Evaluating PSU upgrade options...

[bejamartins]

Hello guys, following this, I did some investigation to see what shops around have in stock to upgrade my PSU. I'd like to buy the PSU in a physical store near me if possible for dealing with warranty reasons.

 

Considering a min of a 1000W PSU, I manage to compose this list:

 

Model	Watts	Price	Tier
Kolink Continuum 1500W Modular 80PLUS Platinum	1500	€269,90	A (single-rail)
ASUS ROG Thor 1200W Modular 80+ Platinum	1200	€333,90	A (single-rail)
Kolink Continuum 1200W Modular 80PLUS Platinum	1200	€185,90	B (low priority)
Zalman ZM1000-ARX 1000W Modular 80Plus Platinum	1000	€169,90	N/A
Aerocool XPredator 1000GM Modular 80Plus GOLD	1000	€114,90	N/A
Enermax Triathlor ECO 1000 80PLUS Bronze	1000	€119,90	N/A
Kolink Core 1000W 80PLUS	1000	€59,90	D
Kolink KL-1000M 1000W Modular 80PLUS Bronze	1000	€89,90	C (low priority)
Lepa MaxBron 1000W 80PLUS Bronze B1000-MB	1000	€130,90	E
Mars Gaming MP1000 1000W	1000	€83,80	N/A

 

I can only confirm stock tomorrow in store, but I seem to be short of options. The ones not rated in the tier list, are any of them good? Or should I just stick with the Kolink Continuum 1500W (if there's actually stock...) - seems a little overkill to me, but if none of the others would be worth it...

 

Either way, can you give me additional feedback and recommendations? Thank you.

 

Edit: a friend who has a shop told me he has a site unlisted EVGA GD 1000W 80+ Gold, but not sure if it's the 2019 or 2017 model.

[JTPOTATO]

1000w seems a bit overkill, but depends on what you're running.

 

I'd seriously recommend going with name brands like EVGA, Seasonic, Corsair, etc. By far the most underrated component of a PC, spend a decent amount, as it could damage other parts in your machine.

 

1000w for 60-90 euros seems incredibly cheap for that sort of power.

[bejamartins]

31 minutes ago, JTPOTATO said:

1000w seems a bit overkill, but depends on what you're running.

 

I'd seriously recommend going with name brands like EVGA, Seasonic, Corsair, etc. By far the most underrated component of a PC, spend a decent amount, as it could damage other parts in your machine.

 

1000w for 60-90 euros seems incredibly cheap for that sort of power.

My specs are:

• Maximus IX Hero mobo
• I7 7700k
• RTX 3090
• 4x8GB DDR4@3200MHz
• 1* M.2 SATA SSD, 1x intel octane cache, 1 NVMe SSD, 2x 7200RPM HDD
• 3x 120mm fans
• MSI RTX 3090 Gaming Trio

Right now I'm underclocking -500MHz and limiting power draw by 50% with a 620W PSU and the machine is still crashing on some games. I figure I better invest on something more powerful and not taking any risks. I read on Reddit from people with 850W PSU with RTX 3090s that still had to do some small underclocking to bear the card.

 

I'm thinking on going for that EVGA GD.

 

[JTPOTATO]

16 minutes ago, bejamartins said:

My specs are:

• Maximus IX Hero mobo
• I7 7700k
• RTX 3090
• 4x8GB DDR4@3200MHz
• 1* M.2 SATA SSD, 1x intel octane cache, 1 NVMe SSD, 2x 7200RPM HDD
• 3x 120mm fans
• MSI RTX 3090 Gaming Trio

Right now I'm underclocking -500MHz and limiting power draw by 50% with a 620W PSU and the machine is still crashing on some games. I figure I better invest on something more powerful and not taking any risks. I read on Reddit from people with 850W PSU with RTX 3090s that still had to do some small underclocking to bear the card.

 

I'm thinking on going for that EVGA GD.

 

Ah, 3090... that'll do it!

 

1000w will be perfect, and go with the EVGA for sure!

[SFFDesigns]

Go for any Tier A 1000W+ I'd say, avoid low priority if you can too.

[Lastronaut]

In my brief time on this forum I've come to understand two things.

1.) Few will just lead you to the right answer themselves.

2.) Don't impart your understanding on the forums themselves, they will just show their own inherent bias; and you will wind up spinning your wheels with other brands fanboys.

IMHO however. Seagate>Corsair>Antec. So, depending on your budget... I'd say that the Seagate Focus 1000W Gold would be per dollar the best bet, and at $170USD it doesn't break the bank. Corsair's reputation speaks for itself. However, I'm pretty big on Antec through my own investigation at this current moment; only caveat is that the PSU of theirs that I'm interested in only comes in Titanium/Platinum. And at this current juncture I can only find the 1000W Titanium, for $289.

