Power Supply and Graphics Card

[SaintK]

Well, I was asking around for a good power supply in one of the most influential (and economic) markets for PC parts here in my city (Medellín, Colombia) and the only decent thing I found in terms of power supplies was a thermaltake 500W for about 80 dollars, according to them it's a very reliable real power supply, so I want to know if it's a good buy, my idea is to build a decent PC, I couldn't call it a Gamer PC, but something decent that I can play the gems that I've missed out on for not having an X360 or a PS3, and I'm also not interested in playing at ultra-high resolutions or in ultra HD, just play these games decently, on my PC screen, with medium-high graphics and without AA, these are the specifications of my PC:

OS: Windows 8 Home Edition 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 CPU @ 3.30GHz (2 cores, 2 clones) Ivy Bridge
MOTHER: H61H2-M13
SOCKET: 1155 LGA
RAM: Kingston 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz
MONITOR: LED E2060SW 20 Inches 16:9
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 2500 (TO BE CHANGED)
HDD: TOSHIBA 932GB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s
POWER SUPPLY: 300W ALLIED ATX12V (TO BE CHANGED)

As you can see, my power supply is only 300W, and the graphics card I'm thinking of putting in asks for between 400 and 500w, my options are these three according to my budget:

• Radeon HD 7750 1GB - approx. 130 dollars.
• Radeon HD 7770 1GB - approx. 160 dollars.
• Radeon HD 7790 1GB - approx. 180 dollars.

The 7750 asks for 400W, and the other two ask for 500W, will the thermaltake 500W power supply be enough? Or should I buy a better one?

Which of the three graphics cards do you recommend? The one I like the most is the 7770, should I pay those extra 20 dollars for the 7790? Or will it not get the most out of it on my PC? Or is a 7750 enough?

About the RAM, is 4GB enough for what I need? Or should I buy another 4GB? That said, my budget is not very large.

Do you recommend buying a special keyboard and mouse for playing first person shooters? That it's economic, or are these just ornaments and I can play with a normal PC mouse and keyboard?

And one last thing, do you think I need a separate cooler or fan for any of the graphics cards I'm thinking of buying? Or do they not need it?

Thanks in advance.

[fjavi]

@SaintK:

Bueno, estuve preguntando por una buena fuente de alimentación en uno de los mercados más influyentes (Y económicos) de piezas para PC aquí en mi ciudad (Medellín, Colombia) y lo único decente en fuentes de alimentación (O de poder) que encontré fue una thermaltake de 500W a 80 dólares aprox, según ellos es una fuente real muy confiable, así que quiero saber si es una buena compra, mi idea es armar una PC decente, no podría llamarla una PC Gamer, pero sí algo decente con lo que pueda jugar a las joyas que me he perdido por no tener una X360 o una PS3, y tampoco me interesa jugar a resoluciones altísimas ni en ultra HD, sólo jugar a estos juegos decentemente, en la pantalla de mi PC, con gráficos en medio-alto y sin AA, estas son las especificaciones de mi PC:

SO: Windows 8 Home Edition 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 CPU @ 3.30GHz (2 núcleos, 2 clones) Ivy Bridge
MOTHER: H61H2-M13
SOCKET: 1155 LGA
RAM: Kingston 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz
MONITOR: LED E2060SW 20 Pulgadas 16:9
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 2500 (POR CAMBIAR)
HDD: TOSHIBA 932GB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s
FUENTE: 300W ALLIED ATX12V (POR CAMBIAR)

Como pueden observar, mi fuente de alimentación es sólo de 300W, y la tarjeta gráfica que pienso poner pide entre 400 Y 500w, mis opciones son estas tres de acuerdo a mi chequera:

• Radeon HD 7750 1GB - 130 dólares aprox.
• Radeon HD 7770 1GB - 160 dólares aprox.
• Radeon HD 7790 1GB - 180 dólares aprox.

La 7750 pide 400W, y las otras dos piden 500W, será suficiente con la fuente thermaltake de 500W? O debo comprar una mejor?

Cuál de las tres tarjetas gráficas me recomiendan? A mí la que más me gusta es la 7770, debería pagar esos 20 dólares de más por la 7790? O no sacará todo su rendimiento en mi PC? O es suficiente con una 7750?

Acerca de la RAM, es suficiente con esas 4GB para lo que necesito? O debo comprar otras 4GB? Eso sí, mi presupuesto no es muy amplio.

Me recomiendan comprar un teclado y un mouse especial para jugar a los first person shooters? Que sea económico, o estos son solo adornos y puedo jugar con un mouse y un teclado normal de PC?

Y una última cosa, creen que necesite un cooler o ventilador aparte para alguna de estas tarjetas gráficas que pienso comprar? O estas no lo necesitan?

Gracias de antemano.

