I bought a corsair 750w bronze PSU (used!) for my first build in 2011. It's still going strong in my current PC. I know I should have upgraded some time ago, wouldn't like it suddenly failing and ruining something. I'm planning to retire it into a shelve for display, it isn't pretty but we've been through a lot together: moves, girlfriends, my try-hard Overwatch phase, unemployment, it just never quit on me.
Was it an AX750? The old Corsair AX series was made by Seasonic, I retired mine last year because it was 10 years old. Don't care to let it burn out and modular meant I could cut 80% of the wires out of my case.
You should always put a piece of paper with the model info into the bag of unused cables for your modular power supply. That way you can verify that you're only using the proper cables later on. Don't mix and match modular cables.
This is so true. I bought a power supply about 15 years ago, a semi modular Corsair 1000W, and I stil use it today in my main rig. Yes it was very expensive but worth it.
I remember reading Custom PC Magazine (in the UK) in the early/mid 2000's. Cheap PSU's regularly exploded when they were doing PSU lab tests. It was the one component they recommended spending good money on. Thankfully these days, PSU's seem much more reliable.
Hah, yes... I learnt the hard way by getting a 400w colours psu for £18.02. It's what I could afford at -time- the time.... and yes it fried a PC. The amount of colourful language that ensued would have bought me a new PC 😂.
Oh man, anyone remember those completely non-modular Great Wall 500W ATX PSU's that would literally pop and catch fire in SLI rigs that were using too many six pin pigtails?
I had an Enermax explode on me back in the days. Scary times! I never used cheap PSUs. Always from well known manufacturers. These days, I always use Seasonic in every system I build. They never disappointed.
I had to gut the room where my computers are for some electrical issues. So I rewired it with two 20a circuits, and I'm glad I did. But I think "overspending" on a power supply is some of the best money you can spend on a build because a really good power supply can easily last you 10 years, so long as you don't outgrow it's rated power.
@@richardhockey8442 The irony of all that is that there was no need for the new connector outside NVIDIA needing something smaller for their tiny boards. Two eight pins just don't fit, and can provide the same power, technically more, with 16ga wire.
@@notlNSIGHT But they concluded that it's more difficult to insert than the previous cables. So it was user error, but user error brought on by a design issue.
Using a good brand late model 850w fully modular Gold PSU on my AMD 5000 series Nvidia RTX 30 Series system. My GPU recommended a 750w PSU so I chose 850w for some headroom, especially with the known RTX 30 Series GPU transient power spikes - which have occurred several times on my system. It's all working out real nice. Thanks for covering this topic, Jay!
Nice one man, I have a 4080 and a 5900x on an 850w psu. 4080 pulls 350w and the 5900x pulls 170w. I’ve seen people recommending 1000w psu’s for the 4080 it’s absurd. Even with a 13900k and a 4080 you’d still have 250w of headroom.
@@MushToast_ Thats probably back from the days where past 50% PSU capacity your effeciency basicly droped to 80% or lower. Not so long ago the golden rule was to take your CPU+GPU draw and double it when choosing PSUs to keep it in the most efficient part of the curve.
Just upgraded from a Seasonic 550W semi modular to a Corsair HX750 to support my 3070 and 5800X and couldn't be happier with the performance. Great buy!
Europe standard is 230v average today. It used to be 220 here in the late 80's when I graduated as an electrician. Not really sure why they cranked it up, but my gues is it was to get a common avg between countries having 210, 220, 240 etc. But most modern PSU's very seldom have issues with +/- 10% voltage variation. In the old days it could be a major issue for Lightbulbs longevity if you happened to live right next to a tranformer station as they usually cranked up the voltage to get the specified 215-220v at the end of the suply line so you could have up to 250v in some circumstances It typically varies between 220 and 240 dependent where you live today.
Cybenetics is a good resource for good power supplies, and they report at 115 and 230V for their efficiency and stability measurements. Great resource for more of that technical information on PSUs for comparison, rather than just the efficiency rating of 80+.
I've been running a Seasonic 850 +Gold for the better part of three years now and it's the one thing in the system that hasn't changed. Fantastic PSUs and really decent prices. And to your comment about Canada Jay, yes we also run 110-120 Volts same as you guys. It would be way to difficult to run something else given how interconnected our countries are on just about everything.
I have Seasonic PSU's in every system in the house, and all I've built in the last 5 years. Everything from GX850's, GX1000, TX1000's, daughter's rig, my rig, wife's rig, HDPC rig. I used to be a corsair PSU shill for years until I had two fail (one catastrophically), I've had EVGA fail and have run a few others (GW, NZXT), Seasonic is by far the best I've used, and the one time I had an issue with a new one in a family member's build, it was a bad pin on a PCIe pin, and Seasonic shipped me an entirely new replacement in 5 days telling me to ship back the old when when it was convenient.
I used a Corsair 1,000w when building my 3090 system 2 years ago. And a year later, when building my son’s 3080ti system, I used a Seasonic platinum 1,000w. My philosophy: The PS is one of the few components of a PC that could feasibly be carried into future builds for over 10+ years, so let’s make sure it has enough power for future systems, and make sure it’s quality. I also like that overpowered power supplies tend to run quiet since they’re under-stressed.
@@SupraSav that's simply not true anymore , the efficiency of modern PSUs using DC to DC conversion designs is almost flat , it is no longer a bell curve and hasn't been for around a decade. A 1000w Platinum PSU is still going to be 98% efficient with a 50 watt load and will remain virtually identically efficient all the way through to 980 watts draw, allowing for the fact it will actively use the fan at some point.. it only drops off efficiency at the extreme low and high usage levels So a 1000w PSU which never has to run the fan under maximum use loads around 300-500w will be about as efficient as it gets.
Another "part" that some people overlook, especially when on a budget, isn't actually an internal component, but the monitor. The monitor is the heart of your setup. Spending less the the PC and getting a better monitor is usually worth it
I don't think That's true for me, I mean if I buy computer that is supposed to go for 4K and 144 Hz I should get a monitor supporting 4K in the right size I need to and have space for. I had a kind of 144hz 1080p bad monitor for many years and did not notice much of an upgrade when going to a really good 1080p 144 HZ monitor. thinks like cooling depends on how quiet I want my PC to be (and sufficient cooling so it doesn't overheat) components need to be good enough for the FPS and games you want to play power supply shouldn't be too cheap so it doesn't make your PC break
after 144hz 1ms your monitor does not matter for competitive gaming, and for single player you only really need 60hz 1440p after that you are basically wasting money
It’s pretty hard to tell the difference between 4k and 1440p and then it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between 1080p and 1440p so u might as well get a 1080p high refresh monitor even for the 4090 but that’s just me 🤷🏽♂️
@@heni63 Were you by chance using TN/VA monitors on either your cheap monitor or more expensive one? (or both) A more expensive TN panel tends to get you a penel that doesn't necessarily "look" better, but performs better. Additionally, a cheap ips panel, within reasons, tends to always look much better than even a higher end TN panel, and VA too most the time. But That's a big part of why I recommend that people spend a good amount of money on a monitor, I think very few people should buy TN/VA in 2022. I think they should instead buy a 1440p or higher, 144hz or higher IPS panel with a good response times and input delay. If their gpu can't handle 1440p gaming then native 1080p is often better than downscaled 1080p so they may be better off with 1080p, but a high refresh rate makes even just using the computer outside of gaming much more enjoyable
I have a corsair hx1000 I bought back in 2010 and have upgraded every part and piece but the power supply and its still running strong with good current to this day on a 11900k and a 3080. It been thru about 5 full rebuilds as I upgrade about every 2 years. Amazing psu! Good job Corsair!
I got that exact same PSU, been through several replatforms and currently running a 12600KF and 3080 hydro copper with custom water. Used to run dual 980ti's and 780's before that.
Is this still worth buying today? I was a little nervous because they're fairly old, but it looks like they're still in production and recommended in a lot of places.
I had a Corsair AX760 for a number of years, but it was not enough to handle the power spikes of my 3080Ti and I'd get random system restarts when playing certain games. I replaced it this month with an HX1000i and couldn't be happier, stability is perfect now. Definitely go high on the max wattage, it's more efficient to be closer to 50% draw at peak load anyhow.
@@The23rdGamer Hell no. The HX range has suffered from poor reliability. Obviously most of them are fine, but their failure rate is high relative to others. It is also a very old design. Power supplies designed more recently are far far better. Way better efficiency, way better response times, most are now LLC designs which is what is needed these days. You would be wayyyy better off looking at something like an RMx model from Corsair (very modern design, well made by CWT), EVGA G6 or G7 models, Seasonic Focus, Superflower Ledex models (again the more recent models).
I've had a custom NZXT build for the last 2 years now with an i9-10850K, 3080, and this NZXT C1000 Gold surprisingly enough. Never heard of it when I ordered back in 2020 but I wanted to make sure I had something rated high enough in case I ever upgraded things. Haven't had any issues with it whatsoever, still running strong!
