PSU & Graphics Card

I

Inhaber

n00b
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
10
I'm going to get a BFG 8800 GTS 512mb soon from a friend who doesn't need it anymore. I was wondering if I should be worried at all about my power supply running it. I've been reading around and I've seen a few people running that card on a 460W power supply, but I just want to hear from some of the people on here.

The Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143119

The PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171028

System: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+, 2GB Ram, 150GB HD, DVD/CDRW

Everything is stock and I don't plan to overclock at all. I'm thinking that it would more than likely be on the high end of the PSU since I've heard the 8800's take more power.
 
That PSU only has 312W or 26A on the +12V rail. In addition, that PSU can only provide 430W of power reliably. Considering that the 8800GTS 512MB uses up 145W of power by itself under full load, you will be cutting it a bit close on the +12V rail.

Which X2 4600+ do you have? the 90nm or the 65nm model?
 
To be honest I'm not sure which version it is. Would there be any cheap power supplies that could sufficiently power it without worry? Would like to stay around $50 if possible at most. That could be after rebate as well.

I'm thinking it might just be safer to upgrade because I remember reading (on here I think) that keeping the PSU within 40-80% of its usage is best for its lifespan.
 
Inhaber said:
Anyone have an opinion on hec power supplies? The one below in particular. It has good reviews and pretty good wattage looks like. Browsing google atm looking for reviews and such.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817339006
Click to expand...

It's shit. HEC is well known by PSU enthusiasts to over-rate their PSUs. So that HEC could be a 200W PSU for all we know. Stick to trusted brands like Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, PC Power&Cooling, BFG, and Enermax

Go with either the Antec EA430 or the Antec Trio 430. Both PSUs are of good quality.
 
Just do like I did and get a antec earthwatts 500 watt psu.I got it dirt cheap like $50 and it has 44amp on the 12v rail.I have had it for about 4-5 months and have had no probs yet
 
Bman123 said:
Just do like I did and get a antec earthwatts 500 watt psu.I got it dirt cheap like $50 and it has 44amp on the 12v rail.I have had it for about 4-5 months and have had no probs yet
Click to expand...

The EA500 has 34A on the +12V rail. The EA430 has 30A on the +12V rail.
 
Go for the 450VX if you haven't already. It's quite under-rated, which is rare for a PSU in this price segment, and build quality is second to none.
 
The short answer is no. The gpu's these days are mostly rated for amp requirements rather than watts.
 
hossdaddy said:
The short answer is no. The gpu's these days are mostly rated for amp requirements rather than watts.
Click to expand...

QFT.

It really depends on WHICH 700W PSU you're talking about. There are shitty 700W PSUs out there barely capable of providing enough power for a onboard video let alone a video card. Then there are some 700W PSUs that can provide power for GTX280 SLI. So you really have to do your research on which 700W PSU can actually provide their rated power, which has enough amperage on the +12V rail, which is made by a quality OEM, etc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top