Yet another "Which PSU?" thread (sorry).

C

Craptacular

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Messages
346
I haven't been having any problems with my current PSU (500W modular Mad Dog TTGI/Superflower rebadge), but I think I'm pushing my luck a bit now that I'm OC'ing an Opteron 170. The next upgrade on my list is a new PSU to make my system a bit more future-proof, with potential to add another 7800GT or other SLI setups down the road.

I would like to stay with a modular unit since my Super LanBoy doesn't have much in the way of room to hide away extra cables. I'm not looking for a dead silent PC, but I'd like to keep things as quiet as possible within my budget.

Speaking of budget, I'm also married to a bigtime cheapskate. Keeping the pricetag down will keep me from being killed by an angry spouse looking to collect on my life insurance policy. Let's use $100 as a general budget zone.

This PSU will be used in the following setup:
Opteron 170 running @ 2.8 on 1.5V (Thermaltake Big Typhoon) - DFI LanParty Ultra-D
2GB G.Skill HZ PC4000, 250GB SATA HD & 200GB SATA HD, 2x NEC DVD burners
BFG 7800GT OC, Floppy drive, 3x 120mm fans, 1 92mm fan (for PWMIC)

.

I've been researching and now I'm trying to decide between:

Enermax Liberty 500W
My concern on this one is that despite the 22A listed for 12V1 and 12V2, the combined total is only 30A which could potentially limit me in terms of going SLI in the future.

Ultra X2 550W
Yeah, I cringe at the thought of buying an Ultra too, but this one seems to be pretty decent. The price is fair and it seems to meet all of my requirements.

Other?
I also have the opportunity to buy a used Liberty 620W, but my wallet begins to squeal in pain when I consider spending so much more when one of the above could possibly work out.

.

So am I incorrect in my thinking about the 500W Liberty? Should I quit being a weenie and just order the dang Ultra X2? Are both insufficient enough to warrant the extra expense of the 620W Liberty?

Any help on thinking through this would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
There are not many modular power supplies that are good enough to power that much hardware or that even support SLI. I got these suggestions from the sticky thread:

Thermaltake Modular W0057 PurePower 500W $119

OCZ PowerStream 520W $116

Enermax 535W (New) FMA ATX12V Ver2.01 535W $85

Hiper Modular Type-R 580W Power Supply $119

Antec SP2 500W Modular $60
 
davidhammock200 said:
I would get the Liberty 620W. ;)
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Yeah, I kinda figured you would. ;)

That said, would you say my thoughts on the other two were accurate? With the 500W Liberty being a bit too light in combined 12V amps, and the Ultra being acceptable (although granted, not anywhere near as nice as the 620W Liberty)?

I guess I'm trying to get the final word on whether to completely write off the 500W Liberty. Then I could just focus on wondering whether the 620W Liberty is worth risking spousal retribution for... when the flexforce cables on the MUCH less expensive Ultra are sooooo appealing.
 
I just built a DFI Lanpaty NF4 with a pair of 7800GTX's with an Ultra X2 550W. Works like a charm.

Just do as threedd97 suggests and stick with the SLI certified units....

Although two of the units he suggests aren't modular... ;) I know that some say modulars create enough resistance to drop voltage, but I've got the ability to put up to a 750W load on a power supply and I've yet to see more than a .1V drop due to a modular interface. Of course, there's no testing the long term effects of corrosion... but if the modular interface is succeptable to corrosion, why aren't the connectors that you plug your power supply into? And what about the "modular" connector that PC Power and Cooling uses inside the Turbo Cool for the ATX connector? Hmm....
 
jonnyGURU said:
Of course, there's no testing the long term effects of corrosion... but if the modular interface is succeptable to corrosion, why aren't the connectors that you plug your power supply into? And what about the "modular" connector that PC Power and Cooling uses inside the Turbo Cool for the ATX connector? Hmm....
Click to expand...
You know... I've never thought of it like that. Makes sense.
 
Well, thanks for the input everyone- looks like I'm ready to make a purchase.

BUT - right when I was finally getting comfortable with the thought of buying the X2 and begin preparing for some flexforce goodness, the person selling the 620W Liberty gave me a good deal.

I guess I've got some planning to do in how to deal with the Eternity Cable "feature". Oh well- I'll take the less desirable cables any day if it means they come with quiet performance and the rock solid rails. ;)

...of course now I'm looking at the pin config trying to figure out how I could custom make my own version of the flexforce cables using that rubber-coating stuff they sell at hardware stores for tool handles. Yeah, I'll keep the fire department phone number handy.
 
The biggest argument against the modular PSU's is that the actual pins can loosen and become sloppy over time from repeated uses. Yeah, I know, that's going to happen on both ends but there's one place it shouldn't...
the "modular" connector that PC Power and Cooling uses inside the Turbo Cool for the ATX connector
Click to expand...
should never get unplugged by the average user.
 
madmat said:
The biggest argument against the modular PSU's is that the actual pins can loosen and become sloppy over time from repeated uses.
Click to expand...

Once installed I doubt many users disconnect/reconnect the cables at all between builds.

In my opinion the main advantage of modular cables is the ability to only use the cables you need for your system while leaving out the excess, which doesn't involve repeated uses. I agree that repeated cable mussing could weaken connections, but that's not really a factor in practical real-world use.

Of course, there's always at least one knucklehead that has to overuse a feature just because it's there. Somebody out there is probobly swapping the cable connection points like an old-time phone switchboard operator every time they prepare to power up. ;)
 
I agree with you fully, but that's the argument the anti-modular crowd are using to justify not using modular PSU's.

