Building New Mini-ITX, Need new PSU?

[Balokun]

I was going to build myself a new mini-ITX build with these specs below in the picture.
THe PSU calculator said I´d need only that much amount of wattage. I currently have a 4 year old PSU for 520W
Is that still enough or will I have to increase the tolerance gap for the PSU a.k.a. buy a new one with 600W+??Hey!

[RoroTheDeer]

I would recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-220-G2-0550-Y1/dp/B0106RDI3W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472227545&sr=8-3&keywords=evga+g2

 

Honestly, it's up to you how much wattage you want. The 650W is only a couple dollars more:

 

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-220-G2-0550-Y1/dp/B0106RDI3W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472227545&sr=8-3&keywords=evga+g2

[Sir Asvald]

4 minutes ago, Insp1r3 said:

I would recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-220-G2-0550-Y1/dp/B0106RDI3W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472227545&sr=8-3&keywords=evga+g2

 

Honestly, it's up to you how much wattage you want. The 650W is only a couple dollars more:

 

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-220-G2-0550-Y1/dp/B0106RDI3W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472227545&sr=8-3&keywords=evga+g2

You've linked both 550w.

[Balokun]

Just now, Insp1r3 said:

I would recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-220-G2-0550-Y1/dp/B0106RDI3W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472227545&sr=8-3&keywords=evga+g2

 

Honestly, it's up to you how much wattage you want. The 650W is only a couple dollars more:

 

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Modular-Warranty-220-G2-0550-Y1/dp/B0106RDI3W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472227545&sr=8-3&keywords=evga+g2

I was just thinking the one I have right now is still usable,although old, but still working 520W.
Is the danger of breaking parts real when it comes to older PSUs? Like Linus mentioned in one of his vids?  Or if I have this tolerance of lets say like in the pic ~120W, that should be enough if I only add another SSD or so?

 

[RoroTheDeer]

Just now, Abdul201588 said:

You've linked both 550w.

Huh, I guess you have to manually select it from the list. Dang it, Amazon!  

[RoroTheDeer]

1 minute ago, Balokun said:

I was just thinking the one I have right now is still usable,although old, but still working 520W.
Is the danger of breaking parts real when it comes to older PSUs? Like Linus mentioned in one of his vids?  Or if I have this tolerance of lets say like in the pic ~120W, that should be enough if I only add another SSD or so?

 

There are a few things you have to take into consideration when using a used or old PSU;

 

1. Is it at least 80+ certified? This shows the quality of the components inside and if it doesn't have an 80+ certification, don't use it.

2. Are you comfortable using it? You may not be comfortable with a PSU that only just supplies the wattage you need, so getting a higher wattage one is up to you.

3. Is it made by a reputable brand, e.g. Corsair, EVGA, BeQuiet! etc.? Only trust a brand that has a good reputation.

4. How old is it? If it's older than 3 or 4 years, I would steer clear of it.

 

Just a few things to help you out!  

[RoroTheDeer]

6 minutes ago, Balokun said:

I was just thinking the one I have right now is still usable,although old, but still working 520W.
Is the danger of breaking parts real when it comes to older PSUs? Like Linus mentioned in one of his vids?  Or if I have this tolerance of lets say like in the pic ~120W, that should be enough if I only add another SSD or so?

 

 

Also, with the topic of SSDs, I would highly recommend getting at least one in a high-end system like this to reduce loading times and to boot into Windows faster. It only uses an extra 10-20W or so, so it's basically negligible  

[JHY]

550W is good enough

[Mr.Meerkat]

Model of the 520watt PSU? If it's a Seasonic/XFX unit then it's very likely to be fine as that build should only need around 350watts with some overclocking

[Mira Yurizaki]

A lot of high-end power supplies are rated for up to 5 years, if their warranties are anything to go by. Plus I wouldn't really worry about degradation all that much unless you were hammering the supply constantly.

 

That said if you are building a new system, I'd get a new PSU anyway. However, in my experience, you can actually skirt by with 450W, assuming the power supply is a solid one (like one from SeaSonic with an 80+ Gold rating). Most single card gaming rigs don't go past 230-250W off the wall (meaning about 200-220W are actually used). You have to be really trying to get figures most power supply calculators give you. By trying, running Prime95 + FurMark + some heavy storage load thing.

