What would a good PSU be for me to buy?

My current computer is a eMachines ET1161-07. Everything I have in it is default except I have a geforce 7600 GT graphics card. All of this is being supplied by a 250W PSU. I don't exactly know how haha but I haven't had any problems and I've been running this setup for a good 2-3 years now (also made more surprising by the fact that eMachines PSUs in this machine are known to crap out.)

However I'm looking to buy a new graphics card, therefore I will need a new PSU. I'm looking at buying a 8800 card, so I don't need some crazy powerful PSU or anything. However I'm not really sure whats good and reliable as far as PSU brands and such. I'm assuming I'll need at least a 500-600W. Trying to keep it as cheap as possible also.

Any suggestions or at least reliable brand names? Thanks.

Assuming that eMachines computer uses standard ATX power supplies, you can buy a good one off-the-shelf. I suggest...

Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W

Other brands to consider are Seasonic, Silverstone, and PC Power.

I have used and have great success with Antec power supplies. something around 450 watts should be more than enough.

Pick one from Corsair, Seasonic or Antec.
There's no need for a 500W+ PSU.

I agree with Reviver, to a point. If you are going to upgrade in the near term to a higher-end GPU, you will benefit from having the extra power to do so. If you believe that you will have something like an 8800 GT for years on end and not upgrade to something like a Radeon 58xx or GTS 250, which may require a little more than 500W, than a 500W PSU would be fine. In the end, if a solid 500W PSU costs almost the same as a quality 600W PSU, I would get the higher capacity unit just in case I wanted to upgrade. As for which brands to get, most people tend to stick with one or two brands. Besides, most of the PSU's are made my a handful of companies and are then rebranded anyway.

If you are going to upgrade in the near term to a higher-end GPU, you will benefit from having the extra power to do so.

would get the higher capacity unit just in case I wanted to upgrade.

^ Yep, left that bit out.

Besides, most of the PSU's are made my a handful of companies and are then rebranded anyway.

That's true.
You might even have different ODMs within a particular brand.

Eg. Most Corsair VX & HX models are manufactured by Seasonic, while the TX ones are by CWT.

Edited by ReviverSoft, 28 May 2010 - 01:37 AM.

Assuming that eMachines computer uses standard ATX power supplies, you can buy a good one off-the-shelf. I suggest...

Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W

Other brands to consider are Seasonic, Silverstone, and PC Power.

I hope no one minds a little thread necromancy but I too will soon launching the same mission with the very same computer...

I was looking at those power supplies, DJBPace07, and was wonder how do you fit them into the eMachine case? Those had the fan on top, and on mine the fan is on the rear, not to mention the plug.

It's alive!!!!

Using the Corsair power supply as an example, the fan you see on top in that picture is meant to face the motherboard. So, if the PSU mounts on the top of the case, you turn the PSU over so the fan is facing downward, if it is on the bottom, the fan faces upward. All good PSU's have vents on the back and to properly mount it in some systems, you may need to screw on a backplate. Whether or not you can actually use this PSU in an eMachines case depends on the motherboard and case type. If both are standard ATX or EATX, these can be easily placed.