[seon123]

2 hours ago, bejamartins said:

My specs are:

• Maximus IX Hero mobo
• I7 7700k
• RTX 3090
• 4x8GB DDR4@3200MHz
• 1* M.2 SATA SSD, 1x intel octane cache, 1 NVMe SSD, 2x 7200RPM HDD
• 3x 120mm fans
• MSI RTX 3090 Gaming Trio

Right now I'm underclocking -500MHz and limiting power draw by 50% with a 620W PSU and the machine is still crashing on some games. I figure I better invest on something more powerful and not taking any risks. I read on Reddit from people with 850W PSU with RTX 3090s that still had to do some small underclocking to bear the card.

 

I'm thinking on going for that EVGA GD.

 

Not all PSUs are the same, and e.g. Seasonic Focus and Prime PSUs just have bad transient response, and seem to have more issues. The lower wattage EVGA GD models use sleeve bearing fans according to their website, so that should just rule that out as an option, if you want to use your PSU for more than a few years. You could go for an actually high end 850W PSU, where are you buying from?

 

One thing that's for sure, just ignore people that recommend an entire brand over another, and especially the ones that care about the 80+ rating. Neither the brand nor the 80+ rating matters, or says anything about how good a PSU is. Just like the brand and TDP rating of a GPU doesn't say how good it is. Obviously.

2 hours ago, JTPOTATO said:

Ah, 3090... that'll do it!

 

1000w will be perfect, and go with the EVGA for sure!

An entry level PSU with a sleeve bearing fan...?

30 minutes ago, Lastronaut said:

Don't impart your understanding on the forums themselves, they will just show their own inherent bias; and you will wind up spinning your wheels with other brands fanboys.

Speaking of bias and fanboys...

31 minutes ago, Lastronaut said:

IMHO however. Seagate>Corsair>Antec. So, depending on your budget... I'd say that the Seagate Focus 1000W Gold would be per dollar the best bet, and at $170USD it doesn't break the bank.

First of all, I'm assuming you somehow confused Seasonic and Seagate...? Not sure what mental gymnastics you performed in order to think that US prices matter at all to OP, who is in Portugal. The Focus and Prime also don't have good transient response, they lack multi rail OCP, and they use crappy Hong Hua fans. To be clear, most people consider those to be bad things.

33 minutes ago, Lastronaut said:

Corsair's reputation speaks for itself

If you recommend based on reputation, rather than the product, that says quite a lot about who's the fanboy.

34 minutes ago, Lastronaut said:

However, I'm pretty big on Antec through my own investigation at this current moment; only caveat is that the PSU of theirs that I'm interested in only comes in Titanium/Platinum. And at this current juncture I can only find the 1000W Titanium, for $289.

That's just a rebranded Prime Titanium, which, as I already mentioned, doesn't have great transient response, lacks multi rail OCP, and uses a crappy Hong Hua fan. I have absolutely no idea why you'd want an Antec based on that, or how you got to the conclusion that that's the one PSU you want.

[Lastronaut]

13 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Not all PSUs are the same, and e.g. Seasonic Focus and Prime PSUs just have bad transient response, and seem to have more issues. The lower wattage EVGA GD models use sleeve bearing fans according to their website, so that should just rule that out as an option, if you want to use your PSU for more than a few years. You could go for an actually high end 850W PSU, where are you buying from?

 

One thing that's for sure, just ignore people that recommend an entire brand over another, and especially the ones that care about the 80+ rating. Neither the brand nor the 80+ rating matters, or says anything about how good a PSU is. Just like the brand and TDP rating of a GPU doesn't say how good it is. Obviously.

An entry level PSU with a sleeve bearing fan...?

Speaking of bias and fanboys...

First of all, I'm assuming you somehow confused Seasonic and Seagate...? Not sure what mental gymnastics you performed in order to think that US prices matter at all to OP, who is in Portugal. The Focus and Prime also don't have good transient response, they lack multi rail OCP, and they use crappy Hong Hua fans. To be clear, most people consider those to be bad things.

If you recommend based on reputation, rather than the product, that says quite a lot about who's the fanboy.

That's just a rebranded Prime Titanium, which, as I already mentioned, doesn't have great transient response, lacks multi rail OCP, and uses a crappy Hong Hua fan. I have absolutely no idea why you'd want an Antec based on that, or how you got to the conclusion that that's the one PSU you want.

See, this guy is the first of the kind I mentioned in my post. Not only does he not succinctly answer your question, he begins a big pissy fit about how he's more substantiated around here and can rally the neckbeards to his side. At least I give an opinion, FFS. I mean, you gave a rather long winded way of saying that what his friend had opined was bad, and only bad. Then proceed to lend him no guidance.

