Power Supply Overkill

[Dalis]

I just watch Linus video on selecting a power supply, and decide to go try the Power Supply calculator. It recommended a 450W power supply. I'm have been contemplating upgrades so I plugged in the upgrades I wanted todo, and spat out 650W. Is a 750W or 800W overkill or dangerous?

Specs (after all upgrade are done):

ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 w/ Intel i5-4590K

ASUS Strix GTX GeForce 950

WD 1Tb hardrive

BLAST 480G SSD

5 120cm fans

2 80cm fans (motherboard asst. fans)

CD/DVD/BluRay-RW

[Charcoal_]

Theres no danger to the PC with a large (good quality) PSU, only to your wallet...

[ThinkWithPortals]

I just watch Linus video on selecting a power supply, and decide to go try the Power Supply calculator. It recommended a 450W power supply. I'm have been contemplating upgrades so I plugged in the upgrades I wanted todo, and spat out 650W. Is a 750W or 800W overkill or dangerous?

It would help a lot if you gave us the specific parts you're using/upgrading to. But going for a completely overkill power supply will not impact performance or break anything, you're just wasting money.

[TheRandomness]

Neither. It just means it can provide more watts when needed.

[Naeaes]

No. If you get a quality PSU, there is no danger. Technically the peak of the power supply efficiency is reached at around 80% utilization and it can really suck at very low utilization. That's just to say, if a sub-par 1000W powersupply is only providing 200W, it might still draw 1500W from the wall and blowing it all to heat production. Obviously I'm exaggerating and pulling figures from my butt, but hope you get the point. 

[Dalis]

Updated with specs

[gunmaster1173]

I just watch Linus video on selecting a power supply, and decide to go try the Power Supply calculator. It recommended a 450W power supply. I'm have been contemplating upgrades so I plugged in the upgrades I wanted todo, and spat out 650W. Is a 750W or 800W overkill or dangerous?

Specs (after all upgrade are done):

ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 w/ Intel i5-4590K

ASUS Strix GTX GeForce 950

WD 1Tb hardrive

BLAST 480G SSD

5 120cm fans

2 80cm fans (motherboard asst. fans)

CD/DVD/BluRay-RW

Over killing your power supply isn't bad for your computer but if you overkill your power supply you'll have more space to add stuff in the future, people say it's a waist of money but it helps you in the future if you overkill your power supply and have space then buy a power supply then have a limited amount of space and not enough head room and need to upgrade it if you get a more power gpu, and I think a corsair rm750i is good enough for any single gpu out there even overclocking but if your planing to go sli later on maybe a 850 is better for you

[WoodenMarker]

Most psu calculators are unreliable and the numbers you're coming up with are very inaccurate. A decent 400w would already be more than enough.

I think a corsair rm750i is good enough for any single gpu out there even overclocking but if your planing to go sli later on maybe a 850 is better for you

750w is overkill. A good 550w is already enough for any system with a single gpu or a 950 sli.

[gunmaster1173]

Most psu calculators are unreliable and the numbers you're coming up with are very inaccurate. A decent 400w would already be more than enough.

750w is overkill. A good 550w is already enough for any system with a single gpu or a 950 sli.

Yea but if he's getting like a 970,980 or 980ti and sli that a 750 is just enough and I like having a lot of headroom so I can throw anything in my build without worrying if I have enough watts so that's why I said a 850 if he's doing sli with a 970,980 or 980ti but if he's doing a single gpu and overclocking a 650 is perfectly fine, like I have a 1000w power supply just because I run 2 970s and have a lot of headroom to up the voltage to my gpu's and cpu's and that I can put in any cards in the future and won't ever worry about not having enough watts but a 1000w is ridiculously overkill by like a mile

[WoodenMarker]

Yea but if he's getting like a 970,980 or 980ti and sli that a 750 is just enough and I like having a lot of headroom so I can throw anything in my build without worrying if I have enough watts so that's why I said a 850 if he's doing sli with a 970,980 or 980ti but if he's doing a single gpu and overclocking a 650 is perfectly fine, like I have a 1000w power supply just because I run 2 970s and have a lot of headroom to up the voltage to my gpu's and cpu's and that I can put in any cards in the future and won't ever worry about not having enough watts but a 1000w is ridiculously overkill by like a mile

That's a big if. Even with 2x 970's, a decent 650w is already plenty.

[gunmaster1173]

That's a big if. Even with 2x 970's, a decent 650w is already plenty.

