4830 power supply requirements - how much of a PSU do I really need

[khodges]

I'm looking to purchase a new video card as a gift for a family member. He's currently running an 7950gt in a relatively solid core 2 duo box. I've been eyeing the 4830 cards, and am close to pulling the trigger. My only concern is the PSU requirement. He's going to have to install the card himself, so if at all possible, I want him to use his current power supply, saving him the hassle of PSU removal/installation.

He's currently running a 350 watt Sparkle Power supply.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817103012

I know ATI recommends closer to 450 watt, but im leanin toward rollin with that Sparkle.

The 12V rails are 18A and 16A, which seem to be comparable to more beefy supplies. Also, in the latest Anand "prebuilt" roundup, they talk about runnin a 8800gt on a stock Dell 300 watt without issue. From what i gather, the 4830 isnt all that much more power hungry than the 8800/9800gt.

The last thing i wanna do is introduce system instability, but i'd like to get him the beefiest card his current PSU can handle.

Any thoughts on dropping a 4830 into that setup? Anyone run a 4000 series card on a modest PSU? Would a 4850 be askin for trouble?

(his other components: c2d 2.3, 1 hd, 1 optical, 2 gigs ddr2 6400).

I just feel like the power reqs are a little inflated.

 

[Sandan]

The 4830 doesn't need a lot of power. I have one and it runs with less power than my old 850xt. My psu is corsair 550watts with amd x2 3800+ 3 gigs ram, 2 opticals, 2 sata hard drives, and a card reader. My son runs the 4850 with a 480w antec PSU again with no problems. I tried an older 350W a while ago with the 850xt and it was unstable so I upgraded...but I also overclock the CPU and have more components. Based on your other components the 350 PSU might work. Did you google a psu calculator where you plug in all the components and it estimates what you need? I think I would lean toward a more powerful supply with over 20 a on the 12v's can't go wrong with more power.

 

[nemesismk2]

I had problems running a 4850 with a no brand 500w PSU but once I bought a 550w all was fine. The 4830 is much less power hungry compared to the 4850 but it's recommended to have atleast a 500w (cheap psu) or 450w (decent quality psu).

 

[AshPhoenix]

I'm running an HD 4850 with an HEC 450W PSU without problems.

 

[OCNewbie]

Check out this review on AT mainpage - Link. The 790i is pretty power hungry, as is the C2E CPU, and 4 dimms, etc. Your Sparkle PSU has 25A on the 12v rail, I'd say give it a go.

 

[BlueWeasel]

I was just to post this exact same question.

I've got a 430w Antec TruePower with a E8400@3.9Ghz running an overclocked 8800GT. I know going to a 4830 from a 8800GT isn't much of an upgrade, but I don't game much anymore and my brother wants my 8800GT for $80. I can get the Sapphire 4830, pop my Accelero on it, and overclock it to 4850 levels. Marginal upgrade, I know, but will only cost me $20.

Given the power requirements of the 8800GT, I'd think I'd be OK with the 430w PSU. Any thoughts?

 

[OCNewbie]

You'll be fine, the TruePower 430w has ample power for the 4830.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: OCNewbie
You'll be fine, the TruePower 430w has ample power for the 4830.

Thanks!