Shopping for PSU - what to look for

[Cesar R]

I am looking to buy a power supply for my new build i7 LGA1366. What are some features to look for in a power supply? This the first time in a long time that I have to buy a PSU alone. I have been a DELL user in the past.

 

I know some are "modular" and there is a power rating attached to the PSU, but what beyond that, makes the difference between the 29.00 and the 299.00 models?

 

Thank you.

[Cesar R]

someone mentioned I should get a 750W PSU for an I7?

[AJLynn]

The video card(s) will have a lot more marginal effect on the power requirements than the CPU, but since power requirements can be a lot of annoying math so my trick is to cheat and configure the system on a site like this: http://www.pcsforeveryone.com/System/Intel_4300_Series and see what the power requirements are.

 

I like to go comfortably over the requirement, so with, say, an i7 on a 1366 board with a Geforce 480 and 2 hard drives I'd get at least 650W. Two 480's would need a 100W.

 

For my home PC I went with an i5-760 and an ATI 5750 on a new generation MB pretty much just because the power spec comes out so low.

[postite]

For an I7 and graphic card like top GForce or ATI, I suggest the Seasonic M12D 750w:

 

- +/- 100 $

- Excellent quality and stability

- Modular

- Low noize

[Cesar R]

thanks guys !