Power Supply $$$ ???

[FIREWALL]

Why is it I keep reading posts where our members are haveing problems with their video cards and cooling probs or both being related and theres alway at least one or more post responses "How Big is Your Power Supply ?"

One member said he upgraded to 350W another 500W. And their new vid cards draw alot more power and need more cooling re: more fans= more power usage not to mention the rest of what your rig draws.

Todays games with the heavy graphics and memory and CPU draw and the fans it takes to run every thing cool have a hard time with 500w much less 350w or less. And it's the last thing alot don't think to upgrade. Mindset "It came with the case or complete computer so it must be good enough " Think Again !

Some games cost more than a good power supply. Example:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3293596&CatId=2496

I got this for free as a replacement for my 550w version. Free Lifetime warranty. Got the 550w in 2005.

A good Powerful PS is almost a basic for any rig that plays the games on this forum we do. And a little overkill is good for that future upgrade/complete rebuild in the future.

I want to scream sometimes when I read a well meaning response from a member telling another "350w as an upgrade should be just fine or the
"BEAN COUNTER ANSWER" go to this site and it will calulate what you need and no more. SO YOUR AT THE BARE MINIMUM.

And if your worried about the electricity useage, BROTHER your in the wrong hobby. Go take up kite flying.

As a final thought. You wouldn't build a house on a weak foundation would you ?

[GlobalExplorer]

When it comes to PSU's .. bigger is better!! I have a 550W PSU running and no problems with reboots whatsoever (well there are certainly other factors).

My next PC is going to have at least 550W again. 1000W is a bit over the top, though.

[FIREWALL]

When it comes to PSU's .. bigger is better!! I have a 550W PSU running and no problems with reboots whatsoever (well there are certainly other factors).

My next PC is going to have at least 550W again. 1000W is a bit over the top, though.

I agree about 1000w but who knows in the future. Ultra makes a 1600watt.

Gadgets and goodies has something usb for that monster
http://gadget.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00422&dept_id=001&cat_id=059 :p :rotfl:

[SUBMAN1]

I have a conservative 600 WATT PSU, since tests show it delivers excellent spike free power up to 750 Watts, but at nearly $200, it better damn well do more than its rated for.

-S

[FIREWALL]

I have a conservative 600 WATT PSU, since tests show it delivers excellent spike free power up to 750 Watts, but at nearly $200, it better damn well do more than its rated for.

-S

Take a look at this gadget link . MORE POWER SCOTTY :rotfl:

http://gadget.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00422&dept_id=001&cat_id=059

[Jimbuna]

A good post FIREWALL, I use an 850 watt.....couldn't agree with you more http://imgcash3.imageshack.us/img412/4774/thumbsuplargeon1.gif

[FIREWALL]

A good post FIREWALL, I use an 850 watt.....couldn't agree with you more http://imgcash3.imageshack.us/img412/4774/thumbsuplargeon1.gif


Thank you Jim :D I probably will go bigger to the max Someday.

Ultra sent me an e-mail about a carbon fiber case. If and when it comes out I just couldn't not also get that 1600w monster to go into it. I just couldn't.:nope: :rotfl:

And also this. http://gadget.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00422&dept_id=001&cat_id=059

[GlobalExplorer]

USB fridge, LOL :rotfl:

Can anybody recommend a very good PSU in the 600W range (with stable amps, 1st rate cables and such)?

[GlobalExplorer]

"350W is already more than enough"

I also dont understand why that standard answer has burnt into the collective mind. Bull****.

[AVGWarhawk]

From my reading on this a few weeks ago, wattage is fine but the amps need to be looked at as well. Also, most manufactures skew their numbers to make the psu look much better then it is. I noted my card required 18 amps so I found a psu from Coolmax that was a few amps over what I needed as from my readings I did, it would seem the numbers on the side of your psu show what the psu can do under full load. Your psu is not if at all on full tilt ever(I'm assuming here). So, were is it overkill? I'm not sure really.

