How much power will I need to run this rig?

Overspeed

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
227
I will not be adding more parts in the future. I will not xFire or SLI. I just need a good PSU to run this:

Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
Core i7 2700k
Corsair Vengeance 16GB 1600MHz
Crucial m4 250GB SSD
Seagate 2TB HDD
Asus internal Blu-ray drive
Corsair H100 CPU Liquid Cooler
4 or 5 120mm case fans
AMD HD 7950

I've been eyeing the Corsair AX650. Would a 650 watt be enough?
 
i'd use a 750w or 850w, but i like to overclock a lot

A 7950 uses around 335w at max load (lets call it 350w to be safe)
a 2700k is a 95w cpu (100w)
everything else could be called a safe 150w, so 600w should be about where your draw is under max load (probably lower) so 650w should be fine, but i would still put a 750w on it personally (even if i wasn't overclocking, i'd lean more towards the 850 for overclocking)
 
Good point about the overclocking. I intend on using the watercooler noted to push my system to about 4.5ghz to 4.7ghz 24/7 stable. So maybe then a 750 is needed after all?

Edit: Just out of curiosity ... i've always wondered something. If you are using, say a 750 watt PSU, does that mean your PC is always drawing 750 watts 24/7? or does that just mean it can draw to to 750 watts as needed?
 
Good point about the overclocking. I intend on using the watercooler noted to push my system to about 4.5ghz to 4.7ghz 24/7 stable. So maybe then a 750 is needed after all?

A good 750W unit will run three 7950s on a SandyB platform ;)

2700K @ 4.6/4.8Ghz(~1.3v) ~ 110W
7950 @ 1.1Ghz(<1.2v) <200W
everything else listed ~ 50W

ps. poor choice for a CPU cooler.
 
ps. poor choice for a CPU cooler.

Poor choice? I did tons or research and found that the H100 is the best non looped watercooling solution. Rated 5 stars everywhere I have looked including this forum. Benchmarks shows it beats all air solutions. Yes, not the best watercooling in the world, but poor choice? why?
 
Poor choice? I did tons or research and found that the H100 is the best non looped watercooling solution. Rated 5 stars everywhere I have looked including this forum. Benchmarks shows it beats all air solutions. Yes, not the best watercooling in the world, but poor choice? why?

I wouldn't say it's a poor choice, but it's pretty pricey for the performance offered.

You'd be better off going with Hyper 212+ if all you're looking to OC to is 4.5~ GHZ.
 
Poor choice? I did tons or research and found that the H100 is the best non looped watercooling solution. Rated 5 stars everywhere I have looked including this forum. Benchmarks shows it beats all air solutions. Yes, not the best watercooling in the world, but poor choice? why?

You can't beat marketing I suppose.
First off, it you want water cooling you might as well do it properly, AIO are still trash.
Secondly, it doesn't beat premium air coolers at anything.. in fact it needs 4 high RPM, noisy, high static pressure fans, to compete with the likes of Noctua NH-D14, Phanteks PH-TC14PE or Prolimatech Genesis(just to name a few).
The H100 is a marketing gimmick.. it doesn't offer the performance of a proper water loop(temperature and noise wise) and it only competes with high end air coolers(twin tower designs mostly, but not only) at unacceptable noise levels, which defies the entire purpose of a water cooler.
 
Hmm, I didn't expect bad opinions about the H100. I was originally all set to go with the Hyper 212+ until I saw the benchmarks and the moderator at Anandtech gave the blessing:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2214753
Lets just say you picked the wrong place for such research... the Hyper isn't worthwhile either(unless you can get it for <20$), when buying coolers you look at Prolimatech, Thermlaright, etc..

Where are you buying from and what is the designated cooler budget, also mention any space constraints(if applies).
 
Where are you buying from and what is the designated cooler budget, also mention any space constraints(if applies).

I appreciate your input, even if you don't like my choice. I haven't bought anything yet, so maybe there are better options out there. Here are some answers.

* I will be buying from ncix.com, possibly tigerdirect.ca is their total price is lower. Generally though I prefer NCIX.
* The case I had in mind is the Antec p280. Certified to run the H100 with its dual 120mm slots on the roof. Very large case. I have also been eyeing the Corsair 650D
* I have no set budget for cooling. I want something that will run the 2700k STABLE 24/7 at, at least 4.5 to 4.7ghz.

Honestly what attracted me to the H100 was not having a giant heatsink bending & blocking access to the mobo. Systems I have seen using the H100 look clean and accessible. I have no experience or desire to run complicated custom loops. Frankly, until I found the H100 I had no desire for watercooling period. But after I found so many reviewers and users here on HF blessing the H100 I thought it was a good choice.

