Corsair TX 750

[nwo]

Would a Corsair TX 750 (first version, not version 2) be enough to power 3x 7870s for mining?



7870s run at about 150W each, so I think it gives me enough power for the CPU and the rest.

I'm looking at buying this refurb Corsair TX 750:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8521721&Sku=

 

[lehtv]

For some reason that tigerdirect link gives me Access Denied. What price was it?

It might work, but I wouldn't do it as the unit is low in efficiency (only 80 Plus), and running it for long periods of time with a configuration it doesn't natively support (it only has four PCIe connectors) might cause problems soon.

Get a 850W+ unit with six PCIe connectors. E.g. Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 $130 ($90 AR), 80+ Silver
or
XFX Pro 850W $120 ($105 AR), 80+ Gold

It makes long term economic sense to get a high efficiency unit backed by long warranty for a setup that consumes a lot of power and is run at full load for long periods of time.

 

[nwo]

The price is $59.99-$20 MIR = $39.99! Don't really want to spend $100+ on a PSU unless I really have to.

 

[lehtv]

Since it's a refurb it must have a pretty short warranty. I'd rather have a more expensive, more efficient unit that's guaranteed to power the build, even if that meant doubling in cost. Some of the cost will be repaid as smaller electricity bills. The rest of the extra cost is the peace of mind from having a unit definitely powerful enough, backed by warranty.

If you want to give the TX750 a go though, feel free to do so. The load wattage of your build will not reach the maximum capacity of the TX750.

 

[nwo]

Thank you very much for your input.

I think I will most likely go with the TX 750. It comes with a 12 month warranty which is pretty good for a refurb.

 

[Charlie98]

Would a Corsair TX 750 (first version, not version 2) be enough to power 3x 7870s for mining

Don't really want to spend $100+ on a PSU unless I really have to

You have 3 7870s and you don't want to spend $100 on a proper PSU? Here... I'll repost what lehtv said in case you missed it...

It makes long term economic sense to get a high efficiency unit backed by long warranty for a setup that consumes a lot of power and is run at full load for long periods of time.

 

[nwo]

5% efficiency is not really going to break my bank since electricity bill is not really a factor for me @ only 6 cents per kWh. So it will probably take a couple of years just to break even at 5% higher efficiency.

Here is my math:
700W x 0.05 extra eff = saving of 35W per hour x 24 hours/day = 840W saved every day... Which means I save around 5 cents per day on my electic bill... To me, it is not worth spending twice the amount up front and then waiting roughly 1200 days (nearly 4 years) to make up for the additional $60 I spent on the PSU.

 

[lehtv]

1200 days is 3.28 years, not nearly 4 years. But if it's going to pay itself back in four years, it's definitely worth it, since the unit will still have at least a year of warranty left. So you can still keep using it with peace of mind, and it will start generating a small profit compared to still using the TX750, and especially compared to having bought another PSU by that time... which you may have to do if you push the TX750 that hard for that long.

I think you're overestimating the load wattage by a little, and you're probably not gonna have it running 24/7/365, so $18 a year (0.05x365/100) is a bit optimistic. But still worth it.

 

[Charlie98]

I'm of the 'right tool for the right job' camp... and sometimes the 'right tool' costs a little more money. But that's me...

 

[nwo]

1200 days is 3.28 years, not nearly 4 years. But if it's going to pay itself back in four years, it's definitely worth it, since the unit will still have at least a year of warranty left. So you can still keep using it with peace of mind, and it will start generating a small profit compared to still using the TX750, and especially compared to having bought another PSU by that time... which you may have to do if you push the TX750 that hard for that long.

I think you're overestimating the load wattage by a little, and you're probably not gonna have it running 24/7/365, so $18 a year (0.05x365/100) is a bit optimistic. But still worth it.

Yep, I was overestimating my wattage. 3x7870 and a fully loaded i5 3570k will probably use around 600W even with a slight OC.

Not all PSUs come with 5 year warranties. XFX offers 5 years on theirs if you register within 30 days. Cooler Master is only 2 years, EVGA is 3 years, TT is 5 years....

I know I am taking a big risk with the refurb unit, but 1 year warranty will offer me some peace of mind. Considering some new PSUs only come with 2 year warranties, I think I'm getting a good deal. Also Corsair TX power supplies were (and still are) considered pretty decent and very popular.