Can my PSU handle G80 SLI?

[aka1nas]

All right, another question to throw into the mix. Does anyone know if the GTS 320MB uses measurably less power on load than the 640MB version? I haven't found any GTS 320MB reviews that tested power consumption versus the 640MB model. I'm only running a 1680x1050 panel and have no plans to upgrade my display anytime soon, so the 320s might not gimp me.

 

[nZone]

Originally posted by: aka1nas
All right, another question to throw into the mix. Does anyone know if the GTS 320MB uses measurably less power on load than the 640MB version? I haven't found any GTS 320MB reviews that tested power consumption versus the 640MB model. I'm only running a 1680x1050 panel and have no plans to upgrade my display anytime soon, so the 320s might not gimp me.

Probably not much since everything is the same between the two cards except the amount of onboard memory. Maybe few watts less?

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: Woofmeister
In my opinion, SLI certification is a marketing gimmick Nvidia dreamed up. We don't know what's involved in certification and whether an objective criteria is even involved. Originally, the only approved PSUs for the 800GTXs in SLI were those with 1000 watts. Recently, Nvidia has expanded the list to include some models that are rated as low as 750 watts. Quality of design means more than claimed wattage as the Corsair HL620's ability to power 800GTXs in SLI despite its modest 620 watt claimed output demonstrates.

If you check out my original post here, you'll see that the Inquirer was able to power an overclocked Core 2 Extreme QX6700, Nforce 680i, Dual 8800GTXs in SLI and water cooling with a 500 watt PSU.

All that being said, I would not count on a Neo550HE being able to drive dual 8800GTXs over the long haul. Moreover, since the Neo comes with only two PCI-Express cables, the PSU cannot power two 8800GTXs (which require two PCI-Express connectors each) without two splitter cables thereby further increasing resistance.

This thread is about Antec 550 NeoHE and don't wish to still it. But this can provide some guidance. I have a 550 NeoHE too but was thinking of swapping out for a better wattage.

This is from Corsair directly (for Corsair 620w PSU):
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In our internal testing, we've identified that at full load, an 8800GTX consumes around 160-170W of power from the +12V rail. This is about 14A.

Two of them total to 28A.

The rest of the hardware is dependent upon your configuration, but an Intel Quad-Core processor (QX6700) overclocked to 3.3 GHz on an eVGA 680i motherboard draws about 11A from the +12V rail. So now we're at 39A.

Add a couple hard drives at 1A each, you're between 40-45A on the +12V rail at your ambient case temperature (which is most frequently between 35C and 40C) and our HX620 can handle 50A on the +12V at 50C, even more down at 35C and 40C.

If you have some huge number of hard drives, like more than 6, you might want to look into a higher-wattage supply. Keep in mind, it's not running at those ratings at idle.

At idle, the G80 draws about 7A, or 84W of power. The processor draws 4A, or 48W of power. The same system above that draws ~45A at full load will probably draw less than 20A at idle.

Best posts I have seen in a long while. The PSU is fine, but you may want to look into something in the 600 Watt range for longevity sake.

-Kevin