Well it depends on what you have on the system, and what you plan to have.

Your CPU has a TDP of 95w, and the 560Ti has TDP of 210w, so that's 305w right there. Add in the mobo, two sticks of RAM, an SSD, an HDD and a third party cooler, and we're at 433w.

My own way of doing it is to get a PSU rated at 1.5x of the specced kit, to allow for headroom of efficiency, and potential future additions, which comes to 650w. Now bear in mind this is overhead to point of unnecessary, based on theoretical maximum power draw, but at least it stops at 650w.

However, if you're looking to move to another GPU at say 75w, 450w would be adequate. If staying with the 560Ti, I'd recommend 550w to 650w. I think I opted for a 750w on the basis that it was an extra tenner over the 650w, so why not.


Then there's the modular, semi-modular, non-modular aspect, which is really paying for less cables that aren't in use. That's up to you. If you want fully modular, you're talking £80-£120 realistically. If semi, then £60-£90. Poor cable management causes airflow issues, which creates more heat etc.

Then there's the 80+ ratings. I prefer Bronze as a minimum level of quality, but for any premium kit, I'd recommend gold or better.

Lastly, consider the warranty of any given model. Some are pretty good. I'd make sure the one you get is at least 5 years. You'll probably have to visit the specific site to find out the warranty. My PSU has 10 years.

Here's a good list of the different tiers to consider too (this separates models; not brands) - https://linustechtips.com/topic/1116640-psucultists-...

Here's a list of some PSUs that are lowish spec up to as much as you'll need. Selected brands and vendors, so play with the options - Linky

If you can, get a spec of your system built into the PC partpicker's system builder, so you can get an idea of the maximum wattages likely. Use a program like Speccy, or try the Userbenchmark to get the spec.

For the record, my cheap n cheerful browsing PC has a 430w Corsair CXM Bronze (semi) from 2015. It's ok, but the fan is a bit Meh. The gaming rig has a Seasonic 750 Focus Plus Gold (fully modular). It works. Zero complaints so far.

I've just gone into the BIOS, but it was extremely basic, showing no mention of voltages, whatsoever.

Here's what I'm thinking: I'm definitely going to be replacing the PSU, as previously mentioned, but, for now, I'll be keeping the 560Ti in place, with a view to upgrading as/when.

Current setup would be 1x case fan (might be more, but I doubt it, being a Dell. lol), 4 sticks of RAM (2x4+2x2) in dual channel mode (soon to be upgraded to 2x4+2x4), Optical drive (BR), Mobo, CPU, 1xSSD, 1xHD (will be adding another SSD later, but will likely just straight swap with the HD) - Would the 650W still be sufficient (allowing for your 1.5x overhead), considering the info I've now added?

Also, what aftermarket CPU cooler would you recommend? It's a 1155 board, but the stock cooler from Dell has some mahoosive securing pins, akin to a 3" knitting needle with a philips head? I thought the Intel stock coolers had the little black push/twist pins? Am thinking that I may as well replace the cooler, while I'm doing the PSU.
The fitting was similar/the same as the one shown here

Edited by Basenji (Mon 21-Dec-20 23:16:59)

Cooler? Each to their own. The CoolerMaster AIO water cooling with 120mm rads are good fun. Anything from Noctua generally can't go wrong, but some are bulky, so you'll need to assess the space around the CPU socket for potential issues.

The PCpartpicker site has a compatibility tickbox (usually enabled), so if you add your CPU and mobo to a 'build', then go looking for coolers, obviously filtering out the zero priced ones, you'll see what's on offer for your build. I'd guess there would be a lot to pick from.

General brands worth considering:

Noctua
CoolerMaster
NZXT
Corsair
Be Quiet!
Cryorig

I wouldn't throw money at this if what's there works. You might get as much from putting on fresh thermal paste than a new cooler. However, if it was me, and I really wanted a new cooler, I'd probably opt for one of the following options:

AIO Water Cooler - Corsair H60 (2018) AIO Liquid Cooler

Standard Cooler - Cryorig H7

Low Profile Cooler - Noctua NH-L9i

The latter might not be an improvement cooling-wise on the stock cooler, but might be an option if requiring a lower profile option. The former will probably be the coolest option, but might be overkill for the CPU. The standard cooler (or a Noctua of a similar) variety would be fine. Like I say, unless there's a temp or noise issue, why change? A wee blob of high quality thermal paste can go a long way.

Oh, and the 650w is fine. It's 1.5x to take the efficiency from 100% load to 66% load, which is a sweeter place for PSUs to run, but that's assuming your rig even gets to 66% of 650w (433w). Each SSD, HDD, fan, and stick of RAM probably adds 5-10w each. Nothing to worry about, as long as you factor in the CPU and GPU, or unless you have 10x fans and 10x HDDs.