Help in buying a psu.

I'm planning to buy a new psu for my rig(config in my siggy
and a few addon cards wifi card and tv tuner). I have some psu's in mind cooler master extreme power 460@2.5k and 500@2.8k.
I need to know if the real power 460 is worth 1k extra over it's extreme series counterpart 460. The diff as far as I know are >80% efficiency,active PFC and max output could go upto some 530w. So is it worth that 1k extra or should stick to extreme power 460 or 500. Suggest me a good one. Also are there any other good alternatives. Max budget is 3k for psu.

I need a new 8GB flash drive too with good write Speeds. I'm currently using sandisk cruzer micro 2gb and I'm quite happy with it's speeds but the problem is availability of sandisk seems to be an issue here. So suggest some good 8 GB alternatives with good write speeds.

My town is just a 4hr drive from Bangalore. So I'm planning to buy those from Bangalore owing to significant price diff. So plz suggest me some good shops to buy and if possible their contacts.

If you are not upgrading your rig in future then cm 460 exteme powe + is good enough but you can instead go for gigabyte superb 460w which comes at a similar price and is better then cm 460w .
If you plan to spend 1k more on cm real power then instead of it you can get corsair vx400w which is a better deal and will cost you around 3k which also has 5 years warranty .

If you are sticking with CM Extreme power series then make sure that the psu is of extreme power PLUS series and not just extreme power since both are two different PSU's .

Upgrading my rig is hardly unlikely as I'll be leaving home In a year for further studies so I'll be buying a laptop. Meanwhile I may upgrade my gpu even that is unlikely to a certain extent.
So is this gigabyte model easily available.I have seen that being referred to many in hardware threads. So might be a good buy. Also about this corsair 400 do you think it might be enough for my rig because the min psu mentioned on 9600's box is 450w and recommended is 500w.
Though I never faced any problems with my iball 400 watt psu,I just wanted to be safe and future proof.

Rohit where is this two 460's I see only one 460 in cm extreme series.
*in.coolermaster.com/products/product.php?language=in&act=category&tbcate=2259

H

An absolute big NO to your choice! CM Extreme is time bomb waiting to explode and it will take your PC along with it! Would always advice you to stick to CM Real Power one's. The wattage you need depends on the future shopping list.
Best no nonsense solution is Corsair VX450W, cant beat that! That 1k-1.5k is absolutely worth it!
If you want to stick to your 2.5k budget, Gigabyte Superb 460W at 2.3k at lynx-india!

Hey buddy I wud suggest If u r willing to spend 1k more addition to 2.8k then y r u thinking of any other PSU's???

Just go for Tagan 500W. None beats Tagan in terms of PSU.

CM Real Power Pro 460W @ 3.5k
Tagan TG-500-U37 @ 3.2k

the gigabyte 460 is also good, but it is actually a 400w unit, sort of over rated by gigabyte. I suggest you avoid that one as the TG-500 will give you more headroom and besides, is a good PSU too.

Guys thanks for your suggestions but it has actually added to my confusion.
Above 3k may not be possible but if it is worth it then I may strech my budget.
Regarding cm 460 my friend has been using it for a year and is stable till now. From what krow said it's no for gigabyte. So is corsair.
Now left with cm or Tagan. As I said earlier I'll be buying this from bang so models which are easily available would be better.
Guys can u plzz suggest 1 or 2 models and also tell me why should I go for it.

What is your current PSU that is pulling 9600gt? Is a generic one? if it is what is the position of +12v?

There are many people in this forum who would bash up Cooler master extreme series since they have seen some threads in other forums where these psu's have exploded . Cooler master has stopped producing extreme power series PSU and the new models which are being produced are called extreme power plus , many people get confused due to this name and think that all CM psu's are crap . For your rig the gigabyte Superb is an excellent choise . If you cant find that then you can happly purchase CM 460w Extreme power plus , it will easily handle your current rig . I am right now on CM extreme power plus 500w and it can handle hd4850 very well . Your best choise is corsair vx400 , even it is mentioned at 400w , it is far better then cm460 or gigabyte since it can provide more power ie around 500w . My friend runs a Gtx260 with e8400 , 4gb ram and 4 hdd's on a vx400 and it works very well .
Again a big no from me for a second hand psu . With time the psu capicity goes on decreasing !!

if u can extend ur budget upto 3k then go for Tagan 500W.

vamsi_krishna said:
What is your current PSU that is pulling 9600gt? Is a generic one? if it is what is the position of +12v?

