Question about multiple rails.

[vck6v3]

I am very confused when it comes to this multiple rail business. Right now I believe I need a new Power supply and my selection comes down to these two

Antec Neo HE 430W (3 12V rails @ 16A max each) 78.00
Antec TruePower 2 550W (2 12V rails @ 19A max each) SLI ready 86.99

When it comes down to it is the Neo better than the truepower because it can deal with 48A of current versus the 38A from the other PSU? Can I even add them up like this?

Right now I have a TruePower 2 380W powering the following
Athlon 64 X2 3800
ECS Nforce4 A939
2x512 Corsair Value Select PC2700 @ PC3200 2.7V single channel (I do not know how to get dual channel going)
3D Fuzion 7800GT
Seagate PATA 120G
Lite-on DVD burner
Audigy 2

Thanks

 

[Frank4d]

Which is better depends on how much 3.3V, 5V, and 12V your rig needs. While the Antec Neo HE 430W can supply 12V @ 48A... it's is limited to 3.3V @ 22A and 5V @ 14A. The Antec TruePower 2 550W can supply 12V @ 38A... but 3.3V @ 32A and 5V @ 40A.

 

[Oline61]

Unless your running 10 DVD-burners or 50 hard drive at the same time, 3.3V, and 5V aren't factors when buying a power supply. The 12V rails are all that matters in this case. The only problem with the NeoHE is that the maximum power it could provide to a single 12V component is 16A (12V rail are NOT additive). This is more likely to be a problem in an Intel system and you should be fine. The NeoHE should be quieter and more efficient, not to mention les expensive.