How good is this PSU Brand Name Cougar MX-Series MX650 650W PSU ATX12V 80+

[dirtyferret]

Shilka knows his stuff. As it so happens, I do too, somewhat.

to you and Shilka.

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

An obsolete design is an obsolete design. That said it still works, but isnt optimal...and that's the point when I brought it up. A psu was suggested that least two reputable reviewers didnt rate high and doesnt fall into what many would define as a "good" psu. Am I splitting hairs? It's possible... I know it will work. It isnt powmax, apevia, diablotek, etc... I get that. There are just higher quality units passing more difficult testing out there for the same money or less. We've got a decent budget to work with and can get the OP something better is the point.

Now... for my money...Corsair 650W VS will do the job. It isn't pretty, but is more efficient and also isn't lipstick on a pig like the N1.

Anyway, OP, you've seen an eyeful in this thread, lol... hopefully you learned something about PSUs. There are great choices here listed by dirrtyf and SSS that will fit your budget and a better choice over that N1.

Lol yes I noticed. I wasn't thinking it's was going to be a big debate. But okay. I have learned about from PC case airflow to PSU brands in 4 days then my whole life. I'm glad that I came to techpowerup because I would be ended up getting a whole computer or unnecessary rebuilding the PC system because of my current PSU it is dangerous to use.. So that being said. Im shooting forward that gold or bronze 80-90% efficiency PSU that ferret was showing me links. I even made a new Newegg account since I only purchase with guess account. Yes I have put that 500w gold 90% efficiency in my card for 60$ best price I ever seen which it is in my shopping cart. I also thinking about upgrading my motherboard from Am3+ to the new am4 motherboard maybe sometime this year.
I definitely going to need help with this new version Am4 motherboard since it's all new to me and the type of CPU that it takes. I'm not too familiar with.
My current motherboard works great but I like something else that is in AMD Brand-
Thanks for all your help.

 

[Schmuckley]

Lol yes I noticed. I wasn't thinking it's was going to be a big debate. But okay. I have learned about from PC case airflow to PSU brands in 4 days then my whole life. I'm glad that I came to techpowerup because I would be ended up getting a whole computer or unnecessary rebuilding the PC system because of my current PSU it is dangerous to use.. So that being said. Im shooting forward that gold or bronze 80-90% efficiency PSU that ferret was showing me links. I even made a new Newegg account since I only purchase with guess account. Yes I have put that 500w gold 90% efficiency in my card for 60$ best price I ever seen which it is in my shopping cart. I also thinking about upgrading my motherboard from Am3+ to the new am4 motherboard maybe sometime this year.
I definitely going to need help with this new version Am4 motherboard since it's all new to me and the type of CPU that it takes. I'm not too familiar with.
My current motherboard works great but I like something else that is in AMD Brand-
Thanks for all your help.

500W seems kinda small. PSUs perform best at 50%-ish load.
You adding a GPU to that?

I damn sure never OC'd anything AM3-3+ on something as small as a 500W PSU. For one thing, an OC'd Thuban gets up to 177+ watts alone (That's normal stuff). Add in a 250-360W Gpu and it spells reboot if you're lucky.
Catastrophic failure if you're not.
Idk what Thubans draw when OC'd with close to 2V, but sure it's much more than 177W. 177w was a 4.2-ish daily type OC with them.

I learned about this stuff the hard way. It all started with an LSP "700w", a 6-core AMD, and a 5850.

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

500W seems kinda small. PSUs perform best at 50%-ish load.
You adding a GPU to that?

Ok I really like big PSU watts because I might want to connect two GPUs to this Am3+ board or any future upgrade motherboard to Am4 AMD. I thought I might be safe with something with at least 750 or 850 this in case I need extra power to power two GPU, CPU and motherboard it's self. My current gigabyte 970a-DSP3 32 GB ram max- express 2.0 16x revised 2.0 currently recommended stated wattage uses to operate is 60-75 watts to run it.
My current PSU is worthless Cooler Master RS-500-PCAR Brand design 10 years ago which I've learned on here. Which I will never buy any Cooler Master Brands ever again since I've seen the database results.
So yeah you're right about wattage uses in all hardware capacity Watts I have almost forgotten about the a Motherboard watts aswell. I have to take that in consideration aswell.