Also worth mentioning if you upgrade your modular psu change out the cables that comes with the new one. I upgraded my psu and bricked the nice new one by trying to save time and leave my nicely managed cables 😑
@@dukex12 One of Gamers Nexus vids was with the Q/A manager for Corsair power supplies. He said that each brand can enforce pinout standards to all of their P/S component suppliers... but competing brands often do their own thing. It's starting to standardize, but there's a few outliers that insist on their own pinouts.
I like to compare power supplies to brakes: not sexy, not flashy, you install and forget about them for a long time, but when they fail the entire car is screwed (on account of needing the nearest tree or wall to stop).
As a vivid gamer but with casual knowledge of the CPU components... You and PC Builder have tough me soooooo much and I finally build my second rig all based on your tutelage. I am actually doing informed buys now and workarounds thanks to you. My friend that was out of the country was kinda scared that I did not wait for him as he was supposed to build it for me... well, you saved me 100 euro for the work as I can now do it myself! Thanks!
The 1st PC I built was in 2014 and all the PC building resources I followed to build it had all suggested to not cheap out on the power supply. I went with a full modular Corsair and was practically just as excited about it as I was with all the other parts I chose. It may not ever be something I boast about but I certainly admire the electronics-engineering that went into quality brand and models of modern day PC power supplies every bit as much as I do graphics cards, MOBO's or CPU's. I am sort of a technology fanboy though and power supplies are no exception.
When I was enlisted I was an IT MOS in the Army and my first duty station was Germany. I knew nothing about 110v VS 220v. In our workshop/work bench area we had these 220-110 converters because the military won't buy Euro-spec PC's, so we had to use Dell computers imported from the states and use 110v. I popped so many PSUs because I would forget to turn the converter on haha. Thankfully we had a good benchstock of spare PSUs from other PCs where the MOBO had failed or some other component or we'd have old broken life-cycled computers that we could gut but hearing Jay talk about 220v brought back some fond memories. Pop!!!
An important thing to look for when buying a PSU, is the type of capacitors. Japanese caps are longer lasting, and better quality. This make your PSU more likely to give a smoother dc output, and last longer too.
This is a long comment that you might feel is worth reading. I have some suggestions for PSUs. Before building my new over-the-wall gamer PC, I looked at every part going into the build. I made a list of the watts that each would draw. I also added my printer and sound system, as woofers draw many watts of power, etc. These may be connected to the same outlet through a power strip. I was amazed at how many watts the finished build would need. A lot. I increased the total system wattage by 20%. This step decided the PSU watt output I would need and would prevent me from 'overtasking" the PSU. This resulted in me buying a 1200-watt instead of a 1000-watt PSU. I did this because I figured that future components would draw even more watts. A wall outlet is usually connected to other outlets meaning they are all on the same power line. If you are running other electrical devices, such as a vacuum cleaner, at the same time as your PC, you might overload the circuit and trip that breaker. This is an unintentional PC power-off condition. To prevent this, I installed a 20 amp-rated wall outlet, on its own dedicated line, in my gamer room. Another, and cheaper way, to prevent this is to install childproof plugs into all other outlets connected on the same line. This procedure will remind you to NOT use those outlets for other devices. Thank you for reading, and I hope this was helpful.
Seasonic or SuperFlower only for me, been running a Seasonic GX-750 for 3 years. Always check the OEM of the power supplies your looking into as they mostly don't mention it on the spec, like this NZXT C850 that has Seasonic inside.
I'm still running a massive Thermaltake 1200W PSU I bought in 2008 when I built my first custom PC. Way overkill back then, but I was young and naive. I just figured bigger number = more better. It's since powered three different PCs over the last 15 years, and is the only piece of the original build I still have.
I also still use my ThermalTake Toughpower 1000W I bought in 2008, was also young and thought that I would be running SLi in the near future, but never did. I am planning on mostly fully upgrading my PC next year, so it will get to retire at that point.
I was quite conscious of getting the right PSU and I was really excited to get the Seasonic PRIME 1300W 80+ Platinum fully modular, 135mm FDB fan w/Hybrid fan control...its quite and a dream.
when I worked in the computer department at best buy, I heard multiple stories about the store brand psus literally catching on fire, blowing sparks, and generally being a menace to new builders who didn't know better.
I went overboard for my 2600K with a a Corsair AX1200 ... my reasoning was to buy a power supply which could supply much more than ever required, meaning it was never running flat out ... still running perfectly over a decade later :)
You do know that running a system that uses a super low wattage (low compared to the PSU), is just as bad as using one that pulls near the maximum the PSU can supply... right? Look up the PSU efficiency curve for your PSU, you'll see what I mean... Best rule of thumb to maximize your PSU's longevity is to estimate the wattage your system requires (easily done with PC Part Picker), and then add 50%. That's the PSU you want.
@@matthewwalker5265correct. Ideal is matching something closer to 50% of the psu capacity - if you think you’ll upgrade to higher use then maybe 40% and grow into 50-60%
I have a similar power supply: AX1200i which powered at the time a brand spankin new 4930k. The system is long gone, but I still have the PSU. Reckon I could use it for a new system? (After my PC died I switched to laptop for college and stuff, but now I'm done with that I really want to switch back to PC)
We need more PSU with internal monitoring via USB. One of my favorite features of all time. I'm still using my old Corsair HX850i, but they seemed to have discontinued the link feature on their newer PSU. Could you ask your Corsair rep about that next time you talk to them?
They actually make them with icue connections through a usb-c connector to an internal connector on the MB on the HX1000i and HX1500i. But they're *expensive*. I'm trying to find a rebate code to get my hands on a hx1000i, but not having much luck.
@@MichelBertrand Well they were on sale $220 and $359 at both Amazon and Corsair Black Friday through Cyber Monday week with the HX1500i as low as $340 with the 15% Black Friday coupon code at Corsair which was BF22 and CM22. CM22 is working at this moment for a 10% off either power supply. Note there is a limit of one of each model with the coupon as of this moment, one and one in your cart will work.
I still use my HX750 Gold from 2009, the rails still deliver perfect voltage, it's on my RTX 2060 with a 3800x, it will probably go my my future RTX 3070 too. (From Europe, France btw, so yeah, 240v glory)
I like the fact that it's not that long ago that NZXT got shit on for their case catching on fire, some months later they sponsor the influencers once again.
It's been almost a year and a half, lol time flies. They did fix their H1 into the absolute perfect mini itx case. Also, they beefed up their psu's. Plus, they finally fixed their issue with not enough airflow on their cases. NZXT is like EVGA when it comes to their customers. Good brand, but they need to lower their prices a bit.
The NZXT power supplies are built by Seasonic. The same manufacterer that every company including corsair, EVGA, etc. all based their power supplies off of. There really isnt anyone better than seasonic when it comes to the power supply market. The close second would be EVGA.
I remember when Modular PSUs were new. I got really excited about my PSU when that happened and I could leave so many cables in the box and not bundled inside my case.
I've always liked the Corsair RM850x. I have two of them and they've been rock solid and no issues. Enough power to run multi-gpu systems (I had one running three Firepro W7100's, a 3070ti, and a 1060 6gb in my small mining rig) and my main rig for many years.
I've just bought the RM1000x and hoping its decent. I've had no issues with Corsair in the past so hoping its good, but reassuring seeing you mention them!
Hey Jay, it is hard to comment all videos you have, but I’ll give some words here: your videos are amazing! You really explain things is a tech-business focus so you have helped me a lot to select the right components for my new setup. Thank you so much for all the work and research you have put together on every video. I wish your approach of explaining things was spread out over the internet, since sometimes we don’t care a lot about very specific tech comparisons, but more along the line of the benefits that making the right decision bring. Again, thanks for everything you have worked in your channel and keep it up!
5:50 European here. I remember those voltage toggles too, back in the day. However, a classmate of mine wasn't as well informed and one day in class let his curiosity get the better of him and flipped one while the PC was on. Fortunately it didn't cause any major fire or anything, but it did let out the magic smoke, and it was a quick practical lesson about electricity.
Another commonly missed piece is to ensure air flow to the bottom of the case for the power supply. I have found that the large carpet sliders work out nicely giving a side benefit of easy case movement for the vacuum. Wood boards also work, but at the expense of potential splinters and toe hazard.
If I think it’s going to be used on carpet I tend to just install it upside down. Yeah it’s pulling hot air from the inside but that’s better than no air.
"It will probably be the last component in your system that you upgrade." So true, the last thing I had to replace was my old EVGA 1000W PSU, and not because it stopped working, but because the fan started failing and I rather not push it with a faulty fan, other than that, having a good quality PSU is a must have, and, assuming things won't change much in the future, PSU cables rarely change, at least it didn't for the longest time until now.