PPS: Now that I know it's a rebranded Seasonic, that just validates the Antec as a viable option for myself when I'm considering my needs - seeing as there are literally ZERO places to get a Seasonic Prime Ultra 1000W Titanium for under $400 - and why yes, I AM projecting my conclusion on this conversation. Won't you be so kind as to help the man in your own way? Or are you such a keyboard warrior that you can't see; that those with less experience in the field turn to these very forums for guidance and what can only be called a personal albeit more based opinion? So in that, can you see how someone with little experience themselves can come here and offer opinions on what is simply product knowledge - in my case based in what comes from the sticky and research based in my own search for my own solution - and considering only the brands reputation, information in the sticky, and my own research I've offered my conclusion. And instead of taking the opportunity to direct both of us, seeing as it was only 4 days ago that you and your equally knowledgeable counterpart JonnyGuru began to riot in my own thread about a question that was along the same lines. 

**Edited**

[bejamartins]

20 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Not all PSUs are the same, and e.g. Seasonic Focus and Prime PSUs just have bad transient response, and seem to have more issues. The lower wattage EVGA GD models use sleeve bearing fans according to their website, so that should just rule that out as an option, if you want to use your PSU for more than a few years. You could go for an actually high end 850W PSU, where are you buying from?

Is 1000W lower wattage? The 2017 GD is in tier B.

 

https://www.imperiomultimedia.pt/ or https://www.chiptec.net/ (their physical stores)

[seon123]

4 minutes ago, Lastronaut said:

See, this guy is the first of the kind I mentioned in my post. Not only does he not succinctly answer your question, he begins a big pissy fit about how he's more substantiated around here and can rally the neckbeards to his side. At least I give an opinion, FFS. I mean, you gave a rather long winded way of saying that what his friend had opined was bad, and only bad. Then proceed to lend him no guidance.

OP only provided options over 1000W. I believe a high end 850W could be a better option. I therefore asked, in order to make sure they aren't skipping any better options. That should be fairly obvious from the quote below.

15 minutes ago, seon123 said:

You could go for an actually high end 850W PSU, where are you buying from?

Not sure how one sentence about the GD is long winded...?

10 minutes ago, Lastronaut said:

PPS: Now that I know it's a rebranded Seasonic, that just validates the Antec as a viable option for myself when I'm considering my needs - seeing as there are literally ZERO places to get a Seasonic Prime Ultra 1000W Titanium for under $400 - and why yes, I AM projecting my conclusion on this conversation. Won't you be so kind as to help the man in your own way? Or are you such a keyboard warrior that you can't see; that those with less experience in the field turn to these very forums for guidance and what can only be called a personal albeit more based opinion?

I have literally no idea how you ended up at the conclusion that you want a PSU with just average/bad transient response, lacking multi rail OCP, and a loud and crappy fan. You see, there are options that address those issues, and at a lower price.

3 minutes ago, bejamartins said:

Is 1000W lower wattage? The 2017 GD is in tier B.

 

https://www.imperiomultimedia.pt/ or https://www.chiptec.net/ (their physical stores)

I meant that the lower wattage versions of the GD have sleeve bearing fans, according to EVGA. I couldn't find any info on the GD 1000W. A PSU not having any reviews is also kind of a red flag.

 

Looks like there really aren't a lot of good options there. Imo, the best option could be the Ion+ 860W.

https://www.chiptec.net/componentes-para-computadores/fontes/fontes-de-alimentacao/fractal-design-ion-860w-80-platinum.html?

It performs fine, has in depth reviews, and it's quiet. Worst case scenario, if it causes shutdowns, you can return it to the store. The Kolink Continuums. and the Zalman Acrux seem to perform okay, but they lack in depth reviews, they are loud, and they lack multi rail OCP, which you definitely want on higher wattage PSUs. But they should work.

Is there any reason for not buying from an online retailer?

[Lastronaut]

One love bro bro, seems you bring a lot to the party. Personally, I'm just here to get my build rocks off so, if in the meantime we can be constructive and conducive to people coming to their best outcome.

PS: Read your profile, I see that you went with a Seasonic. Gotcha. 

[bejamartins]

10 hours ago, seon123 said:

Looks like there really aren't a lot of good options there. Imo, the best option could be the Ion+ 860W.

https://www.chiptec.net/componentes-para-computadores/fontes/fontes-de-alimentacao/fractal-design-ion-860w-80-platinum.html?

It performs fine, has in depth reviews, and it's quiet. Worst case scenario, if it causes shutdowns, you can return it to the store. The Kolink Continuums. and the Zalman Acrux seem to perform okay, but they lack in depth reviews, they are loud, and they lack multi rail OCP, which you definitely want on higher wattage PSUs. But they should work.

Is there any reason for not buying from an online retailer?

Mainly dealing with warranties, specially considering it's a PSU and can damage other components if malfunction.

 

Edit: it was actually an EVGA GQ 1000, putting it at tier B. I went with that one. Many from his website were actually out of stock. He said high wattage PSU's have been selling like crazy and getting difficult to restock. He blames mining and Covid.