power supply with new graphics card?

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 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

"Magnulus" <Magnulus RemoveThis @bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:E12Jf.3680$jo5.1107@bignews1.bellsouth.net...
> I have an Athlon X2 3800 and a GeForce 6600, 3 hard drives, one DVD-ROM
> drive, nothing is overclocked. The power supply is an Antec True Power
> 2.0 430 watts. I'm upgrading the video card to a GeForce 7800 GT. Do I
> need a new power supply? Everything I have read on the GeForce cards
> recommends 350-400 watts. But no mention of dual core processors.
>

I have an X2 4800+ 2 x 512mb PC3200 1 x 7800GTX 3 7200 rpm hd's 1 DVDRW
and seven fans total running with a Thermaltake PurePower 420w ATX12V that's
PCI-e ready. No problems with it so far. But I haven't got into any heavy
gaming yet. For that I've just unpacked an Antec TPS II 550. It's SLI
ready. Later this summer I'll add another 7800GTX.
I played a couple hours of FEAR, then another couple hours of Far Cry x64.
No problems running them at all with the Thermaltake.

And thanks John Lewis for the HU on needing dual +12V rails for SLI.

McG.
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

According to CNET in a recent email, the X2 systems running SLI
with 2 7800s, needs a 1 kilowatt psupply to run Doom3 on high
settings Thems the facts folks. Even the 600 watters they
tested did not work.

johns
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

On 16 Feb 2006 20:31:03 GMT, Walter Mitty <mitticus.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:

> "Sean" risked the wrath of Usenet weenies mastering
> mommies computer when he ventured forth on 2006-02-16, commmitted
> his life to the whims of Google, and spluttered:
>
>> On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 11:51:46 -0500, "Magnulus"
>><Magnulus.DeleteThis@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I have an Athlon X2 3800 and a GeForce 6600, 3 hard drives, one DVD-ROM
>>>drive, nothing is overclocked. The power supply is an Antec True Power 2.0
>>>430 watts. I'm upgrading the video card to a GeForce 7800 GT. Do I need a
>>>new power supply? Everything I have read on the GeForce cards recommends
>>>350-400 watts. But no mention of dual core processors.
>>>
>>
>> You should be ok with the PSU you currently have.
>
>Where can one find info to be sure as opposed to "should"? Can an
>underpower PSU cause damage due to cut out?
>
>What equation do you use when looking at such a HW setup? I'm
>interested in upgrading myself soon.
>

Just look at the +12V power-supply current(s). Watts are NOT
the issue with today's PC power-supplies. Insufficient +12V
current most definitely is !! Without exception, both new and old-gen

power supplies have sufficient +3.3V, +5V current for today's PCs

There has been a rapid move over the past 2-3 years AWAY from
+5V & +3.3V TO +12V being the primary supplier of current to CPUs and
high-performance peripherals. One single reason -- on-board voltage
switch-regulators work at the highest efficiency with the greatest
input-to-output voltage differences. Since +12V has always been
available and the highest voltage available from a PC power-supply,
plus in the early days it was always underutilized, the industry
gradually gravitated towards this voltage being the one of choice for
CPU core voltage-regulation when P4-class CPUs came along. Then
the '+12V addiction' spread to high-performance graphics cards
once they exceeded the current-carrying capacity of the AGP
bus and had to use the auxiliary peripheral power connectors.
Again +12V was then voted the primary source of power, with the quest
of ensuring that the regulators supplying the most power-hungry parts
on the graphics cards worked at maximum efficiency - no need to add
excess heat to that of the memory and GPU !!

A high-performance CPU ( Prescott 3.0+, AMD64 4000+, X2 )
requires 9 amps peak from +12V. ( Reserve 11 amps for P4-EE !! )

A hard-disk requires 1-2 amp peak from +12V
for start-up.
A DVD-rom/burner also requires 1-2 amps peak from +12V
for startup..

7800GT requires ~ 6-7 amps peak each from +12V
7800GTX512 9-10 amps peak each from +12V

The latest-gen ATX 2.xx power-supplies have DUAL +12V outputs
eachcapable of supplying 18 amps or more at +12V, with a combined
+12V current capability of 32amps or greater. ( To safely power Dual
7800GTX512 with a P4-EE CPU , choose a power-supply with
dual +12V 22 amp outputs !! ) They also come with a liberal quantity
of peripheral connectors for SATA, PCIe etc, besides the usual 4-pin
Molex. Not that expensive either, generally $80 upwards from top-tier
manufacturers.

If you are upgrading a desktop system with a high-performance CPU
and graphics card(s) , installing a modern PC power-supply is a very
worthy investment, particularly with regard to your peace of mind.