Vamsi my current psu is iball 400w bundled with my iball workhorse cabinet. Aa second di enti u mean amp rating @+12 v. It's 17A I guess. But the min req for 9600 gt as mentioned on xfx box is 26A @+12v.
@Rohan
thanks man.That was assuring yeah I checked with my friend who is a seller he had the entire cm extreme power plus range (460,500,600 and 650).And the funny thing is that all were bought by same customer who keeps changing his gpu and hence his psu's. I'm not gonna buy 2nd hand one I just mentioned that it is stable and didn't have any issues which my friend was using.

Ok finally plzz tell me which one to go for among these and plz mention
price,warranty and easily available model is preferred.
corsair vx400 or tagan 500 or cm ext pow 460 or cm real power 460.

My vote is for Tagan TG-500-U37. Corsair is overpriced. Or else CM Real Power Pro 460W.

If u r willing to spend 3k and want one of the best and futureproof PSU thn go for Tagan.

Otherwise go for CM

Corsair is also good. Many member wud suggest not to go for 400W now atleast. And Corsair VX450W is really gr8 but very overpriced.

I wud suggest Tagan(if u can spend money) otherwise stick with CM.

Isn't tagan somewhere around 3.5K.
3k is my max budget guys,actually 2.5K but can extend to 3K.So can't go more than that guys.

^You should bargain. I got the Tagan one for a friend @ 3.2k about 3-4 months ago. Else, well its either CM extreme series or Gigabyte 460W...

@Krow
initially I would have went for Cm extreme power plus 460 @2.3k. But deciced to start a thread and know whether my decision is correct or not. The only reason I would extend my budget is if some one plzz tell me what would be the gains that I'd be Getting over cm460 if I chose real power or corsair or tagan other than headroom for upgrade.

H

Even Extreme Power Plus is of the old technology. They haven't changed much. And they seriously are a pain. So Plus Minus doesn't matter. If its extreme stay away its extremely dangerous. :razz:

Corsairs have the best quality that a person can ask for! A VX450W can give you 520W on extreme load for quite a while without getting drained. No other PSU can claim that! Tagans are good. But BZ500 is way too expensive and not VFM. If you have a low powered rig then CX400 from Corsair would also be fine at 3.2k.

Do not underestimate the Gigabyte one. It is an 80+ certified PSU. Haven't heard complaints about it till now. Its the best VFM PSU in the market now!

The main difference is something like AFAIK CM extreme series (not sure about the extreme power plus though) is some 70%+ efficient at 20 degrees C, while the Tagan TG-500-U37 is 70%+ efficient at 40degrees C. All 80+ certified PSU's operate at more than 80% efficiency at 40 degrees C.

H

Another problems is that the 400W, 460W whatever CM puts on their PSU is the max power output of the PSU. And we all know that PSU's hardly give 100% output of the rated value. 80+ is Corsair, Gigabyte, Seasonic. Corsair being the leader!

Cooler Master Real Power Series are not 80+?

Gigabyte looks like a good deal if it is below 3k.So should I gor for it. Krow said that is is actually 400 but overrated. :?:

*www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=5483

Krow said:
Cooler Master Real Power Series are not 80+?

Yes they are,as per the specs in their site.

sriharsha_madineni said:
Gigabyte looks like a good deal if it is below 3k.So should I gor for it. Krow said that is is actually 400 but overrated.

It is a good PSU, no doubt, but don't plug a powerful GPU to it. The 9600GT will run just fine in it.

max output is 552W :shock:

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Krow said:
It is a good PSU, no doubt, but don't plug a powerful GPU to it. The 9600GT will run just fine in it.

chances are I won't. But just wanted to have some headroom for minor upgrades. No major ones

552W for what?

