About PSU's

[matas17]

So I'm about to build a new gaming rig with:
Intel i7 3930k
Asus P9X79 Pro motherboard
Corsair Dominator Platinum 16gb RAM 1866
x2 EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Superclocked

I will watercool my CPU and both GPU's, so i wanted to ask what kind of PSU should i take. I was thinking of getting Corsair AX 850w PSU but now i started to think isnt it kind of an overkill for the system, so what do you think?
Also I'm thinking of upgrading gpu's in future and change them for an Geforce GTX 680
Any suggestions?

 

[iBeInspire]

I'd think a decent 750w (AX or TX) would suffice, but wait for someone to confirm that

 

[jamesriley94]

Yeah, I wouldn't go less than a decent 750w.

Look at Silverstone, Seasonic or the higher end Corsairs.

 

[MacLeod]

AX760i. A little pricey but it's one of the best and Corsair Link is just cool!

 

[Zoot]

removed because its crap

 

[alienware]

Do that ^ and then you need to add 30% on top just to be safe.

So for example if outervision tells you 600w I would go 850w just to be safe

 

[MacLeod]

No need to add anything. Those calculators already recommend more than you'll need. A system thats running a pair of GTX680's will only draw 550 watts from the wall (link) at full load so that means around 400 or less actual draw from the PSU. 850 is WAY overkill for just about anything.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is anything bad about overkill, just know that you're paying for wattage you'll never use. PSU's run cooler and more efficiently when kept in the 50-75% range so a 650 is usually just right for most everybody.

 

[Willzzz]

Yeah you don't need to go too high, 650 is plenty for most people.

What is your budget?

 

[jamesriley94]

Are you just using your PC for gaming?

Also, what resolution are you playing at?

You may want to change a few things to save money, at no loss of performance

 

[alienware]

No need to add anything. Those calculators already recommend more than you'll need.

Those calculators told me I needed 504 watts for GTX 480 in SLI with an overclocked I7 950.

 

[J0s3e]

I'd go for a high quality 850 or 1K, since it will last you for years to come with possibility to upgrade GPU's later, or add more components and you get most of the extra money you spend back in electricity savings.

 

[MacLeod]

Those calculators told me I needed 504 watts for GTX 480 in SLI with an overclocked I7 950.

I just tried it with a heavily overclocked i7 and a pair of 480's and it recommended 730.

 

[Zoot]

No need to add anything. Those calculators already recommend more than you'll need. A system thats running a pair of GTX680's will only draw 550 watts from the wall (link) at full load so that means around 400 or less actual draw from the PSU. 850 is WAY overkill for just about anything.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is anything bad about overkill, just know that you're paying for wattage you'll never use. PSU's run cooler and more efficiently when kept in the 50-75% range so a 650 is usually just right for most everybody.

It's also worth mentioning that a lot of the recommendations regarding the PSU wattage needed for a given setup are deliberately conservative.

I remember back a few years ago, the 8800GTX "recommended" a 500W PSU just for one of them, but I saw guys running setups with two of them in SLI with an overclocked CPU like a Q6600 on 500W PSUs.

 

[s3ns3]

get a seasonic X 650 and the fan won`t even spin.less then 400W in games.

BUT ,gaming rig on 2011 rig ? even the i5 will do better in games.or just hold for a month for haswell

 

[Willzzz]

Yeah I'd ignore the calculators there's little point. You can see from reviews typical power draws from similar systems and base your needs around that.

 

[tinytomlogan]

Orca is that spec and the only reason why I run an AX860i is so the PSU fan hardly ever spins.

An AX760w would do your rig fine.


Who ever it was that said about buying a 1KW doesnt really have a clue LOL

 

[alienware]

I just tried it with a heavily overclocked i7 and a pair of 480's and it recommended 730.

And after all of that what was suggested? a 850w PSU just like I said on the first page :lol:

I must have done something wrong when I ran the calculator but either way I ended up buying a 850w psu just to be safe.

 

[MacLeod]

yeah but a pair of GTX480's is an EXTREME example and 850 would be fine. The GTX600 cards use considerably less juice.

Either way, we're about on the same page. I think a 750 would work but a 850 would certainly be fine too with plenty of overhead.

 

[matas17]

Im thinking to upgrade both 660's when time comes and replace them with 670 SLi or 680 Sli. I dont think ill upgrade anything else except gpu's because everything will be running good enough already.

I kind of also wanna future proof myself on PSU because i dont think it has to be changed that often not like GPU's because games are becoming more demanding and who knows whats gone be out in several years.

 

[s3ns3]

no card will come out that will use more power than the gtx 480.the gtx 680 uses like 70-80W less.so if a 850W unit is enough for 2x480 Sli...draw the conclusion