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Geek Culture / Is 850w power supply enough?

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EVOLVED
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Posted: 30th Dec 2012 23:59 Edited at: 31st Dec 2012 10:03
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So I have an ok rig, but my pumps wont turn on sometimes without me noticing (My pc is on the floor) and sometimes leading to components getting a bit toasty. I have a fan controller but the temp sensors leads to the respected rads to keep cables a bit tidier. I also have desktop temp monitors but these are not visible when running apps. My concern is I have relatively new 850w power supply but does not seem to be enough to power everything (power being sucked up by major components?) hence pumps sometimes not turning on.

PSU: XFX 850XXX edition

cpu: i7 3930k(LGA 2011)
GPU: 2x Nvidia GTX580 in SLI
MOBO: Asus Rampage IV extreme
RAM: 4x 4Gig G.skill ripjawsZ 2113mhz
SSD: 2x 120gig OCZ agility 3
DVDrw: LG something
Fans: x6 Enermax t.b.vegas duo + 3x Enermax t.b.silence (120mm)
Pumps: 3x laing DDC 3.2
FanCon: Reeven six eyes fan controller
Lights: 3x 30cm uv cathodes + 16LED strip

I also have quite a few things plugged in the usb ports k90 keyboard + wireless headset + wireless mouse + things charging like my mobile.

As my 850w power supply is not all that old I dont really want to go off and spend ton of money changing it to a more powerful one (1200w+), but thinks this might be needed.

thoughts?
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TheComet
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Location: I`m under ur bridge eating ur goatz.
Posted: 31st Dec 2012 00:09
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Are you INSANE?! Must be all of those shaders you're making...

While 850W isn't optimal for what you have, there's no way your PC is consuming 850W on startup or in idle. I feel the problem with the pumps not starting doesn't have anything to do with too much power draw, but something else.

For a setup like yours, I would recommend 1200W.

Also, make sure you're spreading the power cables evenly. Make sure your two GPUs aren't connected to the same power rail, make sure your HDDs aren't connected to the same power rail etc.

TheComet

PonyCraft dev blog(s):
http://blankflankstudios.tumblr.com/
http://blankflankstudios.blogspot.ch/
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MrValentine
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Playing: FFVII
Posted: 31st Dec 2012 00:30 Edited at: 31st Dec 2012 00:31
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AmpeRage!

Ensure your rails carry good Amperages... and ensure efficiency too...

Yeah I would suggest over 1KW juice as a beefy overhead too...

Quote: "hence pumps sometimes not turning on."


If this is occurring during heavy load times, then it is possible that your power is being hogged somewhere... but I would ensure your cabling is in order... and as TheComet suggests to make sure you are not placing too many components on each rail...

I think I may have found the culprit... possibly...

Quote: "
The XFX XXX 850 watt modular power supply gives you the power you need with a brilliant combination of form and function. Giving more than just life to your PC, this power supply allows easy cable management with modular connectors which helps increase airflow. With tight voltage regulation and high efficiency operation up to 88% (80 Plus Silver) this power supply will give you exactly what you need to keep your gaming charged and ready.

- 850W of continuous power at 50°C
- 80 Plus Silver Rating
- SLI Ready
- Detachable Modular Cables
- High quality Japanese brand capacitors (105°C)
- Tight voltage regulation (±3%)
- High efficiency operation up to 88% (80 Plus Silver)
- Single, high power +12V rail (up to 70A/840W)
- DC to DC Voltage Regulator modules for +3.3V and +5V
- Solid polymer caps provide enhanced reliability and stability
- Quiet 135mm ball bearing fan provides superior cooling
- Supports multiple high-end graphic cards (SLI & CrossFire)
- Active Power Factor Correction
- 5-year Limited Warranty
"


Source= http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-000-XF

Are you using anything on that juicy 70A 850W rail?

The good thing is...
Quote: "- 5-year Limited Warranty"

The bad thing is... How do YOU know if there is an issue with the PSU other than it not turning on as an indicator [Aside from using slightly expensive for non Electrical users, devices]...

Food for thought and Happy New Year Guys!