 

[Schmuckley]

Ok I really like big PSU watts because I might want to connect two GPUs to this Am3+ board or any future upgrade motherboard to Am4 AMD. I thought I might be safe with something with at least 750 or 850 this in case I need extra power to power two GPU, CPU and motherboard it's self. My current gigabyte 970a-DSP3 32 GB ram max- express 2.0 16x revised 2.0 currently recommended stated wattage uses to operate is 60-75 watts to run it.
My current PSU is worthless Cooler Master RS-500-PCAR Brand design 10 years ago which I've learned on here. Which I will never buy any Cooler Master Brands ever again since I've seen the database results.

Cooler Master made a really nice 1000w unit a few years back..

750-950w quality is the target range.
650w minimum if it's a quality PSU with a single 12V rail.
What chip do you have in that 970 Giga?

 

[EarthDog]

500W seems kinda small. PSUs perform best at 50%-ish load.

True, however the difference in efficiency is literally up to 3% from like 20% to 100% load... so it really doesn't make a difference. Sizing a PSU at 50% load wastes money. I prefer to sit around 70% or so..

Ok I really like big PSU watts because I might want to connect two GPUs to this Am3+

I strongly suggest going single card...I don't recall your CPU, (please create system specs please........), but hopefully you have something halfway modern that isn't AMD to drive 2 GPUs properly (assuming 1080p or 1440p). If you go two GPUs, you don't need to go bigger than 850W.

 

[Schmuckley]

^The days of multi-GPU are just about done.
If you want compatibility: 1 Big card.

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

True, however the difference in efficiency is literally up to 3% from like 20% to 100% load... so it really doesn't make a difference. Sizing a PSU at 50% load wastes money. I prefer to sit around 70% or so..

I strongly suggest going single card...I don't recall your CPU, (please create system specs please........), but hopefully you have something halfway modern that isn't AMD to drive 2 GPUs properly (assuming 1080p or 1440p). If you go two GPUs, you don't need to go bigger than 850W.

Well I have Gigabyte Am3+ revised 2.0
6 Raid/Sata 3
Ultra Dual

True, however the difference in efficiency is literally up to 3% from like 20% to 100% load... so it really doesn't make a difference. Sizing a PSU at 50% load wastes money. I prefer to sit around 70% or so..

I strongly suggest going single card...I don't recall your CPU, (please create system specs please........), but hopefully you have something halfway modern that isn't AMD to drive 2 GPUs properly (assuming 1080p or 1440p). If you go two GPUs, you don't need to go bigger than 850W.

970a-(DSP3) I think it's right on the last 4

• Supports AMD AM3+ FX / AM3 series Processors
• GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ Technology
• Audio Noise Guard with High Quality Audio Capacitors
• GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™
• 2-way CrossFire™ Support
• 4 USB 3.0 ports with transfer rates of up to 5Gbps
• GIGABYTE On/Off Charge™ for USB devices

• 
  To enable AM3+ AMD FX-Series CPU support, please update your motherboard with the most current BIOS found in your motherboard’s download section.
• High Quality Audio Capacitors
  
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards use high quality Nippon Chemicon ARE series audio capacitors. These professional audio capacitors deliver the highest quality sound resolution and sound expansion to create the most realistic sound effects for user experience.
• Dedicated Audio Hardware Zone
  
  
  
  
  
  + Separation on the PCB layer protects the board's sensitive analog audio components.
  + Separate analog and digital ground to protect against Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).
• GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™
  
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ debuts on GIGABYTE motherboards, with a range of features and component choices that provide record-breaking performance, cool and efficient operation and extended motherboard lifespan.
• Ultra Performance
  

  GIGABYTE uses All Solid Caps (Capacitors) and Low RDS(on) MOSFETs which are rated to work at higher temperatures to provide a longer lifespan.