Well it all depends if your going to be touching your voltage on ur gpu's and cpu, even 2 970s I'd sell get a 750 over a 650 but that's my opinion, either 650 or 750 would be an upgrade from what he has and both r good enough for sli unless ur doing 980ti sli or like 3 way sli

[WoodenMarker]

Well it all depends if your going to be touching your voltage on ur gpu's and cpu, even 2 970s I'd sell get a 750 over a 650 but that's my opinion, either 650 or 750 would be an upgrade from what he has and both r good enough for sli unless ur doing 980ti sli or like 3 way sli

Both are overkill for sli considering the OP is going with a 950.

[gunmaster1173]

Both are overkill for sli considering the OP is going with a 950.

I think he's upgrading from a 950 to a higher card and even if he does sli 950 and he decides to change his card to like 2 980s he's still go with a 650w or 750w that's the point of overkillinga power supply

[WoodenMarker]

I think he's upgrading from a 950 to a higher card and even if he does sli 950 and he decides to change his card to like 2 980s he's still go with a 650w or 750w that's the point of overkillinga power supply

Reread the OP.

[gunmaster1173]

Reread the OP.

Oh okay then yea a 650w is great for what u have and ull still have a lot of head room to add stuff like another 950

[Alir]

No. If you get a quality PSU, there is no danger. Technically the peak of the power supply efficiency is reached at around 80% utilization and it can really suck at very low utilization. That's just to say, if a sub-par 1000W powersupply is only providing 200W, it might still draw 1500W from the wall and blowing it all to heat production. Obviously I'm exaggerating and pulling figures from my butt, but hope you get the point. 

 

U WAT

[gunmaster1173]

U WAT

No. If you get a quality PSU, there is no danger. Technically the peak of the power supply efficiency is reached at around 80% utilization and it can really suck at very low utilization. That's just to say, if a sub-par 1000W powersupply is only providing 200W, it might still draw 1500W from the wall and blowing it all to heat production. Obviously I'm exaggerating and pulling figures from my butt, but hope you get the point.

He's explains power supply efficiency but in a absolutely wrong way, if u see a power supply with 1000w it's not alway drawing 1000w+ from the wall when it's using 200w,

If the computer is asking 500 watts the cpu will give it and and pull 550watts from the wall so his example of using 200watts and pulling 1500watts from the wall isn't correct, even if u have a 1600watt power supply if ur computer is using even 300w it's gonna be pulling 350w it never uses its full amount, the only way you'd be pulling 1500watts from the wall is if ur computer is using 1400 or 1450watts

[Dalis]

I think he's upgrading from a 950 to a higher card and even if he does sli 950 and he decides to change his card to like 2 980s he's still go with a 650w or 750w that's the point of overkillinga power supply

No actually a 650 to a 970. I built my rig 3 years ago

[Dalis]

Sounds like efficiency over more wattage. How about Cosair AX760? Or the HX and P2 equivalents

[WoodenMarker]

No actually a 650 to a 970. I built my rig 3 years ago

Huh? The 970 isn't mentioned anywhere in the OP.

Sounds like efficiency over more wattage. How about Cosair AX760? Or the HX and P2 equivalents

Efficiency has little to do with the quality of the psu and doesn't really matter when it comes to picking an appropriate unit unless power draw/costs are an important factor.

[Kobathor]

Sounds like efficiency over more wattage. How about Cosair AX760? Or the HX and P2 equivalents

Efficiency isn't everything. You still need a quality PSU. The ones you listed are good, but you'll be paying potentially more for a PSU than a GTX 950 costs. REALLY good ones are EVGA G2/GS/GQ, anything from Seasonic, Antec High Current Gamer, and Corsair RM series (modern ones.) 

[gunmaster1173]

Huh? The 970 isn't mentioned anywhere in the OP.

Efficiency has little to do with the quality of the psu and doesn't really matter when it comes to picking an appropriate unit unless power draw/costs are an important factor.

Yea he I right and honestly if you're sticking with only 970 a 650 watt will do the trick if ur going 2 970's then like 750watts

[Dalis]

Efficiency isn't everything. You still need a quality PSU. The ones you listed are good, but you'll be paying potentially more for a PSU than a GTX 950 costs. REALLY good ones are EVGA G2/GS/GQ, anything from Seasonic, Antec High Current Gamer, and Corsair RM series (modern ones.)

Any fully modular ones you would recommend?

[Kobathor]

Any fully modular ones you would recommend?

EVGA G2/GS, XFX XTR, Seasonic G series, Superflower Leadex Gold series. All Gold efficiency, all really good PSU's. After Gold efficiency it gets really expensive.

 

Corsair RM series is also okay, but overpriced.

[gunmaster1173]

EVGA G2/GS, XFX XTR, Seasonic G series, Superflower Leadex Gold series. All Gold efficiency, all really good PSU's. After Gold efficiency it gets really expensive.

Corsair RM series is also okay, but overpriced.

Aren't the Evga g2 series the same price as the corsair rmi series?