Power supply for GTX 480

[bobzdar]

I just got a GTX 480 and would like to try it out in my system, but Nvidia recommends a 600W PSU. I have a 550W Antec PSU that has 3 12V rails and looks like it can put out a max of 37A on the 12V rail. The rest of the system is in the sig. I'll obviously pull the 8800GT out as I don't have anything that uses Physx anyway. Best I can tell, the Antec PSU should be able to handle it, but wanted to get some opinions before I fired it up. I do plan to upgrade the PSU if I keep the 480 in the system.

 

[cannondale06]

as long as you don't oc the 480 and/or your cpu, you will be okay for a little while. I certainly would not run furmark though.

really I cant understand why you would buy a hot, noisy, power hog like the gtx480 when there are much better options out there. plus the fact that you need to get a new psu defeats any deal that you may have have gotten.

 

[bobzdar]

What if the deal were that I got the card for free?

I would have gone for a 6850 or something similar if I were buying a card. I'm a mentor on a FIRST robotics team and they handed out GTX480's to all of the teams at the competition this year, and I'm the only one with a computer that could make use of the card. I don't game much on the computer anyway, the card would be more for autocad and inventor, but I wanted to give it a try as long as it doesn't blow up my PSU.

 

[djkest]

That's way, way overkill for autocad and inventor. They hardly need a 3d graphics card at all.

 

[bobzdar]

I've imported enough objects in inventor to slow it down before, though generally I agree. I do run iRacing and have a copy of Batman: AA lying around that I've never played, so it'd get some use on rainy days. Seems like it'll be ok for some limited use, which is all I'll use it for.