[Mr.Meerkat]

9 minutes ago, Insp1r3 said:

Corsair, EVGA, BeQuiet!

(sorry for the double post...whoops)

Anyway, you've just linked 3 brands with terrible or mediocre PSUs...Corsair has their old CX (green labeled), VS, CS lines of PSUs that were all rubbish, EVGA has their 80+ white, B1 line of PSUs that weren't that good either so it's less brand but specific models  

[RoroTheDeer]

3 minutes ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

(sorry for the double post...whoops)

Anyway, you've just linked 3 brands with terrible or mediocre PSUs...Corsair has their old CX (green labeled), VS, CS lines of PSUs that were all rubbish, EVGA has their 80+ white, B1 line of PSUs that weren't that good either so it's less brand but specific models  

I said reputable brand, not reputable models. Corsair have their HX, AX and AXi series, EVGA have the G2, P2 and T2 series... you need to not be so ignorant. Stop looking at the bad ones and look at the ones that people are actually going to buy.

[Zyndo]

23 minutes ago, Insp1r3 said:

There are a few things you have to take into consideration when using a used or old PSU;

 

1. Is it at least 80+ certified? This shows the quality of the components inside and if it doesn't have an 80+ certification, don't use it.

2. Are you comfortable using it? You may not be comfortable with a PSU that only just supplies the wattage you need, so getting a higher wattage one is up to you.

3. Is it made by a reputable brand, e.g. Corsair, EVGA, BeQuiet! etc.? Only trust a brand that has a good reputation.

4. How old is it? If it's older than 3 or 4 years, I would steer clear of it.

 

Just a few things to help you out!  

None of those points are related to whether or not you should continue to use a PSU, or buy a new one.

 

1. 80+ rating has absolutely nothing to do with quality. Its simply a power efficiency rating. There are a lot of 80+ gold units that are toasters, and lots of bronze units that are decent.

2. Not sure what you mean by comfortable... should he use it as a pillow at night?

3. Do not buy PSU's based on brands. MOST brands out there make good PSU's and bad PSU's. Knowing if a PSU is going to be good or bad before buying it has ALOT more to do with important factors other than whose name is on the side.

4. Age is largely irrelevant. Certainly 3-4 years is irrelevant. MOST PSU's come with a 3 year warranty at the minimum. MANY higher quality units have a 5-10 year warranty. I plan to use my Hx1000i for the next 12-15 years across many many builds. I know what you're saying, that a PSU as it gets older can get less efficient and/or die on you. But even a mid-quality unit isn't going to take other components with it when it finally goes.

 

I know you're trying to help, but making such broad, generalized, inaccurate statements about an already shrouded topic that most people (including myself) don't know enough about is just going to contribute to the growing misinformation on the matter.

[Mr.Meerkat]

10 minutes ago, Insp1r3 said:

I said reputable brand, not reputable models. Corsair have their HX, AX and AXi series, EVGA have the G2, P2 and T2 series... you need to not be so ignorant. Stop looking at the bad ones and look at the ones that people are actually going to buy.

Hmmmmm...I wonder why so many people have original CX PSUs then? You seem to forget that maybe not the whole PC building community is that educated on PC power supplies, as an example, a person sees a Corsair VS and a Seasonic unit with no knowledge of PC PSUs, which one do you think they're gonna go for? The brand that they've heard off as their AIO and case and mice is that brand or the brand they've never heard of? 

You need to stop being so ignorant thinking everyone knows which PSUs are good and which ones should be avoided or what situations they are suitable for. The CX, VS, CS line of PSUs aren't as bad as you think, yes they have bad caps and the original CX PSUs blows up/half the amount of wattage it can output when the ambient temps are over 40C but for a lower powered machine, they are perfectly fine.

 

The PSUs you've listed are decently high end as to a normal person, a 80+ gold rated PSU is high end where a 80+ bronze is enough for them. I had a XFX XXX (and a pro core before a power surge destroyed it)  850Watt PSUs which both is bronze rated but powered dual 290Xs and a 3570k perfectly fine as efficiency is something and better efficiency usually does mean better components used to build it but that's not always the case.

