Split rails vs nonsplit

[BigRollTide]

I am considering either the Ultra X3 or the Thermaltake 1000w. Both are modular, but the Ultra X3 's12v rail is not split while the Thermaltake's is.

Here is a picture of the back of the Thermaltake's

How are rails usually split up on these connectors? How would you decide what to plug where on this? Thermaltake splits the rails up like this:

I want to power 2 x 8800 GTXes, O/C'ed E6600, 2 pumps, 10 fans, 2 DVDs.

I am a noob when it comes to understanding power supplies. How do you know which of the connectors goes to which rail? What does the 3.3 volt rail supply power to? What does the 5 volt rail supply power to? Can you explain the concept of "splitting the rails" and why do it?

So many questions, so little time

 

[[Spectre]]

The thermaltake's manual explains exactly which connector goes to which rail so deciphering it won't be an issue with product in hand (I don't have a manual with me ATM or I could give you exactly which is which).

3.3v is generaly just RAM
5v is mostly logic on drives

Splitting the rails is done for a number of reasons, safety, isolating high draw items from one another, etc.

A single or multirail unit can be used without incident by 99% of users.

The TT has 83A on the 12v versus the Ultra's 70A though they are spread over several rails where as the ultra's is a single.

 

[jonnyGURU]

The TT has 83A on the 12v

Are we talking about the 1000W here?

Also, I have to wonder if they did the same thing with the 1000W that they did with the 750W. They rated it at peak.

 

[[Spectre]]

Are we talking about the 1000W here?

Yeah. If you were thinking of the 1200 it is rated at 100A.

Also, I have to wonder if they did the same thing with the 1000W that they did with the 750W. They rated it at peak.

The 1200 isn't and IIRC they are both the same family.

 

[BigRollTide]

Well, it doesn't matter on the thermaltake...I just measured and it is too wide to fit in the bottom of my TJ07 by about .3"

 

[tonyou]

Yeah. If you were thinking of the 1200 it is rated at 100A.

I doubt it really does 100A since this is the same unit as the Channel Well 1200W, which I remember does not rate that high. I guess we'll just have to wait for your test to find out then?

 

[[Spectre]]

I doubt it really does 100A since this is the same unit as the Channel Well 1200W, which I remember does not rate that high. I guess we'll just have to wait for your test to find out then?

I'll take that bet.

Though I would be curious to see where anyone else has actually taken a load tester and put 90+ amps on a CWT built 1200w unit to "not rate that high".

 

[jonnyGURU]

I actually have both the Thermaltake 1200W and the CWT PUC1200V-A01 and although I admit I haven't had them on the load tester, I will say that the labels are identical including the part where the +12V rails alone make up 100% of the power supply's total output capability.

That said, I still think it's rather unrealistic. Not that the components within the PSU aren't capable of producing 1200W on the +12V rail alone, but that I'm not sure what the results would be of putting NO LOAD on ANY of the other rails of the PSU and all of the load on the +12V.

Should prove to be an interesting experiment.

 

[[Spectre]]

That said, I still think it's rather unrealistic. Not that the components within the PSU aren't capable of producing 1200W on the +12V rail alone, but that I'm not sure what the results would be of putting NO LOAD on ANY of the other rails of the PSU and all of the load on the +12V.

Should prove to be an interesting experiment.

According to the TT manual there is a minimum loading req of 1A on both the 3.3v and 5v. The peak rating on the 1200w is 1300w IIRC corretly. I am fairly certain you could get it to run a touch over 1200w with 100A (although at one point the website does say 99A) on the 12v plus 1A on the 5v and 3.3v...drop the +5vsb down to .1A and the -12v down to .1A (like I did on the Corsair to get it to do 50A on the 12v) to get it to do 100A (98.46A) continuous.

 

[[Spectre]]

I doubt it really does 100A since this is the same unit as the Channel Well 1200W, which I remember does not rate that high. I guess we'll just have to wait for your test to find out then?

I actually have both the Thermaltake 1200W and the CWT PUC1200V-A01 and although I admit I haven't had them on the load tester, I will say that the labels are identical including the part where the +12V rails alone make up 100% of the power supply's total output capability.

That said, I still think it's rather unrealistic. Not that the components within the PSU aren't capable of producing 1200W on the +12V rail alone, but that I'm not sure what the results would be of putting NO LOAD on ANY of the other rails of the PSU and all of the load on the +12V.

Should prove to be an interesting experiment.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1183568