corsair 620hx question

[fetuchin]

I have been using an antec truepower 550 (old one, 30 amps @ +12v rail)for some years, but after having substantially changed my rig i started having problems. It hanged up or simply showed me that terrible BSOD anybody likes, so i started trying to focus where the problem was by tuning and/or preplacing components. So, after some months, i have changed: mobo, processor, memory sticks and graphic card. I have tried to oc it, to underclok it... sooner or later it would hang up. The only things i havenn't change are dvd reader-writer (two lg units) and psu, so i seriously guess psu is going to be the culprit.
My current rig is
asus a8n32-sli deluxe
amd64 san diego 3700+ (has nun quite stable even at 3,1 ghz on air at 1,485 volts)
xfx 7600 gt 256 mb ddr3
2xcrucial ballistix 512 pc 3200 (paired)
lg dvd reader
lg dvd writer
1x wd raptor 74 gb
2x maxtor 10 sata1 200gb on raid 1
1x seagate barracuda 10 sata2
1x seagate ata 250 gb
2x 12 cm case fans
1x 9 cm case side fan
1x usb internal "bay"
2 other usb-powered devices (not always: webcam, 2.5" 100gb disk for backups)

First question is: is this rig excesive for a 30A 12v. rail like that i have right now. Speedfan charts does not show variations that make me think so.

Anyway, just in case i decide (i have really done so, but would prefer a last piece of advice) I have read quite good reviews on corsair 620 psu,:
would it be enough and reasonably future-proof?
thanks a lot in advance to you all.

 

[RallyMaster]

With what you have right now, I'm gonna say you only need a Corsair HX520. After all, not many people keep a PSU for a future build but instead buy a new one. Heck, I've gone through four power supplies with just this computer (Thermaltake TR2 470W, Cooler Master RealPower 450W, Antec SmartPower 2.0 500W and now the Corsair HX520).

 

[SparkyJJO]

Let's put it this way, I had an antec truepower II that blew caps. The infamous fuhjyyu caps that work really well during their lifetime but unfortunately have very short lifetimes too often. When the cap blew it no longer could power my system, the voltages were still right but the PSU couldn't handle any load at all. I replaced it with a Corsair HX620W unit, same as you are looking at.

If you plan on keeping the PSU for awhile though the next major upgrade or two, then I'd get the 620W. If when you upgrade you tend to buy all new parts, get the 520W because that is more than what you'd need as it is and would still leave you upgrade room.

 

[fetuchin]

thnks a lot. Should i assume for what you tell that my current psu should be inmediately replaced? how many amps does 520 corsair deliver?

thanks again in advance. you are great help.

 

[SparkyJJO]

the 520 has 40A total on the 12V rail. Plenty of power there.

 

[fetuchin]

Thank you SparkyJJO. Think i'm goig to buy 520 then.
Maybe it's more an intelligent choice right now.

 

[idiotekniQues]

if you game and want to be futureproof get the 620 because it looks like graphics cards are just going to keep eating up insane amounts of power. you may find yourself buying a hardcore GC in a couple years and you never know what you will need.

otherwise, the lower end corsair will do u fine.

 

[fetuchin]

oops, i've been offered a really cheap antec earthwatts 500. Jonnyguru's web gives it A+. Should i go for it?

 

[fetuchin]

temptation is strong and time short. It would be mereley 50% of corsair 520's price. I'm afraid (or should I say, fortunately) I'm going to go for it. If you think I should not, please stop my feet from running in a short period of time. Ok, money is not the whole thing, but if 520 was going to be enough i tend to think earthwatts -appart from its poor aesthetics- is going to be a good choice at this level of price.
On the other hand, as idiotenkniQues says, GCs are becoming really watt-eaters, so perhaps right now the right choice is to find an inexpensive earthwatts 500 and if in a couple of years i buy a 99999999GTX with an idle 2d consumption of 700 watts itself, i would buy what it deserves then. At that time, everybody would have it, so psus would have dropped its base price. (hope so)
Thanks anyway to you all.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: fetuchin
temptation is strong and time short. It would be mereley 50% of corsair 520's price. I'm afraid (or should I say, fortunately) I'm going to go for it. If you think I should not, please stop my feet from running in a short period of time. Ok, money is not the whole thing, but if 520 was going to be enough i tend to think earthwatts -appart from its poor aesthetics- is going to be a good choice at this level of price.
On the other hand, as idiotenkniQues says, GCs are becoming really watt-eaters, so perhaps right now the right choice is to find an inexpensive earthwatts 500 and if in a couple of years i buy a 99999999GTX with an idle 2d consumption of 700 watts itself, i would buy what it deserves then. At that time, everybody would have it, so psus would have dropped its base price. (hope so)
Thanks anyway to you all.

a 620W PSU will draw less power from a 520W PSU because its not required to run at the higher effiency.

Heres a funny comparision. I had a cheapo antec truepower, in my NAS b4. Then i upgraded her to a 80+ model higher wattage NEO. My power bill came out lower!

