# What CPU Wattage do I need for this build?



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

What CPU Wattage do I need for this build? Also, if there is anything wrong, not needed in this, please tell me.

I haven't got a gfx card planned yet because I will be getting a 2nd hand one from a store. 


OS: Microsoft Windows 7 1PC
Hard drive: 1TB 600MBps - 7200rpm
RAM: Corsair XMS3 2 x 4GB - DIMM 240-pin - 1600 MHz
Motherboard:Asus M5A78L-M - USB 3 4xDDR3 200Mhz Max
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 3.2 GHz Processor

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The 8GB of RAM is not needed unless you intend to do serious graphics or CAD work. There are no games and few apps that can utiilize more than 3GB.
Are you referring to the Power Supply (PSU) required? 
Are you going to add a dedicated GPU?


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

hello 


you did not state which gfx class card you intend to purchase???? and thats the single biggest power hog in the whole system if you are a gamer? another mystery

however; as baseline advice I would not waste my time with anything less than 650 watt; 750 watt is average now days and 850 watt is the "play it safe" line in the sand.

in summary


Corsair or XFX 750 watt and verify they are 80 plus bronze certified


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

https://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/Gallant-AMD-955-94p766.htm

I will be running pretty much the same specs, if not, less than the PC in the link but that only comes with a 400 W PSU.

I do mean the power supply needed.

I'm not sure what a dedicated gpu is but I plan on using a graphics card that works something like this one http://www.nvidia.com/docs/IO/69826/GeForce_GTX_275_3qtr_large.jpg 
But probably not one as good.

Sorry, I'm incredibly new to this.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I would not install a 400 watt power supply in any computer system of spec from 2005 forward!

there are plenty of psu options in the $89.00 range you get any chaper than that and mr.murphy will bite you

xfx650 watt and maybe the corsair tx-650 will fit your budget anything less than 650 will be a time bomb before the retirement of this machine


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

As above ^
400W is not sufficient for any modern PC. We would need to know the specific Model Number of the intended GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to be more precise about the required PSU but a good quality 650W unit is generally sufficient.


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks for your help, I think I'm gonna just get a 750w.

Sorry I couldn't give you the graphics card model.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

750W should cover you if it's a good quality unit.


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

I'm hoping to go with a Cooler Master but will go with Corsair if need be.

I don't have much money to spend on a PSU so I need something that will do for a couple months until I have the money to get a better one.

I might get a cheaper GFX card and a better PSU first and wait to get a better GFX card.

I think the latter might be better because I guess getting everything else to work first would be more important.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair (not the CX or GS Series) are top quality.



AHolland96 said:


> I might get a cheaper GFX card and a better PSU first and wait to get a better GFX card.


A wise thought and that would the better option to avoid damaging the new GPU with a low quality underpowered PSU.


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks for the help.

Do you know any budget PC setups?


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

AHolland96 said:


> Thanks for the help.
> 
> Do you know any budget PC setups?




check out the New build sticky in the building forum ~~~~~ its been refreshed


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

I'll do that.

Sorry I didn't check that first, I'm new to this site.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Definitely look over the suggested build list. All parts are top quality and compatible.


----------



## ReviverSoft (Nov 30, 2009)

> I would not waste my time with anything less than 650 watt; 750 watt is average now days and 850 watt is the "play it safe" line in the sand.


I'm sorry, but you seem to be generalizing the requirements that would otherwise be suggested for a medium -high end PC. 

750Watts for the OP is just excessive, unless of course he intends to upgrade to a more powerful CPU and maybe add a second video card.

850Watts - 1200Watts - Ideally for serious gaming rigs that run top of the line hardware and have a min. of 2 high-end video cards, not to mention other enthusiast hardware.



> I would not install a 400 watt power supply in any computer system of spec from 2005 forward!





> 400W is not sufficient for any modern PC.


I beg to differ. A good quality 400W PSU is more than sufficient to power a good dual-core (current gen) system with a low/med-range video card. So on, so forth... 

You'd be surprised by the wattage of PSUs used by major PC manufacturers like HP, Dell, Acer, Gateway...



> anything less than 650 will be a time bomb before the retirement of this machine


Not unless you're referring to a lifespan of 6-8 years and a couple of upgrades. 
In this day and age where manufacturers are working to improve power efficiency and lower consumption of computer hardware, I don't see how they would warrant a big bump in power requirements.

If the OP intends to retain the above system as such, perhaps with an AMD HD5770 thrown in, a quality 460-550W PSU from the likes of Corsair and Seasonic ought to last for a few years or longer. Another thing to looking for is their efficiency rating (higher is better).