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EVOLVED
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Posted: 31st Dec 2012 06:06 Edited at: 31st Dec 2012 09:59
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Not to sure what it is then, all 3 pumps were working fine for the past 6 months untill I added LED strip and the Enermax vegas fans which seem eat up quite a lot of power for fans which is why Iv ended up blaming the psu. All 3 pumps work, just on that odd occasion any one of them wont start up (they dont seem to get the kick in backside to get them going on boot). Iv spread the power to all components out across the cables as much as I can, but I only have so many cables(in the molex department).

Im not a wiz kid in this deparment, I just know that thing plugs in to that thing. Here is the worst image ever of my pc, might give an idea on how much I've got to power.
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Maindric
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Posted: 31st Dec 2012 09:26 Edited at: 31st Dec 2012 09:27
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I have an 850 watt in my system, and it is doing just fine.

2x XFX Radeon HD 6870
4x 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 Patriot RAM
AMD Phenom II x4 945 (Denab)
(I do not know brands of fans, so I will just mention size.)
2x 120MM No LED fan
2x 120MM Red LED fan
1x 200MM Red LED fan
1x 750GB WD Caviar Black HDD
1x OCZ Onyx 30GB SSD
1x Intel 330 120GB SSD
1x Something DVD-R/RW Drive
1x Hauppauge DVR Tuner (1414 I think)

I have had absolutely no issues with power in my system...

I do not know the exact overhead needed for your pumps though, I am assuming they eat up a lot of wattage though...
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TheComet
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Posted: 31st Dec 2012 15:37
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Water pumps don't need that much power, they're at about the same level as regular fans.

TheComet

PonyCraft dev blog(s):
http://blankflankstudios.tumblr.com/
http://blankflankstudios.blogspot.ch/
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Phaelax
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Posted: 31st Dec 2012 18:43
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After some research, the GTX580 at load requires about 350w at 40amps. That's for one card, you have two. How the two worth together and how the amperage load works across multiple devices, I'm not 100% knowledgeable on that aspect. So if you would need exactly double those specs or not I don't know. But if that's the case, at full load your PC is pushing the limits of the PSU.
I don't think you necessarily need 1200w, but I would agree with Valentine and suggest 1000w for a safer bet.

"You're not going crazy. You're going sane in a crazy world!" ~Tick
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Slow Programmer
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Posted: 2nd Jan 2013 15:24 Edited at: 2nd Jan 2013 15:34
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Never mind....I should not post as soon as I get out of bed,,,

There are two kinds of computer users. Those that use Macs and those that wish they did.
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MrValentine
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Posted: 2nd Jan 2013 16:22
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According to this the baseline is 244W...

Manufacturer versioning models vary but I doubt much higher...

But It does state a 600W recommended... Which would suggest at bare minimum 1000W base for two...

Check your manufacturer specifications for that card... It should be higher if not the same as the official site...

Hope this helps...

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AutoBot
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Posted: 2nd Jan 2013 18:29 Edited at: 2nd Jan 2013 18:31
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Hey EVOLVED,

Have you considered just using one card and seeing if the problem persists? If it does not persist then that'd most likely mean that you need a more powerful PSU.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 3rd Jan 2013 03:10
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Quote: "According to this the baseline is 244W...

Manufacturer versioning models vary but I doubt much higher...

But It does state a 600W recommended..."


If that's the maximum, then I'd bet the safety of my own PC that a system using that card and modern parts would be just fine with only 500w. Because I doubt the rest of the system would need a minimum of 350w to run.

"You're not going crazy. You're going sane in a crazy world!" ~Tick
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Matt Rock
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Posted: 4th Jan 2013 01:42
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I've got a Corsair GS600 600W PSU in my PC, but I'm not crossfiring or overclocking. I figured I needed 400W for my video card, 125W for my processor, and everything else could work with the remainder. It hasn't blown up yet, so I'm guessing it's okay, lol



TGC's first Forum President. I'm George Washington sucka!
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The Nerevar
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Posted: 5th Jan 2013 04:46
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We are on the same level, you and I, EVOLVED... But my PC runs with AMD, and I have a 600w PSU with no issues.

Fulfilling the Nerevarine Prophecy, one trial at a time, because I... Am... The Nerevar!
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