Is this case and 450W PSU enough for the computer I want to build?

Question

I'm thinking of buying this case

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BLACK-GALAXY-3-PC-CASE-WITH-SIDE-WINDOW-450W-PSU-LED_W0QQitemZ120298710223QQihZ002QQcategoryZ51061QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

becuase it comes with a 450W PSU... I wonder if it is OK for this spec PC:

CPU:

Intel Q6600 (Quad core 2.4GHz)

RAM:

8GB DDR2

MOTHERBOARD:

Asus P5N-e SLI

CD/DVD (OD):

20X DVD/RW Lightscribe SATA

HDD:

500GB SATAII 7200RPM 16MB cache by Samsung

GRAPHICS CARDS:

1 x 1024MB or 2x 512MB nVidia 9800GTX

(NOT IMPORTANT) details:

Monitor:

22" Samsung 300C/D + 8000:1 ratio, 5ms response VGA

Speakers:

Creative 7.1 Surrond

Keyboard/mouse:

Logitech wireless

Price:

£650-£750 MAX (currently £500 without graphics card included, still choosing)

Case is included in the link.

Any advice on the computer or thoughts are welcome, also any thoughts on the parts I have chosen and alternatives if they are not OK, and let me know if I've missed anything!

Answer 1

Nowhere near enough power! You need something more like thisas a minimum:

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Component...

Answer 2

That is an awesome machine you're crafting there...it's going to be a beast!  But no, you don't have nearly enough power.  

I'd say aim for 700w as a minimum!  You don't want to hinder the performance of such a nice machine by lacking in juice!

Answer 3

Right off the bat I can say a generic case / PSU bundle is not going to handle a 9800gtx SLI setup...

To calculate your minimum / recommended requirements let's head on over to http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psuca... and plug-n-chug (q6600 / 4 x ddr2 / 1 sata hdd / dvdrw / sound card / 9800gtx+ SLI) I get 383W at the max possible power draw.

I like to recommend a power supply that can handle at least that much power on the +12v combined alone and you will have a safe limit for overclocking & upgrades along with years of service - as long as you get a quality unit.

A good budget choice would be the Antec EA500 since it can handle a max +12v@408w that won't break your wallet

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage....

Another great choice would be the Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450W that has a +12v@396W capacity

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage....

These are a good minimum requirement I would go with.  More is always better budget permitting.

And finally, SLI and / or overclocked rigs need a substantial amount of cooling so a case like the Antec 900 is recommended, it can keep most systems cool at the lowest fan settings (since there are so many)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage....

The front fans also help keep the drives cool as well.  A good budget choice is also the Cooler Master Centurion 5

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage....

However long cards like the 9800gtx may have space issues so check the card length.  My 8800gt fits nicely in mine.

Well hope this helps you out.  Nothing against the Galaxy 3 case it just seems to have a lot of flash and not focused on cooling capacity, the best case choices usually don't have a power supply at all and the ones that are bundled are usually good for only basic use, once you add a gpu and / or start overclocking you may see some strange issues or at worst have a blown power supply damage some of your expensive components.

cheers