• Ultra Safe
  

  GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™ GIGABYTE motherboards feature GIGABYTE DualBIOS™, an exclusive technology from GIGABYTE that protects arguably one of your PC's most crucial components, the BIOS. GIGABYTE DualBIOS™ means that your motherboard has both a 'Main BIOS' and a 'Backup BIOS', making users protected from BIOS failure due to virus attack, hardware malfunction, improper OC settings or power failure during the update process.

• Humidity Protection
  
  
  
  
  Humidity can play havoc on a motherboard's circuitry.GIGABYTE's new Glass Fabric PCB design helps protect against electrical shorts due to humidity by reducing the gaps in spacing between PCB filaments.
  
  
  
• Power Failure Protection
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE also uses Anti-Surge ICs to protect the motherboard against power surges.
  
  
• Electrostatic Protection
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE motherboards feature High Resistance ICs which help protect the motherboard against electrostatic discharge.
  
  
  
• Multi-display support with AMD CrossFire
  
  
  
  
  Flexible graphics capabilities - Up to 2 VGA cards are supported for 2 way AMD CrossFire™ (running at x16, x4 bandwidth), delivering the ultimate in graphics performance for gaming enthusiasts who demand the highest frame rates without compromising on resolution.
• GIGABYTE 900 Series Motherboards
  
  
  
  
  The GIGABYTE AMD 900 series motherboard is designed to offer a stable, high-speed platform for delivering amazingly fast data transfer via the GIGABYTE Ultra Durble™ technologies. Featuring the USB3.0 controller, AMD 900 series motherboards allow users to take advantage of super fast USB transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, delivering 10x faster data transfer compared to USB 2.0. Utilizing the industry's first Serial ATA Revision 3.0 solution via AMD SB950 chipset, GIGABYTE AMD 900 series motherboards provide native 6 ports of next generation high speed data storage devices support with data transfer speeds of up to 6 Gbps. The AMD 900 series motherboards introduce a unique hardware design with lower resistance fuses for ensuring lower voltage drops and providing more stable and plentiful power delivery.
• On/Off Charge Technology
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE On/Off Charge technology allows you to charge your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch regardless of whether your PC is on, in standby mode or even off. A derivative of GIGABYTE's highly acclaimed 3x USB Power feature, On/Off Charge enables devices to draw more current from GIGABYTE motherboard USB ports than standard USB ports allow, so that charging from your PC can be as fast as with a charger...more
  *Due to certain mobile phone limitations, users may need to connect the mobile phone to their PC before the PC enters S4/S5 mode to enable a quick charge from non On/Off Charge USB ports. Charging results may vary by model.
  *Whether to support 3X USB power design, it may vary by models.
  
• ErP Lot 6 support
  
  
  
  
  The ErP (also known as Energy-Related Products Directive) is part of the European Union's environmental regulations policy. It is based on concern for the environmental as the proliferation of electronic devices continues, and how to improve energy efficiency for a better and greener life. GIGABYTE supports ErP and produces motherboards that help you effectively improve system efficiency.

* The entire materials provided herein are for reference only. GIGABYTE reserves the right to modify or revise the content at anytime without prior notice.
* Advertised performance is based on maximum theoretical interface values from respective Chipset vendors or organization who defined the interface specification. Actual performance may vary by system configuration.
* All trademarks and logos are the properties of their respective holders.
* Due to standard PC architecture, a certain amount of memory is reserved for system usage and therefore the actual memory size is less than the stated amount.

 

[R2DSF]

Cougar MX-Series MX650 650W PSU ATX12V 80+

Cheap shit from Channel Well Technology based on asymmetrical half-bridge with no saturation control, shitty ferromagnetic stabilizing system and so.

If you want budget power suply take a look at Chieftec Core series.

 

[EarthDog]

Cheap shit from Channel Well Technology based on asymmetrical half-bridge with no saturation control, shitty ferromagnetic stabilizing system and so.

If you want budget power suply take a look at Chieftec Core series.

