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It's been about 4 years since I've built and have researched a bit but I wanted some opinions. The new specs that I'm looking at building are:

AMD 64 X2 7750 or 3000
4gb RAM
Radeon 4830
2x 500gb HDD
DVD burner

That's the idea and I am thinking the Antec Earthwatts 430 PSU but what are your thoughts? Will 430 be enough? Should I get a PSU with more rails or wattage? I do some casual gaming. I don't have a lot to spend so keep that in mind Any help would be great!

That Antec should be fine.

You're not looking at particularly power-hungry components, so any 400W (or higher) PSU from a reputable manufacturer ought to be OK. Just avoid the generic and off-brand stuff.

Welcome to the Tech Report!

Have you read the latest System Guide?

I just ordered a new PSU today. If you subscribe to Newegg's newsletter, you got the "30offfeb" code to get 30% off of a selection of 80+% efficient power supplies for today (Mardi Gras) only. I picked up the PCP&C S500 for $52½ - $15 mail-in-rebate. They threw in a 4GB USB flash drive and a USB cable for free.

The earthwatts EA-430 should be sufficient for your system.

Just an FYI, if you have your system on 24x7 and use it regularly (especially for gaming) a higher efficiency PSU can actually pay for itself in 2-3 years over one that is inefficient. The cost savings comes in your monthly electric bill. The Earthwatts 430 watt psu mentioned above is just fine.

In general, I don't think most people consider the cost of electricity when they look at different PSUs. You can help the environment and save money by getting an 80%+ PSU. They are also typically made of better quality components, which is better for your computer hardware.

I really messed up, I meant an AMD 6000, would that make a difference seeing how it's a 125w CPU?

sokey70 wrote:

I really messed up, I meant an AMD 6000, would that make a difference seeing how it's a 125w CPU?

It should still be enough. However if you feel like you need more breathing room, I would suggest the Corsair 450W unit.

The new 6000+ is an 89W processor. Is that what you were thinking of?

Yes the 6000 89w, maybe the Kuma 7750.

What are you planning to do with two 500GB HDDs?

What aren't I planning on doing with two 500 drives is the question. I have a huge collection of photos and videos that I've edited and continue to edit, why not save them all? The question was about the PSU anywasy thanks.

I think he was hinting you could just grab a terabyte drive, but I wouldn't swear to it.

P.S. That PSU is a great choice.

Just for comparison, I just upgraded my system. I am running a very comparable system:

AMD 6000+
Samsung F1 750 gig hd
AMD 4850

I run an Antec earthwatts 380 just fine.

grantmeaname wrote:

I think he was hinting you could just grab a terabyte drive, but I wouldn't swear to it.

Ding, ding, ding!

Wow on a 380w? That's reassuring, thanks for the post haha and as for the TB drive, I'd rather just run 2 separate drives I guess. In reality I could probably get by with one for now and just add another later or something. Anyway, thanks for the advice!