Power supply adivice needed

[Ray]

I have a ASUS P5B-E mo, a GeForce 9500 GT video, 4 sata hard drives (with
sata and Molex connectors) and 5 usb peripherals and need a power supply to
run it. The GF9500GT video card wants 18 amps so I am thinking of getting
one of these supplies:
1. OXZ OCZ500MXSP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016&Tpk=OCZ500MX
SP
2. CoolerMaster RS-460-PSAR-J3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171046&cm_re=RS-460
-PSAR-J3-_-17-171-046-_-Product
3. CoolerMaster RS-500 PCAR-A3-US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031&Tpk=rs-500pc
ar-a3-us
I like the idea of the modular wiring with the OCZ supply but was wondering
if the relatively low -5v (.3a) is a possible problem. This one is more
efficient too and has lots of connections but, of course, costs more.

My question is: Which one is the best fit for my computer? Or if you think
there are better choices with about the same cost, what would you suggest?

Thanks,
Ray

 

[GMAN]

I have a ASUS P5B-E mo, a GeForce 9500 GT video, 4 sata hard drives (with
sata and Molex connectors) and 5 usb peripherals and need a power supply to
run it. The GF9500GT video card wants 18 amps so I am thinking of getting
one of these supplies:
1. OXZ OCZ500MXSP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016&Tpk=OCZ500MX
SP
2. CoolerMaster RS-460-PSAR-J3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171046&cm_re=RS-460
-PSAR-J3-_-17-171-046-_-Product
3. CoolerMaster RS-500 PCAR-A3-US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031&Tpk=rs-500pc
ar-a3-us
I like the idea of the modular wiring with the OCZ supply but was wondering
if the relatively low -5v (.3a) is a possible problem. This one is more
efficient too and has lots of connections but, of course, costs more.

My question is: Which one is the best fit for my computer? Or if you think
there are better choices with about the same cost, what would you suggest?

Thanks,
Ray

Your MB and every other item attached to that system does not require the -5V
line. Thats just for older motherboards that required it. -5 is obsolete.

 

[Paul]

I have a ASUS P5B-E mo, a GeForce 9500 GT video, 4 sata hard drives (with
sata and Molex connectors) and 5 usb peripherals and need a power supply to
run it. The GF9500GT video card wants 18 amps so I am thinking of getting
one of these supplies:
1. OXZ OCZ500MXSP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016&Tpk=OCZ500MX
SP
2. CoolerMaster RS-460-PSAR-J3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171046&cm_re=RS-460
-PSAR-J3-_-17-171-046-_-Product
3. CoolerMaster RS-500 PCAR-A3-US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031&Tpk=rs-500pc
ar-a3-us
I like the idea of the modular wiring with the OCZ supply but was wondering
if the relatively low -5v (.3a) is a possible problem. This one is more
efficient too and has lots of connections but, of course, costs more.

My question is: Which one is the best fit for my computer? Or if you think
there are better choices with about the same cost, what would you suggest?

Thanks,
Ray

The second one, the RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W $29.99 is a "LOL". Read
the reviews on Newegg. Pop, smoke, OV, etc. Fun.

The RS-500-PCAR-A3-US 500W #39.99, the reviews report a "bad ground"
and some DOAs.

The review here for the OCZ supply, says it is manufactured by "HighPower".
There are still some DOA reports on Newegg. And one report of coil whine,
and a single report like that, doesn't mean it's a common complaint.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/973

HardwareSecrets also has a review for your 460W choice. Apparently
(unbelievably ?), it's made by FSP.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-Elite-Power-460-W-Power-Supply-Review/1005

"Ouch! This unit has the same secondary as the 400 W model!"

"at least it didn’t burn or explode"

"Efficiency was above 80% when we pulled between 150 W and 300 W
from this unit. Not bad."

It also passed testing up to 393 watts.

Seriously, keep shopping. Keep your eyes out for sales on end of line
supplies. I got a couple nice Enermax supplies that way (which are normally
too expensive here, to even think about).

*******

As for the 9500 GT, normally I'd get numbers from Xbitlabs, but I can't
find the result I'm looking for.

Second best, is a guesstimate here. These tend to be on the high side.
And your card is rated 50W. If the card doesn't have an auxiliary PCI
Express power connector, that's a decent upper limit (12V @ 4A from the
motherboard slot power pins). When they need more 12V than that,
then they stick the first PCI Express 2x3 on the end of the card.

http://www.gpureview.com/GeForce-9500-GT-PCI-E-card-574.html

You don't say what your processor is, so I can't say anything more.
The RS-460-PSAR-J3 may indeed be enough to do the job (if you
aren't the kind of person to let reports of DOA put you off).

Paul

 

[Paul]

Your MB and every other item attached to that system does not require the -5V
line. Thats just for older motherboards that required it. -5 is obsolete.

I don't see a -5V on the label here, only -12V @ 0.3A.

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/17-341-016-16.jpg

And I bet you'd have trouble, finding a modern power supply
design, that still has a -5V. Normally now, there is one
blank pin on the 20 or 24 pin connector, which is where that
-5V pin used to sit. If you see a main connector with a
pin missing, that isn't a design defect.

http://www.playtool.com/pages/psuconnectors/connectors.html

"The -5 volt line on pin 18 was made optional in ATX12V 1.3 (introduced in 2003)
because -5 had been rarely used for years. Newer motherboards virtually never
require -5 volts but many older motherboards do. Most newer power supplies don't
provide -5 volts in which case the white wire is missing."

HTH,
Paul