@@MoireFly Sure you can but it's generally not recommended for people to open PSUs unless they're experienced and know what they're doing. And even then you shouldn't replace a PSU fan with just any old fan as you really need one with the as close to the same specifications of startup voltage, RPM and airflow characteristics as the original fan as possible to ensure it adequately cools the components. For most people the best advice would be not to replace the fan themselves, and even if someone is capable of doing it depending on the age of the PSU they may just be better off to buy a new PSU anyway.
@@Sevicify This, I had intentions of doing so, but where I live it's hard already to find replacement parts and reading about how the fan should be as close to the original as possible; I decided it was best to get a new one, besides, that PSU served me well for 8 years.
Zenith II Extreme has 2x 8-Pin, 1x PCIe 6-Pin for OC, and for multi GPU you are encouraged to also connected the 4-Pin Molex to the bottom of the board as well.
The absolute "highest" for a desktop I seem to be able to get as far as I can tell in the Netherlands is the Silverstone HELA 2050 Platinum (2050w). 2nd highest are a lot more brands at 1600w.
Another advantage a good supply has that you didn't mention is when the cheap supply 'pretty much' runs OK, but the system has random crashes you can't track down the cause of, until swapping the power supply for a better one cures the crashes (ask me how I know this...).
A lot of mainland Europe is 220V/230V using the 16A Type F schuko plug design with a max draw of 3680W, whereas in the UK is 230V/240V using the 3 pin 13A fused plugs which is where the confusion comes from as both is used in Europe. The max wattage we can pull in the UK from a single wall socket is 2990W on 13A at 230V.
PSU is the best part to buy even on a tight budget. Heck I just ordered a Thermaltake GF1 750W psu to replace/upgrade my stock ibuypower pre built psu which is having some issues here and there. So ya PSU is the biggest investment. :)
This is so true. As some one who's first real bill paying job was IT and his last real PC case and power supply was purchased back in 09. My PSU and case are still gold moving forward with my 2023 pc build.
My current power supply (750w Fatality) is at least 10 years old. It has been through multiple upgrades, but it still works great. I'm planning on getting a replacement for it when it does eventually either die or need to be updated. Luckily (??) I cannot afford current-gen hardware, so it still works pretty well, but I dream of eventual upgrades that will draw more power...
When it dies, you better hope it doesn't take out other components with itself. My uncle's 2010 build nearly went up in flames in 2017 from a leaking cap in the PSU. I seriously recommend upgrading your PSU ASAP so it doesn't blow up. That unit seems to be decent compared to many other units from 2013. I'd say older PSUs can get a good 7-8 years of life on average; despite it being a good unit, I still recommend upgrading it now.
I built my PC in march 2020 (got really lucky with the prices and timing lol) and am really thankful for channels like yours . I was going to buy a cheap unbranded ketchup/mustard-cabled psu and decided not to. Ended up buying a BeQuiet PurePower 10, 80+ Silver, pretty solid and haven't had any problems!
I bought my EVGA 1000w platinum PSU in 2015, has a ten year warranty. I know I should get a new one soon but this thing has been kicking butt the whole time I've had it. Glad EVGA is still around to at least sell PSU's cause they are one company I know I can trust.
That's pretty much the same car analogy I use. Love car analogies. No matter how much or how little someone knows about cars, they usually understand what I'm saying if I use a car analogy.
Sage advice. Back in the mid 90's when I built my first computer I didn't place much importance on the PSU. Not long after I finished the build I was playing Microsoft Indy Car racing and the PSU started smoking and the entire system shut down. Not only did it shut down but it destroyed every component in there. I basically had to start over from scratch. SCSI drives and controllers were expensive. Lol. Ever since then I don't cheap out on power supplies.
I just upgraded from a Corsair HX750 that I’d been using for a decade to a Corsair HX1200. The 750 was still running perfectly fine and whisper quiet, but figured since I was upgrading the case, MB and CPU, I may as well upgrade the PSU as well. Now I’m prepared for any behemoth GPU that may come along.
The new Phanteks power supplies are surprisingly good. Got a 650w 80+ Gold PSU from them for $60 on NewEgg the other day. Fully modular, hybrid, etc. Their 1000w 80+ Gold is $160.
My first pc was a common office pc bought in 2008, replaced the psu in 2017 after it smelled a little bit fried and the pc finally broke for good in 2019. I'm so surprised the first psu live for that long before its dead. So be generous when buying psu guys and a good ups too.
Jay speaks the truth, it's 2022 and i'm still using a 2016 650w Corsair Gold rated PSU. I often see people on Reddit swapping PSUs for the dumbest reasons, when in the end, if you buy 1 good PSU it will outlast your current build and most likely live on inside your next.
I pass down PSU's in a handmedown fashion to older rigs i pass off after a refresh. Usually, that refresh is an upgrade from high end 5+ gens ago to "low" end lastgen which usually offers around 300% boost to performance and also slashing power draw a fair bit. Those PSU's enjoy a low power draw retirement from then on out until they get passed down enough to be fully retired from service.
I love a good psu. Finding one with the right cable lengths and right type of cables. The sleeving and how the cables are made can make a huge difference in how easy or difficult it is to cable manage
I bought a used HX1000i Platinum 2019 last month for just 100 bucks and I bet it will last me 5 more years at least. The fan never really kicks on and it’s running at 94% efficiency almost all time according to iCUE.
About 6 years ago, I purchased a EVGA 1300 GA2 and still using it to this day. Amazing quality. But that will probably change 2 to 3 years from now with the new ATX 3.0 PSU coming out and more technology making use of it. That being said, EVGA makes great power supplies and would not hesitate to buy another EVGA in the future.
I bought an EVGA T2 1000W Titanium like 9 years ago. Still using it on my 3rd build now with a 13900K and 4090. Probably my best PC component investment.
The J2C iFixit ad should win an award!, I've seen it 100 times and it still cracks me up. PSU's definitely don't get the love they deserve, I remember building one of my first PCs and the PSU was always an afterthought, I recall looking at £15 500W PSUs (the ones that last 6 months before giving up), it wasn't until I'd been metaphorically burned that I started looking into it much more and 80 Plus Bronze become my standard go to. As I started being able to afford higher quality stuff my PSUs went up in rating and wattage. My current setups use a budget Corsair 750W Bronze with a Focus Plus Gold 850W in my overclocked 8600K rig, which is hugely overkill but it'll be a super simple transplant into a future 13th Gen Intel or new Ryzen update. 1000W PSUs are around $210 here in the UK so I'll need to start saving before upgrading as the PSU price increase means that even my Focus Plus Gold is selling for more than I bought it for 4 years ago.
Jay. Gotta say pal. Instructional videos are amazing. Built my first pc in 2019. Built 6 more since then. Rebuilt mine countless times. I now maintain all my mates PCs. And my family's. I'm not qualified. But everything I learnt was from your videos. Massive thanks big lad. Keep it up. Love the work. Even when you take it back to basics.
On my first build around 2009 or 10, may be, I bought a 750w psu. It survived 3 upgrade. The main reason why I replaced last year on my most recent upgrade was because the fans were now noisy at full load and with the gpu I got it would probably run near full load. Currently, it’s being used on my work pc, were the psu fan doesn’t need to ramp up. So it’s been 12-13yrs and it’s still working(somewhat). Definitely worth every penny. I think besides psu, monitor is close second on the most neglected part. Specially for first time builders.
Correction: The C Series Gold power supplies are not digital. They are traditional ones. The E Series line of power supplies from NZXT are the ones that are digital.
I bought a Corsair 1000W PSU almost nine years ago, gold rated, and it has been a BEAST for me up until now. I’m planning on getting a new one next year, but I’ll be sad to see it out of my system when I replace it.
I remember when I bough PC Power & Cooling's first ever 500w power supply. That thing was a beast that required a special backplate as it was almost double the thickness of a normal power supply. Lasted over 12 years.
THANK YOU!!! Was fortunate enough to cancel my psu before it shipped, I am building my first gaming PC and if you hadn't specifically mentioned the difference between fully modular and non modular, I'd be swimming in connectors and wiring. THANK YOU SO MUCH BRO!!!!!
That Corsair 1200W Platinum I bought for my 4790k is still running well. My 5700X arrives to finish my replacement build tomorrow. The LAST thing I ever worry about is my PSU. Not been so confident on that part for twenty years.
back in 2014 i bought a 750w xfx fully modular psu with active PFC and 80 plus gold certified, i'm still rocking it to this day, back in the day i had a gtx 970, xfx took care of it beautifully, it's still going strong in my young brother's build, and now my xfx psu is powering my new 3070, awesome psu! too bad xfx doesn't make them anymore.
