New PSU, what brand is the best to buy?

[eda]

Hey there guys,
I am planning on buying a new PSU for my PC since after some testing I have figured out that it is causing some problems and I can't run NBA 2k12 the way I want.


I have been told that Corsair, Seasonic are the ones I should choose from. Are these ok or should I look for some other brands?


I understand if I buy too weak PSU, I will have problems running my PC, but is it ok if the PSU is too powerfull for my pc?(let's say I am planning to buy a new graphic card after a year or so)

[[Q]]

just replaced mine. pretty sure if it's too much it just won't all get used, but everything will work fine. antec is pretty popular here in the US, I just bought a Diablotek one, but i don't tihnk brand name matters much here

[eda]

In my case, I have some cheap 500w PSU that doesn't provide the necessary amount of power what causes my PC just to turn off(I think). The temperature of CPU is about 70° and GPU 60°. It's normal I guess.
This is the reason I don't want to risk and get a better psu.

[benji]

Are those your idle temps?

Antec's are solid and easy to find. The EarthWatts line is pretty nice in terms of energy usage last I heard.

Don't worry about getting more watts than you use, that gives you wiggle room for upgrades. As long as it's providing the right type of power the computer will only draw what it needs. Like when you plug things into your outlets to draw power from the power grid.

[Spree#8]

Corsair and Seasonic are probably the best brands, yeah. They're also the most expensive ones though. You might want to look at brands like OCZ or Chieftec - significantly cheaper while also being very solid, you're not likely to feel the difference. I have an OCZ myself and it hasn't been giving me any problems at all.

pretty sure if it's too much it just won't all get used, but everything will work fine.

Yeah, a too powerful PSU won't do any harm.

The temperature of CPU is about 70°

What CPU do you have?

[Kristo]

70° seems a little bit too much for a CPU... Are you sure PSU is the problem? Maybe you have set max CPU temp, after reaching that temp, your computer just shuts down to protect your hardware?

[eda]

Thanks for clearing the things out, now I'm pretty sure I will have to get the 750 one.

Besides...
Processor:


My temps(running just WMP for some sound):


GPU iddle is from 40-51. When playing a game, up to 73.

And it appears that when I run the game, the only I have, NBA 2k12, I get crazy numbers from my CPU.

They reach 83-85 in the first and the 3rd columns


Kristo, I did not change any settings. But you're right, it shuts down in order to prevent damage.


PS.: I though I knew pretty much about computers and it seems that I didn't. I do clean my PC once a month and last time I did it, I removed the CPU cooler. I did not apply a new layer of therma paste. Can this be the reason of the high temp?

[Kristo]

Yes, it can. Was your computer shutting itself down before you cleaned it last time and didn't put new thermal paste? And those high temp-shut down settings could be turned on by default. So I wouldn't buy new PSU that fast, add thermal paste and see if computer still shuts down.

[benji]

2K leans heavily on the CPU, more than it should probably.

But i5's shouldn't go that high.

[eda]

Kristo, I did not put the thermal paste at all. Not the first time I removed it not the second or the third.
And 2k12 used to run well, without shuting down, well, at least before that last cleaning.
As for the PSU, I still want to buy a better one since at the moment,a s I said I have the cheap crappy one.

benji, I have noticed that too. I guess I will have to try the paste first.
(Same benji from nbalive.org, right?)

[Kristo]

Stop doing whatever you are doing and add thermal paste

[Spree#8]

If it goes as high as 85, I'm not sure if thermal paste alone will bring it down to normal values. You might have to think about a better CPU cooler. As for the PSU, even if it's not the cause of this particular problem, you need a decent one if you play any games.

[eda]

I want to thank everyone for suggestions! I finally did both the things, applied the paste and got the new PSU. It seems the system is working fine now.
Two things to remember from here:
1. Always apply Thermal paste after removing CPU cooler.
2. Don't try to save money, buy QUALITY hardware for your PC.

Thanks!

[Kristo]

1. Always apply Thermal paste after removing CPU cooler.

How can you apply it without removing cooler?

[Andrew]

2. Don't try to save money, buy QUALITY hardware for your PC.

I wouldn't completely agree with that. You should definitely opt for quality and you get what you pay for, but by all means try to find the best possible price.