Evga 6600GT 256MB with a 300w PSU?

[Astonm]

Hey guys,

Im new here and looking for some advice, I am interested in buying the eVGA 6600GT 256mb (http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=256-P2-N420-TX ) which i can get for 165 US(180CAN). My problem is that i have a 300w Power supply. I have heard of people getting away with this before but am wondering what you think. My comps specs are:
P4 2.8 GHZ
512mb Rams (2 dimms)
DVD RW
CD rom
160GB SATA HDD

BTW, the PSU is rated at 19A at +12v

 

[duragezic]

Providing that the 300w you mention is of decent quality, yes it should be fine. Though I don't know the exact usage of P4s, I was able to run an Athlon XP 3200+, 1.5GB ram (3 sticks), two optical drives, two 7200rpm hard drives, Audigy Platinum, 6800GT, plus case fans, through a stress test and it worked fine with my 350w. I'd say with your less power hungry components (your CPU might use a little more watts than mine) that 300w would be fine.

 

[Matthias99]

Unless this is some craptastic off-brand "300W" PSU that lies about its specs, you should be fine. Assuming it can actually put out 19A on the +12V line, it has PLENTY of juice for that card.

Most people DRAMATICALLY overestimate their PSU requirements.

 

[Astonm]

The PSU is pretty much a no name brand, but that is what it says on the side.

 

[0roo0roo]

itdepends on your psu. the wattage ratings aren't really standardized for how they are measured so theres lots of ways to fudge the numbers so cheap psu's are actually much less then what they claim.

that being said i use a 300watt seasonic to power a 2.2ghz barton(overclocked) +6600gt 128mb 1gb 4 7200rpm hd's, 2 optical, 1 soundcard, bevy of fans, and a tv tuner. but that being said seasonics are some of the best and in tests give every last drop of their rating without going haywire or getting hot and loud, which is rare.

so...maybe.

silentpcreview.com has some reviews
custompc magazine had nice full load testing a few issues back..maybe your library has it

 

[Astonm]

Say i do buy the card and install it, whats the worst case senario? Will anything get screwed up?

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Astonm
Say i do buy the card and install it, whats the worst case senario? Will anything get screwed up?

Absolute worst-case scenario: the PSU bursts into flames while you are sleeping and burns your house down, killing you and your family. AT Forums is saddened by the loss of such a promising young poster.

Somewhat more realistic worst-case scenario if you overload the PSU: It blows itself out (could happen in a variety of ways), possibly damaging your other parts.

Generally, they tend not to blatantly lie about the voltage rail specifications (since if they do they will not be able to get any kind of official certifications, like UL/CE safety ratings). If it says it can do 19A on the +12V rail, it can probably push close to that, which would be enough for your system.

 

[0roo0roo]

i burned a sl350 antec on a previous less power hungry system after a year of use...so u just take your chances. no massive fire, it just fused the plug to the m/b and made bad bad smells. heh

read the psu section of silentpcreview.com for info on psu specs...and how they cheat.

you might be ok, or it might just be less stable its impossible to say.

 

[Astonm]

would you please direct me to exactly where this information lies in silentpcreview.com? thanks!

 

[WobbleWobble]

Originally posted by: Astonm
would you please direct me to exactly where this information lies in silentpcreview.com? thanks!

Here