Krow said:
552W for what?

real power 460 given in spec sheet of that link

sriharsha_madineni said:
real power 460 given in spec sheet of that link

Max out of VX450W is said to be 570W. The same for Tagan TG-500-U37 is claimed by Tagan to be 600W. Don't go by that spec. It is more of a marketing ploy. I suggest that you go for the CM Real Power PSU as it is real quality with an 80+ tag too.

What about gigabyte as it would be 1k cheaper than real power.

H

Hope this link helps:

*www.hardware.info/en-US/productdb/bGhkZ5iUmJLKZsg/viewproduct/Gigabyte_Superb_460W_GER460V1/

Its a good PSU. If you don't wanna stretch your budget, then you may go for it.

Hi guys I was supposed to buy monitor,psu and some assorted stuff at a time.But got a good deal from Dell so booked S2409 Online for 13.8K incl shipping.
So my PSU purchase has been postponed for a week so keep the options coming guys.
If i'm willing to spend 3.5K on PSU which one out of the above would be best??

BTW my other query had been sidelined what about a Flash drive with good write speeds.??

CM Real Power Pro 460W. Without a doubt.

H

Well all the options are already mentioned.
Gigabyte Superb 460W - 2.5k. (2.2k at lynx).
Corsair CX400W - 3.2k.
Cooler Master Real Power 460W - 3.5k.
Somewhat out of your budget but the best option: Corsair VX450W at 3.9k-4k.

Got this quotation from Golcha Bangalore.

DEAR SIR,
THANKS FOR YOUR VALUABLE INQUIRY, WE ARE QUOTING OUR
BEST COMPETITIVE PRICES FOR THE FOLLOWIN ITEMS:-

SL NO DESCRIPTION
MAKE PRICE
1. VX450 WAATS SMPS CORSAIR 4000
2. 460 WATTS /500 WATTS EXTERME POWER PLUS SMPS COOLER MASTER 2500/3000
3. 460 WATTS REAL POWER SMPS COOLER MASTER 3500
4. TG-900-U37 SMPS TAGAN 9000
5. 8 GB /16 GB PENDRIVE SCANDISK 900/1500
6. 6 GB /16 GB PENDRIVE OCZ N/A
7. AD7240 DVD WRITER SONY 1200
8. 8GB /16 GB GT PENDRIVE CORSAIR 900/2300
9. 650 WATTS SMPS GLACIALTECH 4500

GlacialPower 650 would be the one I would buy, but it is overkill for you. And the pendrive is Sandisk.. LOL@ Scandisk. :lol:

Well, the prices are spot on. But why did you ask for TG-900-U37? It should be 500 not 900.

Krow said:
LOL@ Scandisk.

hehehe Think you've seen it all...now see this

WE HAVE READY STOCK OF ALL, TAGAN 500WATTS SMPS - 3700/- AND
OUT OF BANGALORE SHIPPING CHARGE APPROXMENTLY 1000/- FOR HOLE
PC COMPONENTS

Jokes apart these guys were very helpful and the price also seems to be reasonable.

Well, the prices are spot on. But why did you ask for TG-900-U37? It should be 500 not 900

yeah I asked for Tagan TG-500-U37, but they quoted the price for TG-900-U37. Sent it in second mail on request though.

H

900 bucks? You sure that isn't a typo!

Wow the corsairs are superb,I didn't knew they were that good.Read many reviews in different sites and everywhere VX450 is described in one word WOW.By the time go for shopping if I have I enough money,I'll go for it eyes closed. So as a back up plan I've shortlisted these

Corsair CX400
CM REAL POWER 460
Corsair VX450.

Now guys do you think CX400 is enough for my rig,Coz that looks like a good deal,keeping in mind the cost and its performance.
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hell_storm2006 said:
900 bucks? You sure that isn't a typo!

noo not 900 bucks,900 watts.
I've edited it though

H

sriharsha_madineni said:
Wow the corsairs are superb,I didn't knew they were that good.Read many reviews in different sites and everywhere VX450 is described in one word WOW.By the time go for shopping if I have I enough money,I'll go for it eyes closed.

