Looking for an inexpensive, reliable power supply

[LOLZpersonok]

I have a computer I've been wanting to turn into my main computer for a long time because its CPU and GPU are so much more powerful than what my current main machine has (this computer has an AMD FX-4300 and an NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti as opposed to my main machine's AMD A10-4600M and AMD Radeon HD 7660G + 7670M graphics) but I need a power supply and a license for Windows 10. Because I have almost no income at all, I'm going for the power supply first and then the Windows license later.

 

I'm very concerned about the reliability of the power supply. I don't want to get one that dies within a year or two (or three or more for that matter - I tend to have my computers for a long time) and I especially don't want one that's more likely to pop all of my hardware than another if it fails, because I won't be able to replace my fried hardware. Even getting a new power supply alone is a stretch for money. I've been using a 10 year old 350 watt power supply in this machine and while it's been able to handle the hardware just fine, it's 10 years old and I don't trust its reliability. I've removed the graphics card from the computer for the time being, and I've also been tempted to replace the machine with something else for my YouTube and movie watching activities (that's what I've been using it for) but I don't really have anything else quite powerful enough for that purpose. All my Pentium 4 systems are just a bit too slow with Internet video streaming for my liking. I suppose I could hook up a secondary display to my main machine and use it for that purpose in addition to playing games, but it's a pain in the rear to switch from a full screen game to the browser every 5 minutes (some games don't take kindly to that either) and my main machine isn't a powerhouse either. It doesn't meet the minimum requirements for Fallout 4 and I've shoehorned its graphics settings enough to the point where I get good framerates in most areas and tolerable framerates in others (and it doesn't look horrifying either), so also playing YouTube or Netflix videos on that computer at the same time would not be a fun task.

 

I've been looking at an EVGA 500W 80+ Certified power supply (PCPartPicker hyperlink) for $55CAD, and while it's from EVGA, a brand I'd trust, its low price has me unsure of its quality and reliability. I don't care about having all the bells and whistles on a power supply - all I'm concerned about is the power supply being able to handle the hardware's power demands without blowing up in a few years (and especially without popping the rest of the computer with it). I've had my main machine for 5 years now and I would expect reliability for at least that long. I also don't plan on doing any hardcore overclocking. This machine is actually already overclocked, but not major-league. Its factory CPU clock is 3.8GHz and I've brought it up to an even 4.0GHz, just for satisfaction's sake. Here are my questions:

 

1. Would the aforementioned power supply, the EVGA 500W 80+ be a reliable power supply for a good while (it hopefully lasts at least 3-5 years and probably won't fry my hardware if it dies)?

2. If not, what would be a good, reliable power supply for $100 or less (the less, the better - when I say I have next to no income, I mean it)? (I would appreciate if you also provided reasoning as to why it's a good one)

[Colin Donoghue]

Get a windows license on kingquin.com they are like 30 buck for pro windows 10

[STRMfrmXMN]

1 minute ago, LOLZpersonok said:

 

1. Would the aforementioned power supply, the EVGA 500W 80+ be a reliable power supply for a good while (it hopefully lasts at least 3-5 years and probably won't fry my hardware if it dies)?

2. If not, what would be a good, reliable power supply for $100 or less (the less, the better - when I say I have next to no income, I mean it)? (I would appreciate if you also provided reasoning as to why it's a good one)

1. That EVGA, although not a fantastic unit, should comfortably power a 750 Ti. I would not power a dGPU that requires a 6-pin, 8-pin, etc, with it, however.

2. Well, $100 CAD is a little overkill for a PSU for a 750 Ti. For 65 CAD I found ya a Seasonic S12, a very reliable unit. It's a little old (meaning electrical performance is excellent as of 2010 and about average by today's standards) but built quite well.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/fZyFf7/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii520bronze

[LOLZpersonok]

45 minutes ago, Colin Donoghue said:

Get a windows license on kingquin.com they are like 30 buck for pro windows 10

I can't trust that website because of their Web of Trust reviews and how they're giving away these keys for so cheap.

[LOLZpersonok]

55 minutes ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

1. That EVGA, although not a fantastic unit, should comfortably power a 750 Ti. I would not power a dGPU that requires a 6-pin, 8-pin, etc, with it, however.

2. Well, $100 CAD is a little overkill for a PSU for a 750 Ti. For 65 CAD I found ya a Seasonic S12, a very reliable unit. It's a little old (meaning electrical performance is excellent as of 2010 and about average by today's standards) but built quite well.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/fZyFf7/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii520bronze

The 10 year old 350 watt power supply I've been using will power my GTX 750 Ti pretty well (I just can't do much with it because the computer is running Ubuntu Linux) and the card doesn't require any additional power connections, it's powered entirely through the PCI-e x16 slot. Just out of curiosity, what makes that EVGA PSU not a fantastic unit? Would you happen to know if it's a reliable unit? And why wouldn't you use it with a more power-hungry graphics card? I'm also not entirely sold on that SeaSonic power supply just because the tech is a little old, even if the unit itself is new.

