Actual power draw?

[GraySplatter]

So I'm curious.

How many of you with relatively high-end systems have measured the actual power draw of your system at the wall when running 100% CPU+GPU?

Not counting the monitor or printer or whatever else you have on your powerstrip/UPS -- just what would be powered by the PSU.

I'm looking for real numbers both with and without SLI/Crossfire.

What are your specs?

Jeff

 

[dBTelos]

If you're looking for draw on a specific system, I can estimate it for you.

 

[GraySplatter]

Originally posted by: dBTelos
If you're looking for draw on a specific system, I can estimate it for you.

Aaah! I've run through the PSU calculators, and I'm having a hard time believing what they say.

That's why I'm asking if anybody has actually measured!

Jeff

 

[dBTelos]

Some calculators are accurate, some arn't. Power draws on GPUs have been done here:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/gpu-consumption2006_4.html
x1900xt

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/radeon-x1900xtx_7.html
x1900 / 7800

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/geforce7800gtx512_5.html
7800 / x1800

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/radeon-x1900xtx_7.html
New ATi / 7800

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/ati-powercons.html
ATi OLD

You can find more if you look. As well as the load put on by your CPU. That's pretty much all you need to know though.

 

[piasabird]

Power supplies could also be rated on the amount of energy they consume making the power you need. Power supplies can be less or more efficient also. It takes power to make power.

 

[Operandi]

Power Distribution within Six PCs

That's the best in-depth look I've seen dealing with actual power draw. Even the highest clocked P4 / 6800GT system peaked at under 250 watts.

 

[jbroughton]

 

[mikeford]

Buy a Killawatt for $25, plug in a PC and see what you are using.

 

[mikeford]

Wow, nice link Operandi, very informative.

 

[GraySplatter]

Yes, I've run across that SPCR article before, and the question of how much power are systems really drawing has been nagging at me, which is why I finally posted here!

More than anything, I was curious if people really knew what their systems were drawing.

And yes, I know there are a lot of variables, PSU efficiency, CPU voltage and overclock, memory voltage and overclock, chipset draw, number of drives, fans, etc.

So the question still remains. How much power do people's systems draw from the wall, and what are the specs? No theoreticals, no calculations... Honest to goodness real world numbers!

Jeff

 

[RebateMonger]

n.m.

 

[dBTelos]

Even the highest clocked P4 / 6800GT system peaked at under 250 watts.

What did you expect? That is actually a lot of power from such a system.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: jeffwegher
Yes, I've run across that SPCR article before, and the question of how much power are systems really drawing has been nagging at me, which is why I finally posted here!

More than anything, I was curious if people really knew what their systems were drawing.

And yes, I know there are a lot of variables, PSU efficiency, CPU voltage and overclock, memory voltage and overclock, chipset draw, number of drives, fans, etc.

So the question still remains. How much power do people's systems draw from the wall, and what are the specs? No theoreticals, no calculations... Honest to goodness real world numbers!

Jeff

From thew wall numbers are a bit misleading since you have to acount for the AC to DC conversion, but I guess it's better then nothing.

Originally posted by: dBTelos

Even the highest clocked P4 / 6800GT system peaked at under 250 watts.

What did you expect? That is actually a lot of power from such a system.

That system represents about as much power you can draw with a single CPU, GPU system.

The 6800GT has been eclipsed by the x1900 series but the Core2 is an ice cube compared to what a high clocked P4 dissipates in terms of heat (watts).

 

[dBTelos]

P4 EE draws the most power for the CPU. For GPU, the 7800GTX and x1800 series take the cake (about the same power consumption). OC it all, add in RAIDed HDDs, water cooling, and extra optical drives, and you will have more then 250W for sure.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: dBTelos
P4 EE draws the most power for the CPU. For GPU, the 7800GTX and x1800 series take the cake (about the same power consumption). OC it all, add in RAIDed HDDs, water cooling, and extra optical drives, and you will have more then 250W for sure.

Right, but almost nobody builds systems like that. Approaching 300 watts is possible with a single CPU, GPU but for few systems will, especially now that we don't have worry about feeding the power hungry P4 anymore.

 

[dBTelos]

This thread isn't about generalization, it's about showing the OP a thing or two.