What PSU wattage is sufficient?

[chingster]

Hi, I am a first time computer builder and just wanted to know how much wattage I would need for my rig and which brands are reliable (and that preferably run on 1 or 2 rails). My friend recommended a 750W PC Power & Cooling psu for $165@Tigerdirect.

My setup will be as follows:

Intel core 2 extreme QX6850 3ghz quad core processor (I won it at work =p, the retail is a grand but sells online for only 300-500 so i figured I could just use it)
ASUS P5Q intel P45 mobo

EVGA 9800GTX+ superclocked (PCI-E 2.0) - 770mhz core, uses less wattage than regular 9800gtx apparently

RAM- 2 x 2gb DDR2..unsure of which brand and speed (800,1066,1333) to purchase. will heatsink be necessary for this setup?

WD Caviar 500gb HDD
LG dvd-drive
Antec Nine Hundred Case
Samsung 245BW Display

I was looking at PC&P 610W version psu that is much cheaper but i am unsure if it will be enuff sustain the machine.

Also on the side I was comparing the BFG 9800GTX+ OC to the EVGA one. The BFG one is 30 dollars cheaper, however it supports regular PCI-E rather than EVGA's PCI-E 2.0. Is there a major difference between PCI-E versions? I havent opened anything yet, so I can always exchange cards or any part for that matter.

Thanks

[Max_87]

The PCP&C 610W is enough.

[Unixlord]

Both 750w and 610w silencer's are fantastic power supplies. They're both more than adequate for that setup.
Both cards are PCIE 2.0, not like it makes a difference. They're both good so you might as well save $30 and get the BFG.
For RAM go GSKILL 8000 or 6400 kits (whichever fits your budget).

[Chai]

I thought all G92 cards should be PCI-E 2.0?

And why not consider 4850 or 4870 instead?

[chingster]

Thanks alot for the info and recommendations i rlly rlly apreciate it.

Originally Posted by Chai

I thought all G92 cards should be PCI-E 2.0?

And why not consider 4850 or 4870 instead?

I was looking at several benchmarks for single card performance and the 9800 was slightly better than the 4850 (marginal tho). however the 4850 does perform better in crossfire config. over the 9800 in sli. But im sticking to one card for now.

But then I found out we got the new BFG card at work, so i could get a little deal on it for under 200 dollars including tax. The 4870 diamond is a lil outta my budget.

Also how would the PC&P 610W compare to the Corsair TX Series 650W and 750W (both on single rails) and OCZ GameXStream psu's like the 700W (2 rails)?
Also are more rails better or worse? 1 friend said try and get a single rail psu while another friend said the more rails the better

Thanks

[Unixlord]

The way I've heard it most manufacturers try and use multiple rails because while a single large rail is preffered (specially for multi gpu setups) it's also tougher to manufacture. Corsair TX like the PCP&C are also good PSUs but OCZs simply can't reach the same level of quality. This is despite the fact that OCZ has purchased PCP&C (They haven't rebranded the products or changed anything though).

Regular 4850 is faster than regular 9800 specially with AF/AA turned on. The 9800+ is a different matter though.

The issue with going for nvidia is that you'd need an nvidia chipset to do SLI:
1)You don't have an nvidia chipset (P5Q is P45)
2)Nvidia chipsets suck compared to Intel's offerings

So OK you want a single card right now but if you're thinking of adding another one say in 6 months time you'd be better off with the 4850.

[Chai]

Originally Posted by chingster

Thanks alot for the info and recommendations i rlly rlly apreciate it.



I was looking at several benchmarks for single card performance and the 9800 was slightly better than the 4850 (marginal tho). however the 4850 does perform better in crossfire config. over the 9800 in sli. But im sticking to one card for now.

But then I found out we got the new BFG card at work, so i could get a little deal on it for under 200 dollars including tax. The 4870 diamond is a lil outta my budget.

Also how would the PC&P 610W compare to the Corsair TX Series 650W and 750W (both on single rails) and OCZ GameXStream psu's like the 700W (2 rails)?
Also are more rails better or worse? 1 friend said try and get a single rail psu while another friend said the more rails the better

Thanks

Get single rails, and don't bother going for multi card solution unless you intend to get it now.

[PsYkHoTiK]

Single rail ftw...

[chingster]

ah ok, thanks alot guys. u all rlly cleared things up for me. Now i just gotta decide between the 4850 and 9800gtx+. im still leaning towards the nvidia card tho since i most likely will not be running multiple cards for a few years to come.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by chingster

ah ok, thanks alot guys. u all rlly cleared things up for me. Now i just gotta decide between the 4850 and 9800gtx+. im still leaning towards the nvidia card tho since i most likely will not be running multiple cards for a few years to come.

If you can afford it, go for the ATI Radeon HD 4870. Take a look at the ASUS EAH4870 review - Tech ARP - ASUS EAH4870 Radeon HD 4870 Graphics Card Review for the reasons why.

Don't worry about running multiple cards. By the time you decide on an upgrade 1-2 years down the line, there will be totally new graphics cards that can offer you twice the performance for the same price or even less.