CNET Discovers Power Problems w/512MB 7800 GTX SLI Cards and FX-60 CPUs

[Woofmeister]

This is amazing. CNET tested a Falcon March V and a Velocity Micro Raptor sytem, both with FX-60 CPUs and 512MB 7800GTX cards running in SLI and they couldn't play Doom3 at the highest settings. The reason? The systems' power demands were too much for the SLI-certified 600-watt PSUs!

Even down-clocking the systems to stock speeds didn't help.

I laughed when PC Power & Cooling marketed a 1KW PSU for $500, but those of us who are committed to upgrading to the next generation of video cards may all be buying one by the end of the year.

Does it ever end?

 

[RobertR1]

If it's doing that do 7800GTX Sli's I don't see why the x1900xt crossfire would fair any better. TOO MUCH POWER!!!

 

[Matthias99]

As hinted at in the article, it's probably a power balancing issue -- the way the systems were configured was putting too much load on one rail of the PSU.

 

[CP5670]

I suppose that 700W Zippy unit with its single 45A 12V line would be perfect here.

 

[Hacp]

external power brick FTW

 

[slash196]

Originally posted by: CP5670
I suppose that 700W Zippy unit with its single 45A 12V line would be perfect here.

That would do it...:Q

 

[5150Joker]

Originally posted by: Hacp
external power brick FTW

Yep I agree. These high end cards really need to start shipping with power bricks. Of course then we'll all be paying $100-$150 extra just for a brick unless they make it a required accessory for one time purchase.

 

[jiffylube1024]

I'm curious as to the brand of PSU. While many companies have 500W+ PSU's, they are often of varying quality. I've always had success with Enermax and they occupy my #1 spot. I also like the new OCZ PSU's, and Antec are solid.

 

[5150Joker]

I can tell you guys this much: my X1900 XTX when at max OC along with an OC'd CPU puts a lot of strain on my 550 W Antec TP 2.0 PSU which is also SLi certified. It gets to the point where my PSU is literally screaming, "uncle uncle" and it cranks its fan up to the highest speed possible.

 

[Pete]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker

Originally posted by: Hacp
external power brick FTW

Yep I agree. These high end cards really need to start shipping with power bricks. Of course then we'll all be paying $100-$150 extra just for a brick unless they make it a required accessory for one time purchase.

As much as I dislike the idea of a unique and thus pricier master card, you have to wonder if adding an external power brick to it would be worthwhile, considering the power draw. I mean, you've already got the compositing chip baggage, and tho that allows for mighty nice "Super" AA, why not add a power brick to help offset the negatives?

OTOH, technically it would be another dongle....

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker

Originally posted by: Hacp
external power brick FTW

Yep I agree. These high end cards really need to start shipping with power bricks. Of course then we'll all be paying $100-$150 extra just for a brick unless they make it a required accessory for one time purchase.

dont forget as well brick = weight = more shipping costs

also with dual rail PSU's how on earth do you know which components are using which rail? ive had a few crashes here and there with my sli setup and 500w seasonic S12, but since everything was overclocked i put it down to memory or the cpu.....this has got me thinking though

 

[Leper Messiah]

lawl. My antec 400 watt has been powering my computer through an AIW 8500, a 9800 pro and a 7800GT with no problems...

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: Leper Messiah
lawl. My antec 400 watt has been powering my computer through an AIW 8500, a 9800 pro and a 7800GT with no problems...

I thought you said you are done with this forum? I just read that in another thread.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: ArchAngel777

Originally posted by: Leper Messiah
lawl. My antec 400 watt has been powering my computer through an AIW 8500, a 9800 pro and a 7800GT with no problems...

I thought you said you are done with this forum? I just read that in another thread.

the last thing this place needs is people to start posting OT....please keep it real

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer

Originally posted by: ArchAngel777

Originally posted by: Leper Messiah
lawl. My antec 400 watt has been powering my computer through an AIW 8500, a 9800 pro and a 7800GT with no problems...

I thought you said you are done with this forum? I just read that in another thread.

the last thing this place needs is people to start posting OT....please keep it real

Didn't mean to go OT, I read every post in this thread... Not much I can say except, WOW.

 

[Woofmeister]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
I'm curious as to the brand of PSU. While many companies have 500W+ PSU's, they are often of varying quality. I've always had success with Enermax and they occupy my #1 spot. I also like the new OCZ PSU's, and Antec are solid.

You should read the linked article. The PSUs were a SilverStone Strider ST60F in the Falcon, and an EnerMax 701 in the Velocity.

 

[Ronin]

600W does fine for the system in the sig. How much more power does a FX60 consume over a FX57? The difference per AMD docs is 6W. I think I've got more power pushing through this system than theirs, and I'm rock solid.

 

[moonboy403]

then they ARE probably over straining one rail

 

[Ronin]

Note that I was referring @ stock speeds. Haven't done the math for OCed.

 

[beggerking]

multi PSU in future?..

 

[Nirach]

And people laughed at me at the end of 04 for wanting to hook a couple of the bigger PSU's together in a custom case. Now look where we are.

Although. 1KW PSU's do sound cool.. For some reason I can't describe.

 

[BFG10K]

multi PSU in future?..

PSU SLI.

 

[Painman]

This is the main reason I avoided a dual rail PSU. There's no standard re: which rails power what, and no one tells you. Is it one rail for CPU and PCI-E and another for peripherals? Is it something else? Feh. That's why I picked up the Enermax server PSU that I have. One big fat 36A rail.

Then I get the X1900XT, and it says in the literature, 38 amps recommended minimum for Crossfire.

:Q

I have no immediate plans for going that route, but still...

 

[Nirach]

Originally posted by: BFG10K

multi PSU in future?..

PSU SLI.

Oh god.. you've given someone, somewhere, an idea.

Soon we'll be seeing linking devices for PSU headers sporting the logo of your prefered graphics card company, and they'll both do the same thing differently, and spark long winded debates :fear:

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: Woofmeister

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
I'm curious as to the brand of PSU. While many companies have 500W+ PSU's, they are often of varying quality. I've always had success with Enermax and they occupy my #1 spot. I also like the new OCZ PSU's, and Antec are solid.

You should read the linked article. The PSUs were a SilverStone Strider ST60F in the Falcon, and an EnerMax 701 in the Velocity.

Ah, interesting. Just checked up on that one - it's the 600W Enermax from the Noisetaker series. Not the newest generation (the Liberty) but that is no excuse. Definitely a disappointing result.

One thing I do realize about Enermax is that usually their 550/600W PSU's for some reason have about the same voltage rail ratings as the (very efficient) 450/475W PSU's. So it looks like if you're running dual GTX's, high powered dual core CPU's, etc that another brand would be reasonable.

I'd always recommend checking out the voltage rails before getting a PSU, especially if you're going to be loading up on stuff like high graphics cards.

Here's the Enermax Noisetaker 600W (model 701)'s rails:

+3.3V 34A
+5V 34A
+12V1: 18A
+12V2: 18A
+12V combined max: 35A

here's my Noisetaker 485W (Model 495):

+3.3V 32A
+5V 32A
+12V1: 18A
+12V2: 18A
+12V combined max: 32A

Looks like the higher rated one ain't that much better than the 485W at all...

------------

If you check out the new Enermax Liberty series it looks like they've bolstered the +12V rails across the board (at the expense of the much less used +3.3V and +5V rails). The new Liberty 600W Enermax is 22A X2 for the +12V rails...