Power supplies: the most important component in a high end rig
Why dedicated circuits to protect your appliances, TV, A/V equipment and gaming rig
I have been building high end gaming rigs since the late 1980s. When the $800+ video adapters hit the market for the ultimate gaming experince, I found most users had issues because their power supplies were lacking. Many had their computers connected to shared circuits. My posts were done forums like PlanetAMD64.com and others talking about the power supply.
The most important component in your gaming rig is your power supply. It can make or break your experience gaming or doing anything high end like graphics, CAD, etc. It is also the hardest to replace. Everything connects to it. PC Power and Cooling had single rail 1000W power supplies that could do 80 amps @ 12V.
The CPUs back in then were over 100W draws. The $800+ video card was over 460W draws. Most power supplies on the market were multi-rail with a load of 400W. If you did a SMP dual CPU board, you were over 200W. Even with the $80 750W power supply the highend video cards would max out the rails quickly causing you to overheat your power supply and components. My research was to find the best power supply on the market.
Why I use PC Power and Cooling power supplies
PC Power and Cooling 1000W single rail power supply. It is capable of using a 20A to generate 1000W DC power on a single raid 80A @ 12V. Over 1300W AC to create 1000W DC. You needed a dedicated 20A circuit and a their 20A power cord. This project required adding Tripp Lite 2400W line conditioners on the circuit to keep the power clean. I end have a 20A wall switch to turn it off. This power supply can run the best CPU, a board loaded with RAM, my SAS RAID controller and 15K drives, along with the best video cards money can buy.
I started recommending PC Power and Cooling for another reason too. For $60 they custom wire the outputs for your devices. You get the connectors you need on heavier gauge wiring. The wires and connectors are designed to order. You measure your length and pick the connector types. You get a power supply that matched your chassis and kept the wires out of the way of airflow. I called to order a power supply and Tiff said some one named SCSIraidGURU was recommending us on several forums and the orders were flying in. I said it was me. I love your products. I see they have even larger ones on the market now. Turbo Master 1350W.
Why dedicated circuits to protect your appliances, TV, A/V equipment and gaming rig
Every house I have bought, the first thing I do is a 40 or 42 slot 200A main panel, whole house surge protector and dedicated circuits. The new TVs can go $2000-$10000. You add in a home entertainment center with a 7.2 reciever and game boxes. You have a lot invested. Most houses share circuits. I have the electrician out day 1. New panel was installed. I have the electrican come back out and install new circuits for the microwave and front room TV. A #6 ground was recommended for 200A. I had a #4 ground capable of 350A installed. Two of them across the water meter and back. A loop. When the water meter was replaced. The pigtail that came back could be removed and the ground still was intact pipe to pipe.
It is more than just a power supply. It is separate circuits from the main panel. It is power protection like a Tripp Lite Line Conditioner. I had the electricians put #4 grounds on the 200A panel to better protect the house. It also has a whole house surge suppressor on the panel. I recommend this setup for TVs, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, and other appliances in your home. You $2000+ TV will last longer and so will your appliances.