Told you so! :wink:

CX400W would be fine for your rig!

yeah I asked for Tagan TG-500-U37, but they quoted the price for TG-900-U37. Sent it in second mail on request though.

There is no model called TG-900-U37!

Reviews that helped to choose wisely

Everything you need to Know about power supplies

How Much Power Can a Generic 500 W Power Supply Really Deliver?

Understanding the 80Plus certification

Corsair CX400W

Corsair VX450W

Cooler Master Extreme power Plus 500W

Cooler Master Extreme power Plus 460W

A

Hi ,

C M real power 460 w is 80 pls bronze certified .

see the link *www.coolermaster.com/product.php?category_id=24&product_id=5483.

Go for C M extreme 400w or 500w @ 2600 & 2900 .

No problem in services C M India is team is there to help .

Call : Acro Eng ( C M distributor )011 40525641 -45 for any issue .

^^@avi007, as everyone else has mentioned, better not pick CM ExtremePower.

@sriharsha, if possible, go for VX450W. it's an amazing piece of hardware and also comes with 5yr warranty.

if not, look for CM Real Power or Tagan 80PLUS certified PSUs

avi007 said:
Hi ,

C M real power 460 w is 80 pls bronze certified .

see the link *www.coolermaster.com/product.php?category_id=24&product_id=5483.

Go for C M extreme 400w or 500w @ 2600 & 2900 .

No problem in services C M India is team is there to help .

Call : Acro Eng ( C M distributor )011 40525641 -45 for any issue .

So what if it is 80 plus bronze? *en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_PLUS#Efficiency_level_certifications

It is still 80 plus!

This product has a higher price tag than other entry-level power supplies up to 450 W we have recently reviewed, but it is not more expensive. How is that possible? Since it can maintain efficiency above 85% even though you will initially pay a higher price to bring this product home the savings you will have on you electricity bill will compensate the buy in just a few months, especially if you keep your computer turned on for several hours a day.
==================================================
This is what hardware secrets say about VX450W. So, it's better to stick to a better PSU than paying more electricity bills every month

desiibond said:
This product has a higher price tag than other entry-level power supplies up to 450 W we have recently reviewed, but it is not more expensive. How is that possible? Since it can maintain efficiency above 85% even though you will initially pay a higher price to bring this product home the savings you will have on you electricity bill will compensate the buy in just a few months, especially if you keep your computer turned on for several hours a day.
==================================================
This is what hardware secrets say about VX450W. So, it's better to stick to a better PSU than paying more electricity bills every month

Yeah anna,that was going through my mind ever since I read that review and there were hardly any ripples and noise at loads,compared with CM models.So i'm looking for ways to save 4K for this beauty oops BEAST. :))

Corsair is Corsair!

K

sriharsha_madineni said:
My town is just a 4hr drive from Bangalore. So I'm planning to buy those from Bangalore owing to significant price diff. So plz suggest me some good shops to buy and if possible their contacts.

Go to S P Road Banglore - Golcha or Mint Computers ( Same Owner ) , Ankit Infotech . Hope for SP Road you will not need any phone numbers . These two shops are in main market area. :razz:

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rohan_mhtr said:
If you are not upgrading your rig in future then cm 460 exteme powe + is good enough but you can instead go for gigabyte superb 460w which comes at a similar price and is better then cm 460w .
If you plan to spend 1k more on cm real power then instead of it you can get corsair vx400w which is a better deal and will cost you around 3k which also has 5 years warranty .

If you are sticking with CM Extreme power series then make sure that the psu is of extreme power PLUS series and not just extreme power since both are two different PSU's .

Hi Rohan , there is no any model VX 400 in Corsaire . It is CX 400

K

hell_storm2006 said:
An absolute big NO to your choice! CM Extreme is time bomb waiting to explode and it will take your PC along with it! Would always advice you to stick to CM Real Power one's. The wattage you need depends on the future shopping list.
Best no nonsense solution is Corsair VX450W, cant beat that! That 1k-1.5k is absolutely worth it!
If you want to stick to your 2.5k budget, Gigabyte Superb 460W at 2.3k at lynx-india!

