Power Supply Purchasing Advice

QuadyTheTurnipQuadyTheTurnip Icrontian
edited June 2012 in Hardware
So, I'm not having luck finding the receipt for my desktop's busted power supply. It's under warranty with OCZ, but having moved a half-dozen times in the past few years means I have no idea where it is, and no receipt, no RMA.

So it looks like I'll be purchasing a new one instead. I'd love some advice on what to get. Previous was a 600Watt OCZ of some description, and my computer has an AMD Phenom II Quad Core, an NVIDIA 8800 GTS (which I hope to replace in the next year at some point), an unused built-into-the-motherboard graphics card (which I used until I got the 8800), two hard drives, a DVD drive, 4GB of DDR3, running two monitors and a bunch of USB devices, etc. etc. la-de-dah-dah. Everything in it is two years old (except the 8800 GTS, which I bought from a friend for $20).

Are there any brands of choice? I've heard good things about OCZ, Corsair, and Antec, and the random failure of my OCZ power supply is annoying, but hasn't soured me on OCZ or anything (though I have a few friends who have been telling me to avoid anything OCZ due to serious issues they've had). I'm trying to shoot for under $100 for this thing, but I'd still like to be able to upgrade the 8800 (i'm not planning on a dual-Graphics card setup at this point, which should help). 600W is enough, yes?

I should note that I'm Canadian, with the same voltage as the US, though I'm not actually sure what that is.

Thanks guys!

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    Corsair is generally very good, but for the most current analysis, you should check out www.jonnyguru.com and read reviews. Find a 600W+ unit that has a 9+ rating, and buy that.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited June 2012
    Specific companies to look for: Corsair, Seasonic, Silverstone, PCP&C, with some newer entrants into PSU markets like OCZ, NZXT and FSP. I personally shoot for 80+ silver but I also use my PSUs at near max load regularly (F@H). I don't know how to navigate JohnnyGuru's site or I'd point you at a specific review or round-up, but I didn't find anything too similar on Tom's Hardware either.

    This Seasonic 650W gold rated stands out.
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