The Power Supply Thread


dgaschk

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On 2017-05-09 at 8:07 AM, Fireball3 said:

I wonder how one can be "impressed by the performance" of a PSU... O.o

I guess if you measure its outputs with an oscilloscope under different loads to check ripple and general quality of the signal, as well as deviation from expected output, you could be suitably impressed by a PSU.

 

Or maybe it's nicely lit and has an LED readout telling you how much power you're using... not performance related, but lights and gizmos generally impress on a subconscious level if nothing else!

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  • 2 months later...

Hi

 

Building my first Unraid server and I'm now looking for a good 2U PSU. Need advice.

 

My setup 

Xeon E3-1240 V2

16GB ECC unbuffered ram

Supermicro X9SCM-F

2x Lsi SAS 9211-8i

16x 7200rpm drives

2x SSD

 

Looking for a 2U PSU with a single 12v rail since that is recommended for Unraid. And it needs to be quiet. Need to be able to ship it to Sweden.

 

Thanks for helping.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Would anyone care to comment on this power supply?

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151188

 

Seasonic FOCUS Plus Series SSR-850FX 850W

 

 

Would be for a 19-spinner, 1-ssd, i5 (xeon in the future) with two LSI controllers and a PCIe NIC.  Enough power?  Enough oomph on the 12v rail?  I understand this is the "lower end" Seasonic model.  I don't want to end up with the equivalent to the "CX" series from Corsair.

 

Failing that, I am also looking at the Seasonic Platinum, Flagship, and Corsair RMx series.  Trying to stay below $150.  

 

Comments on the latter welcome as well of course.

 

Thanks.

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  • 4 weeks later...

All, my UnRAID build has been fairly rock solid, except for I've been having some issues with my "Disk 1" getting some random failures.  The disk would fail to mount occasionally, then get emulated from Parity.  From there I would need to stop the array, rebuild the disk, etc.  I suspected a bad drive, so I replaced the physical drive (Had no smart errors), and proceeded to have the same issue with random failures/lock-ups in UnRAID.  I did some googling, and came across an obscure thread on a potential power problem, causing similar lockups.  I opened up the server, and found that Disk 1 was at the end of the power supply chain for one of the connectors to the PSU.  The secondary connector from the PSU (Each has 4 power connectors for HDs) only had 1 disk on it, so I switched Disk 1 to the 2nd connector, on the 2nd set of plugs to the PSU (Confusing??).  Since then, no more issues.

 

Okay, obviously a PSU problem.  So... Looking for recommendations on a PSU I should be using instead.  

 

Here is my completed build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/VK3bt6

 

And here is my current PSU: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139051&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

Thoughts?

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I used the corsair value 750 psu for 4.5 years in a gaming machine, It whined for a long time then it died. Thankfully corsairs 5year warranty sent me a newer version which i sold and purchased a Seasonic gold modular PSU for desktop. I have a Platinum 660 in the server which has a 7 year warranty, nice.

They are both quiet and the cables bundled are fantastic. Reading benchmark reviews they both can handle alot more than stated(not that i would need more)

For ATX PSU`s Seasonic are some of the best.

Edited by raidserver
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 29/08/2017 at 4:03 PM, Xafloc said:

 

Okay, obviously a PSU problem.  So... Looking for recommendations on a PSU I should be using instead.  

 

Here is my completed build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/VK3bt6

 

And here is my current PSU: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139051&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

Thoughts?

 

The CX-M is Corsair's more basic PSU.  It's unusual to get a dud Corsair, really - I have a heap of them, and even still have a CX750 that's been running at 600W draw 24/7 running a cryptominer for several years now, and I've had no issues with it.

 

The general recommendation is SeaSonic, but I also like FSP and SuperFlower.  All three make good PSUs.

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  • 3 months later...

Hi Guys,

 

I have an issue with my unRAID that I suspect is related to the PSU and so I'd like to replace it with something that's rugged w/solid (thicker) cables, high grade electronics to provide consistent, even power, etc. I'm willing to buy something top of the line to ensure the PSU won't be a problem going forward.

 

The front page of this thread is from 2011 and I was curious if it has been updated. Is Seasonic still "the best"? I've been looking at the Superflower Leadex Titanium 750W, Seasonic PRIME Ultra 750W Titanium, and CoolerMaster HX750i 750W Gold. All of them look like they'd work for my setup. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

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16 minutes ago, Joseph said:

Hi Guys,

 

I have an issue with my unRAID that I suspect is related to the PSU and so I'd like to replace it with something that's rugged w/solid (thicker) cables, high grade electronics to provide consistent, even power, etc. I'm willing to buy something top of the line to ensure the PSU won't be a problem going forward.

 

The front page of this thread is from 2011 and I was curious if it has been updated. Is Seasonic still "the best"? I've been looking at the Superflower Leadex Titanium 750W, Seasonic PRIME Ultra 750W Titanium, and CoolerMaster HX750i 750W Gold. All of them look like they'd work for my setup. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

Seasonic and those made by Seasonic is my recommendation.  If you really need 750W, Newegg has some sales and rebates on several that are that size, but they are Gold vs. Titanium.  Assuming you are in the US,

 

  Seasonic PRIME Ultra 750W 80+ Gold, fully modular, 12 year warranty, $109.99 (sale ends this coming Sunday), $20 rebate brings final to $89.99 (free shipping).

