What influences your choice of Power Supply purchase? - Page 2 - bit-tech.net Forums

Matticus · 6th Sep 2008, 14:57

I would have previously looked for value for money, ie watts/price. Now I just look for corsair...

sotu1 · 6th Sep 2008, 15:07

I ticked a lot of boxes, but really I should only have checked one box: what bit-tech says about it.

Burnout21 · 6th Sep 2008, 16:04

Wattage is the main reason for buying a PSU, but it must be true wattage not a 'hopes and dreams 700W which is actually a 300W'

I treat a PSU purchase like a monitor purchase, intent to use for years!!!!

Stuey · 6th Sep 2008, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by sotu1

I ticked a lot of boxes, but really I should only have checked one box: what bit-tech says about it.

lol, stop sucking up!

I checked a lot of boxes.

For me, it's quality. I want to make sure that the PSU I buy can handle what I throw at it. Fashion is also a part of it. I recently bought a VX450 for my wife's build, and it looked good and performs well. I then bought a VX550 for myself. There was a PC Power & Cooling for similar money as the Corsair, but it was not as quiet, it was larger, and the cables were only sleeved up to the 1st connector. Pre-sleeved is not what I did in the past, but it simplifies things greatly.

I may not be so quick to purchase Corsair in the future - my PSU is slightly oversized - maybe due to the black coating, and so it is a real pain to secure in my P182SE's PSU cage.

sotu1 · 6th Sep 2008, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuey

lol, stop sucking up!

you're absolutely right, bit-tech reviews suck.

GunsAblazin · 10th Dec 2008, 08:18

I'm Surprised brand was such a big selling point. Don't people shop around anymore. Then what do they need Bit-tech for?

Mankz · 10th Dec 2008, 09:18

I really look for something very quiet, and fairly efficent.

Apart from that, Colours, modular connectors, number of PCI-E connectors are just bonuses..

However, my last two PSU have been Bit-Tech reccomended units, which is rather nice.

RotoSequence · 10th Dec 2008, 12:08

I'm rather surprised that weight isn't even considered in most people's purchases. If one PSU is noticeably heavier than another, it's likely due to the quantity of material in place, such as a thicker enclosing material, or more importantly, bigger heat sinks.

azrael- · 10th Dec 2008, 14:32

I checked noise, efficiency, voltages (both), modular cables and warranty. Perhaps I should also have checked wattage, but I don't consider that a selling point as such, since I only buy PSUs at a wattage I need.

Currently I'm using a Corsair HX520W, which I plan on keeping for the forseeing future. It pretty much hits all the boxes I checked.

I find it interesting that people don't seem to pay much attention to the warranty. For me this is a good indicator of how manufacturers regard their own products. Take the Corsair PSUs for instance; if Corsair didn't believe they would last for at least 5 years, they'd never issue a warranty for that period.

Cupboard · 10th Dec 2008, 16:08

Good reviews, enough power, cheap.
Modular is good, and if there wasn't a huge difference in price then I would go modular, but if it was more than 10-20% then I wouldn't. Quiet is good, but whilst I would pay a bit more for a quiet one, I wouldn't pay lots for a really quiet/silent one.

O O 7 · 10th Dec 2008, 16:22

After quality, I'm mainly concerned with noise.

Not interested in "cool Blue LED" or fancy design.

Performance, performance, performance.

Huxen5 · 12th Dec 2008, 23:18

I read the Tea leaves, never fails....

Huxen5 · 12th Dec 2008, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceraver

Value for money.
Low ripple and noise.
Efficient.
Modular.
Braided if possible or a supplier that does not give a damn if i braided it myself. (PC&C does not mind)
The box can come as plain brown cardboard, with just a sticker on.
I dont give a damn. As long as it does it's intended job.
Laing DCC box springs to mind. Cheap and inobtrusive yet you know what it's contents is, because of a plain white sticker that says so. I actually hate the boxes that scream in my face "BUY ME". For one it's a waste of colours and the box is now slippery because they coat the box after they give it colour to protect it.
I work in a warehouse. Any and all of our vacuum cleaners is in that kind of box. And i hate them.
Because:
You cannot drive around with a pallet full of them on a forklift.
Turn at a greater speed than turtle and all boxes fall off because they are slippery.
And that is even when they are wrapped in film.
They slide around on the pallet, between layers and all over the place.
Did i mention that i hate colourful slippery boxes?