For what its worth, I had planned on ditching the stock fans and was going to install 2 gentle typhoons.
 
Thanks, I'll go with a moderate, but high quality PSU.
That is the correct way to buy a power supply, if budget allows you go for higher quality not higher output... generally, a 500W high end unit is still a better 600W power supply than a lower end, average 600W unit ;)
I appreciate your input, even if you don't like my choice. I haven't bought anything yet, so maybe there are better options out there. Here are some answers.

* I will be buying from ncix.com, possibly tigerdirect.ca is their total price is lower. Generally though I prefer NCIX.
* The case I had in mind is the Antec p280. Certified to run the H100 with its dual 120mm slots on the roof. Very large case. I have also been eyeing the Corsair 650D
* I have no set budget for cooling. I want something that will run the 2700k STABLE 24/7 at, at least 4.5 to 4.7ghz.

Honestly what attracted me to the H100 was not having a giant heatsink bending & blocking access to the mobo. Systems I have seen using the H100 look clean and accessible. I have no experience or desire to run complicated custom loops. Frankly, until I found the H100 I had no desire for watercooling period. But after I found so many reviewers and users here on HF blessing the H100 I thought it was a good choice.

For what its worth, I had planned on ditching the stock fans and was going to install 2 gentle typhoons.

I see, had a look at NCIX, and this stands out as an excellent performer also offering good value at 75$.
Excellent built quality and solid engineering, the Zalman CNPS12X is the only high end HDT cooler on the market.

As for PSUs I'd suggest this, good price for an excellent unit.
If you want the best at that output level you'll need to look for a Kingwin Lazer Platinum, NCIX doesn't sell them it seems.

As for the case, it's subjective and in the end a question of taste.. if it was me I'd pick a CoolerMaster Cosmos Black or a LianLi Z-60... or, if budget wasn't a concern maybe a Silverstone FT-02 or a LianLi A77F which is probably the best high end case on the market (apart from boutique brands like Little Devil, XSPC and so on).

ps. very few people around the web do proper cooler reviews, check XBitLabs or Lab501, I'm pretty sure you'll find a review for the Zalman CNPS12X.
 
Lets just say you picked the wrong place for such research... the Hyper isn't worthwhile either(unless you can get it for <20$), when buying coolers you look at Prolimatech, Thermlaright, etc..

Where are you buying from and what is the designated cooler budget, also mention any space constraints(if applies).

The Hyper 212 is the best bang for your buck cooler out there, period. Honestly, comparing it to $80 air coolers is idiotic.

And that PSU you recommended isn't worth the $120 Canadian.

>_>
 
The Hyper 212 is the best bang for your buck cooler out there, period. Honestly, comparing it to $80 air coolers is idiotic.
No, and no one is comparing it to high end coolers.. Thermalright True Spirit 140 or Thermalright HR-02 Macho are <40$ coolers and they trash the 212+, in fact they outclass far better coolers than the 212+ in both cooling and acoustic performance ;)

And that PSU you recommended isn't worth the $120 Canadian.

>_>
That's for people who know a thing or two about PSUs to decide, and that obviously isn't your case.. though, at 120$ the X-560 it's not a deal, but it's in noway overpriced.
 
No, and no one is comparing it to high end coolers.. Thermalright True Spirit 140 or Thermalright HR-02 Macho are <40$ coolers and they trash the 212+, in fact they outclass far better coolers than the 212+ in both cooling and acoustic performance ;)


That's for people who know a thing or two about PSUs to decide, and that obviously isn't your case.. though, at 120$ the X-560 it's not a deal, but it's in noway overpriced.

Considering I paid $65 for the PSU in my sig.. yes, yes it is over priced.
 
Good point about the overclocking. I intend on using the watercooler noted to push my system to about 4.5ghz to 4.7ghz 24/7 stable. So maybe then a 750 is needed after all?

Edit: Just out of curiosity ... i've always wondered something. If you are using, say a 750 watt PSU, does that mean your PC is always drawing 750 watts 24/7? or does that just mean it can draw to to 750 watts as needed?

It can just draw 750 watts as needed. Usually they're rated @ continuous power, meaning that's the max that they can run continuously, they can usually spike a little bit higher.

That said, I agree with the poster that said that people go WAY overboard with power supplies these days. I have an I7 920 @ 3.8 and a 7970 and I've never seen my power draw from the wall go much above 400 watts (with 5 hard drives and atleast 5 case fans). I do use a 750 watt PSU though, which was bought when I was running 2x 4870s, but even then it didn't get above 500 watts.

buy a 600+ watt antec, seasonic, or corsair unit and you'll be golden. I only say this because I've had power supplies decrease in total power they can produce over time, and you'll have so much headroom you shouldn't ever have to worry about it. If you're going to be OCing, take a look at some reviews over at jonnyguru and other review sites, they go hardcore.