 

The same in Titanium would be $180.  I don't believe you would ever realize the ROI with that price difference as efficiency is only around 1.5% better with Titanium vs. Gold.

 

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On 12/22/2017 at 5:16 PM, Joseph said:

 

Thanks... any particular reason they are recommended over other brands?

 

Top notch design and manufacturer.  Google for reviews as they are numerous and look at the build quality, quality of their boards, quality of their component choices, etc.  There used to be a list of 'who's who' in power supplies put out by Tom's Hardware some years ago, but not sure if it has been updated in a while.  Some better models of other brands are made by Seasonic.  There are other brands that are good, but few actually design and manufacture their own.

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  • 1 month later...

Finally, it is time to build a modest new box so I can do some light virtualization with unRAID 6 (but no gaming on this new box)--I'm loathe to admit I'm still running unRAID 5.x, but pleased that it has served me well for so long!

 

I'm piecing this together:

  • ASUS M5A97 R2.0
  • AMD FX-6300
  • 32GB DDR3 1600 RAM
  • IBM M1015/LSI SAS9220-8i PCIe controller
  • (1) SSD
  • (2) WD Green drives
  • (10) WD Red drives

The number of drives is unlikely to go beyond 13, since I'm putting this in a Rosewill RSV-L4412 12-bay hotswap case.

 

Some back-of-envelope calculations (that I'm not particularly qualified to be doing) suggest I might need as much as 250W sustained if everything is running full-out, so my gut is telling me to go with a Seasonic FOCUS FM 450W 80+ Gold (SSR-450FM) or Seasonic FOCUS Plus 550W 80+ Platinum (SSE-550PX).

 

Or, how about a Corsair TX650M 80+ Gold, which I can get through Newegg for just $65 after rebate right now?

 

Any thoughts on whether I'm even close to reasonable on my PSU thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Edited by bland328
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2 hours ago, bland328 said:

Finally, it is time to build a modest new box so I can do some light virtualization with unRAID 6 (but no gaming on this new box)--I'm loathe to admit I'm still running unRAID 5.x, but pleased that it has served me well for so long!

 

I'm piecing this together:

  • ASUS M5A97 R2.0
  • AMD FX-6300
  • 32GB DDR3 1600 RAM
  • IBM M1015/LSI SAS9220-8i PCIe controller
  • (1) SSD
  • (2) WD Green drives
  • (10) WD Red drives

The number of drives is unlikely to go beyond 13, since I'm putting this in a Rosewill RSV-L4412 12-bay hotswap case.

 

Some back-of-envelope calculations (that I'm not particularly qualified to be doing) suggest I might need as much as 250W sustained if everything is running full-out, so my gut is telling me to go with a Seasonic FOCUS FM 450W 80+ Gold (SSR-450FM) or Seasonic FOCUS Plus 550W 80+ Platinum (SSE-550PX).

 

Or, how about a Corsair TX650M 80+ Gold, which I can get through Newegg for just $65 after rebate right now?

 

Any thoughts on whether I'm even close to reasonable on my PSU thoughts are greatly appreciated!

 

The Seasonic 550W would be my suggestion.  Gold would be a more cost effective solution since your only looking at a few $ electricity cost difference per year and paying more for Titanium.  Newegg has the Focus 550W (Gold) for $54.99 after rebate vs. $71 for the 550W Focus Plus.  Both are excellent choices.

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On 2/24/2018 at 5:17 PM, unevent said:

The Seasonic 550W would be my suggestion.  Gold would be a more cost effective solution since your only looking at a few $ electricity cost difference per year and paying more for Titanium.  Newegg has the Focus 550W (Gold) for $54.99 after rebate vs. $71 for the 550W Focus Plus.  Both are excellent choices.

 

Thanks very much for the advice. Are you saying that 550W sounds like enough for my specific configuration?

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5 minutes ago, bland328 said:

 

Thanks very much for the advice. Are you saying that 550W sounds like enough for my specific configuration?

 

Yeah, 450W would just be enough, 550W gives you some room and moves the draw back more into the peak of the efficiency curve.  650W would be less efficient than the 550W for this app, but is an option if you plan to upgrade and draw more in the future - like 125W CPU and five or so more spinner drives.

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According to Wikipedia it looks like the goal is to get your server power requirement at about 50% of what the PSU is rated for in order for you to get the maximum benefit of the 80 PLUS rating. So based on that assumption, I should calculate my power need, then double it to find the target wattage of PSU I'm looking for. Does this sound right?

 

Now that this is settled and it seems it's time to replace my Corsair TX, I'm willing to upgrade to a higher end Corsair or a Seasonic. Corsair nicely divides their supplies into ranges (TX, HX, CX, etc.) Does Seasonic do so as well? Their website is a bit... underwhelming... when it comes to organization. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to their naming schemes.