Hahaha! Yes it's important not to waste colour. Think of the children.

Lucas · 14th Dec 2008, 05:49

Brand is the first priority

Lucas · 14th Dec 2008, 05:51

Brand is the first priority. For myself, it means good product quality and after service. I don't want to buy a cheap PSU to damage another components.. and then I look for pricing.

The_Beast · 14th Dec 2008, 06:21

In order from most important to least important:
-Efficiency
-Brand
-Rails
-Modular
-A good/bad review

I think Bit-tech should do a "Good, bad, and ugly list of PSU brands and models"

Hamish · 14th Dec 2008, 06:41

i wish i could vote for noise twice cos its twice as important as the other other important things

C-Sniper · 14th Dec 2008, 07:01

Mostly efficiency, Wattage, Ripple, and modularity.

Also the ability to withstand wierd things.

i.e. Today one of my molex connectors was in a place where it would touch the case (resulting in a short). the PSU was able to safely shut everything down and keep my components from frying.

crazybob · 14th Dec 2008, 07:19

I choose based on weight, efficiency, noise, and reviews.

Weight is significant because until manufacturers start bolting random hunks of lead to their products, a heavy product is generally better built with less cost-cutting. It's actually a favorite test of mine for all manner of products, not just power supplies, and it seems to work very well. I suppose it's somewhat like the Martin Test for computer cases.

Efficiency is important because I suppose I ought not stab the environment any more than is necessary, and because I like having less waste heat to deal with (I tend to buy very low-power components in general, and a high-efficiency PSU follows the same trend).

Noise, though, is the really important thing for me. My entire computer is built around reduced noise, so once I'm confident the PSU isn't going to catch fire and destroy everything, the noise level is what makes the final decision. This is also where reviews come into play; I base the final decision on the SilentPCReview.com test of the unit. I love Bit-Tech reviews, but nobody does a more thorough job of noise-testing than SPCR.

View Poll Results: What influences your PSU purchase?
Brand?	76	66.09%
Weight?	7	6.09%
Noise? (or, "claimed" noise levels)	78	67.83%
Efficiency?	79	68.70%
Solid Voltages?	62	53.91%
No voltage ripple?	38	33.04%
Design - colour/look/feel/finger print magnet?	24	20.87%
Wattage?	71	61.74%
Cost compared to other brands of same wattage?	40	34.78%
Total cost - Inexpensive or cheap and cheerful?	12	10.43%
Total cost - Expensive (percieved quality or extra features)	24	20.87%
Additional bits in the box - Velcro ties etc?	13	11.30%
Box design?	2	1.74%
Size - if it's standard ATX or longer?	19	16.52%
Cable design - braid/colour?	28	24.35%
Cable length - different lengths/or at least a certain length?	23	20.00%
Cable variety - PCIe/molex/SATA/floppy?	38	33.04%
Modular?	70	60.87%
UK (or local) RMA base?	18	15.65%
Length of warranty?	35	30.43%
A good/bad review on your favourite site(s)/mags?	83	72.17%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 115. You may not vote on this poll

6th Sep 2008, 14:57	#21
Matticus Do me a favour, plug me into a Sega Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Peterborough Posts: 1,398	I would have previously looked for value for money, ie watts/price. Now I just look for corsair... __________________ \|\|\|E8200@3.4ghz\|\|\|GA-P35-DS3L\|\|\|4GB OCZ/Corsair DDR2 800\|\|\|8800GT 512mb\|\|\|VX450w\|\|\|Under Water\|\|\|

6th Sep 2008, 15:07	#22
sotu1 Mini Love Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: England, South of. Posts: 1,167	I ticked a lot of boxes, but really I should only have checked one box: what bit-tech says about it. __________________ Death to consolification !!! [size=1]Give me my Windforce! I'm coming back!

