Dual Power Supplies: Dual 485's vs one 600 ?

[imported_BadDog]

I am setting up a new system with a Coolmaster CM Stacker case and am considering Dual psu's.

From a cost perspective it is cheaper to purchase for example two Enermax 485 psu?s than to purchase one OCZ Powerstream 600 watt psu.

Just wondering if there is any disadvantage to running dual psu?s with a ?dual psu cable? over running a single power supply.

The dual 485 psu?s should give me 970 Watt?s which should of course be superior ?

 

[imported_Kensai]

Less messes with one PSU.

 

[fstime]

Get the OCZ 520 Powersteam and be happy.

Who the hell needs 970 watts.

 

[imported_BadDog]

What I am wondering is if there are any disadvantages to running dual power supplies with a 'dual power supply cable' over a single psu ?

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: BadDog
What I am wondering is if there are any disadvantages to running dual power supplies with a 'dual power supply cable' over a single psu ?

Well you'd have to answer why you need that much power, because it seems like the major disadvantage is a waste of money. Plus, taking up more space may cause heat issues? Never heard of anyone using 2 PSU's, so don't really know.

 

[PerfeK]

Dual power supplies would give you independent 3.3v,5v AND 12v rails. You'd probably get cleaner, more stable power. That's like 55A on the 12v rail. Great but overkill, imo.

 

[biostud]

If you for some unknown reason needs that much power get the PCP&P 850W PSU

 

[imported_BadDog]

Currently the single Enermax 485w is sufficient, however I plan on adding additional components and water-cooling system that will indeed require additional power. When my power consumption needs rise I can purchase two quality lower-rated psu?s providing more power for less money than one top of the line psu(OCZ, PCP&P ? whatever). My question was inquiring if there would be any negative impacts in making use of a dual psu setup using a ?dual power supply cable?. Is there any reason why using dual psu?s with the ?dual psu cable?(providing more power than a single psu) would not be superior to a single psu?

 

[Zepper]

I often recommend using two small PSUs instead of one large one in systems that have lots of HDs or other crap that suck lots of 12V. As you know, it's much more economical at least in up-front cost. Two Sparkle 550 PLGs will blow a PCP&C 850 or a Zippy 900 away at 30% or more savings. You just need a case like the Codegen SR-100 to hold them.

.bh.

 

[nullshark]

I'm not sure what you mean by "dual psu cable" but I've been running two PSUs for about 6 months now with no issues. Both are ATX 350W and I spliced the green pin14 (Power on) wires together, so they both power up when the case button is pushed (make sure you have them both connected to a common ground if you go this route - i.e. both screwed into the case).

I used a dremel and a drill to cut new holes for the 2nd PSU and screws and mounted it above my primary. This 24" case has a mounting spot for an 80cm fan above the PSU, so that's where I cut.

I run the mobo, C: drive and AGP supplementary power from the primary PSU. The second PSU powers two hdds, one optical drive, one floppy & four fans (dual cpu, one low-front intake & one intake in front of my 3 hdds which are all suspended in the 5.25" bays for less noise).

The second PSU acts as another exhaust fan and has actually quieted the first PSU by preventing its fans from spinning up, as it is under less stress and runs cooler, now.

 

[Gamingphreek]

You do not need dual PSU's. You could run a high end peltier cooler and you would still be ok. Read PCP&C's consumption analysis. A fully loaded P4 system consumes IIRC ~300Watt.

By the time you need more power there will be a new standard or something else.

-Kevin

 

[nullshark]

I think it depends on what you mean by "fully loaded."

Going by PC Power & Computing's Power Usage Page, if I take the minimum, stats on that page, I'd need 570 Watts minimum (after the 1.8 multiplier they suggest). For the maximum stats, I'd need 936!

They also state "Furthermore, power supplies are more efficient and reliable when loaded to 30% - 70% of maximum capacity." If I followed those rules, to stay within the 70% efficiency zone, I'd need 814 Watts min and 1337 Watts if all my devices ran at the highest ratings on that page. Now that's a little unreasonable for me, as I'm able to spread my 12v load around as I see fit and can forgo with the 1.8 multiplier, so a closer estimate at 70% efficiency (using their stats) would be a minimum of 452Watts and max of 742 Watts (using their stats).

Going by your estimate "a fully loaded P4..." Using their minimum stats (with just one harddrive, just one optical drive, 4 pci cards and two sticks of 128 RAM, 1 cpu fan and 2 case fans) after the 1.8 modifier, you get 441 Watts. I'd avoid making blanket statements like that as most PSU-system configurations are different. He didn't say what's in his system but he mentioned a Stacker case, so I'm assuming there's going to be a lot of drives, heh.

BadDog, I say if you have two PSUs and want/are able to use them. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than getting a huge supply.

All that being said, of course, PSU "requirements" that are bandied about all over the net, are hugely overstated

 

[bob4432]

damn, you shouldn't need 2 ps, hell i am running a p4c @ 3.15 /1GB ram/ 9800Pro/ 1 10krpm hdd/ 1 80GB 7200 rpm hdd/ 1 60GB 7200rpm hdd/ 1 dvd-rw/1 dvd-rom/a floppy/7 80mm fans and a 92mm fan on a antec 350 with no probs whatsoever.

a friend of mine, for fun built a machine that had like 15 hdds and a couple of optical drives and added a second ps, i think he had 2 400W, but that was just to split the power for the hdds.

whar are your system specs?

 

[nullshark]

Hehe, and according to the PCP&C stats, you'd need about a 700W PSU to run all that within the 70% efficiency zone, lol.

 

[imported_Kensai]

According to PC P&C, I'd need a PSU rated for 4000W....

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: bob4432
damn, you shouldn't need 2 ps, hell i am running a p4c @ 3.15 /1GB ram/ 9800Pro/ 1 10krpm hdd/ 1 80GB 7200 rpm hdd/ 1 60GB 7200rpm hdd/ 1 dvd-rw/1 dvd-rom/a floppy/7 80mm fans and a 92mm fan on a antec 350 with no probs whatsoever.

a friend of mine, for fun built a machine that had like 15 hdds and a couple of optical drives and added a second ps, i think he had 2 400W, but that was just to split the power for the hdds.

whar are your system specs?

with these items plus my 2 pci cards i forgot to mention, i need a 950W ps....damn that thing is way off...

 

[Gamingphreek]

PCP&C is full of it then (In terms of power requirements)...