300W PSU for econo build

[Charlie98]

I'm building a desktop for my wife's parents for Christmas, they are general PC users which means they check email and poke around on the web. They are completely off the grid and don't even buy stuff online for fear of Something happening.

Anyway, basic PC setup... Celeron, OD drive, SSD and HDD. I picked the best 300W PSU (I think...) out there, the SeaSonic SS-300ET but it's over $45 w/shipping from NE. For about half of that I can get a Corsair CX430 on sale (AR) but it's absurdly overpowered (as is, probably, the SeaSonic.)

This thing runs 24/7 and needs to be 100% reliable (my reputation is on the line! ) is there going to be any long-term issues running the CX430 at such a low draw? I have a CX430 in my HTPC, while it rocks as a PSU, it doesn't run 24/7.

Is there a decent 300W'ish PSU available that can beat the awesome CX430 deal? ...or might be a better choice? The <300W PSU market is an odd one, full of OEM-type units... I don't know what to look at.

EDIT: MicroCenter has a SeaSonic SS-300FS... for $10. Something tells me it's not quite the unit as the 300ET...

 

[Zap]

The SS-300FS is a really old design, sans active PFC, 75% efficiency and only 15A on +12v.

Have you gotten the other parts yet? Which Celeron? What will it be used for?

Why does it run 24/7? Can it be set to go into sleep mode? That's what I do with my mom's system. Many people won't know the difference between the monitor blanking, and the system S3 sleeping.

 

[jaydee]

What about buying something like the Intel NUC or Gigabyte Brix that comes with the laptop-like AC-DC adapter instead of a full system with power supply? Only thing is, the OD and HDD would have to be external...

 

[smitbret]

It won't hurt anything to get the CX430. It's a great PSU for the price. You don't lose anything by getting something that large. Just think of it as plumbing. You can run a huge pipe but you'll really only get as much as you turn in the faucet. Then if you ever need the extra flow, it's there. The pipes don't care if you use all of that water and neither will the PSU.

 

[lehtv]

EA-380D $35 AR ? Built by Delta, it's as reliable as they get

 

[Meghan54]

EA-380D $35 AR ? Built by Delta, it's as reliable as they get

I wouldn't quite say that.....true, built by Delta but to a price point, as is the Corsair. Don't think using Ltec, CapXon, and Taicon caps in the Antec is "as reliable as they get." Of course, the Corsair mentioned is using Samxon and Teapo caps, so pretty much you pick your poison.

 

[biostud]

Seasonic G 360W

 

[lehtv]

I wouldn't quite say that.....true, built by Delta but to a price point, as is the Corsair. Don't think using Ltec, CapXon, and Taicon caps in the Antec is "as reliable as they get." Of course, the Corsair mentioned is using Samxon and Teapo caps, so pretty much you pick your poison.

I don't think capacitors correlate with reliability much, they correlate with longevity of the power supply's capacity. High quality caps don't degrade as fast.

Reliability is voltage regulation, ripple control, crossload stability, build quality, functioning protections.

FYI here is the 380D dissection: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3902/antec-earthwatts-ea-380d-green-380w/4. +12V uses some Nippon ChemiCons too.

 

[seitur]

What about buying something like the Intel NUC or Gigabyte Brix that comes with the laptop-like AC-DC adapter instead of a full system with power supply? Only thing is, the OD and HDD would have to be external...

If someone want HDD / DVD, etc then in that case it is better to get small Mini-ITX build. It is still small, but can fit (slim)DVD and HDD inside.

 

[Charlie98]

The SS-300FS is a really old design, sans active PFC, 75% efficiency and only 15A on +12v.

Have you gotten the other parts yet? Which Celeron? What will it be used for?

Why does it run 24/7? Can it be set to go into sleep mode? That's what I do with my mom's system. Many people won't know the difference between the monitor blanking, and the system S3 sleeping.

Obviously the reason the FS is $10...

No, I haven't gotten all of the parts yet, I'll probably wait and see what comes up towards Black Friday. MC has the G1620 for $40 and a Gigabyte B75 board for $65, although I haven't ruled out a cheapo H61 (which is probably what they would get with an off the shelf Dell.) I already have the SSD, HDD and W7, the SSD is a 840Pro 256GB refurb I got from Samsung when my original 840P died.

What I meant by 24/7 was it's on all the time... they never shut it down, but, yes, it sleeps. I'm always leery about sleeping a system with an SSD... that comes from the days of the OCZ/SF2281's.

Seasonic G 360W

EA-380D $35 AR ? Built by Delta, it's as reliable as they get

They're more expensive and bigger than the original SS-300ES I spec'd... Is there any glaring faults with the 300ES? I mentioned the FS, I understand that is a low-end unit, but the ES?

Ooooo... NE has the CX430 on sale for $18AR this weekend...

to get small Mini-ITX build

mITX boards cost as much or more as an equivalent mATX board.

 

[spat55]

I'd just get the Corsair, has plenty of overhead too.

 

[Johnny4]

you can run the 670 fine with 300w PSU but two things you have to care about that,
1: make sure the psu is good rated and a quailty brand like antec,XFX,corsair.
2: you do not have to overclock anything.

At max load GTX 670 eats about 162w.

 

[lehtv]

The only way I'd ever run a GTX 670 on a 300W unit is temporarily until I got a properly specced unit... and probably not even then. Hell, newegg has exactly ONE 300W unit that even has a PCIe connector, and it's a Silverstone with a single 264W +12V rail. With most 300W units you'd have to use two molex to PCIe adapters... not a good idea.

 

[Charlie98]

you can run the 670 fine with 300w PSU but two things you have to care about that,
1: make sure the psu is good rated and a quailty brand like antec,XFX,corsair.
2: you do not have to overclock anything.

At max load GTX 670 eats about 162w.

Never said anything about running a 670...

FWIW... in that instance I think I would just leave the 670 out and run the iGPU until I got a suitable PSU.