Don't mind other 83 posts... lololol

Gigabyte Am3+ revised 2.0

The motherboard isn't terribly relevant here, bud.

What CPU do you have in that thing? I can see its an old AMD... and, as said above you really don't want to try to push multi-GPU with that CPU........and it's dieing in general...

 

[Schmuckley]

Well I have Gigabyte Am3+ revised 2.0
6 Raid/Sata 3
Ultra Dual

970a-(DSP3) I think it's right on the last 4

• Supports AMD AM3+ FX / AM3 series Processors
• GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ Technology
• Audio Noise Guard with High Quality Audio Capacitors
• GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™
• 2-way CrossFire™ Support
• 4 USB 3.0 ports with transfer rates of up to 5Gbps
• GIGABYTE On/Off Charge™ for USB devices

• 
  To enable AM3+ AMD FX-Series CPU support, please update your motherboard with the most current BIOS found in your motherboard’s download section.
• High Quality Audio Capacitors
  
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards use high quality Nippon Chemicon ARE series audio capacitors. These professional audio capacitors deliver the highest quality sound resolution and sound expansion to create the most realistic sound effects for user experience.
• Dedicated Audio Hardware Zone
  
  
  
  
  
  + Separation on the PCB layer protects the board's sensitive analog audio components.
  + Separate analog and digital ground to protect against Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).
• GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™
  
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ debuts on GIGABYTE motherboards, with a range of features and component choices that provide record-breaking performance, cool and efficient operation and extended motherboard lifespan.
• Ultra Performance
  

  GIGABYTE uses All Solid Caps (Capacitors) and Low RDS(on) MOSFETs which are rated to work at higher temperatures to provide a longer lifespan.

• Ultra Safe
  

  GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™ GIGABYTE motherboards feature GIGABYTE DualBIOS™, an exclusive technology from GIGABYTE that protects arguably one of your PC's most crucial components, the BIOS. GIGABYTE DualBIOS™ means that your motherboard has both a 'Main BIOS' and a 'Backup BIOS', making users protected from BIOS failure due to virus attack, hardware malfunction, improper OC settings or power failure during the update process.

• Humidity Protection
  
  
  
  
  Humidity can play havoc on a motherboard's circuitry.GIGABYTE's new Glass Fabric PCB design helps protect against electrical shorts due to humidity by reducing the gaps in spacing between PCB filaments.
  
  
  
• Power Failure Protection
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE also uses Anti-Surge ICs to protect the motherboard against power surges.
  
  
• Electrostatic Protection
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE motherboards feature High Resistance ICs which help protect the motherboard against electrostatic discharge.
  
  
  
• Multi-display support with AMD CrossFire
  
  
  
  
  Flexible graphics capabilities - Up to 2 VGA cards are supported for 2 way AMD CrossFire™ (running at x16, x4 bandwidth), delivering the ultimate in graphics performance for gaming enthusiasts who demand the highest frame rates without compromising on resolution.
• GIGABYTE 900 Series Motherboards
  
  
  
  
  The GIGABYTE AMD 900 series motherboard is designed to offer a stable, high-speed platform for delivering amazingly fast data transfer via the GIGABYTE Ultra Durble™ technologies. Featuring the USB3.0 controller, AMD 900 series motherboards allow users to take advantage of super fast USB transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, delivering 10x faster data transfer compared to USB 2.0. Utilizing the industry's first Serial ATA Revision 3.0 solution via AMD SB950 chipset, GIGABYTE AMD 900 series motherboards provide native 6 ports of next generation high speed data storage devices support with data transfer speeds of up to 6 Gbps. The AMD 900 series motherboards introduce a unique hardware design with lower resistance fuses for ensuring lower voltage drops and providing more stable and plentiful power delivery.
• On/Off Charge Technology
  
  
  
  
  GIGABYTE On/Off Charge technology allows you to charge your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch regardless of whether your PC is on, in standby mode or even off. A derivative of GIGABYTE's highly acclaimed 3x USB Power feature, On/Off Charge enables devices to draw more current from GIGABYTE motherboard USB ports than standard USB ports allow, so that charging from your PC can be as fast as with a charger...more
  *Due to certain mobile phone limitations, users may need to connect the mobile phone to their PC before the PC enters S4/S5 mode to enable a quick charge from non On/Off Charge USB ports. Charging results may vary by model.
  *Whether to support 3X USB power design, it may vary by models.
  