I bought a Corsair 650W fully modular 80+ Gold PSU in 2017, and it's one of only 3 parts in my system I haven't upgraded. Plus it's still under warranty since Corsair even back then had 10 year peace of mind warranties.
my current PSU is a 11 year old 1100 watt PSU.. got the thing on sale on newegg back in the day.. even then was like $150 but was a great investment.. it has gone through legit 4 PC builds in its 5th build now and just keeps on going. run it through a PSU tester every so often and checks out everytime.. go big on the PSU will save you money in the long run.. aside note my PSU has something called active phase control or something like that and may be the big factor into why my PSU has last so long.. remember the psu I had before getting it legit blew up thus why I got this one
I'm a car guy as well and there are people who always mention the fuel they run when talking about their ride. I never heard any one say I'm running chevron 93 but if they only run it on race fuel they will mention it or e 85, or even alcohol. I've heard them mention horsepower numbers when on high octane pump vs e85. Of course now when I hear that I might not be able to stop myself and say I'm running chevron 93
For us Retro geeks, I wish they still made higher Amp 5v rails. Nothing worse than a 'period correct' PS thats 20 years old blowing up and taking your Voodoo 5500 with it. Now they are all like 12 amps...10amps....hard to find a quality 5v rail with 25/30+ amps. And forget -5v..thats a unicorn
I'm running a 750w bronze thermaltake PSU that I got back in 2011. The power switch on the back of it got jammed at one point but popping it out again and it still works like it did back then. It's been the one component that's been in every one of my PCs
The PSU in my old system lasted the full 12 years it was operating. It still works to this day as my dad has it as his windows system. (He's a Mac man, but Macs aren't perfect, and Windows bridges that gap.) 600 watts for back then times. I now use an 850 in my new system. Apart from when Windows sh*ts the bed, it works wonders. (Win10 likes to bluescreen randomly. apparently it's common...)
You mentioned dust and have done several cleaning videos. You should do a full video about air filters. I have friends who are like "Yeah my fans have filters" and then it's just the protective grid effective at only keeping out large rats. I used to use drier sheets, but then started buying HVAC filters and using material from there. And now if I need extra airflow I use open-cell polyurethane foam. But it would be a good breakdown video and there's a lot you can talk about. Different materials and where to get them, pressure drop, adding a gap between the filter and fan, etc. I feel like everyone always covers how to clean dust but not how to prevent it. I haven't had to dust my server in 5 years and it has been running in the basement pretty much nonstop. I just clean the filters now and again.
As Jay explains at around 8:39, any time you add a connection point, you add a potential point of failure. This is why you SHOULDN'T use fully modular power supplies like the one Jay is holding when he says this.
I am currently using a Pc Power and Cooling Silencer 750 watt 60 amp 12v rail supply that I purchased back in 2007!! Its running a ryzen 5600x , 16gb of 3600mhz ram, 6700XT, 1tb nvme, and 2 2tb western digital blacks.And 6 120 mm fans. Its never skipped a beat in all these years.. I take it apart and blow it out once in awhile, and look for bulging caps, and test the rails with my multimeter, its always dead nuts on.
I've just started an RMA with Corsair for a nearly 7 year old RM650i. My old HX750 is still going strong after 12 years in another build. You definitely get what you pay for.
I got my Seasonic 1000w Platinum or Titanium power supply in my machine. The warranty is by far very important; I have not once had an issue. Been 6 years now and still running strong. Jay is right people; if you don't have the juice to power your system, then your just spinning your wheels.
Still running the Corsair TX 650 I bought in 2010, mostly powering an i52500k. It's been through maybe a dozen big power cuts, hundreds of micro-cuts, and apart from the occasional noise from the fan, is still just fine. Will definitely be changing it for my next build though.
Thanks for making, yet another, brilliant video! I'm compiling a list of components for my next PC build. The last thing is the power supply. I'm fairly certain I'll be fine with the one I'm thinking of getting, but I'll have to double check. I didn't think about modern CPUs using more power, thus needing more power cabling. It's about ten years since I build my current computer. Back then we pretty much only had to worry about wattage.
The 530w Raidmax power supply driving my system now was bought in 2011. Even with over 35,000 operating hours, it still has enough life to power a R5 5600x and RX 6600. A good power supply will not only cover your current build, but the next 2-3 in the future.
Running SeaSonic for 7 years now and still going strong. Also have a corsair in kids, and still good. Spent good money back than and glad I did because my first psu was cheap and blew up and fried my board and processor
I bought a Corsair AX860i, I think during the SeaSonic times, and that thing's still going strong today with a 5600x and a 3070, been the PSU I've used since 2012 or so, I love that thing. After 11 years, thinking this year is the year I buy a new case and new PSU.
HUGE THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! I watched this video just in time....well...slightly late but not too late. I was so busy concentrating on calculating my PSU needs for my build, Gold rating and ARGB capability, I never even thought to see if the ports were compatible with my motherboard and GPU...I just assumed it was standard....they were not! I had ordered a Thermaltake, which I now got refunded and returned, but the big thing was I had cablemod custom cables ordered....and you only have 24 hours to cancel the order!!! Got the cancelation in in 20 hour mark!!! So now I'm going with the NZXT C750.....wish it came with RGB, but they have no models for that. More important it has 2 8pin CPU and 2 8pin PCIe ports. NZXT seems to be out of stock in a lot of products, but found one on Amazon which I just ordered. THANK YOU AGAIN!
UK voltage was 240V but was brought down in 2009 to 230V to be closer to the 220V of the European voltage, though with legacy equipment in the distribution grid, 20V & upto ~250V potentially in some places. Most former British empire are 230-240/50. The one weird place is japan which is 100V and has both 50 & 60Hz
It might be useful to address UPS differences and the fact that hungrier systems now may be pulling more than a UPS is rated or able to supply. Along with the benefits of power conditioning that they can bring etc. Another overlooked but actually kinda important component.
Eaton 5px , Ion 16, apc smart, no need to get double conversion unless you into 5kva plus . As they switch less than 6ms and psu must cope with upto 20ms dropout
I built my first system 10 months ago and used an EVGA 750 gold. So far it’s been great. Currently running a 4070ti and a 5800x3d, and it’s been holding up quite well.
I bought a corsair 750w bronze PSU (used!) for my first build in 2011. It's still going strong in my current PC. I know I should have upgraded some time ago, wouldn't like it suddenly failing and ruining something. I'm planning to retire it into a shelve for display, it isn't pretty but we've been through a lot together: moves, girlfriends, my try-hard Overwatch phase, unemployment, it just never quit on me.
Have to appreciate something trusty.
That power supply is motovated
Was it an AX750? The old Corsair AX series was made by Seasonic, I retired mine last year because it was 10 years old. Don't care to let it burn out and modular meant I could cut 80% of the wires out of my case.
Quality power supplies will usually fail inwards and not fry your system.
My computer has a Corsair HX520 that I bought in 2009. I don't know who made it but it has fulfilled its duties.
You should always put a piece of paper with the model info into the bag of unused cables for your modular power supply. That way you can verify that you're only using the proper cables later on. Don't mix and match modular cables.
Gonna be doing my first build soon, this is great advice. Thank you!
good advice!
I just kept the psu box in a tub with my mobo box, full of spare bits😅
Or if you want, just leave em in the PSU’s box.
Never skimp on the psu folks
My braindead friend did now he have to buy another one.
@@Ninja40K that's why I never skimp out.. always a brand name and always more the recommended 👌.. never had any issues doing that
Never ever. I bought an ax1200 6 years ago, and i will only replace it with something better.
@@lk5388 smart man 😀
I've been using the same one since 2012 lol 3 builds later still going 10600k/3060ti ftw
This is so true. I bought a power supply about 15 years ago, a semi modular Corsair 1000W, and I stil use it today in my main rig. Yes it was very expensive but worth it.
Dude 15 years ago. 1000w. How big is that mf. That PSU was prob in the space race
Same, admittedly 10 and not 15 years ago but 1000w plat still feels like i can build whatever and not worry
I remember reading Custom PC Magazine (in the UK) in the early/mid 2000's. Cheap PSU's regularly exploded when they were doing PSU lab tests. It was the one component they recommended spending good money on.
Thankfully these days, PSU's seem much more reliable.
Hah, yes... I learnt the hard way by getting a 400w colours psu for £18.02. It's what I could afford at -time- the time.... and yes it fried a PC. The amount of colourful language that ensued would have bought me a new PC 😂.
Yeah these days you're safe with most Gold PSUs. Brands like EVGA, Seasonic, Super Flower, Corsair etc are reliable.
Oh man, anyone remember those completely non-modular Great Wall 500W ATX PSU's that would literally pop and catch fire in SLI rigs that were using too many six pin pigtails?
Exploding power supplies are still a thing. Just look up Gigabytes problem from just a couple years ago.
I had an Enermax explode on me back in the days. Scary times! I never used cheap PSUs. Always from well known manufacturers. These days, I always use Seasonic in every system I build. They never disappointed.
This dude's always working hard to bring us straight tech knowledge
I had to gut the room where my computers are for some electrical issues. So I rewired it with two 20a circuits, and I'm glad I did. But I think "overspending" on a power supply is some of the best money you can spend on a build because a really good power supply can easily last you 10 years, so long as you don't outgrow it's rated power.