Si la fuente es esta te debe valer incluso con gráficas superiores a las que pones
https://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002031
Esa fuente debe poder y más con tu equipo con tarjetas como la 660, con la 7850, aunque viendo los precios allí de una 7790 no me quiero imaginar cuánto costarán estas.

Si tu fuente fuera de calidad y 350W podrías meter 7750, 7770 y 650ti, pero si es mala pues mejor meter otra fuente, luego viendo el precio allí de los componentes es que no necesitas ni teclados ni ratones especiales, con que tengas uno con cable ya se puede jugar bien, o sea uno usb incluso ps2, si los otros son mejores pero al final se juega casi igual con uno normal, se disfruta igual de los juegos.
La mejor gráfica que pones es la 7790 pero se pasan mucho con el precio, igual ocurre con las 7770, es que por ese precio de la 7790 debían darte una R9 270 o una 7850, una 660 gráficas así, si son $ de USA aquí al cambio ya conseguirías esta.
Asus Radeon HD 7850 DirectCU II 2GB GDDR5 90-C1CS61-S0UAY0BZ Tarjeta Gráfica

Con 4 GB de memoria también puedes jugar, yo juego en un equipo con 4Gb y una 470 y no va mal.

abusan mucho por allí. Aquí también abusan pero algo menos.

Saludos

[SaintK]

I'm not sure about the model of the source, and I'm also not sure if the source I have is of good quality, I only know that it's 300W.

I've looked around here and I think the prices of these cards are not very high, in my opinion they are quite good, of course, depending on where you buy them.

Thanks for the help ^^.

[Fassou]

If your power supply is like the one in the image:

You need another one that's better to sleep peacefully :sisi:

Ask for one that's 550/600W and with "80Plus" certification, so you can be sure of a minimum quality of manufacture. If the Thermaltake they offer you is at $80, probably what I recommend will be around $100, but if you're not convinced by what they have, buy the Tt as the lesser evil.

About the graphics cards, as fjavi points out, you should try to get up to an HD7850, but if not, an R7 260X (HD7790) will do the job.

Salu2!

[SaintK]

This is a photo I just took of my source, it doesn't seem to be the same as the one you showed.

[Fassou]

You have an improved version of the one I had, and I'm glad, because the other one had an efficiency of 65% :facepalm:

In any case, to put a new graphic, you will have to change to a more powerful source.

Salu2!

[SaintK]

@Fassou:

You have an improved version of the one I put, and I'm glad, because the other one had an efficiency of 65% :facepalm:

In any case, to put a new graphic, you will have to change to a more powerful source.

Salu2!

Okay, so that's what I'll do, because I don't think a 7790 plus the whole team will move with 300W.

Thanks again ^^.

[fjavi]

You have nothing to lose by trying, plug in the graphics card and if the computer doesn't shut down when you play, it can power it, although it's never recommended that the power supply works at full load, as it could break important components, if that power supply were quality it could easily, but being generic they don't give the real power.
A good 350W ensures 350W sustained and at 50º temperature and could give peaks of 450w but the generic ones don't guarantee the sustained watts, we mean that a quality one should ensure its power even with a lot of heat it should never go below that power, that's why it's normal for them to give a little more, but the generic ones do go down and don't give stable voltages that's why the graphics cards can't handle it and are also not good for OC.
Anyway it's good to buy a quality power supply, as they usually last a long time and are cost-effective, I have power supplies that are 6 or 7 years old and they still work perfectly, although the one with the least power is 700W a seasonic.

regards

[SaintK]

@fjavi:

You have nothing to lose by trying, you put in the graphics and if the computer doesn't shut down when you play, it can power it, although it's never recommended that the power supply works at a high load, as it could break important components, if that power supply were quality it could easily, but being generic it doesn't give the real power.
A good 350W ensures 350W sustained and at 50º of temperature and could give peaks of 450w but the generic ones don't guarantee the sustained watts, that is, a quality one must ensure its power even with a lot of heat it should never go below that power, that's why it's normal that they give a little more, but the generic ones go down and don't give stable voltages that's why the graphics don't last and are also not good for OC.
Anyway, it's good to buy a quality power supply, as they usually last a long time and are cost-effective, I have power supplies that are 6 or 7 years old and they still work perfectly, although the one with the least power is 700W a seasonic.

regards

And in the photo I posted above, how can I know that this power supply is generic or of poor quality?

[Fassou]

In the Cases and power devices subforum, you have several specific posts that can help you learn more about power supplies:

Power Factor Correction (PFC) - HardLimit

Who really manufactures the power supplies - HardLimit

What power supply do I need for my computer? - HardLimit

Salu2!

[SaintK]

Well, I already bought a 7790 with 2GB, a Themaltake TR2 600W power supply and a Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105. The 7850 was impossible to get, and the GTX 650 Ti BOOST also, and as for the power supply, it was the only one I could get, apparently around here they only sell the TR2 model and the SMART model, but the latter at double the price of the TR2, so there was no other choice. My sister gave me the keyboard, and it looks nice.