• ErP Lot 6 support
  
  
  
  
  The ErP (also known as Energy-Related Products Directive) is part of the European Union's environmental regulations policy. It is based on concern for the environmental as the proliferation of electronic devices continues, and how to improve energy efficiency for a better and greener life. GIGABYTE supports ErP and produces motherboards that help you effectively improve system efficiency.

* The entire materials provided herein are for reference only. GIGABYTE reserves the right to modify or revise the content at anytime without prior notice.
* Advertised performance is based on maximum theoretical interface values from respective Chipset vendors or organization who defined the interface specification. Actual performance may vary by system configuration.
* All trademarks and logos are the properties of their respective holders.
* Due to standard PC architecture, a certain amount of memory is reserved for system usage and therefore the actual memory size is less than the stated amount.

4+1 phase power? Hope you ain't running no Bulldozer on that. I wouldn't risk trying to OC a Thuban with that board. No sir!
I know a few lower-tier Asus boards I would, and CHV, but not that! That's a dual-triple-quad only board there.
Compare that to my (possibly older?)
Amd board:

Notice the moar chokes to the left of the socket there..these are what keep your board from 'sploding.
Sometimes..

 

[R2DSF]

4+1 phase power? Hope you ain't running no Bulldozer on that.

This board runs oc'ed fx8350 just fine. Cpu runs at 4.45GHz with 2.65GHz CPU/NB, 2.65GHz HT and Dual-DDR3 2400 RAM 9-9-9-25

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

4+1 phase power? Hope you ain't running no Bulldozer on that.

View attachment 145933

No but I was thinking about it. But what's wrong with bulldozer. I'm currently using FX 4300 turbo 4.0
AMD FX 4-Core Black Edition FX-4300
4 Cores - 3800 MHz - 95 watts currently Unlocked and Overclock at 4400 mhz

 

[Assimilator]

This board runs oc'ed fx8350 just fine. Cpu runs at 4.45GHz with 2.65GHz CPU/NB, 2.65GHz HT and Dual-DDR3 2400 RAM 9-9-9-25

I'm extremely impressed it hasn't melted yet. But then again you are in Russia

 

[Schmuckley]

No but I was thinking about it. But what's wrong with bulldozer. I'm currently using FX 4300 turbo 4.0
AMD FX 4-Core Black Edition FX-4300
4 Cores - 3800 MHz - 95 watts currently Unlocked and Overclock at 4400 mhz

A) Stop thinking about Bulldozer on that board.

B) FX-4300 is probably OK on it.

I have run exactly 1 FX chip..lemme see if I can find it..

CPU-Z Validator 3.1

CPU-Z Validation Checker (by canardpc.com)

valid.x86.fr

That was on a Saberfoot, had a couple of those.

Foot, toof, whatever.

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

I'm extremely impressed it hasn't melted yet. But then again you are in Russia

It military grade PCB design motherboard according to website and some background research. Gold capacitors are the best quality then any capacitors out there on the market. I tried Overclock at 4600 MHz and Works ok but not at 4700 with this FX 4300 it freezes up.

 

[EarthDog]

No but I was thinking about it. But what's wrong with bulldozer. I'm currently using FX 4300 turbo 4.0
AMD FX 4-Core Black Edition FX-4300
4 Cores - 3800 MHz - 95 watts currently Unlocked and Overclock at 4400 mhz

Its slow... holds back gaming at 1080p... but if you reach 60 fps, that is all you need. But, its old, was slow then and really slow now... but it will do.