The reality is that once a system is set up the cables stand the most likelyhood of being swapped around at their destination. Molex connections will open up in time with repeated insertions, anyone that's had RC cars will understand what I'm talking about. The key is to not torque on the plug as you connect or disconnect it and the tension on the pins should remain uniform and not spread the female ends unduly.
 
Dude, this is such a coincidence, I have the Mad Dog surepower 450 and it's is also a great overclocking psu. Absolutely no problems with it on my Opteron 170, 3800x2 and clawhammer (fx core 3500dep4as). I loved that no-name psu and was quite surpised at how rugged it is. But I had to upgrade to an sli psu and got the Liberty 500. Don't worry about to much wattage pull on your enermax. The most I've been able to pull out of this unit with my setup oc'd to 2800 (dual core burn) and my GT oc'd to 495/1200 (rbtbl graphics stress test) running simulataniously was just over 300 watts. I really doubt your going to bring it past 425 watts with another card added. FYI, my overclock with the Liberty compared to the Mad dog is just maybe ~40mhz more stable, but that may be because I'm using a differnet mb too.

Madmax, I know what your talking about with rc cars. My RC10 back in 89 was clocked at 34 mph with a trinity Joel Johnson motor. It was crazy fast, burn up a 7200mah pack in 12 minutes. Those were the days.
 
I have seen several people state that the Liberty 500W has 30A combined, but is actually as follows:
The total +12V amps on Liberty 620W is (36A) and 500W is (32A). :)
 
scwam said:
Dude, this is such a coincidence, I have the Mad Dog surepower 450 and it's is also a great overclocking psu. Absolutely no problems with it on my Opteron 170, 3800x2 and clawhammer (fx core 3500dep4as). I loved that no-name psu and was quite surpised at how rugged it is.
Click to expand...

Yeah, those TTGI rebadges sold by Mad Dog are quite the workhorses. Great value and performed well past my expectations. My 500W modular has been one of the best hardware experiences I've had. To be honest I'm kinda sad to take it out of my machine since it's served me so reliably.

*sniff* ;)

I'm sure I'll find it a happy new home in the FS/FT folder though.
 
Craptacular said:
*sniff* ;)

I'm sure I'll find it a happy new home in the FS/FT folder though.
Click to expand...

If/when you go to sell it can you let me know?
 
gjwild said:
I have seen several people state that the Liberty 500W has 30A combined, but is actually as follows:
The total +12V amps on Liberty 620W is (36A) and 500W is (32A). :)
Click to expand...

nice work
 
I just got the SilverStone 600 Watt PSU, and it looks pretty nice. Havent used it yet.. Just thought Id throw another suggestion out there. The Enermax Liberty's are supposed to be very good to.
 
Craptacular said:
Somebody better tell Enermax, since they list 30A on their specs.

Overly conservative rating on their part?
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Yea, When I was PSU researching and trying to decide which one I was going to purchase I saw the 30A on the spec sheet at Enermax but some of the reviews were saying 32A and some were 30A. I contacted technical support @ Enermax and they told me it was definately 32A so I purchased the Liberty. It may not be that big a deal but I'm funny like that. :)
When I saw this thread I returned to the site and specs had not changed, so I contacted them again and got the same answer. Go figure..You would think that they would change specs on the website to 32A if indeed that is correct...
This review says 32A also: Liberty 500W
1.jpg
 
Take it from me, modular isn't exactly all that great. I have the ULTRA X-Connect PSU and in all honesty, it's more of a hassle to work with :(.

The issue with modular cables, is you THINK you'll only use 2-3 cables and be done with it. In fact, you will use almost every normal molex cable they give you. Not only that, but the wires are so thick that it's a PITA to try any type of wire management. When hiding wired behind the mobo try, it gets tight as hell. The wires are simply TOO think, especially the 12v mobo connector.

Now i understand the X2 has flexforce to fix this problem. However, the newer version, which would be more practical to work with, isn't modular.

To make a long story short, modular connections seem to be great whe nyou red about them, but using them, it's a totally different story. I can't wait to replace this psu with a nonmodular one.
 
threedd97 said:
There are not many modular power supplies that are good enough to power that much hardware or that even support SLI. I got these suggestions from the sticky thread:
Enermax 535W (New) FMA ATX12V Ver2.01 535W $85
Click to expand...

Sorry but that one isn't modular (I've got one, so I should know). It is a seriously excellent supply though! I recently had to do a warranty exchange (after owning it for a year) and the warranty support was very good. So I do recommend Enermax.

I'd go for the new Liberty 620 Watt with the active PFC feature that will ensure extremely stable voltages through the full range of system load. Here it is at newegg.com (where the posted pricing came from):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817194004 About $174.00, but you get excellent quality for what you pay for.
 
jnick said:
The issue with modular cables, is you THINK you'll only use 2-3 cables and be done with it. In fact, you will use almost every normal molex cable they give you.
Click to expand...

...unless someone does some research into what they need now and what they may need in future builds. Modular PSUs certainly aren't for everyone, but they do have advantages for some people.

For instance, when I first bought my TTGI/Mad Dog modular I only used a few of the cables. Power to the motherboard, power to the optical and hard drives, power to the fans. Super clean setup with no hassle. Later when I bought a videocard that needed a molex connection I simply added the dedicated VGA power cable. BAM- done, and still a clean setup without any effort. Since then I've added more drives and much more powerful components and do need all the cables, but the modular cables eased the upgrade evolution of my system.
 
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