-😆 someone releases a new generation of GPU which requires a new PSU format to prevent the card overloading your PSU and burning your house down
@@richardhockey8442 It was because the connector wasn't plugged in all the way. Gamers Nexus proved it
500w raidmax bronze gave me 8 years of usage.. Its still working perfectly fine. Got the 1000w FSP hydro G now
@@richardhockey8442 The irony of all that is that there was no need for the new connector outside NVIDIA needing something smaller for their tiny boards. Two eight pins just don't fit, and can provide the same power, technically more, with 16ga wire.
@@notlNSIGHT But they concluded that it's more difficult to insert than the previous cables. So it was user error, but user error brought on by a design issue.
Using a good brand late model 850w fully modular Gold PSU on my AMD 5000 series Nvidia RTX 30 Series system. My GPU recommended a 750w PSU so I chose 850w for some headroom, especially with the known RTX 30 Series GPU transient power spikes - which have occurred several times on my system. It's all working out real nice. Thanks for covering this topic, Jay!
Did the same for overclocking
And GPU power recommendations are always really high balling it so my God do you have some headroom in terms of wattage.
@@Jenna_Talia On Nvidia cards in particular ramping up the settings will see momentary (
Nice one man, I have a 4080 and a 5900x on an 850w psu. 4080 pulls 350w and the 5900x pulls 170w. I’ve seen people recommending 1000w psu’s for the 4080 it’s absurd. Even with a 13900k and a 4080 you’d still have 250w of headroom.
@@MushToast_ Thats probably back from the days where past 50% PSU capacity your effeciency basicly droped to 80% or lower. Not so long ago the golden rule was to take your CPU+GPU draw and double it when choosing PSUs to keep it in the most efficient part of the curve.
Totally agree, never cheaped out on the PSU and never regretted it!
Just upgraded from a Seasonic 550W semi modular to a Corsair HX750 to support my 3070 and 5800X and couldn't be happier with the performance. Great buy!
Europe standard is 230v average today. It used to be 220 here in the late 80's when I graduated as an electrician. Not really sure why they cranked it up, but my gues is it was to get a common avg between countries having 210, 220, 240 etc. But most modern PSU's very seldom have issues with +/- 10% voltage variation. In the old days it could be a major issue for Lightbulbs longevity if you happened to live right next to a tranformer station as they usually cranked up the voltage to get the specified 215-220v at the end of the suply line so you could have up to 250v in some circumstances It typically varies between 220 and 240 dependent where you live today.
Cybenetics is a good resource for good power supplies, and they report at 115 and 230V for their efficiency and stability measurements. Great resource for more of that technical information on PSUs for comparison, rather than just the efficiency rating of 80+.
🙂
Thanks……good site.
@Cybenetics ratings rock. They literally perform thousands of checks to the psus.
I've been running a Seasonic 850 +Gold for the better part of three years now and it's the one thing in the system that hasn't changed. Fantastic PSUs and really decent prices. And to your comment about Canada Jay, yes we also run 110-120 Volts same as you guys. It would be way to difficult to run something else given how interconnected our countries are on just about everything.
Been running close to the same PSU from Seasonic (X850 gold full modular) since 2013 to now. Its run this computer for almost 10 years no problems.
Good company and PSU. They also make supplies for many other companies out there too, if I didin't have an EVGA one I'd probably go with Seasonic.
110-120 volts? Here in europe the old standard is 230v and 400v is the new standard.
interconnection off different voltage level networks is no problem, works in Europe, the things make it possible are called transformer ^^
I have Seasonic PSU's in every system in the house, and all I've built in the last 5 years. Everything from GX850's, GX1000, TX1000's, daughter's rig, my rig, wife's rig, HDPC rig. I used to be a corsair PSU shill for years until I had two fail (one catastrophically), I've had EVGA fail and have run a few others (GW, NZXT), Seasonic is by far the best I've used, and the one time I had an issue with a new one in a family member's build, it was a bad pin on a PCIe pin, and Seasonic shipped me an entirely new replacement in 5 days telling me to ship back the old when when it was convenient.
I used a Corsair 1,000w when building my 3090 system 2 years ago. And a year later, when building my son’s 3080ti system, I used a Seasonic platinum 1,000w. My philosophy: The PS is one of the few components of a PC that could feasibly be carried into future builds for over 10+ years, so let’s make sure it has enough power for future systems, and make sure it’s quality. I also like that overpowered power supplies tend to run quiet since they’re under-stressed.
ran a 1200watt gold for years and I don't think the fan ever turned on lol.
The fan doesn't turn on.. and efficiency is less than optimal as well.
@@SupraSav that's simply not true anymore , the efficiency of modern PSUs using DC to DC conversion designs is almost flat , it is no longer a bell curve and hasn't been for around a decade.
A 1000w Platinum PSU is still going to be 98% efficient with a 50 watt load and will remain virtually identically efficient all the way through to 980 watts draw, allowing for the fact it will actively use the fan at some point.. it only drops off efficiency at the extreme low and high usage levels
So a 1000w PSU which never has to run the fan under maximum use loads around 300-500w will be about as efficient as it gets.
Another "part" that some people overlook, especially when on a budget, isn't actually an internal component, but the monitor. The monitor is the heart of your setup. Spending less the the PC and getting a better monitor is usually worth it
I don't think That's true for me, I mean if I buy computer that is supposed to go for 4K and 144 Hz I should get a monitor supporting 4K in the right size I need to and have space for. I had a kind of 144hz 1080p bad monitor for many years and did not notice much of an upgrade when going to a really good 1080p 144 HZ monitor.
thinks like cooling depends on how quiet I want my PC to be (and sufficient cooling so it doesn't overheat)
components need to be good enough for the FPS and games you want to play
power supply shouldn't be too cheap so it doesn't make your PC break
The heart is the PSU, the monitor is the face.
after 144hz 1ms your monitor does not matter for competitive gaming, and for single player you only really need 60hz 1440p after that you are basically wasting money
It’s pretty hard to tell the difference between 4k and 1440p and then it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between 1080p and 1440p so u might as well get a 1080p high refresh monitor even for the 4090 but that’s just me 🤷🏽♂️
@@heni63 Were you by chance using TN/VA monitors on either your cheap monitor or more expensive one? (or both)
A more expensive TN panel tends to get you a penel that doesn't necessarily "look" better, but performs better. Additionally, a cheap ips panel, within reasons, tends to always look much better than even a higher end TN panel, and VA too most the time.
But That's a big part of why I recommend that people spend a good amount of money on a monitor, I think very few people should buy TN/VA in 2022. I think they should instead buy a 1440p or higher, 144hz or higher IPS panel with a good response times and input delay. If their gpu can't handle 1440p gaming then native 1080p is often better than downscaled 1080p so they may be better off with 1080p, but a high refresh rate makes even just using the computer outside of gaming much more enjoyable
I have a corsair hx1000 I bought back in 2010 and have upgraded every part and piece but the power supply and its still running strong with good current to this day on a 11900k and a 3080. It been thru about 5 full rebuilds as I upgrade about every 2 years. Amazing psu! Good job Corsair!
I got that exact same PSU, been through several replatforms and currently running a 12600KF and 3080 hydro copper with custom water. Used to run dual 980ti's and 780's before that.
Is this still worth buying today? I was a little nervous because they're fairly old, but it looks like they're still in production and recommended in a lot of places.
I had a Corsair AX760 for a number of years, but it was not enough to handle the power spikes of my 3080Ti and I'd get random system restarts when playing certain games. I replaced it this month with an HX1000i and couldn't be happier, stability is perfect now. Definitely go high on the max wattage, it's more efficient to be closer to 50% draw at peak load anyhow.
@@The23rdGamer Hell no. The HX range has suffered from poor reliability. Obviously most of them are fine, but their failure rate is high relative to others. It is also a very old design. Power supplies designed more recently are far far better. Way better efficiency, way better response times, most are now LLC designs which is what is needed these days. You would be wayyyy better off looking at something like an RMx model from Corsair (very modern design, well made by CWT), EVGA G6 or G7 models, Seasonic Focus, Superflower Ledex models (again the more recent models).
I've had a custom NZXT build for the last 2 years now with an i9-10850K, 3080, and this NZXT C1000 Gold surprisingly enough. Never heard of it when I ordered back in 2020 but I wanted to make sure I had something rated high enough in case I ever upgraded things. Haven't had any issues with it whatsoever, still running strong!
I'm pretty sure it's just a seasonic focus under the nzxt logo.
@@covante4822 You would be correct.
Also worth mentioning if you upgrade your modular psu change out the cables that comes with the new one. I upgraded my psu and bricked the nice new one by trying to save time and leave my nicely managed cables 😑
I can't believe there isn't a standard for modular PSU cables yet. It's like they want us to blow up our equipment.
yeah lawgiving should enforce connector standards! 😅
@@dukex12 One of Gamers Nexus vids was with the Q/A manager for Corsair power supplies. He said that each brand can enforce pinout standards to all of their P/S component suppliers... but competing brands often do their own thing. It's starting to standardize, but there's a few outliers that insist on their own pinouts.
