GTX580 SLI on 650 watts?

[houe]

Congrats your GTX 580 SLI system uses only 30W more in BF3 than my 560 Ti system :thumbsup:. Way to enable that vsync lol

Its only a single card for now.

 

[blackened23]

Its only a single card for now.

I really don't understand, nearly 900$ on dual GPU but won't spend more $ on a good PSU?

Troll?

 

[houe]

your system will easily hit peaks of 375 REAL watts or MORE at times in some games. you are going to add another gtx580 which means another 250 REAL watts or more. that is a guaranteed peak of 625 watts or MORE in some gaming when you only have 648 watts max on the 12v. oc anything and its simply just a matter of time. leave everything stock and at best you are running your power supply right into the ground. but hey you saved about 75-100 bucks(if you sold your old psu) and powered your $1200 worth of video cards.

My results are very much in line with anand's own results in the review of the gtx580. He showed 389 Watts (more power explained by his I7 at 3.33GHz or crysis game?) in cyrsis for a single gtx580. He also shows 620 watts in crysis for SLI. Although it isn't stated in the review this appears to be power at the wall. So it looks like I've got a fair bit of head room left. It looks like PSU output will be under the 650 watts by at least 75 watts.

see: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4008/nvidias-geforce-gtx-580/17

 

[houe]

I really don't understand, nearly 900$ on dual GPU but won't spend more $ on a good PSU?

Troll?

No, I'm not a troll and the Seasonic X-650 *IS* a good PSU.

 

[toyota]

My results are very much in line with anand's own results in the review of the gtx580. He showed 389 Watts (more power explained by his I7 at 3.33GHz or crysis game?) in cyrsis for a single gtx580. He also shows 620 watts in crysis for SLI. Although it isn't stated in the review this appears to be power at the wall. So it looks like I've got a fair bit of head room left. It looks like PSU output will be under the 650 watts by at least 75 watts.

see: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4008/nvidias-geforce-gtx-580/17

again SOME games can use more power. heck HAWX will use 55 more watts than Crysis as you see the 675 watts being used for gtx580 sli. an even more demanding game could easily push that well past 700 watts at the wall. and again there could be small peaks above that at times. throw in a mild overclock like you said you wanted and you have just pushed your psu to the very limit of what it is rated for.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4239/nvidias-geforce-gtx-590-duking-it-out-for-the-single-card-king/16

 

[houe]

again SOME games can use more power. heck HAWX will use 55 more watts than Crysis as you see the 675 watts being used for gtx580 sli. an even more demanding game could easily push that well past 700 watts at the wall. and again there could be small peaks above that at times.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4239/nvidias-geforce-gtx-590-duking-it-out-for-the-single-card-king/16

Even if some game pushes it to 700 at the wall I'd still be under 650 PSU output by probably 30 Watts. I stated earlier in this topic that 744 watts was the number at the wall I need to keep an eye on...

 

[lehtv]

Its only a single card for now.

Ah, right. You did leave it a bit ambiguous though ;p

 

[houe]

Ah, right. You did leave it a bit ambiguous though ;p

I'll update my post to clearly indicate only a single GTX580.

 

[jacktesterson]

You need a good 850w ++ power supply. At least, that's what I'd want to be comfortable.

Get a XFX 850w Core or XXX Edition (Depending if you want modular or not)

The Kingwin Lazer LZ-1000w I have in my sig is a great power supply and can be had under $140.00 ..

 

[houe]

It seems ironic that from a community that overclocks and runs there CPU's and GPU's out of spec that there is so much controversy about me pushing my PSU to the edge. I'm not even "overclocking" my PSU - just taking it to 90 to 95% and everyone says "oh no its gonna blow!". lol. Some might say the same thing about overclocking your CPU/GPU... Just seems odd that people think its fine and dandy to run everything beyond its limits but don't mess with the PSU! Even if I "overclocked" my PSU and ran it at 110% (which I'm not) I have full confidence it will run perfectly fine.

 

[jacktesterson]

It seems ironic that from a community that overclocks and runs there CPU's and GPU's out of spec that there is so much controversy about me pushing my PSU to the edge. I'm not even "overclocking" my PSU - just taking it to 90 to 95% and everyone says "oh no its gonna blow!". lol. Some might say the same thing about overclocking your CPU/GPU... Just seems odd that people think its fine and dandy to run everything beyond its limits but don't mess with the PSU! Even if I "overclocked" my PSU and ran it at 110% (which I'm not) I have full confidence it will run perfectly fine.