Effiency plays more role on how much power your going to draw, and not the output of the PSU.

Hell even my PCnC 1KW, i bet you she draws the same amount of energy as a NEO would. Its only when your system requires the umph from the PSU, thats when it will draw more power out.


So dont think of terms of which would save your electricty bill more. Think more along which one would fit your budget better. A 620W would save you in the long run up until the 45nm Processors come out. And even then probably handle next gen's video card as well.


I still get amazed when i see that video of a 620W powering a X6800 /w 8800GTX in SLI

 

[fetuchin]

you're right aigomorla, I understand what you mean and have to agree with it, but now I am not thinking of realwatts because it's going to draw less energy from mains, but because apparently (I don't know for sure but it seems to be so for what the other people has told me here and in some other forums) 34 amps is going to be enough for my current rig. Paying less than a third of the cost of a more-than-decent 620 psu as corsair is makes me seriously think of buying earthwats but IF and ONLY its power is going to be enough for what i own right now. 620 watts corsair, even tho would be no-doubt if price would be the same, would not be a really future proof option, because only a 700 to 1k psu seems to be so for a 2 to 3 year tme scenario. That is why, perhaps (only perhaps) the smarter choice would be to pay less now and wait until then to pay again for what it is going to be really needed. Anyway, i'm only going for earthwatts if you all kind of assure me it is going to bring output enough for my current rig. That's why i ask you all.
Thaks a lot.Serious.

 

[idiotekniQues]

Originally posted by: fetuchin
you're right aigomorla, I understand what you mean and have to agree with it, but now I am not thinking of realwatts because it's going to draw less energy from mains, but because apparently (I don't know for sure but it seems to be so for what the other people has told me here and in some other forums) 34 amps is going to be enough for my current rig. Paying less than a third of the cost of a more-than-decent 620 psu as corsair is makes me seriously think of buying earthwats but IF and ONLY its power is going to be enough for what i own right now. 620 watts corsair, even tho would be no-doubt if price would be the same, would not be a really future proof option, because only a 700 to 1k psu seems to be so for a 2 to 3 year tme scenario. That is why, perhaps (only perhaps) the smarter choice would be to pay less now and wait until then to pay again for what it is going to be really needed. Anyway, i'm only going for earthwatts if you all kind of assure me it is going to bring output enough for my current rig. That's why i ask you all.
Thaks a lot.Serious.

if a 620 can run a quad core cpu & 2 8800gtx's in sli - it should be able to run 1 of the top end card that comes out in a couple years, along with a quad core.

at least that was my rationale and reasoning for picking one up for my new build.

i figure ill pick up a quadcore in a year and then in 2 grab a new top end card (not interested in sli)

 

[fetuchin]

all right, all right.
Now i'm even more confused that i use to be.
On the one hand, the economy makes me tend to realwatts... if i don't change a single screw in a couple of years.
On the other, if i'm not sure about it, 620 is going to be more "upgradeable".... but nonsense to spend three times the money if i'm going to stay with what i own.
To make it even worse, if i opt for 620 i have to order it via internet and wait for at least for three days, while the 500 is at a local store, which implies faster solution for potential problems... but no problem with corsair or antec if i had to RMA any of them directly to the manufacturer.
Why the hell i am always so uncertain?
If i make up my mind i'll let you know.

 

[idiotekniQues]

Originally posted by: fetuchin
all right, all right.
Now i'm even more confused that i use to be.
On the one hand, the economy makes me tend to realwatts... if i don't change a single screw in a couple of years.
On the other, if i'm not sure about it, 620 is going to be more "upgradeable".... but nonsense to spend three times the money if i'm going to stay with what i own.
To make it even worse, if i opt for 620 i have to order it via internet and wait for at least for three days, while the 500 is at a local store, which implies faster solution for potential problems... but no problem with corsair or antec if i had to RMA any of them directly to the manufacturer.
Why the hell i am always so uncertain?
If i make up my mind i'll let you know.

if you arent going to upgrade much and jonnyguru likes that puppy, just go for it. the monetary savings are huge and you can probably get a power supply on the 620 level in a couple years if you need it for less than the price difference you save now.

 

[fetuchin]

and the winner is... EARTHWATTS 500
I've already ordered it. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow morning.
Thanks idiotekniQues. Thanks to all of you as well.
I'll let you know about my experience just in order to help any other.

 

[fetuchin]

psu seems to be really ok and nearly inaudible. Unfortunately, the base problem that has led me to replace psu is still here. Perhaps is the mobo-memory combination, perhaps... who knows?.

 

[ahmurat]

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
With what you have right now, I'm gonna say you only need a Corsair HX520. After all, not many people keep a PSU for a future build but instead buy a new one. Heck, I've gone through four power supplies with just this computer (Thermaltake TR2 470W, Cooler Master RealPower 450W, Antec SmartPower 2.0 500W and now the Corsair HX520).

How do you compare the four PSU's? especially in terms of noise?
thank you.

 

[idiotekniQues]

from all the reviews ive read the corsairs are ridiculously quiet even under full load.