@@georgeerhard1949 well that's good news. Thanks for the heads up.
I like to compare power supplies to brakes: not sexy, not flashy, you install and forget about them for a long time, but when they fail the entire car is screwed (on account of needing the nearest tree or wall to stop).
As a vivid gamer but with casual knowledge of the CPU components... You and PC Builder have tough me soooooo much and I finally build my second rig all based on your tutelage. I am actually doing informed buys now and workarounds thanks to you. My friend that was out of the country was kinda scared that I did not wait for him as he was supposed to build it for me... well, you saved me 100 euro for the work as I can now do it myself! Thanks!
The 1st PC I built was in 2014 and all the PC building resources I followed to build it had all suggested to not cheap out on the power supply. I went with a full modular Corsair and was practically just as excited about it as I was with all the other parts I chose. It may not ever be something I boast about but I certainly admire the electronics-engineering that went into quality brand and models of modern day PC power supplies every bit as much as I do graphics cards, MOBO's or CPU's. I am sort of a technology fanboy though and power supplies are no exception.
Yo are not the only one that feels that way bud!
When I was enlisted I was an IT MOS in the Army and my first duty station was Germany. I knew nothing about 110v VS 220v. In our workshop/work bench area we had these 220-110 converters because the military won't buy Euro-spec PC's, so we had to use Dell computers imported from the states and use 110v. I popped so many PSUs because I would forget to turn the converter on haha. Thankfully we had a good benchstock of spare PSUs from other PCs where the MOBO had failed or some other component or we'd have old broken life-cycled computers that we could gut but hearing Jay talk about 220v brought back some fond memories. Pop!!!
I always over spec on the PSU, mainly to keep the fan from spinning up since you can't control it's speed manually.
Yep, and for coil whine aswell.
Ditto. Keep it silent/low as much as possible.
Yep, better to have 200W overhead you will never use than have your PC shutdown because you got a new hard drive.
Eh, I don't "overspec" it per se. The efficiency decreases as you go bigger
I bought a NZXT 750w a few years ago and still no issues. I also love how basic it looks. Nothing crazy and does it’s job
An important thing to look for when buying a PSU, is the type of capacitors. Japanese caps are longer lasting, and better quality. This make your PSU more likely to give a smoother dc output, and last longer too.
Yup, got a seasonic TX-700w 80+ titanium fanless. All japanese parts
This is a long comment that you might feel is worth reading. I have some suggestions for PSUs. Before building my new over-the-wall gamer PC, I looked at every part going into the build. I made a list of the watts that each would draw. I also added my printer and sound system, as woofers draw many watts of power, etc. These may be connected to the same outlet through a power strip. I was amazed at how many watts the finished build would need. A lot. I increased the total system wattage by 20%. This step decided the PSU watt output I would need and would prevent me from 'overtasking" the PSU. This resulted in me buying a 1200-watt instead of a 1000-watt PSU. I did this because I figured that future components would draw even more watts. A wall outlet is usually connected to other outlets meaning they are all on the same power line. If you are running other electrical devices, such as a vacuum cleaner, at the same time as your PC, you might overload the circuit and trip that breaker. This is an unintentional PC power-off condition. To prevent this, I installed a 20 amp-rated wall outlet, on its own dedicated line, in my gamer room. Another, and cheaper way, to prevent this is to install childproof plugs into all other outlets connected on the same line. This procedure will remind you to NOT use those outlets for other devices. Thank you for reading, and I hope this was helpful.
Hadn't thought of marking the plugs on that phase in some way to keep other high power appliances away from the pc. Great idea!
Seasonic or SuperFlower only for me, been running a Seasonic GX-750 for 3 years. Always check the OEM of the power supplies your looking into as they mostly don't mention it on the spec, like this NZXT C850 that has Seasonic inside.
Had no idea nzxt were using seasonic units. Got lucky at microcenter they had 750w 80+ gold units from asus for $104, looked it up, they're seasonic
I'm still running a massive Thermaltake 1200W PSU I bought in 2008 when I built my first custom PC. Way overkill back then, but I was young and naive. I just figured bigger number = more better. It's since powered three different PCs over the last 15 years, and is the only piece of the original build I still have.
I also still use my ThermalTake Toughpower 1000W I bought in 2008, was also young and thought that I would be running SLi in the near future, but never did. I am planning on mostly fully upgrading my PC next year, so it will get to retire at that point.
I was quite conscious of getting the right PSU and I was really excited to get the Seasonic PRIME 1300W 80+ Platinum fully modular, 135mm FDB fan w/Hybrid fan control...its quite and a dream.
when I worked in the computer department at best buy, I heard multiple stories about the store brand psus literally catching on fire, blowing sparks, and generally being a menace to new builders who didn't know better.
Freaking yikes
I went overboard for my 2600K with a a Corsair AX1200 ... my reasoning was to buy a power supply which could supply much more than ever required, meaning it was never running flat out ... still running perfectly over a decade later :)
You do know that running a system that uses a super low wattage (low compared to the PSU), is just as bad as using one that pulls near the maximum the PSU can supply... right? Look up the PSU efficiency curve for your PSU, you'll see what I mean... Best rule of thumb to maximize your PSU's longevity is to estimate the wattage your system requires (easily done with PC Part Picker), and then add 50%. That's the PSU you want.
@@matthewwalker5265correct. Ideal is matching something closer to 50% of the psu capacity - if you think you’ll upgrade to higher use then maybe 40% and grow into 50-60%
@@matthewwalker5265 the difference in efficiency at lower wattage is really minimal and makes even less difference because the wattage is so low
I have a similar power supply: AX1200i which powered at the time a brand spankin new 4930k. The system is long gone, but I still have the PSU. Reckon I could use it for a new system? (After my PC died I switched to laptop for college and stuff, but now I'm done with that I really want to switch back to PC)
EVGA SuperNova 750W gold PSUs were dirt cheap at microcenter, so I grabbed one. It works great on my 12700k + 3070 Ti machine.
We need more PSU with internal monitoring via USB. One of my favorite features of all time. I'm still using my old Corsair HX850i, but they seemed to have discontinued the link feature on their newer PSU. Could you ask your Corsair rep about that next time you talk to them?
They actually make them with icue connections through a usb-c connector to an internal connector on the MB on the HX1000i and HX1500i. But they're *expensive*. I'm trying to find a rebate code to get my hands on a hx1000i, but not having much luck.
@@MichelBertrand Oh you are right, that must be fairly new. The old ones used a type of mini-usb. Hopefully they make an 12VHP version soon.
@@MichelBertrand Well they were on sale $220 and $359 at both Amazon and Corsair Black Friday through Cyber Monday week with the HX1500i as low as $340 with the 15% Black Friday coupon code at Corsair which was BF22 and CM22. CM22 is working at this moment for a 10% off either power supply. Note there is a limit of one of each model with the coupon as of this moment, one and one in your cart will work.
@@MichelBertrand CM22 for 10% right now direct from Corsair.
Also got mini usb on my AX1600i.
I still use my HX750 Gold from 2009, the rails still deliver perfect voltage, it's on my RTX 2060 with a 3800x, it will probably go my my future RTX 3070 too. (From Europe, France btw, so yeah, 240v glory)
I like the fact that it's not that long ago that NZXT got shit on for their case catching on fire, some months later they sponsor the influencers once again.
It's been almost a year and a half, lol time flies. They did fix their H1 into the absolute perfect mini itx case. Also, they beefed up their psu's. Plus, they finally fixed their issue with not enough airflow on their cases. NZXT is like EVGA when it comes to their customers. Good brand, but they need to lower their prices a bit.
The NZXT power supplies are built by Seasonic. The same manufacterer that every company including corsair, EVGA, etc. all based their power supplies off of. There really isnt anyone better than seasonic when it comes to the power supply market. The close second would be EVGA.
@@rOUNDeGGROLL At that price point they just *must* be better than anyone else...
God, I hate that word….influencers.
@@XiLock_Alotx agree, he's a UA-camr, i choose whether i believe him or not, he's not trying to influence anyone, lets say, Educators instead?
I remember when Modular PSUs were new. I got really excited about my PSU when that happened and I could leave so many cables in the box and not bundled inside my case.
i never cheap out on that one cause it's a crucial part
Running an 8 year old BeQuiet PSU.
Haven't had an issue so far and honestly I'm impressed it still keeps working and working.
I've always liked the Corsair RM850x. I have two of them and they've been rock solid and no issues. Enough power to run multi-gpu systems (I had one running three Firepro W7100's, a 3070ti, and a 1060 6gb in my small mining rig) and my main rig for many years.
Channel Well Technologies makes the RMx line
I've just bought the RM1000x and hoping its decent. I've had no issues with Corsair in the past so hoping its good, but reassuring seeing you mention them!
Been watching your videos everyday, im new to PCs and ive learned so much watching your content and i LOVE it keep it up boss!
Hey Jay, it is hard to comment all videos you have, but I’ll give some words here: your videos are amazing!
