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Need advice on PSU

E

ekierce

Gawd
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Messages
954
Okay, currently, I'm running the following hardware:

4 x SATA hard drives
2 x DVD-R drives
2 x GTX 275 in SLI
1 x 9800GT for PhysX
1 x X-Fi Fatal1ty Titanium
i7 920
12 GB RAM

Is there any reason that a 1050 watt supply would be insufficient for this? I'm unable to determine exactly what the requirements would be for all this.

Currently, I'm using an ABS SL1050 which seems to give a consistent and stable voltage when I measure with a multimeter. The unit has an 80+ silver rating and >85% efficiency rating. I highly doubt that it's the problem.

Just recently though, I've started seeing some odd crashes that say they're from the Nvidia driver (nvlddmkm.sys). This is in Win7 64 bit btw.

I just totally blew away and reinstalled all the nvidia drivers to see if that resolves it (I did recently move the cards to different slots for better airflow, etc. so that MAY have scrambled the drivers.).

Anyway, anyone have recommendations for an appropriate wattage for this config? Just want to make sure I'm pumping enough juice :).

Thanks.
 
4x Sata, at roughly 10W each, 40W
2x DVD, at roughly 25-30W each, 50W
2x GTX 275, at Roughly 220W each, 440W
1x 9800gt (assuming old, new is 20W less), 125W
1x Sound card (guessing here) 5W
1x i7 920, 130TDP, about 140W real max
12GB ram, about 60W total, assuming 6 sticks.
Motherboard.
Mobo has LGA1366, Intel Chipset, 2 PCIxX16, so... about 40W is too conservative, about 50-60W fits the bill.


I know the actual numbers, but I don't know what you have, so I am using generic mid range parts wattage, these are within 5-7W of the real numbers.
 
Maybe I was lazy to add up.

A lither over 900w at max draw (assuming MAX, i.e. burn).

PSU... probably is taking it.
 
I saw your signuature.

About 950W+ is what your system can draw at utter maximum.
Mostly likely, it's drawing about 700W-800W during gaming.

Start by unpluging one of your DVD drives and the 9800gt.

If there is no instability then, then you know it's the PSU.

But once the PSU started failing... it isn't going to get much better.

Your motherboard probably has an option to disable speedstepping (lowing CPU power when it draws too much power), enable that, too, if issue persist.

But if it got to that stage, your PSU would really be toast, sorry.
 
I've never heard of that PSU. Is it rated to give 1050W Continuous Power? Or is that more of an optimistic manufacturer rating?
NM, guess it is supposed to be continuous.
I'd +1 the above thoughts then. Try unplugging component by component and seeing if/when your system becomes stable.
 
vjcsmoke said:
I've never heard of that PSU. Is it rated to give 1050W Continuous Power? Or is that more of an optimistic manufacturer rating?
NM, guess it is supposed to be continuous.
I'd +1 the above thoughts then. Try unplugging component by component and seeing if/when your system becomes stable.
Click to expand...

The ABS is a rebranded PSU.

ABS makes 'gaming' computers, like CyberPower claims to.


Sorry, but I just remebered that fact.


These 'gaming' computer manufacturers are just as bad as OEM builders, except their PSU quality is even worse (especially of what is expected), as they slap in the cheapest PSU possible.

I'll assume you got your system, sans the 9800gt and second DVD-r and two SATA drives.

Then the PSU makes a little bit more sense.

But they, like OEMs (of the past, Dell and HP are turning around on this, allowing for some decent upgrades), are just slapping the minimum requirements in.


Sorry, but once PSUs start acting up, they typically only go south faster.

You need about a 1.2kW (I cannot believe I am recommending this) PSU for your current setup, and 1.5kW to be sure.

^^I cannot believe myself... after years of never recommending such highend PSUs... I finally see a system that will need one!
 
jeremyshaw said:
You need about a 1.2kW (I cannot believe I am recommending this) PSU for your current setup, and 1.5kW to be sure.

^^I cannot believe myself... after years of never recommending such highend PSUs... I finally see a system that will need one!
Click to expand...
That is way overboard. The OP's system won't use more than 750W of power in practically any situation. His current PSU is plenty. And ABS is one of Newegg's house brands.

By the way, the ABS SL1050 is actually a rebadged Enermax Revolution85+ 1050W, so it's definitely a quality PSU.
 
Zero82z said:
That is way overboard. The OP's system won't use more than 750W of power in practically any situation. His current PSU is plenty. And ABS is one of Newegg's house brands.

By the way, the ABS SL1050 is actually a rebadged Enermax Revolution85+ 1050W, so it's definitely a quality PSU.
Click to expand...

Ah... thanks.

Still, what is your diagnostic?

I'm lost otherwise.
 
Still, it does mean, at max, the system can burn about 900W (because I am assuming you won't burn 2 DVD at once while gaming!).

