HOCP testing Suggestion

[CompMage]

I have read a number of your PSU reviews and have even gotten one based on one.

But while all this is nice. They have a MAJOR flaw. Real world draw/testing. Yes the knowledge of how it will perform under all your current test is VERY useful. But when it comes down to it. I want to know how many GTX260/280 or 4870 cards and drives I can put on it before it falters.

What happens when I take this 850watt PSU and put it in a real computer not just connected to a scope.

Will it boot, will it smoke, Can I really connect all 6x PCIe power connectors to video cards on that 750watt PSU? Will the 12v rail drop after 2 connections, 3? 4?

In the end, I know what I'm looking at for most of your information because I'm trained in electrical engineering. Most of your readers are not. You rant and rave over "Real World Testing" and I would like to see this reflected in your PSU testing.

Again this is not ment to be a flame/rant/etc it's a suggestion.

 

[device manager]

IMO it's pointless to fill up a pc with video cards, hdd's, etc. to create a load that would be similar to what a load tester will offer. As long as you perform both hot & cold testing in a controlled thermal environment then the results should be similar. Afterwards it's up to you to figure out the power draw of the components, which is a simple task if you know how to use Google.

 

[Arcygenical]

Hmm... Load is load is it not? I'm not sure how 400w of GPU's and HD's would differ from a sustained 400w consistent loading...

 

[[Spectre]]

I have read a number of your PSU reviews and have even gotten one based on one.

But while all this is nice. They have a MAJOR flaw. Real world draw/testing. Yes the knowledge of how it will perform under all your current test is VERY useful. But when it comes down to it. I want to know how many GTX260/280 or 4870 cards and drives I can put on it before it falters.

What happens when I take this 850watt PSU and put it in a real computer not just connected to a scope.

Will it boot, will it smoke, Can I really connect all 6x PCIe power connectors to video cards on that 750watt PSU? Will the 12v rail drop after 2 connections, 3? 4?

In the end, I know what I'm looking at for most of your information because I'm trained in electrical engineering. Most of your readers are not. You rant and rave over "Real World Testing" and I would like to see this reflected in your PSU testing.

Again this is not ment to be a flame/rant/etc it's a suggestion.

The number of GTX260/280 or 4870 cards a unit will support is dictated by the motherboard being used, the number of PCI-E connectors or adapted molex connectors, and the power distribution of the power supply. The power draw for a GTX260/280 or 4870 is available around the web under varying loads so the remaining math is fairly simple to determine how many a unit that passed testing for us would be able to support given that means it can put out 100% of the 12v rated capacity as I 12v heavy load the units.

 

[Nenu]

Agreed ^, the key part is
"...the remaining math is fairly simple to determine how many a unit that passed testing for us would be able to support given that means it can put out 100% of the 12v rated capacity as I 12v heavy load the units"

This is the whole point behind [H]'s testing methods.
If you cant count in Watts, get someone to help.

 

[FrgMstr]

In the end, I know what I'm looking at for most of your information because I'm trained in electrical engineering. Most of your readers are not. You rant and rave over "Real World Testing" and I would like to see this reflected in your PSU testing.

Again this is not ment to be a flame/rant/etc it's a suggestion.

I would suggest the answers you are looking for are online since February 2007 and linked in every article we have done on PSUs. Given that you are an electrical engineer, this should be easy stuff for you to get through.

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI4OSwsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

To put it simply though, RWT and PSU are not a match when it comes to good information for our readers. That has been proven time and time again by other PSU reviewers. That said, our SM-8800 testing unit we use is specifically built to test ATX power supplies unlike the Chroma "all around" testers you will find others using.