[GlobalExplorer]

The most important thing is that the amps are stable. A little bit too high is not so much a problem, but the never too low even under load.

[AVGWarhawk]

Well, lets just say, once the demand from the psu is present, one would hope the psu can answer the call.

[FIREWALL]

USB fridge, LOL :rotfl:

Can anybody recommend a very good PSU in the 600W range (with stable amps, 1st rate cables and such)?


Check this out!!! http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3293596&CatId=2496

Well known Co. - Competeitive price - Stable Power - Modular. > Use only the cables you need. LIFETIME WARRANTY. :yep: :rock:

BTW ALL I just ordered that fridge. I just couldn't help myself. :doh:

http://www.ultraproducts.com/images/reviews/pc_per_gold.gif (http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=481&type=expert&pid=1)
Gold
Perspective (http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=481&type=expert&pid=1)
"The X3 600W modular power supply is another excellent addition to Ultra’s X3 power supply line and should appeal to mainstream enthusiasts who don’t need a 1kW PSU. The build quality appears to be excellent and the output voltages were all very stable and clean, even when delivering 600W at 40°C. And modular FlexForce cables, a black-chrome finish, active PFC, and a lifetime warranty are nice to have also!"



English
11-26-2007
Product Reviewed: Ultra X3 600-Watt Modular Power Supply (40073)

[antikristuseke]

Have a decent 420w PSU for my box, more than ennough tbh. 500-650w with proper amperage on the 12v rail/rails is what id recomend for high end rigs with overclocking, anything more is simply not needed.

[FIREWALL]

Have a decent 420w PSU for my box, more than ennough tbh. 500-650w with proper amperage on the 12v rail/rails is what id recomend for high end rigs with overclocking, anything more is simply not needed.


It doe's no good to have a carberator of a Corvette and a fuel pump of a Chevette to feed it.:)

[antikristuseke]

Have a decent 420w PSU for my box, more than ennough tbh. 500-650w with proper amperage on the 12v rail/rails is what id recomend for high end rigs with overclocking, anything more is simply not needed.


It doe's no good to have a carberator of a Corvette and a fuel pump of a Chevette to feed it.:)

Well, concidering that in this case the fuel pump is more than powerul ennough to quench the thirst of the engine having an even more powerful fuel pump is either for "bling bling, look at me big numbahs" or just simply unnessesary. That 750 psu you ahve for your rig could power another just like it without even breaking a sweat, actualy im fairly sure my rig is more power hungry than yours.

[GlobalExplorer]

BTW ALL I just ordered that fridge. I just couldn't help myself. :doh:

Then I'll order two and link them onto a hub.

Thanks for the link. This think looks interesting but the rebate doesn't help me much. Becuase I am in Europe.

[GlobalExplorer]

Having quality, modular cables is a must for a new PSU.

Cables is actually the achilles heel of my current PSU (LC Power 550W). It was really cheap and still has really stable amps and all but .. the cables! When I did not know about that they would sometimes crash the system.

I cannot explain such problems very well in english, but with the old cables the threads could get loose in the socket and the current would be interrupted.

[FIREWALL]

My 750w will go into my next more with the times as some members have pointed out computer. pci-e 8800gtx X 2 duo core cpu and all the other bells and whistles that require POWER. :)

Anything less and your hanging on for dear life and doomed for a KABOOM :yep:

I agree whole heartedly it might be a little overkill and I say might NOW

But I'm also thinking about the future. And 400w ain't even going to turn it on.:D

[antikristuseke]

My 750w will go into my next more with the times as some members have pointed out computer. pci-e 8800gtx X 2 duo core cpu and all the other bells and whistles that require POWER. :)

Anything less and your hanging on for dear life and doomed for a KABOOM :yep:

I agree whole heartedly it might be a little overkill and I say might NOW

But I'm also thinking about the future. And 400w ain't even going to turn it on.:D

I would very confidently stick a single 8800gtx into my current rig without reducing my overclock of my dual core cpu (its a 60% overclock and 0.1v overvolt), not in sli though becuse then my PSU would be near or slightly over its limits, id want to have at least a decent 550W for that, gives more than ennough of a safety margin.