If you are overclocking on that thing... I'd suggest spot cooling the VRM and/or putting heat sinks on it. Buy yes, it has a paltry VRM and surprised it can handle an octo overclocked... I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Schmuckley]

It military grade PCB design motherboard according to website and some background research. Gold capacitors are the best quality then any capacitors out there on the market. I tried Overclock at 4600 MHz and Works ok but not at 4700 with this FX 4300 it freezes up.

You just can't do things like this on a weak board like that Giga and a 500w PSU:

Schmuckley`s 24063 marks score: 3DMark06 with aRadeon HD 5870

The Radeon HD 5870 @ 928/1263MHzscores getScoreFormatted in the 3DMark06 benchmark. Schmuckleyranks #null worldwide and #null in the hardware class. Find out more at HWBOT.

hwbot.org

That was a Corsair GS 800 PSU, not top of the line by any means, but it had some grunt.
That board had grunt, too.

 

[R2DSF]

I'm extremely impressed it hasn't melted yet.

My mistake 4.4 GHz, not 4.65.
Config at 9:10, OC parameters at 12:20.
Time code 14:00 gaming tests with 1070ti.

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

Its slow... holds back gaming at 1080p... but if you reach 60 fps, that is all you need. But, its old, was slow then and really slow now... but it will do.

If you are overclocking on that thing... I'd suggest spot cooling the VRM and/or putting heat sinks on it. Buy yes, it has a paltry VRM and surprised it can handle an octo overclocked... I wouldn't hold my breath.

Are we talking about bulldozer or I currently have Black Edition Vishera.? I currently have 135 mm 4 pipe Ratior with led light fan 125 mm at 2600-2800 rmp. Is that good rpm for my CPU. Thermal temperature staying at 40 c and gaming with Overclock 65-70c°

 

[Schmuckley]

It military grade PCB design motherboard according to website and some background research. Gold capacitors are the best quality then any capacitors out there on the market. I tried Overclock at 4600 MHz and Works ok but not at 4700 with this FX 4300 it freezes up.

That's nice and all, but a $65 Ryzen Quad-core has probably more than double the performance.

 

[PatrioTFreedom45]

That's nice and all, but a $65 Ryzen Quad-core has probably more than double the performance.

Ok is that CPU for AMD Am4 motherboard? Or Am3+

 

[Schmuckley]

Ok is that CPU for AMD Am4 motherboard? Or Am3+

It's AM4, and you should seriously consider upgrading. As far as "AM3+" I could buy the right k10 chip, unlock it, and have more performance than FX 4300.

Like this:

AMD Phenom II X 2 3.2 GHz Dual Core B575 Processor HDXB57WFK2DGM Socket Am3 for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for AMD Phenom II X 2 3.2 GHz Dual Core B575 Processor HDXB57WFK2DGM Socket Am3 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[R2DSF]

It's AM4, and you should seriously consider upgrading.

It useless to upgrade from AM3+ 8-core CPU to 4 core Zen. Overclocked fx8350 = 0.9* R5 1400 in gaming performance.
Only upgrading to R5 1600 and better makes sense.

 

[Schmuckley]

It useless to upgrade from AM3+ 8-core CPU to 4 core Zen. Overclocked fx8350 = 0.9* R5 1400 in gaming performance.
Only upgrading to R5 1600 and better makes sense.

I disagree, the IPC/single core is that much better.

Example:
Ryzen 3 4-core Cinebench:

delly`s 8.03 cb score: Cinebench - R11.5 with aRyzen 3 1300X

The Ryzen 3 1300X @ 4500MHzscores getScoreFormatted in the Cinebench - R11.5 benchmark. dellyranks #null worldwide and #4 in the hardware class. Find out more at HWBOT.

hwbot.org

FX-8300 Cinebench:

Volken`s 7.83 cb score: Cinebench - R11.5 with aFX-8300

The FX-8300 @ 4614MHzscores getScoreFormatted in the Cinebench - R11.5 benchmark. Volkenranks #null worldwide and #15 in the hardware class. Find out more at HWBOT.

hwbot.org

IOW: Cheap Ryzen quad>Any Bulldozer chip.