwired PSU vs a modular/hybrid?  Like how much more likely is it that a modular plug is gonna go bad versus a hard wired one?  I figure this is more down to the manufacturer but still.

 

How important are the higher level 80 PLUS ratings?  Would having a lower rating like bronze or silver have any negative effect vs a plat or titanium or is it just how much you wanna spend on the electric bill?

 

 

How do I determine if the 12V rails have the right wattage?  I've heard that they can be labeled differently on different PSU's and the labeled wattage doesn't always add up to the real total wattage so what should I be looking for?

 

 

[Electronics Wizardy]

7 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

Firstly what is the main difference between the form factors?

size, get wht your case supports

 

7 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

it says it has both 24 pin and 8 pin connectors but only shows one connector in the picture. 

You need both a 8 pin and 24 pin, every modern psu has this.

 

8 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

Is there any real benefit to using a hardwired PSU vs a modular/hybrid? 

cheaper. Failure is uncommon and effiency difference is tiny.

 

8 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

How important are the higher level 80 PLUS ratings?  Would having a lower rating like bronze or silver have any negative effect vs a plat or titanium or is it just how much you wanna spend on the electric bill?

Really just small power bill savings, probalby won't pay off. But normally higher 80+ is a just better built psu, but not alwys.

 

Whats youre system build?

 

YOur probably overthinking this. NOrmally just get a good 500-700w and your good.

[minibois]

2 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

Firstly what is the main difference between the form factors?

Size and mounting way. Pick the one your case supports. Usually that will be ATX, but maybe SFX.

2 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

but I don't really understand what the difference is outside of different connector types.  

Well that is the difference. The connector and thus the power that goes through it.

The 24 pin (ATX) is also what is used to turn on the PSU and is general board power, while the EPS is CPU power.

3 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

Also for the motherboard I want (https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/X570-AORUS-ELITE-rev-10#kf) it says it has both 24 pin and 8 pin connectors but only shows one connector in the picture.  Would both types just plug into the same spot?

They plug in here:

Spoiler

 

5 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

Is there any real benefit to using a hardwired PSU vs a modular/hybrid?  Like how much more likely is it that a modular plug is gonna go bad versus a hard wired one?  I figure this is more down to the manufacturer but still.

The benefit of modular is just ease of installation, or rather ease of cable management.

They don't tend to go bad, but you will have a warranty regardless.

6 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

How important are the higher level 80 PLUS ratings?  Would having a lower rating like bronze or silver have any negative effect vs a plat or titanium or is it just how much you wanna spend on the electric bill?

The rating itself is not that important for quality, but only for power usage, but the difference won't be huge.

If you want more info, read this:

But the general gist (on 230V, 100% load): 

Bronze = 85% efficient

Gold = 89% efficient

Titanium = 94% efficient

Those won't be very large improvements, but may lower your power bill a couple of euros/dollars/whatever a year.

 

Don't choose a PSU based on efficiency though, pick a good one. 80+ is not an indication of quality, merely indication of efficiency. There are bad 80+ Gold units and good 80+ Bronze units  and vice-versa.

10 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

How do I determine if the 12V rails have the right wattage?  I've heard that they can be labeled differently on different PSU's and the labeled wattage doesn't always add up to the real total wattage so what should I be looking for?

Most people won't have to worry about this at all, unless you're running weird configurations/heavy power draw components (like multiple GPU's or HEDT CPU's)

[Sakkura]

37 minutes ago, K0rN b4LL said:

How important are the higher level 80 PLUS ratings?  Would having a lower rating like bronze or silver have any negative effect vs a plat or titanium or is it just how much you wanna spend on the electric bill?

Apart from saving a bit on power, it can also make the PSU quieter. Potentially by quite a lot, but it also depends on the heatsinks and fan.

 

Going from eg. 80% efficiency to 90% efficiency only saves you 11% on your power bill, but it cuts the heat generated inside the power supply in half (imagine the difference for a GPU or CPU cooler if you cut power consumption in half).

[K0rN b4LL]

On 1/19/2020 at 4:20 PM, Electronics Wizardy said:

Whats youre system build?

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor	$189.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 CHROMAX.BLACK 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler	$99.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard	$184.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$74.98 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital Blue SN500 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$99.85 @ Amazon
Video Card	Gigabyte Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB GAMING OC Video Card	$409.99 @ Newegg
Case	Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case	$99.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1159.73
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-19 16:53 EST-0500

 

I'm a bit a way off from saving enough $ so things might change.

[K0rN b4LL]

How far above the estimated wattage should I look for?  Right now the system builder puts me at around 394W so should a 450ish be enough or should I be looking more for the 600+ range?