[FIREWALL]

Well Folks :D We've rung 20 posts about the pro's and con's about Big and small power supplies and small usb refrigerators.

And still haven't come to any common agreement.

I think we should ALL be proud of ourselves. :know: :yep:

Especially about the usb reefer.:rotfl:

[Blacklight]

Ironically my 400 watt power supply burned out yesterday (literally... with smoke !:o )

Luckily, I just happen to have a PC junkyard in my basement and I found another identical 400 watter ! All I had to do was pop the power supply open and vaccume out all the spiders, webs and dust that it had gotten from being in the basement.
:up:
Those are some MEAN, SCARRY looking capacitors on those power supply circut boards ! I bet they could give you a good jolt even with the power off.

[GlobalExplorer]

I am actually considering one of the the new NVIDIA 9600's, not a 8800. According to the first reviews, the 9600 performance is ~80% of the 8800, but the price is about 100€/150USD less.

Add to this the fact that I am playing mostly simulations, which are mostly CPU bound, and that I usually upgrade my video adapter after 2-3 years.

But the most important thing about the 9600 is efficience. Some numbers:

Temperatures idle / full load
9600: 40C / 64C
8800: 58C / 90C

Power draw idle / full load
9600: 178W / 236W
8800: 191W / 270W

Source : http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQ2Niw2LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

[antikristuseke]

Looking at that even a decent 350W psu would do the job, but id still stick to my original recomendation of arround 550W with decent aperage on 12v rail/rails

Ironically my 400 watt power supply burned out yesterday (literally... with smoke !:o )

Have had two 400W psus die on myself, but thats because they were ****tyly build overrated crap from Codegen. Codegen and ColorsIT are the worst PSU's i have ever come across and a total of 7 have died on me and 2 close friends. Avoid those like the plague.

[FIREWALL]

A year has went by since I started this thread.

I've upgraded my psu to an Ultra 1600 and I'm glad I did.

I just bought two (2) of these bad boys and will not worry about POWER. :yep:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4557729&csid=ITD&body=WARRANTY#tabs

And won't do any Vid Card upgrade for a long,long time.

[Konovalov]

Yikes. :o:o:o:o What resolution do you game at? And also I'm curious as to if you know roughly how much power your system draws during intensive graphical apps such as gaming?

[mr chris]

I just graded mine to this one from a 750 watt Corsair.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-172-CM

Only problem was that i was not looking properly when i ordered it as it is not modular :damn::damn::damn: was a pain in the ass hiding all the unused cables. Though i do have some uses in mind of them in the future.:D:D

Seems to doing well even if she is powering 2 4870x2 2gb cards in crossfire. In my antec 1200 case, i run all the fans on medium and run the graphics card fans and random intervals to keep them cool. though when gaming i turn the case fans up to high and the card fans to 60%.
Though i cant wait for this baby to be released will be getting two of these as soon as i can.:DL:DL

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2_0&mID=244

[Arclight]

750Watt is plenty, in fact I would dare venture the Corsair 620 or 650Watt would have been a better choise (better components).

I'm kinda late to the party, but Amperage and brand (more precisely parts manufacturer) are just as important as Wattage. :yep:

[FIREWALL]

@ arclight You haven't heard of Ultra ?

[Peto]

I might as well chime in :D!

Another Very Important factor is how efficient the PWS is. I'm a big fan of bigger is better (if you can afford it). For most single video card rigs a good 650W is fine unless you're running multiple HDDs in a RAID or some-such. I'm a fan of 2 HDDs--one for running OS and programs and one for backup. Currently, I like Antec and Corsair PWS's the most--best bang for the buck IMO.

