Watts?

[byteninja2]

Well, I was thinking. Why do many people need 750 watts if they don't sli or Cfx? Because, you get a low to mid end gaming rig. You have a gtx 670 in it for 250w, a 3570 k for 75w, and other stuff for around 50w. Add a oc, add 30w. A 500w would be all you need, am I missing something? Here is the reason I am asking the question: I am thinking of getting these: i3 2100t, only 35w! A gtx 260, 180w, other stuff 50 w MAX, more like 30w. So, like 300w on a 380w psu, do you think im right, could my psu handle this?

 

[voyagerfan99]

Minimum PSU requirements for the GTX 260 is a 550W PSU, preferably 600W.

 

[MyCattMaxx]

Several reasons:
1. Headroom for future upgrades.
2. Sometimes a sale makes it worth it.
3. Just looks and sounds better in pics and on a sig.

Edit: Smart people leave headroom so the PS doesn't have to work near the limit.

Edit 2: Throw your figures out the windows once you start overclocking.

 

[byteninja2]

Minimum PSU requirements for the GTX 260 is a 550W PSU, preferably 600W.

Everything used more watts 3 years ago. The tdp for a 260 under max load is almost 190 watts @maxx, headroom, yup. But my psu won't be working to close to the limit it still would have 50 watts of headroom. And, the next component I get in a couple months will be a psu, so will it be fine for now?

 

[MyCattMaxx]

I can tell you what a GTX 260 draws on my system this weekend.
Another factor is as a PS gets older the caps degrade and will limit what the PS can actually deliver.
You can probably get away with it for short term, but I personally wouldn't be gaming with it.
I personally wouldn't risk my other parts to a PS failure.
Edit: Is that 380 watts on the 12v rail?

 

[byteninja2]

I can tell you what a GTX 260 draws on my system this weekend.
Another factor is as a PS gets older the caps degrade and will limit what the PS can actually deliver.
You can probably get away with it for short term, but I personally wouldn't be gaming with it.
I personally wouldn't risk my other parts to a PS failure.
Edit: Is that 380 watts on the 12v rail?

Don't know, here is my psu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151022

 

[WeatherMan]

I would say it wouldn't be an issue, Seasonic is an excellent brand, and you have 10+15A 12v rails.

I am also thinking of doing the same thing, I have run a overclocked E6750 & overclocked 9800GTX+ on my 450w PowerCool PSU for over a year, it has 12+14A on the 12v rails.

When I build my new system, I am going to use this PSU, It was rock solid with my old build, with a CPU of the same TDP, that was overclocked, my i3 2100 will not be, my 9800GTX+ had a TDP of 141w, so I am looking for a new GPU around the 150w mark to keep it safe.

 

[byteninja2]

But, is my psu supplying the 200 watts I need to the rail my gpu will be on?

 

[WeatherMan]

one of your 12v rails is rated at 15A, 12x15 = 180w.

I forgot to look at that! This is now not a good idea..

 

[MyCattMaxx]

But, is my psu supplying the 200 watts I need to the rail my gpu will be on?

Nope.

 

[byteninja2]

one of your 12v rails is rated at 15A, 12x15 = 180w.

I forgot to look at that! This is now not a good idea..

Oh, cheese, 2 watts off. Well, that was at extreme full load for the gpu. I will just take the voltage down a little bit, bring it to 175w hopefully.

 

[WeatherMan]

Do you have a Watt-Meter?

What I am going to do is stick my system together, run it at stock and check the power usage, then slowly bump it up to where I'm comfortable at with the Performance/Power ratio..

 

[spirit]

Well, I was thinking. Why do many people need 750 watts if they don't sli or Cfx? Because, you get a low to mid end gaming rig. You have a gtx 670 in it for 250w, a 3570 k for 75w, and other stuff for around 50w. Add a oc, add 30w. A 500w would be all you need, am I missing something? Here is the reason I am asking the question: I am thinking of getting these: i3 2100t, only 35w! A gtx 260, 180w, other stuff 50 w MAX, more like 30w. So, like 300w on a 380w psu, do you think im right, could my psu handle this?

I agree with all the other answers here, one other reason is that sometimes the price difference between say a 500W and a 600W unit is so small that it just makes sense to go with the higher wattage unit. If you had the choice between a good 650W and it was say 70 bucks and a 750W version of the same PSU was 75 bucks, which would you choose? I'd go for the 750W one, only 5 bucks more. More future-proof too.

 

[byteninja2]

Well, is everybody sure the gpu rail is 180 watts?

 

[MyCattMaxx]

Well, is everybody sure the gpu rail is 180 watts?

If it isn't then it's the 120 watt rail, but usually the V2 rail is for PCIe and that is the 180 watt rail.
You have the PS so take a look.

 

[byteninja2]

If it isn't then it's the 120 watt rail, but usually the V2 rail is for PCIe and that is the 180 watt rail.
You have the PS so take a look.

How can I tell by looking at the psu?

 

[StrangleHold]

The 1st rail is the CPU rail. Everything else pulls off the 2nd. rail, from the motherboard/PCIe slots/PCI slots/molex connectors/sata connectors/PCIe power connectors. So you have 180W for everything except the CPU.

 

[MyCattMaxx]

V2 180 watts is the gpu power.
But from what I gather from the feedback dates on Newegg the PS is around 5 years old.
I wouldn't trust the caps for running near the rated limit.

 

[StrangleHold]

V2 180 watts is the gpu power.

Not only the GPU, everything but the CPU.

 

[Okedokey]

Not only the GPU, everything but the CPU.

Correct and this is why watts mean very little. Along with expected load you need to de-rate the PSU between 1 - 4W for every degree over the MTBF temperature (cheap - 25oC, expensive = 40oC or 50oC).