What power supply wattage is suitable for your build and future needs?
What power supply wattage is suitable for your build and future needs?
I am assembling a new PC after 13 years and chose the i5 13500 and a B760 Tomahawk. It is on sale in a store and almost matches cheaper alternatives.
Currently I plan to use:
Intel i5 13500
Mag B760 Tomahawk
32 GB RAM
An M.2 drive for storage (decision pending)
A backup drive for archives (decision pending, possibly 6GB SATA HDD)
No graphics card at the moment, but I intend to purchase one in a few years.
I looked up power supply calculators with various graphics cards from an RTX 3060 to GTX 1660 because the onboard graphics were missing.
I’m unsure right now if fans are necessary; that discussion could wait for the Cases forum.
For the RTX 3060, the recommended PSU was 650W, while without a card it was suggested around 550W (though my calculation showed 340W!).
I realize I’ll likely upgrade the graphics later and may need additional fans or cooling solutions.
I’m considering a 750W power supply to ensure the system stays future-proof.
I don’t have much experience with modern setups except what I’ve learned here recently—would a 750W be suitable? I noticed the PSUs come with certifications (Bronze, Silver, Gold). It was interesting to see what those mean, but I feel confident needing “Gold” for safety?
Thank you again for all your assistance!
Almost everything now has a gold rating, even basic power supplies from budget companies. It mainly reflects power efficiency rather than overall quality. I wouldn’t purchase anything below gold.
I’m not confident I’d spend a lot today to avoid future costs. At the current pace, a low-end graphics card in 2 or 3 years might need 1000 watts. You never know if they’ll release an even newer power connector.
Power supplies are just beginning to support the 16-pin connectors used on high-end cards without adapters. If you plan to get a card in six months, it might be simpler, but if you intend to use the GPU directly on the CPU for several years...
Almost everything now has a gold rating, even basic power supplies from budget companies. This rating mainly reflects power efficiency and doesn’t necessarily indicate the overall quality of the product. I wouldn’t purchase anything below gold standard.
I’m not confident I’d spend a significant amount today just to avoid future expenses. Given the trends, a low-end graphics card in 2 or 3 years might require around 1000 watts. You never know if they’ll release even more advanced connectors soon.
Power supplies are beginning to appear that support the 16-pin connector used on high-end cards without needing adapters. If you plan to get a card in six months, it might be simpler, but using the GPU directly on the CPU for several years is hard to predict.
I’d opt for something affordable right now, keeping in mind to consider the cost of a new power supply later when buying a card. Maybe someone else has a recommended model that’s 500 watts or less—those lower-cost options can be harder to find in good condition.
I believe 500W or 550W will be affordable enough for an upgrade in a few years. As you mentioned, perhaps 1000W will become standard soon. My 13-year-old PC has a 450W power supply, which was on the safer side at the time. If I purchase a 750W unit priced double what I have now, it might not be sufficient for a GPU in the future, making it a waste of money.