You really explain things is a tech-business focus so you have helped me a lot to select the right components for my new setup.
Thank you so much for all the work and research you have put together on every video. I wish your approach of explaining things was spread out over the internet, since sometimes we don’t care a lot about very specific tech comparisons, but more along the line of the benefits that making the right decision bring.
Again, thanks for everything you have worked in your channel and keep it up!
5:50 European here. I remember those voltage toggles too, back in the day. However, a classmate of mine wasn't as well informed and one day in class let his curiosity get the better of him and flipped one while the PC was on. Fortunately it didn't cause any major fire or anything, but it did let out the magic smoke, and it was a quick practical lesson about electricity.
Another commonly missed piece is to ensure air flow to the bottom of the case for the power supply. I have found that the large carpet sliders work out nicely giving a side benefit of easy case movement for the vacuum. Wood boards also work, but at the expense of potential splinters and toe hazard.
Small rolling moving dollys work too
If I think it’s going to be used on carpet I tend to just install it upside down. Yeah it’s pulling hot air from the inside but that’s better than no air.
im really digging those vlog style videos as of late. jayz just talking about topics and generating discussions is very nice.
"It will probably be the last component in your system that you upgrade." So true, the last thing I had to replace was my old EVGA 1000W PSU, and not because it stopped working, but because the fan started failing and I rather not push it with a faulty fan, other than that, having a good quality PSU is a must have, and, assuming things won't change much in the future, PSU cables rarely change, at least it didn't for the longest time until now.
Replacing that fan is probably possible, you know?
@@MoireFly Sure you can but it's generally not recommended for people to open PSUs unless they're experienced and know what they're doing. And even then you shouldn't replace a PSU fan with just any old fan as you really need one with the as close to the same specifications of startup voltage, RPM and airflow characteristics as the original fan as possible to ensure it adequately cools the components. For most people the best advice would be not to replace the fan themselves, and even if someone is capable of doing it depending on the age of the PSU they may just be better off to buy a new PSU anyway.
@@Sevicify This, I had intentions of doing so, but where I live it's hard already to find replacement parts and reading about how the fan should be as close to the original as possible; I decided it was best to get a new one, besides, that PSU served me well for 8 years.
Zenith II Extreme has 2x 8-Pin, 1x PCIe 6-Pin for OC, and for multi GPU you are encouraged to also connected the 4-Pin Molex to the bottom of the board as well.
The absolute "highest" for a desktop I seem to be able to get as far as I can tell in the Netherlands is the Silverstone HELA 2050 Platinum (2050w). 2nd highest are a lot more brands at 1600w.
Exactly the same here in the UK.
Been using an EBGA P2 1000W for quite a few years, zero problems, always go mudular and heed the Jayman
Not related but I would love to see a video showing how different monitor setups, monitor size, number of displays and resolutions effect gpu load👍
its only the resolution and number of monitors that effect gpu not the size of a monitor
I think it's time for the USA/Canada to slowly phase out 120 to 3-phase 240 15A 60hz.
Another advantage a good supply has that you didn't mention is when the cheap supply 'pretty much' runs OK, but the system has random crashes you can't track down the cause of, until swapping the power supply for a better one cures the crashes (ask me how I know this...).
How do you know this?
(Followed some bracketed instructions)
A lot of mainland Europe is 220V/230V using the 16A Type F schuko plug design with a max draw of 3680W, whereas in the UK is 230V/240V using the 3 pin 13A fused plugs which is where the confusion comes from as both is used in Europe. The max wattage we can pull in the UK from a single wall socket is 2990W on 13A at 230V.
PSU is the best part to buy even on a tight budget. Heck I just ordered a Thermaltake GF1 750W psu to replace/upgrade my stock ibuypower pre built psu which is having some issues here and there. So ya PSU is the biggest investment. :)
Good choice 👍
@Blueberry thanks. :)
Not sure how you qualify a fast depreciating asset as an investment
kermit sips tea.
This is so true. As some one who's first real bill paying job was IT and his last real PC case and power supply was purchased back in 09. My PSU and case are still gold moving forward with my 2023 pc build.
My current power supply (750w Fatality) is at least 10 years old. It has been through multiple upgrades, but it still works great. I'm planning on getting a replacement for it when it does eventually either die or need to be updated. Luckily (??) I cannot afford current-gen hardware, so it still works pretty well, but I dream of eventual upgrades that will draw more power...
When it dies, you better hope it doesn't take out other components with itself. My uncle's 2010 build nearly went up in flames in 2017 from a leaking cap in the PSU. I seriously recommend upgrading your PSU ASAP so it doesn't blow up. That unit seems to be decent compared to many other units from 2013. I'd say older PSUs can get a good 7-8 years of life on average; despite it being a good unit, I still recommend upgrading it now.
I've never had one die on my quite that badly, but maybe I'm just lucky. Typically, they simply refuse to power back on
I built my PC in march 2020 (got really lucky with the prices and timing lol) and am really thankful for channels like yours . I was going to buy a cheap unbranded ketchup/mustard-cabled psu and decided not to. Ended up buying a BeQuiet PurePower 10, 80+ Silver, pretty solid and haven't had any problems!
I bought my EVGA 1000w platinum PSU in 2015, has a ten year warranty. I know I should get a new one soon but this thing has been kicking butt the whole time I've had it. Glad EVGA is still around to at least sell PSU's cause they are one company I know I can trust.
Probably a Superflower Ledex model. Slightly out of date as not LLC, but other than that they are legendary for build quality and reliablity.
That's pretty much the same car analogy I use. Love car analogies. No matter how much or how little someone knows about cars, they usually understand what I'm saying if I use a car analogy.
Sage advice. Back in the mid 90's when I built my first computer I didn't place much importance on the PSU. Not long after I finished the build I was playing Microsoft Indy Car racing and the PSU started smoking and the entire system shut down. Not only did it shut down but it destroyed every component in there. I basically had to start over from scratch. SCSI drives and controllers were expensive. Lol. Ever since then I don't cheap out on power supplies.
I just upgraded from a Corsair HX750 that I’d been using for a decade to a Corsair HX1200. The 750 was still running perfectly fine and whisper quiet, but figured since I was upgrading the case, MB and CPU, I may as well upgrade the PSU as well. Now I’m prepared for any behemoth GPU that may come along.
You think you are but you're not.
The new Phanteks power supplies are surprisingly good. Got a 650w 80+ Gold PSU from them for $60 on NewEgg the other day. Fully modular, hybrid, etc. Their 1000w 80+ Gold is $160.
My first pc was a common office pc bought in 2008, replaced the psu in 2017 after it smelled a little bit fried and the pc finally broke for good in 2019.
I'm so surprised the first psu live for that long before its dead. So be generous when buying psu guys and a good ups too.
Jay speaks the truth, it's 2022 and i'm still using a 2016 650w Corsair Gold rated PSU. I often see people on Reddit swapping PSUs for the dumbest reasons, when in the end, if you buy 1 good PSU it will outlast your current build and most likely live on inside your next.
I pass down PSU's in a handmedown fashion to older rigs i pass off after a refresh. Usually, that refresh is an upgrade from high end 5+ gens ago to "low" end lastgen which usually offers around 300% boost to performance and also slashing power draw a fair bit. Those PSU's enjoy a low power draw retirement from then on out until they get passed down enough to be fully retired from service.
I love a good psu. Finding one with the right cable lengths and right type of cables. The sleeving and how the cables are made can make a huge difference in how easy or difficult it is to cable manage
I bought a used HX1000i Platinum 2019 last month for just 100 bucks and I bet it will last me 5 more years at least. The fan never really kicks on and it’s running at 94% efficiency almost all time according to iCUE.
About 6 years ago, I purchased a EVGA 1300 GA2 and still using it to this day. Amazing quality. But that will probably change 2 to 3 years from now with the new ATX 3.0 PSU coming out and more technology making use of it. That being said, EVGA makes great power supplies and would not hesitate to buy another EVGA in the future.
I believe the 1 in my first build from 8 years ago is still kicking.. a 600w I think. Something like that.
I have that exact model! Do you know where to buy cables for it..?
I bought an EVGA T2 1000W Titanium like 9 years ago. Still using it on my 3rd build now with a 13900K and 4090. Probably my best PC component investment.
The J2C iFixit ad should win an award!, I've seen it 100 times and it still cracks me up.
PSU's definitely don't get the love they deserve, I remember building one of my first PCs and the PSU was always an afterthought, I recall looking at £15 500W PSUs (the ones that last 6 months before giving up), it wasn't until I'd been metaphorically burned that I started looking into it much more and 80 Plus Bronze become my standard go to. As I started being able to afford higher quality stuff my PSUs went up in rating and wattage. My current setups use a budget Corsair 750W Bronze with a Focus Plus Gold 850W in my overclocked 8600K rig, which is hugely overkill but it'll be a super simple transplant into a future 13th Gen Intel or new Ryzen update.