Then I managed to connect the power supply (It was the first time I did it), but a couple of problems arose, the first one, I had no idea that I was going to need some "pink cables" that connected to the motherboard with the DD and the DVD drive, initially I believed that those cables belonged to the previous power supply, but when I saw that when I turned on the PC it automatically entered the BIOS, I had to connect them.

But the real problem arose after, it turns out that I connect to the Internet through a "network card" that occupies a slot next to the PCI Express x16 where the graphics card connects, therefore with the network card on and the size that the graphics card occupies it is impossible to connect both at the same time, I already said that the fact that they occupy "double space" was important. So, either I connect to the Internet or I connect the 7790, a dilemma. I think the only solution is to buy another network card but that connects via USB, since my motherboard only has these slots:

º 1 x PCI Express x16 Gen2.0 slot
º 1 x PCI Express x1 slot
º 1 x PCI slot

I continued, I connected the graphics card to test it and such, I installed the drivers, and everything seemed normal, but here comes my question Is it possible that my PC accepts two different graphics cards just by restarting the PC? Because at no time did I uninstall the drivers of the Intel HD 2500, although when I was using the 7790 these disappeared from the taskbar, and as soon as I disconnected the 7790 and went back to using the Intel HD2500 for the Internet issue I mentioned above, the drivers of this integrated one came back, and it works correctly, and the ones of the 7790 are still installed too.

Another thing, while I had the 7790 in my PC I tried some games, these worked at Native Resolution in High at 60 FPS because of V-Sync, something that with the Intel HD2500 was impossible to achieve, so I assumed that the graphics card was working correctly, although I don't know if it had the latest drivers installed, because of the fact that I installed the ones that came on the disk, for not being able to use the Internet. What I didn't like at all was that at a certain moment playing COD 4 (I had been playing for about 5 minutes) the computer froze for about 15 seconds and when it came back the FPS dropped to half, I quit the game, tried again and the same thing, at 30 FPS, I tried another game that was running at 60 FPS and the same thing, they were at half, I don't know if it had something to do with using the overclocking tool that came with the 7790 driver and I raised the GPU frequency to the maximum, maybe it overheated or something. I removed it and went back to using the Intel HD2500, with which I am right now while I buy the damn network card. The question is, Did I mess it up? I think that if it had been a power supply issue my graphics card would have burned and my screen would have gone black, I hope it wasn't something I have to worry about.

[fjavi]

It's not that you have two graphics cards at once, it's that when you put a dedicated one, the integrated one disconnects, then you say you use a network card but your motherboard must have integrated network connection, if you mean Wifi you could put a USB card, but the best thing is to connect by cable with the RJ45 that your motherboard has. Then your power supply looks generic because of the type of cables, without sheathing and the casing looks like the power supplies used by OEMs or assemblers of equipment that are usually cheap and bad power supplies, that's why it's not recommended to buy assembled equipment, you can always build your own one much better and even if you look at cheap components, they are sure to be of higher quality than what you buy assembled, maybe it costs a little more but they are much better equipment, you can choose from many components, you will have a warranty for the motherboard, CPU, memory and all the components you put on it, plus the manufacturer's warranty, they are usually more reliable and durable those equipment, many of the assembler's boards are cut from bios, from extras, that's why they sell them cheaper, they don't have the same support that the manufacturer gives. Then if you did OC to the max and it crashes remove the OC put the Msi afterburner and put the default configuration restart and it should work again, the OC is done little by little, and if it's not stable then it's lowered, but pushing it to the max can make it perform worse and more ups and downs that is if it doesn't crash and restart the equipment, I think in AMD when you start it still leaves you the OC and what you should do is reset the frequency so that it goes to the factory frequency. regards

[Alkermes]

Your motherboard must have an integrated network card (look at the rear I/O panel), I say "must" because it is normal for one of those features. Another thing is that what you call a network card is a modem, but that surprises me.

On the other hand, if it is worth as a reference, 2 7750 working in SETI@home, with a CPU usage of 25%, do not consume more than 125/130w.

Greetings.
Sent from my GameBoy using Tapatalk 2

[SaintK]

The people from the integrated network card already told me, what I forgot to mention is that I connect via Wifi, the router is in a room next to mine, and I don't pay for the internet, it's what there is. That's why I have to buy a USB wifi adapter, it's the only solution.

The thing with the OC, was the silly thing that gave me the idea to try the tool that had the same driver, and to try it to the maximum, since I thought that being an OC through its own driver it was safe and didn't allow more to be raised than what is due, anyway as soon as I had that episode I put it back to default again (From the driver), I hope that it wasn't something to regret later.

Thanks for the help to both ^^.

[emeritoaugusto]

Check out the new tacens mars gaming 700w. For 35€ it's pretty good. It delivers 550w at +12v. That's more than enough for mid-range cards like the r9 270X and even for an R9 280X.