[RoroTheDeer]

1 minute ago, Zyndo said:

None of those points are related to whether or not you should continue to use a PSU, or buy a new one.

 

1. 80+ rating has absolutely nothing to do with quality. Its simply a power efficiency rating. There are a lot of 80+ gold units that are toasters, and lots of bronze units that are decent.

2. Not sure what you mean by comfortable... should he use it as a pillow at night?

3. Do not buy PSU's based on brands. MOST brands out there make good PSU's and bad PSU's. Knowing if a PSU is going to be good or bad before buying it has ALOT more to do with important factors other than whose name is on the side.

4. Age is largely irrelevant. Certainly 3-4 years is irrelevant. MOST PSU's come with a 3 year warranty at the minimum. MANY higher quality units have a 5-10 year warranty. I plan to use my Hx1000i for the next 12-15 years across many many builds. I know what you're saying, that a PSU as it gets older can get less efficient and/or die on you. But even a mid-quality unit isn't going to take other components with it when it finally goes.

 

I know you're trying to help, but making such broad, generalized, inaccurate statements about an already shrouded topic that most people (including myself) don't know enough about is just going to contribute to the growing misinformation on the matter.

 

1. The quality of the components is the biggest contributing factor of the efficiency of the PSU.

2. Wtf? Why do you have to be such a douche about it? He might not like the fact that it doesn't have an 80+ rating as tales of bad PSUs shorting and catching fire aren't unheard of.

3. You wouldn't want to buy a PSU from, say, Powmax. They have awful quality PSUs and most PSUs from them have a very bad reputation for being very unreliable and prematurely die.

4. Age once again circles back to him being comfortable with the PSU. If it's outside of the warranty period, he might not want to use it as he won't be able to replace it if it fails.

 

I'm trying to make the process simple for him instead of trying to over-complicate the matter and leave him confused and maybe even more conflicted about what he wants to do.

Also, stop being so condescending. Acting like a complete prick isn't helpful.

[Zyndo]

1 hour ago, Balokun said:

Snip

When going for ITX builds there are other things to consider than just wattage and PSU quality. Physical size and modularity can be equally important. Without knowing exactly what your build is, it will be tough to make any sound recommendations for you. That being said, the Corsair SF450 and SF600 are very high quality units that have small footprints. There are certainly other brands that make good SFX PSU's, but those are ones I know of.

 

As far as the total wattage that you need, then those power calculators are usually quite inaccurate. they OFTEN build a fair amount of buffer into their calculations. For example, LTT did a video where they SLI 2 1080's on X99 platform with an AIO. Under heavy gaming load it peaked at 437W. 6700k is less, and a single 1080 is obviously less. Your mileage can vary on this, and depending on your overclocks you may need more or less power.... But if that calculator is saying that you need 450W, then you probably only need 450W.

 

TL;DR Your current 520W unit (any quality concerns aside) as the wattage amount to handle your system just fine.

[Zyndo]

1 hour ago, Insp1r3 said:

Snip

 

1. Kind of.... but that isn't the only factor. And power efficiency isn't the same thing as performance. a PSU needs to do MANY other things than just be efficient. It needs to deliver smooth power amounts. It needs to be able to deliver certain amount of amps on their voltage rails. It needs to be able to control power on separate rails simultaneously without interference. It needs to be able to have proper fuses/breakers and switched to prevent itself from giving too much power to your components which leads to crashes or damage (although most components in a computer nowadays come with some sort of internal regulation or fuses/breakers of their own to help counter any issues from the PSU or prevent damage if things get out of control), a PSU needs to be able to do all of these things, and it needs to be able to do all these things even at a variety of operating temperatures. Something it can do well at 30C may be extremely difficult at 50C on lesser units.

 

So yes, quality of components is important, and it certainly affects the efficiency. But construction quality (that is, the way its designed, rather than what its designed out of) is equally as important. and the components in a PSU responsible for efficient power conversion from AC to DC are NOT the same as the components that are responsible for the power delivery and regulation. Manufacturers can very easily have one without the other in order to trick people into thinking its great quality and buying your unit simply because its gold rated.