_Bottom-line: While MORE is BETTER, you also need to keep in mind how much you will be using. _

It's best to map out your current requirements, consider some headroom for future upgrades and choose the PSU wisely. 


@AHolland96

Why don't you give this utility a try?

eXtreme Power Supply Calculator

You should be able to determine the approx* power consumption of your PC and subsequently choose a PSU with a little more* headroom (provided you don't upgrade often)

My 2 cents.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The OP said he was going with a 750W PSU. We can't suggest a definitive power range because we don't know what GPU will be used. 
that's why I posted that a good quality 750W would be a good choice.
460-550W is not sufficient for a 5770 GPU. 450W is the minimum suggested by ATI so adding 30% brings you over 550W.



ReviverSoft said:


> You'd be surprised by the wattage of PSUs used by major PC manufacturers like HP, Dell, Acer, Gateway...


None of us that build/repair PC's for a living are a bit surprised at the PSU's installed in OEM PC's as we replace them, as well as the other components they damage, on a regular basis. OEM's commonly use poor quality PSU's with barely sufficient power to increase profits.


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

O.K
I've changed things around a bit (I've learned quite a bit more while researching) and hopefully, if this is compatible, this will be the final build:

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate

Hard drive: Seagate 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Barracuda HD 7200RPM 16mb Cache

RAM: Corsair 2x4 GB DDR3 1600Mhz XMS3 1.6V

Motherboard:Gigabyte GA-88GM-UD2H 880G socket 8 channel audio mATX motherboard

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 3.2 GHz Processor

Sapphire HD 6570 1GB DDR3 DVI VGA HDMi


1 x 120 mm fan but may get more

*EDIT*
I tried the calculator and it said suggested 30 Watts, I'm not sure I want to trust it :laugh:


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

550W minimum for a 6570. 
XFX Core Edition PRO550W $75: Newegg.com - XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

$10 more--CORSAIR TX650 V2 $85 minus $10 off Promo Code good through 9-15--EMCKAKA24 
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

I can't buy from Newegg.com because they do not ship to the UK.

I'm trying to only get parts from ebuyer.com because of free delivery.

This is a PSU that I found on there but I don't know how good it would be.

Powercool 750W 80plus Certified Efficiency PSU - 1x.. | Ebuyer.com

The minimum For the Corsair TX650 V2 is £68 and that's a bit pricey. 
Would the powercool 750w last for a couple months until I have more money so I can get a corsair?


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Using a cheap low quality PSU, even for a couple of months, is not something I would recommend and is only inviting problems and possible damage to your new hardware. If you don't have the funding now, wait until you do.


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

Ok, well I guess I can just borrow the extra off of a friend.

It looks like I'm going to be installing the Corsair TX 650W 80+ Certified bronze v2 psu.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

That's what friends are for. :smile:
Good choice and best of luck!


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks, I'll probably need it.

I have a feeling it's all going to be worth it in the end.


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Building your own PC is a very rewarding experience for many reasons. I still get a rush after a completed build.


----------



## AHolland96 (Sep 8, 2011)

It must be like completing an incredibly hard and long game.

I've noticed that you learn a lot when building a PC. It's only been 3 days of setting out to find the parts I want and plan it and I've learned a lot of things that will definitely come on handy.

I'm looking forward to the day I get to put it all together and boot it for the first time.


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

check the uk sites listed at the bottom of this

Power Supply Information and Selection - Tech Support Forum


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

@ ReviverSoft
This would be a good read for you to better understand the needs of clean sufficient power over an extended period of time: http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

nobody ever speaks of the 10-15% capicator *degradation* each year from a gaming machine :4-thatsba:4-thatsba


the corsair CS400 is a dog power supply; I have seen them tank several times on office machines that only pull 250 -300 watt loads and I am not talking years later either!! I have personally seen them tank in 6months - 12 months

yes corsair will give you another one during warranty BUT they dont replace motherboards, memory, video cards when its a gang death :embarased


----------



## ReviverSoft (Nov 30, 2009)

@TSF Mods

You're welcome to contradict my point with your findings and TSF compiled articles, but why *DELETE* my post altogether?

I'm posting just like any regular member does and the content was in no way *inappropriate* to warrant a *deletion with no reasons specified*. 

Where on this page does it say a regular member cannot contribute in a discussion thread?

If anything, you could have PM'd me about it. 

Totally uncool.


----------

