Case & PSU Question

[isankey]

I'm looking to upgrade my machine in the near future, including an Nvidia GTX 260.
I'm sorted in terms of what mobo, RAM & processor I want to get, but I need a little help in terms of what PSU will I need to run this card, along with say 4 SATA drives.

I'm looking at a 550w PSU, which is easy enough to get hold of, but I understand the GTX 260's need two 12v connectors, each supporting 18amps, and that tends to bump the price up. A lot.
I'm also looking for a new case, something largish to accommodate the new card with enough room to allow for passive cooling.

Any suggestions with where I can get something suitable within a R1500 budget (the lower the better though) would be greatly appreciated, & thanks in advance.

 

[PostmanPot]

Any branded ±550watt PSU will be more than enough. And the card probably comes with a Molex (4-pin) to 6-pin (PCI-E power) connector.

Passive cooling?

 

[isankey]

Thanks for the quick reply PostmanPot.

Unfortunately, ito of the psu, a lot of them meet the 550w I'm looking for, but on a lot of them the second 12v connector only runs at 12amps, which is evidently not enough. I certainly stand open to correction though, so anyone who has one of these cards please feel free to offer input.

And by passive cooling I mean having enough room in the case for hot air to circulate, rather than having to put more than one extra fan in so I can keep the power requirements down as much as I can

 

[TheRift]

Get a PSU with a single 12V rail. No more hassles with wondering how much this rail provides or how much that rail provides. Cooler Master Silent Power series offer a single rail, iirc. A little steep on the price though, about R1000 for a 600W. There should be plenty other single-railed PSUs out there. Unfortunately, many people think more rail means it is better.

 

[PostmanPot]

Thanks for the quick reply PostmanPot.

Unfortunately, ito of the psu, a lot of them meet the 550w I'm looking for, but on a lot of them the second 12v connector only runs at 12amps, which is evidently not enough. I certainly stand open to correction though, so anyone who has one of these cards please feel free to offer input.

And by passive cooling I mean having enough room in the case for hot air to circulate, rather than having to put more than one extra fan in so I can keep the power requirements down as much as I can

Just get this PSU - http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?products_id=20941

 

[leheheh]

Get a PSU with a single 12V rail. No more hassles with wondering how much this rail provides or how much that rail provides. Cooler Master Silent Power series offer a single rail, iirc. A little steep on the price though, about R1000 for a 600W. There should be plenty other single-railed PSUs out there. Unfortunately, many people think more rail means it is better.

Bleh . Coolermaster PSU's. I would not go there. Had 2 bad experiences with 2 vastly different cm PSUs. Noisy, inefficient and very bad build quality...

Rather go with a Vantec (if you're on a tight budget) or a Corsair if you have a bit of extra cash (which btw is worth it)

Vantec: http://www.rebeltech.co.za/product_info.php?cPath=93_759&products_id=8522

Corsair 1: http://www.rebeltech.co.za/product_info.php?cPath=93_391&products_id=3585

Corsair 2: http://www.rebeltech.co.za/product_info.php?cPath=93_391&products_id=6394

 

[isankey]

Thanks for the input guys. It looks like I'll be going with the following case & PSU, as soon as the shekels come in anyway :

Cooler Master Centurion 590 for about R700
and
Vantec PS-V600NE PSU, 600w PSU for around R750.

What I really like about that case is that the PSU is mounted down at the bottom of the case, giving you a lot more room to play with, & allowing for a lot more airflow & passive convection cooling.

Thanks again for the input, and feel free to comment on the above - it'll be a few days before I get them, so any suggestions for something better I've missed before I spend the cash will still be welcome

 

[PostmanPot]

Rather get the CM690. It's like a better Centurion 590.

That PSU is overkill. Unless you're happy to be overspending on it. Get the PS-V520CE or if you really think you need more, the PS-V500NE.