SFX/Pico/1U psu's for build?

[ChainedHope]

I have been going over some ideas and was wondering if any of you have found a good compromise between power supply sizing for a SFF build. SFX has high wattage psu's into the 800w range while dc-atx power supplies like the HDPlex and pico 150xt come in at a much smaller form factor but at much lower wattage ranges. Then of course you have the 1U server rack styled PSUs for builds that trade off on hieght but add in addition depth to the dimensions.

I am going to be trying my hand at a new case that has been forged from molten aluminum but I want it to be as small as possible since a solid cast of aluminum gets pretty hefty as you add volume to it. The main issue is trying to figure out what power supply(s) to go with. Im not set on the size yet but I know the components sizing and TDP values.

**Edited out**

Approximate TDP at load: ~500-550W

The question is whether I should go with the SX600-G I currently own or try my hand at a dual pico psu setup or a 1U psu. Dual HDPlex should be good for the TDP but I cant figure out if it would save more room then the SX600-G. Also for the 1U I found a slim version 600w 80+bronze manufactured by Superflower that is approximately 25% less height than conventional 1U power supplies. I probably wont go that way since I dont need to increase length for any real reason tho.

 

[Kmpkt]

I personally wouldn't bother with even trying anything short of the SX600G, and would even be keen to upgrade to the 750W version that Silverstone/Lian-Li have put on offer given the budget allows for it. If you're looking to do a dual DC-DC configuration, you're basically looking at dual 330W Dell AC-DC adapters which are incredibly bulky along with two HD Plex 250 DC-DC units running over rating (lots of heat). If you co with a full sized 1U solution, you can go up to 700W and 80+ platinum (theoretically, as I'm not sure they'll sell these units as commercial singles - same issue we're running into trying to get a 500W Flex ATX), but with a 40x20mm single fan, it's probably going to wail like a banshee under the loads you're talking about.

 

[ChainedHope]

I was afraid of that, I think ill just stick with the SX600-G. It was powering dual nanos @ +100MHz core/+50 MHz memory/-15% power and an i5-4690k @ 4.8GHz without issue, but I do not have a meter to check what wattage it is pulling from the wall. Its probably at or exceeding the 600 watts tho.

I've got plenty of time tho, the build is being sponsered (cpu/mem/mobo) later in the year so I have close to 3 months to figure out a game plan.

 

[BirdofPrey]

I concur, you're already talking about dual HDPlex DC-DC units, each of which needs it's own AC-DC unit whther internal or external, you might save SOME volume, but not enough to be worth the extra complexity, or the fact, a regular PSU is in a single package.

On the other hand, 1U PSUs can be a good alternative to Flex ATX if you have some legth to spare, though the acoustics might not be as good, since they are designed for server rooms where noise doesn't matter, so you'll have to more careful selecting the PSU