@ mr chris: That Antec 1200 is a Great Case! I'm looking at getting the 900 version in the near future (big enough for what I build).

[Arclight]

Running 8800GTS, 3 HDs, SB X-Fi, C2D @ 3.2GHZ and a boatload of fans from a 520Watt Corsair (Seasonic parts). >Plenty of power<

Why does everyone insist on Gaziljon Watts of power?! :-?

dualGPU/crossfire/SLI is a different story though.

Again, watch the Amps and know what you buy.

@ arclight You haven't heard of Ultra ?
What you talking 'bout? :D

Doubt you mean the British intelligence agency during WWII. :hmmm:

[FIREWALL]

Running 8800GTS, 3 HDs, SB X-Fi, C2D @ 3.2GHZ and a boatload of fans from a 520Watt Corsair (Seasonic parts). >Plenty of power<

Why does everyone insist on Gaziljon Watts of power?! :-?
What you talking 'bout? :D

Doubt you mean the British intelligence agency during WWII. :hmmm:



And no margine of power to run another 8800 sli

Your psu wouldn't even boot my new rig. :haha:

[Arclight]

What kind of fool spends money on 2 cards if 1 does the trick? :D ;) (not a fan of multi-crap)

And I reckon I could run 2x 8800GT easy. :yep:

Seriously, you people underestimate what a good (can't stress that enough) PSU can do. This rig with 2x 8800GT would likely draw about 350Watts at max load. That would put my PSU at 2/3 load. I know it can handle 80% load easy, so even 2x 8800GTS would be possible, I reckon.

[porphy]

I was recommended a Seasonic S12 600w about two years ago, and I'm very happy with that one. It's silent and powerful enough, with headroom, for my 8800 GTS, core duo @ 3.18. Sure, I don't run a very demanding machine by today's standards, but I have had enough of cheap, loud and dying power supplies during the years.

cheers porphy

[Arclight]

Whoever recommended a Seasonic PSU knows what he's talking about. :salute:

[Task Force]

Im useing a BFG 650 w powersupply, seems to be doing well.:yep: http://www.bfgtech.com/bfgr650wpsu.aspx (and here is bfgs info page on it.)

Im also useing a 8800gts with 640mb. that is overclocked to 550MHz, and a Intel E 8400 3.0ghz. Ive had no issues with this powersupply. not super loud ither.

[Arclight]

Nice case of point; that BFG has 38Amps while a 520Watt Corsair has 40Amps. You'd think that the 650Watt PSU is per definition "better", but it's not.

Not saying it's a bad PSU, just that there's more to it than Watts. A PSU that delivers little Amps will still crap out in "hardcore" systems. Another thing is the Corsair has 1 rail; all 40 Amps are available to the whole system. The BFG has dual rails, meaning the available Amps are distributed. Not a bad thing, but it does make it more likely to overload one of them (not gonna happen with 38Amps total, so no worries).
Yes you may have used one of these brands for years without problems but bear in mind that no PSU lasts forever. Some PSU's die gracefully, quietly and alone while others commit murder, arson and suicide in that order.

In practice only certain dual rail units have much risk of exceeding an individual rails' limits. A PSU with three or more 12V rails will have much lower currents across its' rails then a dual rail PSU powering the same system. However a PSU with two 18A-20A rails that puts the CPU connector/s on one rail and all of the other connectors on the other rail can easily overload that other rail with dual graphics cards or a single very high wattage card like the GTX 295. But since PSU's with two 18A-20A rails naturally top out at around 550W most users will recognize to begin with that the PSU is too small for such a high end system.


http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=287485

Nice read. (http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3990);

It is true that marketing folks have told us that multiple +12V rails provides "cleaner and more stable voltages", but this is usually a falsehood. Quite frankly, they use this explaination because "offers stability and cleaner power" sounds much more palletable than "won't necessarily catch fire".