What psu?

Soldato
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Still cant decide what psu to go for.
Will be for a sb rig with 2x6950s flashed and overclocked
Will also be overclocking cpu (of course:))

Was going to get the corsair 850w but wondering if i should go for soemthing different esp as i may add another 6950 at a later date.

Dont want to go over the top but dont want to have to upgrade in near future

Any other recomendations?

cheers
 
My Corsiar TX 750W is doing fine for my rig.

If I had to buy a new one now then I'd probably go for a HX 850W modular.
 
Overclockers themselves have often recommended Corsiar TX & HX range for heaviest power hungry systems.
 
Hi there,

For a system using dual 6970s (effectively) and an overclocked SB, I would suggest at least a good quality 750W PSU (looking at this review using an overclocked i7 900 series system).

Something like this would be great. Here is a review.

If you are thinking about getting a third card in the future, then as well as PSU considerations - please bear in mind that LGA 1155 is limited to 16 PCIE lanes for the graphics. This means that these lanes are limited to x8/x8 speeds in dual SLI/CF and most boards do not support triple crossfire. Some of the much more expensive boards do support Triple Crossfire (by using bridging chips) but these solutions don't scale as well in triple CF/SLI compared to boards that can do this natively - like X58.
 
Thanks for the replys

Was looking at getting the maximus or the UD7 which both support triple crossfire as they have the nf200 chip

Never spent more than £50 on a psu (2nd hand) but relise it very important to get a decent one.

Guessing a 1000w or a 1200w would be overkill?

Plus have read that at lower usage (less than 50%) some arent that efficient?
 
I have the Corsair Professional Series Gold 850w PSU in my system, and I couldn't be more pleased with it. It's solid as a rock, reassuringly heavy and very well built. It's also very quiet, and comes with a decent amount of cables, which is always a bonus. Plus who can argue with a 7 year warranty!!!

My brother has a 800w Coolermaster Silent Pro Gold, but we both in our opinions agree that the Corsair seems the better (although more costly) of the two.
 
Personally I would suggest with sticking with a good quality 750-850W PSU. By the time you feel that dual overclocked, flashed 6950s are not providing enough performance (unless you are running a multiple displays in eyefinity), I reckon we will have a shiny new generation of graphics cards out. By that time, considering adding a third "old" card would seem a bit crazy - especially due to the power, spacing and heat factors.

If you are absolutely set on triple cards in the future, then I would go for 1000W PSU. Please bear in mind that the price jump from high quality 750/850W PSUs to high quality 1000W PSUs is a very high one indeed - since they are not made in large numbers and aimed only at the top-end enthusiasts.
 
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Yeah the corsair ones seem very nice indeed.

But should i go for the 850w ,1000w or 1200w?

I would buy the biggest and best you can afford lets say you get the 850W corsair and pull 500watts of power than the psu will be less than 90 efficient whereas if you go for a 1200W you'll be pulling less than 50% which means higher effienciency, which in turn will equal better power delivery and performance.

Just depends on what you can afford really, might also pay to have a look at the corsair efficiency charts so you can better grasp the concept
Link here http://www.corsair.com/power-supplies/modular-psus/professional-series-gold-2/ax850.html

Typical system load on the 850 Watt would be 425 Watt and i imagine with a overclocked SB and 2x6950's you'll be drawing more than that
 
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Something I have been wondering while thinking about my first self build, and possibly answered by bigjimmyauk's post above, is there a problem getting a bigger wattaged PSU than I need? For example I've calculated my rig will need 750 watts (including some planned SLI-ing in the next year or so), but I was tempted to get an 850 watt PSU just in case. Are there any drawbacks to this?
 
No real drawbacks (besides costing a bit more money) to buying a higher wattage PSU than you require. In fact, I think it's sensible to spend the extra money now, and future-proof yourself for any upgrades you may decide to make.

One thing I do know from years of PC building - get the highest quality PSU you can afford. After all, it does provide the power for your entire system, and it's normally the case that: unstable PSU = unstable system.
 
Thanks Terminator1612 - I am hindered by the fact I can't really fit a PSU deeper than 160mm, but I think I'm going to save my pennies for a 850w corsair (the non-modular one)
 
Thanks Terminator1612 - I am hindered by the fact I can't really fit a PSU deeper than 160mm, but I think I'm going to save my pennies for a 850w corsair (the non-modular one)

No problem, glad I could be of help. I'm a big fan of the Corsair power supplies, and if the non modular ones are as well made as my modular one you will be just fine.

As other people have mentioned, the modular Corsair PSU's are worth considering. They have the benfit of being able to remove the cables, and this helps not just with case organisation, but it can also increase airflow.
 
Have decided to go with the Professional Series™ Gold AX850 after reading some reviews of it:)
Cheers for all the advice its appreciated.
 
An average 6970 CF system would be pulling 600w at the max, any good quality 650w+ psu is fine :) I was a bit worried about the OCZ 700w i am getting with my new rig but from reading up review it is fine.
 
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