Best PSU for $150ish.

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Nobi125

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jun 7, 2005
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My trusty Enermax Liberty 620w bit the dust today after 5 years of flawless service. Hoping nothing else died with it.

Computer specs are in my sig. There are a couple more hard drives in the PC that are not listed there. Computer isn't too intense, but I definitely want plenty of power to spare for upgrades over the next 5 years. I'm thinking 750-850w.

Corsair seems to be pretty popular these days, I was looking at the 850HX, but it may be too long. What else should I be looking at? (Cables must be modular and not on the short side)
 
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May seasonix 760 (newever version of 750). MC has those for 142.
 
Zero82z said:
The X-760 for $142 would be a very good choice.
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The Seasonic seems like a really nice unit and I could have it tonight.

Looks like Amazon has the Corsair 850X for $144 AR and no tax: http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CMPSU-850HX-850-Watt-Professional-Certified/dp/B0029F21LA

Two rebates is a hassle and I would have to wait for shipping, although overnight for $4 with Prime isn't too bad.

I know Newegg reviews aren't the most reliable source, but there seems to be a lot of DOA or short term death reviews for the Corsair (7% of all "reviews")..
 
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If you have any problems with it at all, PM me here and I'll take care of it for you.
 
Just ordered the Corsair HX850. Got a great deal at the Egg. Extra power and longer warranty are nice as well.

Hope I won't need to PM you, but your presence is appreciated Redbeard.
 
Newegg is having a sale on XFX Black Edition power supplies. The 850w lists for $200, but is marked down to $149 + a $20 discount code + $30 rebate. In the end, its a literal steal. Compares very well to the Corsair HX850...both 80+ silver rated, both have excellent voltage stability and ripple suppression.
 
Bad ConNecTioN said:
Newegg is having a sale on XFX Black Edition power supplies. The 850w lists for $200, but is marked down to $149 + a $20 discount code + $30 rebate. In the end, its a literal steal. Compares very well to the Corsair HX850...both 80+ silver rated, both have excellent voltage stability and ripple suppression.
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The XFX has shorter cables. That's why I didn't recommend it already.
 
I think the Corsair will get the job done. Thanks for your help guys. :cool:
 
Zero82z said:
The XFX has shorter cables. That's why I didn't recommend it already.
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Really?

From LegitReviews:
"The cables you get with the XFX 850W Black Edition are nice and long. The main fixed power cables are approximately 22 inches long stretched out."

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1166/3/

I just ordered this. Seems like an amazing deal for one of the best 850w power supplies out there. Assuming the cables are indeed short could I simply use the modular cables from my HX620W on this?
 
mattchapman said:
Really?
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You can compare the cable lengths from the charts at the bottom of these pages:
XFX: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=165
Corsair: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=153

It goes back and forth a bit, but the Corsair's ATX and EPS12V cables are quite a bit longer.

The XFX is pretty much impossible to beat for the price, but I've seen people in the past having issues with the cable length in larger cases. Since the OP specifically asked for a PSU without short cables, I was erring on the side of caution.
 
I have an XFX 850w unit, and the cables are indeed on the short side. By Comparison, the cables on my TX-750 were significantly longer. Though the TX750 has freakishly long cables anyways. The biggest difference was between the PCI-E cables. With the XFX, I was unable to route them behind my mobo tray (top mount PSU). Granted, I have a large case...but anyone with a full tower that mounts the PSU on the top will have issues with the PCI-E cable lengths. With a bottom mounted PSU, it wouldn't be a problem.
the 4+4 ATX and 8 pin EPS connectors are also on the shorter side, and this will be an issue with a bottom mount PSU...perhaps a big issue. That said, the Corsair's aren't much longer, so you might have to use an extension anyways.

The other cabling issue I had with the XFX was that modular sata connectors. There were only 3 on each cable...which is annoying, as I have 6 hard drives and a sata DVD burner. I ended up making my own hard drive power cable, with 5 connectors spliced on it. Saved me from having to use an extra cable, as my last drive (SSD), and burner are right next to each other.
Otherwise, things went fine. The modular system is easy to use, though they really should have made the 8 pin EPS connector modular, as very few people will need both the 8 pin and 4+4 pin connectors; having an extra one dangling there defeats the whole purpose of a modular PSU.
Also, the cables are 16awg with healthy insulation. This makes them substantially thicker...which might be a problem for behind the mobo routing depending on the case. I noticed the cables were indeed thicker then the ones on my TX-750.


But for less then $100 after rebate and coupon code, its really hard to argue with the value. 80+ Silver rated, with voltage stability and ripple suppression on par or better then just about every other 850w PSU. Factoring all this, I'll even forgive the BRIGHT GREEN FAN! Honestly, they should have passed on that fan lol...its really ugly.
 
