PSU Advice Needed.

TheSwede

TheSwede

TheSwede

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Hi all,

I just want to check with you knowledgeable people if I have enough juice or need to buy a new PSU. Presently I have a Corsair HX Series 520W Modular PSU and it runs the following:

6 HDD's
8800GTX
ASUS Sonar D2
1 DVD Writer
1 Blue-Ray & HD DVD Drive
1 Floppy
(Also has a Zalman Fan controller, but will have to remove this one when installing the hotswap bay)

Think that is it, and reason I am wondering if I need a new one is that I have just bought myself a Cheiftec 3 x 3.5 SATA II hotswap bay and I want to make sure when I install it that my Corsair will be enough, or if I should upgrade?

Also, just to be on the safe side, when the day comes for me to upgrade my graphics card to a newer model, will it still be safe or should I consider upgrading my PSU first?

Lastly, what is the difference between a modular and non modular PSU?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated as always! :)
 
if you're going to be using those same 6 HDD's in the hotswap bay, there is no reason at all why it wouldn't work. To be honest, that PSU will be enough to just add 3 more HDD's to that system... 520W is enough to run 2 8800GTX's

Modular PSU's have detachable cables you can remove if you're not using them. Basically for cable tidiness in your case, and to stop unused cables from blocking airflow. There's no difference in their performance, generally modular are more expensive, but either is fine to use. Non modular just means all the cables are always attached. You get what you've got, can add none and remove none.

8800GTX was quite a power hungry beast. I reckon upgrading other components will give you no problems...

CPU will use no more than 140W if you've got one of the super power hungry ones.
graphics card will use about the same...
HDD's use almost nothing in comparison. maybe 100W total for all 6 of those drives (probably heavily overestimating there). I think i've got a 650W running a GTX260, 2 HDDs and an overclocked Phenom II 720.
 
Thanks Andy for your advice!

And no, not going to use the same HDD in the hotswap bay, will keep them connected as they are and use different ones in the bay, as and when they are needed. Mostly planing on ripping my DVD collection into ISO's and saving them on spare HDD's, plus music but that don't take to much place.

My CPU is a C2D E6750 at normal speed, not sure if it is a power hungry one though!

So keeping my setup as it is and using the bay as and when its needed wont be a problem, although coming to think about it I might have to remove one HDD to be able to connect the bay, think with all that I have inside it right now my PSU is fully connected, unless I can use the same connection cables that goes to the Zalman to the bay.. hmm have to look into that when I get the bay tomorrow (depending on our trusty mail man of course!)

But basically my Corsair would be able to handle all the above even when I one day upgrade my graphic card to maybe a GTX260 or 275?
 
Corsair are a quality brand of psu and you will be fine. I used to run an overclocked q6600, 8 fans, a fan controller, a d5 waterpump, 3 optical drives, 4 hard drives, a soundcard, and a gtx260 from a Tagan 480W psu!

As for an upgrade it depends on the gfx card. 5970 require quite a beefy psu especially if you plan to overclock so maybe worth asking the question again depending on the gfx card you intend to upgrade to.
 
Thanks for your reply Greebo!

Greebo said:
Corsair are a quality brand of psu and you will be fine. I used to run an overclocked q6600, 8 fans, a fan controller, a d5 waterpump, 3 optical drives, 4 hard drives, a soundcard, and a gtx260 from a Tagan 480W psu!
Click to expand...

wow! That was quite some set up you got there! Seeing your set up there I see I forgot to mention I am also running three fans, but I am guessing in the larger scale of things they don't draw that much power!

Greebo said:
As for an upgrade it depends on the gfx card. 5970 require quite a beefy psu especially if you plan to overclock so maybe worth asking the question again depending on the gfx card you intend to upgrade to.
Click to expand...

I will have that in mind once that may comes along and ask once again if I need to upgrade the PSU or not! And while we are at it, I guess if I would upgrade from my C2D to a Quad that I should ask again?

Also, does it matter to the PSU how much memory you have in the machine? Or if I upgrade from DDR2 to DDR3? My mobo can handle both..

Hmmm each time I get a reply I have more questions! Need to get me a decent computer book and read up! :p
 
Memory will make no difference to the psu and even with a quad you should be fine with you psu.

It's the graphics card that can be a psu killer especillay if you ever go sli/xfire.
 
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