 

^ You can bet I'm going to ask a lot of questions. ?

[STRMfrmXMN]

5 minutes ago, LOLZpersonok said:

The 10 year old 350 watt power supply I've been using will power my GTX 750 Ti pretty well (I just can't do much with it because the computer is running Ubuntu Linux) and the card doesn't require any additional power connections, it's powered entirely through the PCI-e x16 slot. Just out of curiosity, what makes that EVGA PSU not a fantastic unit? Would you happen to know if it's a reliable unit? And why wouldn't you use it with a more power-hungry graphics card? I'm also not entirely sold on that SeaSonic power supply just because the tech is a little old, even if the unit itself is new.

The EVGA, like the Seasonic, is a group-regulated design, yet the EVGA uses cheaper componentry and performs a little weak electrically. For the money it's worth what you pay for it. The Seasonic is group-regulated (if you don't know what this means, to keep it simple it's an older design) as well but is just built better, has a longer warranty, performs better electrically and also has a higher-quality fan. I wouldn't use the EVGA with a higher-end GPU that produces more heat and requires more power due to the thermal limitations of the EVGA and the lower build quality, reflected in the warranty.

 

Seasonic is pretty hard to beat as a PSU brand - they also OEM for many companies including EVGA in their GS/PS units, for example. 

 

If you want to avoid anything group regulated (it's not a reliability issue, remember - it's an electrical performance issue) then the Corsair CX450 would be a good choice. If you want the utmost reliability for the next few years I'd avoid the modular version (marked with an "M" in the name - CX450M) as this uses an inferior fan design.

[LOLZpersonok]

3 minutes ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

The EVGA, like the Seasonic, is a group-regulated design, yet the EVGA uses cheaper componentry and performs a little weak electrically. For the money it's worth what you pay for it. The Seasonic is group-regulated (if you don't know what this means, to keep it simple it's an older design) as well but is just built better, has a longer warranty, performs better electrically and also has a higher-quality fan. I wouldn't use the EVGA with a higher-end GPU that produces more heat and requires more power due to the thermal limitations of the EVGA and the lower build quality, reflected in the warranty.

 

Seasonic is pretty hard to beat as a PSU brand - they also OEM for many companies including EVGA in their GS/PS units, for example. 

 

If you want to avoid anything group regulated (it's not a reliability issue, remember - it's an electrical performance issue) then the Corsair CX450 would be a good choice. If you want the utmost reliability for the next few years I'd avoid the modular version (marked with an "M" in the name - CX450M) as this uses an inferior fan design.

It looks like there's a mail-in rebate going on for that Corsair CX450, meaning I can get it for $40 and it's really drawn my attention because I've always viewed Corsair as being very good (I've steered away from the modular version, like you suggested. I wouldn't want a fan to die and then bake the power supply). How is its reliability and electrical performance?

[Colin Donoghue]

21 minutes ago, LOLZpersonok said:

I can't trust that website because of their Web of Trust reviews and how they're giving away these keys for so cheap.

Paul from Paul's hardware said it was trustworthy and he has a reputation to keep

[LOLZpersonok]

Just now, Colin Donoghue said:

Paul from Paul's hardware said it was trustworthy and he has a reputation to keep

That still doesn't fill me with any hope regarding the site. I'm usually very skeptical regarding sites offering these huge discounts, because they commonly have poor reputations. There does seem to be some good feedback from Web of Trust (it also looks like their customer service is supposedly horrid), but I'd much rather buy from a more reputable source, even if it means I'd have to pay full price. 

[STRMfrmXMN]

6 minutes ago, LOLZpersonok said:

It looks like there's a mail-in rebate going on for that Corsair CX450, meaning I can get it for $40 and it's really drawn my attention because I've always viewed Corsair as being very good (I've steered away from the modular version, like you suggested. I wouldn't want a fan to die and then bake the power supply). How is its reliability and electrical performance?

That's a good price for it. Corsair doesn't make it by the way, that's done by Corsair's OEMs so viewing the unit based on brand is usually meaningless with few exceptions (like Seasonic).

 

It's nearly new so we can't such much for longevity but it's built quite well and performs very good, especially considering the price.

[LOLZpersonok]

1 minute ago, STRMfrmXMN said:

That's a good price for it. Corsair doesn't make it by the way, that's done by Corsair's OEMs so viewing the unit based on brand is usually meaningless with few exceptions (like Seasonic).

 

It's nearly new so we can't such much for longevity but it's built quite well and performs very good, especially considering the price.

Well, if it's well constructed and uses good quality parts, there shouldn't be any harm in trying. I mean, the power supply I've been currently using in that machine is 10 years old and has a lot of hours on it, and it seems to be well constructed as well (regardless, I still can't trust it anymore) so perhaps I'll give this Corsair supply a go. Thanks for the suggestion.