6th Sep 2008, 16:04	#23
Burnout21 is true bit-techer! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Nott's Posts: 4,852	Wattage is the main reason for buying a PSU, but it must be true wattage not a 'hopes and dreams 700W which is actually a 300W' I treat a PSU purchase like a monitor purchase, intent to use for years!!!! __________________ DFI P45-T2RS Plus, Q6600, 4GB Reaper HPC, GTX280 & FX3450, X-Fi Xtreme Music, 1570GB Storage

10th Dec 2008, 12:08	#28
RotoSequence Lazy Lurker Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 'States Posts: 4,527	I'm rather surprised that weight isn't even considered in most people's purchases. If one PSU is noticeably heavier than another, it's likely due to the quantity of material in place, such as a thicker enclosing material, or more importantly, bigger heat sinks. __________________ Technology Schmecnology

10th Dec 2008, 08:18	#26
GunsAblazin What's a Dremel? Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY USA Posts: 5	I'm Surprised brand was such a big selling point. Don't people shop around anymore. Then what do they need Bit-tech for?

10th Dec 2008, 14:32	#29
azrael- Ex nihilo nihil fit Join Date: May 2008 Location: Aarhus, Denmark Posts: 1,172	I checked noise, efficiency, voltages (both), modular cables and warranty. Perhaps I should also have checked wattage, but I don't consider that a selling point as such, since I only buy PSUs at a wattage I need. Currently I'm using a Corsair HX520W, which I plan on keeping for the forseeing future. It pretty much hits all the boxes I checked. I find it interesting that people don't seem to pay much attention to the warranty. For me this is a good indicator of how manufacturers regard their own products. Take the Corsair PSUs for instance; if Corsair didn't believe they would last for at least 5 years, they'd never issue a warranty for that period.

10th Dec 2008, 16:08	#30
Cupboard I'm not a modder. Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bury St Edmunds/Durham Uni Posts: 1,843	Good reviews, enough power, cheap. Modular is good, and if there wasn't a huge difference in price then I would go modular, but if it was more than 10-20% then I wouldn't. Quiet is good, but whilst I would pay a bit more for a quiet one, I wouldn't pay lots for a really quiet/silent one. __________________ i7 920, 8800GTS 512, 6GB Corsair all in an Intel DX58SO; 3*320GB RAID5; CM Stacker Samsung Q45.

10th Dec 2008, 16:22	#31
O O 7 Multimodder Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: If I told you, I'd be dead! No offense!! Posts: 104	After quality, I'm mainly concerned with noise. Not interested in "cool Blue LED" or fancy design. Performance, performance, performance.

12th Dec 2008, 23:18	#32
Huxen5 Ageing Rapidly Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Glastonbury, UK Posts: 41	I read the Tea leaves, never fails....

14th Dec 2008, 05:49	#34
Lucas What's a Dremel? Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 7	Brand is the first priority

14th Dec 2008, 05:51	#35
Lucas What's a Dremel? Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 7	Brand is the first priority. For myself, it means good product quality and after service. I don't want to buy a cheap PSU to damage another components.. and then I look for pricing.

14th Dec 2008, 06:21	#36
The_Beast I am The Stig Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 3,217	In order from most important to least important: -Efficiency -Brand -Rails -Modular -A good/bad review I think Bit-tech should do a "Good, bad, and ugly list of PSU brands and models" __________________ Rendering Machine - Gigabyte DS3L P35 - C2Q Q6600 - Antec New Solution Series NSK4480B - Corsair XMS2 2Gb - Sapphire 2600 XT 256mb - Seagate 'Cuda 320 GB - Antec Earthwatt 430 watt - Windows XP Pro -

14th Dec 2008, 06:41	#37
Hamish I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: London Posts: 3,587	i wish i could vote for noise twice cos its twice as important as the other other important things

14th Dec 2008, 07:19	#39
crazybob Voice of Reason Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,120	I choose based on weight, efficiency, noise, and reviews. Weight is significant because until manufacturers start bolting random hunks of lead to their products, a heavy product is generally better built with less cost-cutting. It's actually a favorite test of mine for all manner of products, not just power supplies, and it seems to work very well. I suppose it's somewhat like the Martin Test for computer cases. Efficiency is important because I suppose I ought not stab the environment any more than is necessary, and because I like having less waste heat to deal with (I tend to buy very low-power components in general, and a high-efficiency PSU follows the same trend). Noise, though, is the really important thing for me. My entire computer is built around reduced noise, so once I'm confident the PSU isn't going to catch fire and destroy everything, the noise level is what makes the final decision. This is also where reviews come into play; I base the final decision on the SilentPCReview.com test of the unit. I love Bit-Tech reviews, but nobody does a more thorough job of noise-testing than SPCR.