Which Power Supply?

David_Hudson · Post by **David_Hudson** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 1:42 pm

I am attempting to build a new nForce 4 based system. Here are the items I have prettey much settled on:

Case - Antec SLK3000B
Motherboard - DFI UT nF4 Ultra-D (or Chaintech VNF4)
Processor - Athlon 64 3000+
Video Card - nVidia 6600 GT
Heatsink - Thermalright XP-90

Now, what is giving me the most difficulty is deciding which power supply to purchase. I'm attempting to build this on a modest budget, I can afford any of the listed supplies, but would prefer to go the cheapest route.

Enermax EG375P-VE SFMA - $51
Seasonic Super Tornado 400 - $84
Seasonic Super Silencer 400 - $93
Seasonic S12 430 - $107

So, I am calling on you folks for help. The Enermax is what I originally picked out for myself, but it doesn't have PFC (active or passive). Also, it is difficult for me to tell if this supports the newer 24 pin motherboard power connectors (in fact, I'm not sure about this point on the non s12 Seasonic's as well). Is PFC important enough that I should exclude this supply from the pool of candidates?

Is one Seasonic significantly better than the others? And are there other recommended power supplies in this price range that I may have left out?

Thanks in advance.

teknerd · Post by **teknerd** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 2:34 pm

I'd go with the S12,

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 2:59 pm

D,

I would get the Seasonic S12 430 - the latest and greatest. - FG

An enermax noisetaker would be a good choice also and the year old models have very low prices. The latest versions are SFMA 2.0. For more rankings see the recommended power supply list.

dfrost · Post by **dfrost** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 3:26 pm

So the new S12's all have "Tornado-style" (up-sucking) intake fans, while the SS400 has an exhaust fan. And the S12's have the new ATX 2.0 spec dual 12V lines.

Which would be better in a Sonata case with a CNPS7000B as the CPU HSF?

Seems like the SS might have better airflow with a PSU duct, but the S12 has the newer 12V interface, a quieter fan, and (probably) even greater efficiency. And the S12 would let me close off the "Antec" holes to eliminate a noise path, but makes the intake bezel mods (soon!) even more important.

Would it matter if the motherboard had the CPU HSF farther from the PSU? (I'm considering a DFI NF4 board with memory at the top.)

I know either one would be overkill in my sig system, but any upgrade would benefit from the 24-pin interface.

teknerd · Post by **teknerd** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:52 pm

I'd still go with the S12, then if you can afford the extra 50 bucks at some point upgrade to an antec slk300b. I just moved from a sonata to a 3000b and my temps dropped 10 degrees

Sweendog · Post by **Sweendog** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:27 pm

For what it's worth, I'm building a similar system, and chose the SS400. If PSU fits the case like I'm hoping, I'll mod the case with vent holes on the top, and a duct around the rear of the PSU, similar to the ARM stealth systems. That's why I chose the SS searies Seasonic, it's fan is at the rear of the unit, not the bottom. Newegg has this unit for $86, and there's a $10 rebate through April 10th.

Good luck with the system!

Sweendog

Which Power Supply?

Which Power Supply?

s12

Which Seasonic for a Sonata?