John Lewis
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

"John Lewis" <john.dsl.DeleteThis@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:43f62b82.9547252@news.verizon.net...
> On 16 Feb 2006 20:31:03 GMT, Walter Mitty <mitticus.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> "Sean" risked the wrath of Usenet weenies mastering
>> mommies computer when he ventured forth on 2006-02-16, commmitted
>> his life to the whims of Google, and spluttered:
>>
>>> On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 11:51:46 -0500, "Magnulus"
>>><Magnulus.DeleteThis@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have an Athlon X2 3800 and a GeForce 6600, 3 hard drives, one
>>>> DVD-ROM
>>>>drive, nothing is overclocked. The power supply is an Antec True Power
>>>>2.0
>>>>430 watts. I'm upgrading the video card to a GeForce 7800 GT. Do I
>>>>need a
>>>>new power supply? Everything I have read on the GeForce cards
>>>>recommends
>>>>350-400 watts. But no mention of dual core processors.
>>>>
>>>
>>> You should be ok with the PSU you currently have.
>>
>>Where can one find info to be sure as opposed to "should"? Can an
>>underpower PSU cause damage due to cut out?
>>
>>What equation do you use when looking at such a HW setup? I'm
>>interested in upgrading myself soon.
>>
>
> Just look at the +12V power-supply current(s). Watts are NOT
> the issue with today's PC power-supplies. Insufficient +12V
> current most definitely is !! Without exception, both new and old-gen
>
> power supplies have sufficient +3.3V, +5V current for today's PCs
>
> There has been a rapid move over the past 2-3 years AWAY from
> +5V & +3.3V TO +12V being the primary supplier of current to CPUs and
> high-performance peripherals. One single reason -- on-board voltage
> switch-regulators work at the highest efficiency with the greatest
> input-to-output voltage differences. Since +12V has always been
> available and the highest voltage available from a PC power-supply,
> plus in the early days it was always underutilized, the industry
> gradually gravitated towards this voltage being the one of choice for
> CPU core voltage-regulation when P4-class CPUs came along. Then
> the '+12V addiction' spread to high-performance graphics cards
> once they exceeded the current-carrying capacity of the AGP
> bus and had to use the auxiliary peripheral power connectors.
> Again +12V was then voted the primary source of power, with the quest
> of ensuring that the regulators supplying the most power-hungry parts
> on the graphics cards worked at maximum efficiency - no need to add
> excess heat to that of the memory and GPU !!
>
> A high-performance CPU ( Prescott 3.0+, AMD64 4000+, X2 )
> requires 9 amps peak from +12V. ( Reserve 11 amps for P4-EE !! )
>
> A hard-disk requires 1-2 amp peak from +12V
> for start-up.
> A DVD-rom/burner also requires 1-2 amps peak from +12V
> for startup..
>
> 7800GT requires ~ 6-7 amps peak each from +12V
> 7800GTX512 9-10 amps peak each from +12V
>
> The latest-gen ATX 2.xx power-supplies have DUAL +12V outputs
> eachcapable of supplying 18 amps or more at +12V, with a combined
> +12V current capability of 32amps or greater. ( To safely power Dual
> 7800GTX512 with a P4-EE CPU , choose a power-supply with
> dual +12V 22 amp outputs !! ) They also come with a liberal quantity
> of peripheral connectors for SATA, PCIe etc, besides the usual 4-pin
> Molex. Not that expensive either, generally $80 upwards from top-tier
> manufacturers.
>
> If you are upgrading a desktop system with a high-performance CPU
> and graphics card(s) , installing a modern PC power-supply is a very
> worthy investment, particularly with regard to your peace of mind.
>
> John Lewis

The information is good stuff John, thanks for all of it. If ANY one out
there is using a high(er) end CPU and video card, then stable performance
requires stable voltage and current at specific levels. Without it, all
sorts of mayhem breaks loose I now have a 550w ATX v2.0 psu with 19 amps
output on each +12V rail. I suspect that won't be enough when I get a
second 7800GTX so will be getting yet another PSU. A good 600w ATX v2.xx
should leave me a little overhead for a few other little things.
Even Antecs better models aren't THAT expensive. Especially when
considering the cost of the items you're powering. A64 X2 4800+ and a pair
of 7800GTX's, several nice large HD's, a nice DVDRW, a handful of USB
powered toys. At idle, just running a newsreader, these things aren't
using nearly that much current. But crank up FEAR, Far Cry 64, Chronicles
of Riddick and you can feel the air get hotter!
Thanks again, John. *I* should really be kicked for not seeing that myself.
McG.
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