900W out of the 1050W (rated at what tempurature?)
@ NewEgg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817194039

not alot of happy people, there. 24% bad is about 14% (linearly, I'm too lazy to figure it out correctly) more then I'd like, and this is before checking the severity of the issue.

0-10% is decent (for the 1 Egg placeholder).

search for the post titled:
Incompatible with EVGA

there is a bit of help there (actually, just a phone number).
 
jeremyshaw said:
Ah... thanks.

Still, what is your diagnostic?

I'm lost otherwise.
Click to expand...
Could be an OS issue, a motherboard issue, a GPU issue, etc. I doubt that a faulty PSU would be causing driver crashes.
jeremyshaw said:
Still, it does mean, at max, the system can burn about 900W (because I am assuming you won't burn 2 DVD at once while gaming!).
Click to expand...
Not 900W; more like 700-750W at most.
jeremyshaw said:
900W out of the 1050W (rated at what tempurature?)
@ NewEgg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817194039

not alot of happy people, there. 24% bad is about 14% (linearly, I'm too lazy to figure it out correctly) more then I'd like, and this is before checking the severity of the issue.

0-10% is decent (for the 1 Egg placeholder).

search for the post titled:
Incompatible with EVGA

there is a bit of help there (actually, just a phone number).
Click to expand...
It's rated at 50C and is one of the best PSUs on the market:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2008/12/10/enermax_revolution85_1050w/
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=138

As for the EVGA thing, that was a design flaw with their motherboards causing them to not work properly with the DC-DC conversion circuits in the Enermax PSUs. They fixed the issue in newer board revisions and Enermax also released new revisions of their PSUs to compensate.
 
Last edited:
Ah, thanks! (though I am not OP!).

Also, since I have already pulled the information:
http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/...n=versionless&parent_id=1073787374&sequence=1

EDIT:

Zero82z, what would be your breakdown?
I've always considered myself rather accurate (though a bit conservative with the numbers, i.e, the DVD values are for inrush, but the CPU and GPU are TDP based [nVidia posts actual wattage, Intel posts a tad less in it's TDP, so 130W is about 140W max, before any enduser modification]), mostly due to the MiniITX systems I put together.
 
I'd say about 60W for the HDs, 20W for the optical drives. 300-320W for the GTX275s, 80-100W for the 9800GT (probably even less since it won't be loaded much as a PhysX card), 10W for the sound card, 130W for the CPU (again, less than that in reality since the CPU won't be anywhere near its TDP during normal operation, especially while gaming), and about 60-80W for everything else. That comes out to around 720W on the high side, but probably closer to 600-650W in reality.
 
Ah...

that explains how I have gotten away with my cheap-o 300W! (though INWIN is in house.



Thank you for the heads up, Zero82z (we need those little 'bowing down in awestruckness' emoticons)!

Given that he is using an eVGA motherboard, could it be the DC-DC issue, or would refuse to start up at all?
 
Thanks for the info.

I knew the PSU was rebranded, but I didn't know it was an Enermax. Interesting.

I'll have to read through this in more detail later.

Thanks again!
 
Zero82z said:
That is way overboard. The OP's system won't use more than 750W of power in practically any situation. His current PSU is plenty. And ABS is one of Newegg's house brands.

By the way, the ABS SL1050 is actually a rebadged Enermax Revolution85+ 1050W, so it's definitely a quality PSU.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity . . . how do you know for sure it's a rebadged Enermax? The specs look the same (as does the packaging configuratio w/ the two long boxes inside one large box, and the nylon pouch, etc.), but the modular connections are slightly different (there are two different types of "red" connectors on the ABS, only one kind on the Enermax.

I'm just curious.

Thanks.
 
ekierce said:
Just out of curiosity . . . how do you know for sure it's a rebadged Enermax? The specs look the same (as does the packaging configuratio w/ the two long boxes inside one large box, and the nylon pouch, etc.), but the modular connections are slightly different (there are two different types of "red" connectors on the ABS, only one kind on the Enermax.

I'm just curious.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Enermax: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowI...X REVOLUTION85+ ERV1050EWT 1050W Power Supply
ABS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowI... 1050W "Compatible with Core i7" Power Supply

The internal component layout is identical, as are the positions of the switch, power socket, and LED.
 
Sounds reasonable to me :).

My instincts tell me that the issue is caused by drivers that got mucked up by moving cards to different slots and Windows 7 trying to install drivers on its own.

The PSU was just an area of concern.

If it is the Enermax (which I'm fairly certain it is based on the layout in those pics, the specs and the packaging I mentioned earlier), I doubt seriously the PSU has anything to do with the problem.

Oh, and to anyone interested, it didn't come as part of a PC, but it was a package deal from Newegg. Buying it with my EVGA x58 Tri SLI (which I ended up trading up to the Classified), got me a $100 discount on the PSU.
 
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