Power supply for 25.00. Sketchy, much?

[Shura]

Okay, so the grafix card I want has a 500W power supply requirement. I plan to buy a 550W power supply. But just one question...

I found one on sale for $25.00. That's bad, isn't it? I shouldn't find one so cheap unless it's REALLY bad, right? Also, any advice on the place I can find HD 7870 and power supply for best deal?

Stay far away from that Power supply, there is very little information about it on the net but the ones i did find all say bad things. For example some of the models are advertised with a fake SLI logo, but cross referencing with Nvidia shows that that brand has no SLI certification. Another reported issue is the the PSU produces far less watts then what they advertise. As mentioned by others, the Power Supply is one of the most important parts in a PC, a bad one can fry your entire system, while a good one can keep it running safely for a really long time.

Here are some PSU with good reviews.
Antec BP550 - 550W 80+ Certified Modular - $64.99 <--> If your looking for Modular, the cheapest good PSU that can support your Video Card and is 80+ Certified is the Antec BP550.

Corsair CX600 - 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Non-Modular $69.99 <--> I would recommend the Corsair CX600 since its the brand i personally use and have never had any issues; CX600 is 80+ Bronze Certified but is Non-Modular(shouldn't be an issue with good cable management though).

RAIDMAX Blackstone RX-700AC - 700W 80+ Bronze Certified Modular - $69.99 <--> RaidMax RX-700 has good reviews, is 80+ Bronze Certified, Modular and has 700W but this is a brand i have no personal experience with so can't say much else.

Due note that some of these have free shipping like the CX600, while others charge you, like the RaidMax. Also try looking at some different sites for the same brand, some stores will have them at a discounted price.

[SkyeWindbinder]

thanks, everyone. Glad I consulted you guys first before just getting any old thing. Ok, so I'm gonna have to go deeper into my pockets. It's tough, but a better option than getting a power supply that will break down in 15 minutes.

[Nix]

thanks, everyone. Glad I consulted you guys first before just getting any old thing. Ok, so I'm gonna have to go deeper into my pockets. It's tough, but a better option than getting a power supply that will break down in 15 minutes.

I'm gonna throw a 2nd vote in for the Corsair power supplies... I had a few random ones break on me in the past, but the Corsairs have always been awesome and lasted a looong time.

[Zenaku]

ya don't buy a cheap one get a good one i learn that the hard way. My PSU blow up within 8month i had to get a new one thank god noting got damage.

[auritribe]

Power supplies are the one component you do not screw around with. They're the one part that can potentially destroy the rest of the machine if they go bad. Do not skimp out on this, and make sure you do your research on a good power supply.

Corsair and Seasonic make good power supplies, go there for a start. And try not to go for the cheapest 'budget' models if possible.

[Riv]

I had an OCZ for about 4 years, never had any problems. I eventually upgraded to a 1000w Rosewill, which has also given me zero problems in over a year.

The multiple 12V rail thing is kind of a gimmick. Mainly, as others have said, look for 80+ certified PSU's.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028 Boom 70 bucks, free shipping AND a $10 rebate. Still 4/5 too with lots of reviews. Wouldn't be great if you ever plan to SLI/Crossfire though.

[JillyBean]

This is the one I got recently to accommodate my new graphics card (didn't "need" 650 watts, but wanted to be safe)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817171052

It was one with the highest watts that was also the exact same physical size as my old PS so I knew I wouldn't have trouble getting it into my tiny Dell case.

[Alhanelem]

You never want to cheap out on the PSU, especially if it's a obscure brand or oem, you'll pay for it soon or later.

This. spend good money on a PSU now or end up buying another one and possibly replacing everything else in your PC later.

[JillyBean]

Gunna pop in on Skye's thread here and ask if Shura/Abriael (wish I could tag you guys like FB lol) would be able to direct me to a good aftermarket cooler for my i7 860 2.8 proccesser. My temps ran all day yesterday no more than 71, hovered in the high 50s/low 60s, with a CPU load usually in the teens. My case is a Dell XPS 8000 Studio so I know that can be limiting. The GTX560 I put in is so far/so good

This is a c&p of most specs I think you would need? *EDIT Newegg preferred <3 you guys!

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/10/2013, 11:05:00
Machine name: JILL-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.130104-1431)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Studio XPS 8000
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.8GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8184MB RAM
Page File: 4073MB used, 12291MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode


---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GTX 560
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1201&SUBSYS_14603842&REV_A1
Display Memory: 4050 MB
Dedicated Memory: 978 MB
Shared Memory: 3072 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: ASUS VH232H
Monitor Id: ACI23F1
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
Output Type: DVI
Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver File Version: 9.18.0013.0697 (English)
Driver Version: 9.18.13.697
DDI Version: 11
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 10/2/2012 18:21:00, 18252136 bytes

[Riv]

Those temps are when usage was only in the teens? How high do you get under load? @.@ I don't get temps near 70 unless i'm running IBT or Prime95, while it's OC'd. Have you dusted out your current fan/heatsink? You might even just need to re-apply the thermal grease.

I use a Cooler Master Hyper N 520 but that's probably too big for your case. You would be wise to measure how much clearance you have between the CPU and side of your case, and between the CPU and RAM. Newegg lists dimensions with all of their coolers.