Edit: If you're buying soon, newegg has a 15% off all corsair power supplies w/ the code on the product page going on right now. You can pick up a TX650 v2 for $62 after MIR with free shipping. Last I heard the V2 was even better than the V1, and I absolutely love my TX750
 
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Considering I paid $65 for the PSU in my sig.. yes, yes it is over priced.

You're comparing a mainstream unit(SS-650AT) with a high end unit(X-560), the latter one offers superior electrical performance, superior efficiency, superior electronics and a superior fan, semi-fanless operation and full modularity.. it's the second best PSU on the NA market at that output level.
 
Good point about the overclocking. I intend on using the watercooler noted to push my system to about 4.5ghz to 4.7ghz 24/7 stable. So maybe then a 750 is needed after all?

Edit: Just out of curiosity ... i've always wondered something. If you are using, say a 750 watt PSU, does that mean your PC is always drawing 750 watts 24/7? or does that just mean it can draw to to 750 watts as needed?
750W power supply means that it has 750W max input(eg it is the max power it can draw from power socket under load). However what is available to parts inside computer is slightly less(around 15-20% less) so that leaves you with around 630W power reserve available. And ofc the 750W is drawn only when there is maximum load on your PC, when your PC is idle or in slight load it consmues 100W for example, not 750 constantly.

The graphics card will eat around 300W and OCed CPU additional 120, so that's 420W and you still have 230W spare power for other components. so to hit the gap, you would still need at least 10 hard drives, 15 case fans and all motherboard slots filled with something to made it draw the PSU's nominal power rating. I'm sure with 750W you are way over what you need, 650 should be enough.
 
750W power supply means that it has 750W max input(eg it is the max power it can draw from power socket under load). However what is available to parts inside computer is slightly less(around 15-20% less) so that leaves you with around 630W power reserve available..
That is incorrect.
Power supplies are rated at output and not input... a 750W rating means it can output 750W continuously, that translates into a higher power draw from the outlet, how much higher depends entirely on efficiency.. an 800W power supply which returns 80% efficiency at full load, will draw 1000W from the wall when fully loaded(800W output).


The graphics card will eat around 300W and OCed.
No.
 
Profumo is right, 750 watts is the max continuous, they can spike for short times higher than that just fine.

And the 7950 is powertune limited to 200 watts, unless there's some way around that I don't know about. Even the 7970 is @ 250 watts, and supposedly that was overkill from the reviews I read.
 
Profumo is right, 750 watts is the max continuous, they can spike for short times higher than that just fine.

And the 7950 is powertune limited to 200 watts, unless there's some way around that I don't know about. Even the 7970 is @ 250 watts, and supposedly that was overkill from the reviews I read.

This.

My system pulls 300W under full load and that's with the 7970 OC'd.
 
WTF are people talking about 7970's pulling down 300-350W alone? Absolutely not.

OP: Watch for sales on NCIX, I was able to buy a Seasonic X-760 (80+ Gold) PSU for $119 with no rebate, it's been on sale for that price twice in the last few months (down from $198). Also bought a Noctua NH-D14 heatsink for $59 (regular $89). I looked at the H100, but it gets the same performance as this NH-D14 yet costs $110, so almost twice as much as the sale price on the D14. I agree the advantage of the H100 is moving the bulky heatsink off the MB so you can access parts easier and not having the heavy weight, but I was not willing to pay double for that (and I am also a huge Corsair fan).
 
i was debating between the h80 or h100, but after some more research, ive decided to reuse my thermalright ultra 120 and buy an 1156 bolt thru kit.

the kit was kinda pricey though.

btw, 119 for a seasonic 760-x?? wow, thats an amazing price! the best ive seen was the 750-x for 119.
 
OK, so i've made a few changes to my original build. I'm ready to pull the trigger and would like to make sure this PSU be be adequate:

i7 2700k [email protected]
Asus Z68-v Pro Gen3
8GB Corsair DDR3 @ 1600
Crucial M4 256GB SSD
Asus internal BD player
XFX 7950 Black Edition (factory OC@900Mhz)
H100 cooler for CPU
3 120mm case fans

The chosen PSU is Corsair AX650. I will never xfire though I maybe upgrade to IB down the road.

Good enuff?
 
AX 650 is overkill. A good quality 550 watt power supply would be more than adequate.
 
Looking at OP specs, would the Kingwin LZP 550 have enough power to run system effectively?

I am building system for my son and will use almost identical items except a i5 2500k (OC) and either a 7950 or 6970 gpu.

Newegg has on sale till 3/11 for $128 w/promocode.
 
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