PSU What influences your choice of Power Supply purchase?

[Bindibadgi]

I'm constantly in heated discussions with PSU manufacturers about what the most important thing in a PSU purchase is, but I figure the best people to ask are you lot since you actually buy them!

So let us know, but only select stuff that you REALLY think is important in making a purchasing decision.

By knowing this I can look for and write more according to your needs ^_^

Cheers

[wuyanxu]

i look for the output ampage on 12v, is it quiet, its size (length is most important) and CPU power cable length. (last 2 are for Antec p182 really)

modular, number of SATA/molex connectors, are not really as important for me.

as long as a PSU gets good reviews and recommendations, i'll consider it if price is right. that's really the reason i ended up with Corsair Hx620w.

[Bindibadgi]

Sorry, poll took a while to add

[pistol_pete]

I got an Antec TP Quattro 850. It got a very good review in Custom PC...

... and has racing stripes on it!



In hindsight, I should have saved a few watts and spent a few more pounds on a 8800GTS. That said, I expect the PSU to be the longest lasting bit of kit I bought, unlike a GPU it shouldn't be obsolete in 6 months.


So what's important?

Price. Watts/£ is important, obviously modular costs xx% more. Comparing other units of the same wattage is useful.
Getting a good review from a trusty hardware website is often the clincher though

[GregTheRotter]

I want a PSU that is a good brand which means;
good efficiency
braided cables
long enough cables for a big case
more wattage than what I need
modular

Brand wise my current PSU is a 500 watt Seasonic. For my next build I'm going for one of the Corsair 650 watt psu's.

[badders]

Corsair VX550 - Cheap & Cheerful (ish), but less likely to blow up & take all my components with it than the no-name "ebuyer 500W special" :eek:
Good cables, good warranty, and nice and quiet too.

[Moriquendi]

Brand is important for two reasons; so you can search and find out other peoples experiences and second so that they have something to be concerned about if you need to drag their name through the mud because they've tried to avoid their responsibilities.

Wattage is important but more important to me is that it can actually deliver the claimed wattage consistently and reliably for a long period without sounding like an express train.

Don't really give a damn about design but subtle and understated is best, shiny chrome with epilepsy inducing, sunburn causing lights will never get anywhere with me.

Cable variety is great, being able to choose the cables that suit with the HX620 is great, I do wish that it were possible to buy an extra set of cables for it though with longer/shorter cables and maybe one for chained drives.

Length of warranty, a longer warranty suggests that the company has faith in the product, even if you're going to void it that's important.

Moriquendi

[Silver51]

Reliability and efficiency are the two deciding factors when buying new PSUs for me. I don't want something that's going to last a year then pop, taking out hardware when it goes. I've stuck with Enermax in recent times with the Liberty and Infiniti units.

Colour doesn't matter, braided cables help but are not essential, modular design is preferable.

[Steelez]

I wouldn't have even considered where I had to RMA my powersupply until my last one broke and I found out how expensive it was to RMA abroad.

What I don't understand though is how many W I need to power my computer depending on the hardware, I think I tend to overcompensate in fear of overloading the power supply.

[oasked]

Brand and output. I've only ever bought Enermax PSUs and they've been absolutely fantastic.

Things like box design are irrelevant because I buy PC bits online.

[kenco_uk]

If two or three reviews say it's good and it has the connectors/wattage I need, I'm sold. The last thing I need is to be connecting adapter cables to power multiple sata devices or gfx card(s) - there's enough cable mess in there already!

[notatoad]

i buy whatever powersupply bbq says to buy.

[Akava]

What I tend to look for is a good quality PSU that is recommened alot by others, the main reason is the last thing I want is a lame PSU that is gonna blow up and take my PC with it. So basically what ever anyone else suggests is what I get :P

EDIT: Oh, and Modular is a must if at all possible, I love being able to keep cables down to a minimum.

[leexgx]

i been useing thermalright toughpower PSUs for quite some time now (got an 1200w one here) apart form the heat when you use high end video cards in them thay are rock solid,
i used to use ernmax untill i had problems with 3 of them not wanting to Post in some intel motherboards and i blow one up, UPS was makeing the PSU (i asume PFC part of it) buzz after 11am at night {UPS was reporting strange mhz+voltage mhz would drop to 59hz from 60 and voltage would go to 245v} i could time it as well when it was going to happen

i any PSU that is norm +80%/85% efficient is norm good but prefer to stick to brand names, i was temptend to get the ernmax 1000w one as i realy did like the protection stuff on that PSU but the price and the Noise of that 80cm fan put me way off it (thay need to remove that 80cm fan)

the thermal right has an 86-87% efficiency as well as i have 2 pcs pulling, mine 600w other one 720w i norm should be getting 87% with these PSUs at that load

still for low end jobs i do its norm an some cheap 400w £10 PSU (that most likey cant handle any more then 200W but the total load of pcs is norm 120W any way)

[Jasio]

Rails rails rails. Gimme a whooping big, single rail that's solid and consistent and I'll love you forever more.

[Techno-Dann]

One thing you don't have listed is familiarity - I work for a PC shop over the summers, so I get to see first hand what works and what dies. Obviously, not everyone has contacts in PC shops, but it would be nice if you could establish some, and share the info.

[Bbq.of.DooM]

Originally Posted by supertoad

i buy whatever powersupply bbq says to buy.

Buy a powmax 450.





I like a power supply that's well made, with good voltage stability, low ripple, and preferably quiet. I don't care at all about aesthetics, or modular cables. Sleeving is useful but not required.

[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?

[glaeken]

Noise, solid voltages, efficiency, wattage and reviews are the most important. Most PSUs seem to be modular now a days so I don't really consider that a main selling point. Besides I've been getting along with my non-modular Antec 480 for almost 5 years now.

[ComputerKing]

Brand For sure Like Enermax Then I look for wattage.