Bad ConNecTioN said:
I have an XFX 850w unit, and the cables are indeed on the short side. By Comparison, the cables on my TX-750 were significantly longer. Though the TX750 has freakishly long cables anyways. The biggest difference was between the PCI-E cables. With the XFX, I was unable to route them behind my mobo tray (top mount PSU). Granted, I have a large case...but anyone with a full tower that mounts the PSU on the top will have issues with the PCI-E cable lengths. With a bottom mounted PSU, it wouldn't be a problem.
the 4+4 ATX and 8 pin EPS connectors are also on the shorter side, and this will be an issue with a bottom mount PSU...perhaps a big issue. That said, the Corsair's aren't much longer, so you might have to use an extension anyways.

The other cabling issue I had with the XFX was that modular sata connectors. There were only 3 on each cable...which is annoying, as I have 6 hard drives and a sata DVD burner. I ended up making my own hard drive power cable, with 5 connectors spliced on it. Saved me from having to use an extra cable, as my last drive (SSD), and burner are right next to each other.
Otherwise, things went fine. The modular system is easy to use, though they really should have made the 8 pin EPS connector modular, as very few people will need both the 8 pin and 4+4 pin connectors; having an extra one dangling there defeats the whole purpose of a modular PSU.
Also, the cables are 16awg with healthy insulation. This makes them substantially thicker...which might be a problem for behind the mobo routing depending on the case. I noticed the cables were indeed thicker then the ones on my TX-750.


But for less then $100 after rebate and coupon code, its really hard to argue with the value. 80+ Silver rated, with voltage stability and ripple suppression on par or better then just about every other 850w PSU. Factoring all this, I'll even forgive the BRIGHT GREEN FAN! Honestly, they should have passed on that fan lol...its really ugly.
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wow, i wish i could read this before ordering, although i might not change my deicision of buying it anyway hahaha, nice inpute dude
 
Got the Corsair HX850 installed last night. Really nice PSU. Some of the cables just barely made it, so I'm glad I didn't go with the XFX.
 
mattchapman said:
Can I use my existing cables from my HX620 withthe XFX?
Thanks
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No

Though it is possible to make your own modular cables, as the XFX simply uses a 6 pin PCI-E connector on their modular interface. Simply match the pinouts on the other cables, and you'll be good to go.
 
Bad ConNecTioN said:
No

Though it is possible to make your own modular cables, as the XFX simply uses a 6 pin PCI-E connector on their modular interface. Simply match the pinouts on the other cables, and you'll be good to go.
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OK....but not sure I understand why I can't use my existing PCI-E modular cables that came with my Corsair HX620?
 
mattchapman said:
OK....but not sure I understand why I can't use my existing PCI-E modular cables that came with my Corsair HX620?
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The PCI-E cables might be compatible, but you should check the pinouts of both types of cables to make sure they are the same.
 
Each time a psu changes platforms, it's possible the modular cable pinout also changed. I believe at least one person has screwed up their computer by using the wrong cables. I think the safety of your machine outweighs the annoyance of changing cables don't you? :)
 
mattchapman said:
OK....but not sure I understand why I can't use my existing PCI-E modular cables that came with my Corsair HX620?
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Because the pinouts can be different as the above two posters said. The pinouts can even be different between models of the same brand, so its always a good idea to test them before using.
 
The pinouts were changed, do not use any cables that did not come with the power supply you purchased.
 
Am I the only one here who thinks the green fan on the XFX 850 is cool as hell? :) On a serious note, I have a top mount full tower case (CM stacker 830) and the cable length was fine for me. I was going to get the Seasonic X 850, but at $110 cheaper after the MIB I just couldn't pass up the XFX. I'm really happy with my decision!
 
Bad ConNecTioN said:
What cables did you have trouble with?
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The non-modular PCIE power cables made it but are tugging on the card a bit. I could have routed the cables another way that would have made them reach a little more easily, but the wiring would have looked awful in my case.
 
If the PCI-e cables are too short, there is always the option of buying extensions.

I bought some "braided" or so-called individually sleeved extensions from Performance for just that problem.

I have a Silverstone FT-02 for my son along with a Corsair HX-850.....the modular cables were just a tad short to make it to the second GPU card on the board, and make it look nice and tidy......thus the extensions.....I think I bought 9 inch ones, or maybe 12 inch.
 
Nobi125 said:
The non-modular PCIE power cables made it but are tugging on the card a bit. I could have routed the cables another way that would have made them reach a little more easily, but the wiring would have looked awful in my case.
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Its funny, but the XFX in this situation actually has longer cables. The non-modular PCI-E cables on the XFX are 600mm, while they are only 490mm on the Corsair. The modular corsair connectors are 610mm though, while the modular XFX connectors are 550mm.
 
ha just received my xfx 850w, very nice build compare to my pc power cooling, and also a lot more modernized haha.

the cable length wasn't an issue for me even in my 800D, I guess just because every psu is kinda short on this large case so they offered extensions. but yeah, like bad connection said, the pcie at least were not an issue

love it!
 
Received my XFX 850W today! Fits well into my Antec P180 and cables just reach.
The buzzing caused by my old HX620 is gone!
 
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