 

2. Not trying to be a douche. I just literally didn't understand what you meant by 'comfortable'.

 

3. I would not buy from any brand that has only terrible products. But that is because of the product, not because of the brand. whether that is Powmax PSU's or Ford vehicles (zing). However, I also would not buy a Corsair CX600 for a computer of mine, even though i OWN a Corsair Hx1000i (which is one of the best units on the market today btw). There is nothing wrong with Corsair themselves. They make great cases, great RAM, great peripherals, and so on. But not EVERYTHING they make is gold. Telling someone who doesn't know enough about PSU's to "Trust a reputable brand like Corsair" isn't enough information to buy a good PSU on. Its actually incorrect and misleading. People who don't know what they're looking for in PSU will take your advice and go "Oh Corsair, i heard they're good" and then buy the cheapest corsair unit they can find. which will be bad because Corsair makes some low quality units.

 

4. You're telling me he should replace his PSU because if it fails hes going to have to replace it? Makes about as much sense as the rest of nonsense you've been saying in this thread. (That, by the way, is what condescending sounds like)

 

 

No one here is being condescending. No one here is being a prick (with the exception of that last statement of mine, and only then to prove a point). Everything @Mr.Meerkat and I have been saying has not been rude, disrespectful, or mean in any way. We are not being "douches". We are not being "pricks". We are merely informing you that the information you are trying to give @Balokun is incorrect.  I did not just spend the last 30 minutes typing out this post simply because I want to be "right" or i want to feel superior to you, or want to bully you, or whatever it is you think I'm doing. I took the time out of my day to set the record straight because I want to HELP you. I want to HELP Balokun. I want to correct the misinformation you were fed from someone else, and stop it from being spread to another person so that everyone can make well informed decisions going forward.

 

1 hour ago, Insp1r3 said:

I'm trying to make the process simple for him instead of trying to over-complicate the matter and leave him confused and maybe even more conflicted about what he wants to do.

I can completely understand this point of view. I have nearly 1500 posts on this forum under my belt.... ALOT of those posts have been giving out the same information over and over. "what is bottlenecking?". "what is a safe overclock?". "how do I overclock?". "how does my build look?" "is this component any good?". I've answered these questions many times over. I can certainly understand wanting to make things simple and uncomplicated. But feeding someone misinformation does NOT simplify things. It does NOT make it less complicated. it does the exact opposite. if he reads one thing on this forum from you, and then another thing from meerkat, and then another thing from me, and then a dozen other random things from a dozen other people and forums.... then he is going to be VERY conflicted and confused.

 

Again, I can understand wanting to make things easy and simple, both for his sake and yours. But you still have to make it accurate. You can't make a wild claim like "Just buy from a reputable brand" otherwise Balokun is going to leave this thread thinking that is correct. and then when someone asks him about PSU's hes going to say "just buy from a reputable brand". and then that person will spread that falsity, and so on. Its likely the same way you learned things like the stuff you've been saying. Its how stupid things like extreme paranoia of bottlenecking your GPU has ensued.

 

 

TL;DR Calling someone a dick is a dick move, ya dick!

[Zyndo]

@Balokun

 

If you're still confused about what a good PSU is or isn't, you can reference a PSU tier list like this one. There are others on the interenet, and some inaccuracies and disagreements on exact rankings between them, but they usually give you a decent idea on what you can expect out of a unit. T1 being the best, and getting worse from there. Typically for overclocking/SLI/high performance builds you want a T1-T2 unit. for generic gaming rigs T3 is fine. For normal home computers or lower power/less demanding things like a HTPC you can get away with T4-T5 (although they are usually not that much cheaper than a T3 unit, so you should still try to get as high a tier as you can afford).

 

[Balokun]

Thank you guys for all the support and tips and advice!
I´ve made up my mind I guess!

[Mr.Meerkat]

1 hour ago, Insp1r3 said:

I'm trying to make the process simple for him instead of trying to over-complicate the matter and leave him confused and maybe even more conflicted about what he wants to do.

I'm just wanting to say if you want to give him one brand then it's seasonic as all of their PSUs (no matter how cheap) are all solid and that's as simple as it gets for PC PSUs