Hell_storm2006

Do you really have any such experiance of explosion ? :shock:

Earlier an year and half back I did purchase Extreme Power 600 Duo from Top Notch which stopped working making small noise of fuse blown off . Later upon investigation it came to know that the back side "selector switch" was set to 115 V. It was CM's factory fault as the whole shipment to their distributor was set to 115 Volts. As far as Extreme Power Plus 460 Watt is concerned there are no any such issues with this PSU .

K

Difference between Extreme Power and Extreme Power Plus is unline the former "Plus"series has 1 No. CPU 4 + 4 Pin Connector , 2 Nos. 6 + 2 PCIe Connectors CM had removed fan sound problem from "Plus" Series , AND HAVE INCREASED PRICES

Hahahah.. just kidding .... Extreme Power Plus series is excellent and out performs every PSU from Tagan , Gigabyte which is not 80 Plus in price vs. performance and ofcourse after sales service

rohan_mhtr said:
There are many people in this forum who would bash up Cooler master extreme series since they have seen some threads in other forums where these psu's have exploded . Cooler master has stopped producing extreme power series PSU and the new models which are being produced are called extreme power plus , many people get confused due to this name and think that all CM psu's are crap . For your rig the gigabyte Superb is an excellent choise . If you cant find that then you can happly purchase CM 460w Extreme power plus , it will easily handle your current rig . I am right now on CM extreme power plus 500w and it can handle hd4850 very well . Your best choise is corsair vx400 , even it is mentioned at 400w , it is far better then cm460 or gigabyte since it can provide more power ie around 500w . My friend runs a Gtx260 with e8400 , 4gb ram and 4 hdd's on a vx400 and it works very well .
Again a big no from me for a second hand psu . With time the psu capicity goes on decreasing !!

.

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hell_storm2006 said:
Even Extreme Power Plus is of the old technology. They haven't changed much. And they seriously are a pain. So Plus Minus doesn't matter. If its extreme stay away its extremely dangerous.

Corsairs have the best quality that a person can ask for! A VX450W can give you 520W on extreme load for quite a while without getting drained. No other PSU can claim that! Tagans are good. But BZ500 is way too expensive and not VFM. If you have a low powered rig then CX400 from Corsair would also be fine at 3.2k.

Do not underestimate the Gigabyte one. It is an 80+ certified PSU. Haven't heard complaints about it till now. Its the best VFM PSU in the market now!

By any chance do you have a huge stocks of Corsaire lying or have great offer given to stock up Gigabyte ?
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hell_storm2006 said:
Even Extreme Power Plus is of the old technology. They haven't changed much. And they seriously are a pain. So Plus Minus doesn't matter. If its extreme stay away its extremely dangerous.

Corsairs have the best quality that a person can ask for! A VX450W can give you 520W on extreme load for quite a while without getting drained. No other PSU can claim that! Tagans are good. But BZ500 is way too expensive and not VFM. If you have a low powered rig then CX400 from Corsair would also be fine at 3.2k.

Do not underestimate the Gigabyte one. It is an 80+ certified PSU. Haven't heard complaints about it till now. Its the best VFM PSU in the market now!

By the way Gigabyte Superb 460 is not the 80 Plus . If it is , why not listed here www.80plus.org:?:

K

hell_storm2006 said:
Another problems is that the 400W, 460W whatever CM puts on their PSU is the max power output of the PSU. And we all know that PSU's hardly give 100% output of the rated value. 80+ is Corsair, Gigabyte, Seasonic. Corsair being the leader!

80 Plus are
Cooler Master Silent Power M 500/600/700/850/1000 & Real Power Pro 460 / 850 / 1000 /1250
Antec Earth Watts 380 / 430
Tagan BZ 700 /800 / 1100 /1300
Seasonic 380 / 430
Silverstone 350
Corsaire CX 400 / VX 450 / HX 620 / TX 650 / TX 750

Which are usually available in India
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sriharsha_madineni said:
Hi guys I was supposed to buy monitor,psu and some assorted stuff at a time.But got a good deal from Dell so booked S2409 Online for 13.8K incl shipping.
So my PSU purchase has been postponed for a week so keep the options coming guys.
If i'm willing to spend 3.5K on PSU which one out of the above would be best??