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1 hour ago, FreeMan said:

According to Wikipedia it looks like the goal is to get your server power requirement at about 50% of what the PSU is rated for in order for you to get the maximum benefit of the 80 PLUS rating. So based on that assumption, I should calculate my power need, then double it to find the target wattage of PSU I'm looking for. Does this sound right?

 

For a constant load, yes, I would agree with that.  unRAID is a different animal in that the load is usually not very constant for most.  Depending on your power saving schemes such as CPU throttling, drives spin down timers, usage, etc. the load seen by the supply for your configuration could be less than 60W all the way up to 175W or more.  Best thing to do is monitor/measure wattage under normal usage such as power up, idle, heavy load, etc. to figure out min and max.  With that data focus on trying to size to stay near 20% minimum supply loading and also do not exceed single rail wattage with a reasonable buffer when all your drives being spin up with processor at full load (e.g. prime 95 and manual spin-up).  The supply you have listed is more than enough for your application with plenty of room to spare for hardware upgrade.  At idle your very close to the 10% loading which puts the efficiency at around 83% based on the graphic below.  I would guess your normal loading would be in the low 20% range which puts the efficiency at 88-89%, assuming 115V.

 

1 hour ago, FreeMan said:

Now that this is settled and it seems it's time to replace my Corsair TX, I'm willing to upgrade to a higher end Corsair or a Seasonic. Corsair nicely divides their supplies into ranges (TX, HX, CX, etc.) Does Seasonic do so as well? Their website is a bit... underwhelming... when it comes to organization. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to their naming schemes.

 

Not sure on the Seasonic marketing.  Prime is their high end and Focus is on the low end, but even their low end is well above a lot of other brands.  Review sites like Toms Hardware and Anandtech have reviews of their supplies where they may explain the marketing.

 

TX650M_EFFICIENCY_WEB_101816_m.png

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

 

Can I just check my thinking on a new power supply please.

 

Proposed system

- Reused i7 2600 CPU

- Intel Dq67SW MB

- 8GB DDR3 RAM

- 5 x 4TB WD Reds

- 1050ti GPU

 

Future system (next few years for future proofing)

- Latest equivalent i7 and MB

- 16GB DDR4

- 8 x 4TB WD Reds and 2 x SSDs for Cache

- Midrange GPU

 

I was thinking a FSP HYDRO G HG750 would be cover me for the current and future at reasonable efficiencies. Any thoughts welcome?

 

Thanks

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12 hours ago, Woz32 said:

Hi

Can I just check my thinking on a new power supply please.

 

Proposed system

- Reused i7 2600 CPU

- Intel Dq67SW MB

- 8GB DDR3 RAM

- 5 x 4TB WD Reds

- 1050ti GPU

 

Future system (next few years for future proofing)

- Latest equivalent i7 and MB

- 16GB DDR4

- 8 x 4TB WD Reds and 2 x SSDs for Cache

- Midrange GPU

 

I was thinking a FSP HYDRO G HG750 would be cover me for the current and future at reasonable efficiencies. Any thoughts welcome?

Thanks

 

In my opinion, for your current build a 550 would be sweet spot.  For your future build, if going with say i7-8700 and 1070ti and what you listed then your choice of 750 seems reasonable.  Solid choice on the FSP.  Adjust accordingly for what you expect to have for future CPU and GPU as those can vary the requirements the most.

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19 hours ago, unevent said:

 

In my opinion, for your current build a 550 would be sweet spot.  For your future build, if going with say i7-8700 and 1070ti and what you listed then your choice of 750 seems reasonable.  Solid choice on the FSP.  Adjust accordingly for what you expect to have for future CPU and GPU as those can vary the requirements the most.

 

Thanks, I may go down the middle and get a 650!

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A 650w would be fine, but 550w is really all you need.    Even if you bumped up to a 1070i video card a 550w PSU is still sufficient ... and if you changed to a more modern motherboard with an i7-8700 you'd actually be using LESS power than your i7-2600.   [The TDP of an i7-8700 is 65w compared to 95w for the i7-2600; and the newer motherboard would also use less power than the older chipset with the 2600]

 

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  • 1 month later...

Quick question all, I'm getting a seasonic 650W for my new build, but it only comes with 6xSATA power, I need to run 3 5-in-3's that each take 2 connectors and 2 SSDs outside of the 5-in-3s.  In my old system I just had a sea of Molex splitters and ran off of two power supply lines...however I'm wondering if you can run 3x5-in-3 off one 6-pin connection to the power supply via an extender, or if I should split them between two (which would mean ordering another cable).

 

This will power 15 drives, Mostly 8+TB IronWolfs at this point.

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Not sure what you're referring to r.e. "... one 6-pin connector".   IF the voltages are correct and you wire them correctly, then yes, you could power one of the cages from that feed.    But if there's any doubt, I'd just use a splitter, which you KNOW is providing the right voltages to the right places :D

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