1000W PSUs are around $210 here in the UK so I'll need to start saving before upgrading as the PSU price increase means that even my Focus Plus Gold is selling for more than I bought it for 4 years ago.
Jay. Gotta say pal. Instructional videos are amazing. Built my first pc in 2019. Built 6 more since then. Rebuilt mine countless times. I now maintain all my mates PCs. And my family's. I'm not qualified. But everything I learnt was from your videos. Massive thanks big lad. Keep it up. Love the work. Even when you take it back to basics.
On my first build around 2009 or 10, may be, I bought a 750w psu. It survived 3 upgrade. The main reason why I replaced last year on my most recent upgrade was because the fans were now noisy at full load and with the gpu I got it would probably run near full load. Currently, it’s being used on my work pc, were the psu fan doesn’t need to ramp up. So it’s been 12-13yrs and it’s still working(somewhat). Definitely worth every penny.
I think besides psu, monitor is close second on the most neglected part. Specially for first time builders.
Correction: The C Series Gold power supplies are not digital. They are traditional ones. The E Series line of power supplies from NZXT are the ones that are digital.
I bought a Corsair 1000W PSU almost nine years ago, gold rated, and it has been a BEAST for me up until now. I’m planning on getting a new one next year, but I’ll be sad to see it out of my system when I replace it.
I remember when I bough PC Power & Cooling's first ever 500w power supply. That thing was a beast that required a special backplate as it was almost double the thickness of a normal power supply. Lasted over 12 years.
THANK YOU!!!
Was fortunate enough to cancel my psu before it shipped, I am building my first gaming PC and if you hadn't specifically mentioned the difference between fully modular and non modular, I'd be swimming in connectors and wiring.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BRO!!!!!
That Corsair 1200W Platinum I bought for my 4790k is still running well. My 5700X arrives to finish my replacement build tomorrow. The LAST thing I ever worry about is my PSU. Not been so confident on that part for twenty years.
back in 2014 i bought a 750w xfx fully modular psu with active PFC and 80 plus gold certified, i'm still rocking it to this day, back in the day i had a gtx 970, xfx took care of it beautifully, it's still going strong in my young brother's build, and now my xfx psu is powering my new 3070, awesome psu! too bad xfx doesn't make them anymore.
I bought a Corsair 650W fully modular 80+ Gold PSU in 2017, and it's one of only 3 parts in my system I haven't upgraded. Plus it's still under warranty since Corsair even back then had 10 year peace of mind warranties.
my current PSU is a 11 year old 1100 watt PSU.. got the thing on sale on newegg back in the day.. even then was like $150 but was a great investment.. it has gone through legit 4 PC builds in its 5th build now and just keeps on going. run it through a PSU tester every so often and checks out everytime.. go big on the PSU will save you money in the long run.. aside note my PSU has something called active phase control or something like that and may be the big factor into why my PSU has last so long.. remember the psu I had before getting it legit blew up thus why I got this one
I'm a car guy as well and there are people who always mention the fuel they run when talking about their ride. I never heard any one say I'm running chevron 93 but if they only run it on race fuel they will mention it or e 85, or even alcohol. I've heard them mention horsepower numbers when on high octane pump vs e85. Of course now when I hear that I might not be able to stop myself and say I'm running chevron 93
For us Retro geeks, I wish they still made higher Amp 5v rails. Nothing worse than a 'period correct' PS thats 20 years old blowing up and taking your Voodoo 5500 with it.
Now they are all like 12 amps...10amps....hard to find a quality 5v rail with 25/30+ amps. And forget -5v..thats a unicorn
I'm running a 750w bronze thermaltake PSU that I got back in 2011. The power switch on the back of it got jammed at one point but popping it out again and it still works like it did back then. It's been the one component that's been in every one of my PCs
The PSU in my old system lasted the full 12 years it was operating. It still works to this day as my dad has it as his windows system. (He's a Mac man, but Macs aren't perfect, and Windows bridges that gap.) 600 watts for back then times. I now use an 850 in my new system. Apart from when Windows sh*ts the bed, it works wonders. (Win10 likes to bluescreen randomly. apparently it's common...)
You mentioned dust and have done several cleaning videos. You should do a full video about air filters.
I have friends who are like "Yeah my fans have filters" and then it's just the protective grid effective at only keeping out large rats.
I used to use drier sheets, but then started buying HVAC filters and using material from there. And now if I need extra airflow I use open-cell polyurethane foam.
But it would be a good breakdown video and there's a lot you can talk about. Different materials and where to get them, pressure drop, adding a gap between the filter and fan, etc.
I feel like everyone always covers how to clean dust but not how to prevent it. I haven't had to dust my server in 5 years and it has been running in the basement pretty much nonstop. I just clean the filters now and again.
Never have i 'cleaned' my computer before, and they all still work. *shrug*
As Jay explains at around 8:39, any time you add a connection point, you add a potential point of failure. This is why you SHOULDN'T use fully modular power supplies like the one Jay is holding when he says this.
Agreed. But then they're hard to find at the higher end. IMHO semi-modular is the best compromise.
I am currently using a Pc Power and Cooling Silencer 750 watt 60 amp 12v rail supply that I purchased back in 2007!! Its running a ryzen 5600x , 16gb of 3600mhz ram, 6700XT, 1tb nvme, and 2 2tb western digital blacks.And 6 120 mm fans. Its never skipped a beat in all these years.. I take it apart and blow it out once in awhile, and look for bulging caps, and test the rails with my multimeter, its always dead nuts on.
I've just started an RMA with Corsair for a nearly 7 year old RM650i. My old HX750 is still going strong after 12 years in another build.
You definitely get what you pay for.
I got my Seasonic 1000w Platinum or Titanium power supply in my machine. The warranty is by far very important; I have not once had an issue. Been 6 years now and still running strong. Jay is right people; if you don't have the juice to power your system, then your just spinning your wheels.
Still running the Corsair TX 650 I bought in 2010, mostly powering an i52500k. It's been through maybe a dozen big power cuts, hundreds of micro-cuts, and apart from the occasional noise from the fan, is still just fine. Will definitely be changing it for my next build though.
Thanks for making, yet another, brilliant video!
I'm compiling a list of components for my next PC build. The last thing is the power supply. I'm fairly certain I'll be fine with the one I'm thinking of getting, but I'll have to double check. I didn't think about modern CPUs using more power, thus needing more power cabling. It's about ten years since I build my current computer. Back then we pretty much only had to worry about wattage.
The 530w Raidmax power supply driving my system now was bought in 2011. Even with over 35,000 operating hours, it still has enough life to power a R5 5600x and RX 6600. A good power supply will not only cover your current build, but the next 2-3 in the future.
16:02 yes. I still run a semi-modular Raidmax 1200 watt 80plus bronze power supply from 2013
Running SeaSonic for 7 years now and still going strong. Also have a corsair in kids, and still good. Spent good money back than and glad I did because my first psu was cheap and blew up and fried my board and processor
I bought a Corsair AX860i, I think during the SeaSonic times, and that thing's still going strong today with a 5600x and a 3070, been the PSU I've used since 2012 or so, I love that thing. After 11 years, thinking this year is the year I buy a new case and new PSU.
HUGE THANK YOU FOR THIS!!! I watched this video just in time....well...slightly late but not too late.
I was so busy concentrating on calculating my PSU needs for my build, Gold rating and ARGB capability, I never even thought to see if the ports were compatible with my motherboard and GPU...I just assumed it was standard....they were not! I had ordered a Thermaltake, which I now got refunded and returned, but the big thing was I had cablemod custom cables ordered....and you only have 24 hours to cancel the order!!!
Got the cancelation in in 20 hour mark!!! So now I'm going with the NZXT C750.....wish it came with RGB, but they have no models for that. More important it has 2 8pin CPU and 2 8pin PCIe ports.
NZXT seems to be out of stock in a lot of products, but found one on Amazon which I just ordered. THANK YOU AGAIN!
Currently waiting for my MSI MEG AI1300P to arrive, cant wait to put it in to my rig
UK voltage was 240V but was brought down in 2009 to 230V to be closer to the 220V of the European voltage, though with legacy equipment in the distribution grid, 20V & upto ~250V potentially in some places. Most former British empire are 230-240/50. The one weird place is japan which is 100V and has both 50 & 60Hz
230V is the European voltage. Unless they skimp in various nations.
It might be useful to address UPS differences and the fact that hungrier systems now may be pulling more than a UPS is rated or able to supply. Along with the benefits of power conditioning that they can bring etc. Another overlooked but actually kinda important component.
Eaton 5px , Ion 16, apc smart, no need to get double conversion unless you into 5kva plus . As they switch less than 6ms and psu must cope with upto 20ms dropout
I built my first system 10 months ago and used an EVGA 750 gold. So far it’s been great. Currently running a 4070ti and a 5800x3d, and it’s been holding up quite well.
I love that we're discussing power and the electrical receptacle behind Jay has no trim plate on it. Safety first!