BTW my other query had been sidelined what about a Flash drive with good write speeds.??

Go for Corsaire Voyager . It is best. I like the feel , performance everything . Also it is fast .

K

Finally, what I understand from your rig is that you are not doing any high end graphics upgrade neither overclocking except addition of 2 cards wifi and TV tuner. So high amperage single +12 V rails PSUs like CX / VX / Silent etc. are really needed ?

Actually this rig can easily be powered by CM 350 Plus PSU , the new PSU launched by CM in India for entry level machines. It is @ INR 1750 with 2 years replacement warranty . ( I myself have set up a machine with 9600 GT and Athlon 620 )

My Suggestion is to go with Extreme Power Plus 500 Watt OEM unit @ INR 2600 . Other recommendations up to you budget .
CM 350 Plus @ INR 1750
Gigabyte Superb @ INR 2000
CM Extreme Power Plus 460 @ INR 2550

also do note that most of stores in sp road will be closed on sunday

kanofine said:
Finally, what I understand from your rig is that you are not doing any high end graphics upgrade neither overclocking except addition of 2 cards wifi and TV tuner. So high amperage single +12 V rails PSUs like CX / VX / Silent etc. are really needed ?

Actually this rig can easily be powered by CM 350 Plus PSU , the new PSU launched by CM in India for entry level machines. It is @ INR 1750 with 2 years replacement warranty . ( I myself have set up a machine with 9600 GT and Athlon 620 )

My Suggestion is to go with Extreme Power Plus 500 Watt OEM unit @ INR 2600 . Other recommendations up to you budget .
CM 350 Plus @ INR 1750
Gigabyte Superb @ INR 2000
CM Extreme Power Plus 460 @ INR 2550

yeah initially my choice was CM extreme pow plus 460 ,heard some negative reviews and the fact that it is not a 460w,made me think again,So are these noise levels at +12V

CM EXTREME POWER PLUS 500W
*www.hardwaresecrets.com/imageview.php?image=16282
*img109.imageshack.us/img109/9714/cm500.png

CM EXTREME POWER PLUS 460W
*www.hardwaresecrets.com/imageview.php?image=10175

*img109.imageshack.us/img109/8772/cm460.png

Corsair CX400W
*www.hardwaresecrets.com/imageview.php?image=17157

*img109.imageshack.us/img109/529/cx400.png

Corsair VX450W
*www.hardwaresecrets.com/imageview.php?image=9685

*img109.imageshack.us/img109/1897/vx450.png
SOURCE: hardwaresecrets.com

The efficiency of corsairs is tempting me,so are the almost negligible noise levels. Has anyone seen any reviews on CM real power 460W apart from that one on TE.
Look at the efficiency at 80% loads.This is what i'm looking at
AT 80% load

*img691.imageshack.us/img691/5823/screenshotxb.png
The 86% efficiency of vx450 is tempting and looks like premium I pay for it over others is covered within a few power bills :))

I started this thread as a noob in PSU's and now everything makes sense as why I should avoid generic PSU's. I used to wonder why my power bills kept on increasing and UPS back up went on decreasing when I had just a 400W generic PSU. I was always thinking about the 500 rupee PSU but never thought about higher power bills that I'm paying because of it for almost 1.5 yrs.Yeah as the reviewer said the money I spend over VX450 is recovered with an year of lesser power bills(I wish it would) :))

So right now VX450 is in my mind,given I am able to save 4K by that time or else I'm looking at CX400.

^^
If you get a Corsair unit -- though you shell out a bit more. You can close your eyes and sleep in peace.

^^Same goes for the CM Real Power Pro.

how do they calculate the output and the AC power consumption ??

^^afaik, there is a separate device that you plug between power out and PSU that takes reading of amount of power going through.

@Chess:

PSU calculation is difficult to get accurate..with the level of devices, and reporting points available to us.

It can be roughly calculated using some calculators, or approximated seeing device ratings. No exact number is possible unless you do what D.Bond has suggested, OR you can connect a vmeter in parallel to your PSU, and get the rating..!