"johns" <johns123.DeleteThis@moscow.com> wrote in message
news:1140210532.952283.226070@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> According to CNET in a recent email, the X2 systems running SLI
> with 2 7800s, needs a 1 kilowatt psupply to run Doom3 on high
> settings Thems the facts folks. Even the 600 watters they
> tested did not work.
>
> johns
>
Those aren't facts. That's an email from CNET. I'll be able to prove that
claim one way or the other myself soon.
McG.
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

"Sean Cousins" <spam DeleteThis @off.invalid> wrote in message
news:otfcv1tskg8d6e1cug0hqa9ss8j8199hh7@4ax.com...
> On 17 Feb 2006 13:08:53 -0800, "johns" <johns123 DeleteThis @moscow.com> wrote:
>
>>According to CNET in a recent email, the X2 systems running SLI
>>with 2 7800s, needs a 1 kilowatt psupply to run Doom3 on high
>>settings Thems the facts folks. Even the 600 watters they
>>tested did not work.
>>
>>johns
>
> Which PSU's did they test? Nvidia certifies a number of PSU's for SLI
> that have less than 1kw. Seasonic S12-500w, for example.

Pay attention to what John Lewis posted about the +12V current requirements.
nVidia has published what the requirements are for their cards. AMD the
same for their CPU's.
Don't simply trust what is said about a PSU, get on the mfgr's website and
read the specs. Just because it's "SLI" rated doesn't mean it will
actually be enough. I'll be running a pair of 7800GTX's soon, not just one.
With my X2 4800+. In GAMES. Doom3 is one of em. Quake4, Half-Life 2,
Chronicles of Riddick, FEAR, Far Cry 64, Guild Wars, Tombraider: AoD, IL2-
Pacific Fighters merged install, LOMAC and soon Tombraider: Legend, Elder
Scrolls IV- Oblivion and Resident Evil 4 PC.
This is my toybox. I want it to work GOOD. If I spend $1100 USD on a
pair of 3D accelerators and over $900 USD on a CPU, then even $400 would be
peanuts for a GOOD quality PSU that will deliver stable voltage and current
during hard long gameplay. I need it to do what I want to do, so I'll get
it.
Fortunately, what's needed isn't quite that expensive
McG.
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

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 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

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 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

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 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

"Sean Cousins" <spam.TakeThisOut@off.invalid> wrote in message
news:nd0fv19f3m8su6rkd26esqiouu7kv4ohdv@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:50:22 GMT, "McGrandpa"
> <McGrandpaNOT.TakeThisOut@NOThotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Pay attention to what John Lewis posted about the +12V current
>>requirements.
>
> I already know about +12v requirements, thx anyway. Seasonic S12 500w
> or 600w meets or exceeds those requirements so I still don't believe
> Cnet saying 1kw is needed. If it was true then hardware sites like
> HardOCP, Firing Squad etc. would be saying the same.

I think someone went a little bit overboard. they might have been talking
overclocked cpu and pair of'GTX512s which still shouldn't sink that much
current.
McG.
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card? 

"Sean Cousins" <spam.RemoveThis@off.invalid> wrote in message
news:bp0fv1l7n3m1r40i3bqas80jgtmp4mfegm@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:50:22 GMT, "McGrandpa"
> <McGrandpaNOT.RemoveThis@NOThotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>
>>Pay attention to what John Lewis posted about the +12V current
>>requirements.
>>nVidia has published what the requirements are for their cards. AMD the
>>same for their CPU's.
>>Don't simply trust what is said about a PSU, get on the mfgr's website and
>>read the specs. Just because it's "SLI" rated doesn't mean it will
>>actually be enough. I'll be running a pair of 7800GTX's soon, not just
>>one.
>>With my X2 4800+. In GAMES. Doom3 is one of em. Quake4, Half-Life 2,
>>Chronicles of Riddick, FEAR, Far Cry 64, Guild Wars, Tombraider: AoD, IL2-
>>Pacific Fighters merged install, LOMAC and soon Tombraider: Legend, Elder
>>Scrolls IV- Oblivion and Resident Evil 4 PC.
>>This is my toybox. I want it to work GOOD. If I spend $1100 USD on a
>>pair of 3D accelerators and over $900 USD on a CPU, then even $400 would
>>be
>>peanuts for a GOOD quality PSU that will deliver stable voltage and
>>current
>>during hard long gameplay. I need it to do what I want to do, so I'll
>>get
>>it.
>>Fortunately, what's needed isn't quite that expensive
>>McG.
>>
>
> p.s. I wouldn' waste my money on SLI. You don't get twice the speed
> but you get twice the cost, twice the noise and twice the heat output.
> In six months to a year you will probably be replacing your expensive
> SLI cards with something better anyway.

Or putting one of the cards in a different computer? yes, I've considered
several future options. I should have my second gtx by end of next week,
thanks to newegg
McG.
 >> Stay informed about: power supply with new graphics card?