Then why ask if you had no intention of listening?

You have an awesome Power Supply yes, but its still underpowered. Power supplies are not designed to run above spec for long periods of time. Processors are designed to be overclocked with good cooling. Two GTX 580's in SLI pull about 522 watts in full load just on there own, and over 715 watts for the test system used at Guru3D

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-580-sli-review/14


Ninja Edit: My rule of thumb... Never run above 80% capacity.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Preliminary results as measured at the wall with my Kill-A-Watt. This is for a single GTX580 card.

BF3: 360 watts max
Deus Ex HR: 377 watts max
Prime 95 + MSI Kombustor: 510 watts max

377 watts at 91% efficiency yiels 343 watts output from the PSU.
510 watts at 89% efficiency yields 454 watts output from the PSU.

SLI looks very doable to me! Yeah I probably will go over 650 with prime95 + MSI Kombustor, but as far as gaming I highly doubt I'd be going over 650.

What game is known to be the most demanding on power? Those are the only two games I have installed right now. Crysis?

Subscribed for the trainwreck once the second card goes in.

 

[lehtv]

Get ready...

 

[TemjinGold]

It seems ironic that from a community that overclocks and runs there CPU's and GPU's out of spec that there is so much controversy about me pushing my PSU to the edge. I'm not even "overclocking" my PSU - just taking it to 90 to 95% and everyone says "oh no its gonna blow!". lol. Some might say the same thing about overclocking your CPU/GPU... Just seems odd that people think its fine and dandy to run everything beyond its limits but don't mess with the PSU! Even if I "overclocked" my PSU and ran it at 110% (which I'm not) I have full confidence it will run perfectly fine.

OP: What's ironic is that you are poor enough to be on ramen for a few months to afford these $600 video cards when you could've gotten 2X 6970, which delivers very close performance in XFire (due to XFire being superior to SLI), draws way less power, and costs HALF as much as what you are spending (obviously important if you need to skip normal meals to afford this.) Halo products are fine for folks who can afford them comfortably but you apparently don't have your priorities straight.

When a GPU/CPU gets OCed a bit much, it stops it itself before it can do long term damage. When a PSU gets worn out due to a continuous heavy load, it does no such thing. You are looking at a machine that will work fine for a few months. It will then begin to fail and your ramen sacrifice will be for naught. It's your money, do what you want with it.

 

[lehtv]

When a GPU/CPU gets OCed a bit much, it stops it itself before it can do long term damage. When a PSU gets worn out due to a continuous heavy load, it does no such thing.

To be fair, overclocks can wear out. What was first a stable OC will become unstable over time, if the OC was a bit too high to begin with. This is quite similar to the PSU issue here

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Hurry up and get that second GTX 580. I need a good laugh. I want to see how much damage in $ this causes.

While you are at it get a third GTX 580 and try and power it with that 650w PSU.

Would be even funnier.

I've given up on trying to convince you not to do it, you have ignored everybodies protests and are a lost cause at this point. Just do what you want and post back so we can all laugh.

 

[BFG10K]

That's all very interesting, but they don't come with a fan.

Way to completely miss the point. Did you see the stress testing they did to it, or are you just going to continue talking theory?

I didn't say it would have trouble, I said I wouldn't recommend it. There's a thing called a safety margin. Let's say 250w at max load for the 480 (conservative estimate), and another ~100W for the i7 assuming it's not stressed to max. 50W for the rest. That's 400W/460W in a demanding game. Theoretical peak for the system is going to be well over the rated wattage. I don't know about you, but that's not something I'd recommend, 5 year warranty or not

There you go again, thinking the rated label means the same thing on all PSUs.

I find that hard to believe; you're probably just exaggerating to make a point..

You also think my PSU is under-specced for my card because you think nVidia’s guidelines apply to all PSUs.

I run a GTX 560 Ti on an X-650, and the back of it is warm even on idle

I just touched the back grille right now (idle) and it's cold. I'm also wearing a t-shirt because the room is warm enough.

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

Just wanting to post my recent upgrade. I have a phenom ii @ 4ghz 1.45v with 2 gtx 470s @ 775 / 1900 1.075v. I've used kombuster with sli profile setup peaks around 710w, vantage almost last test with swirl of purpleish color reached 730w which is about 650w dc with efficiency factored in. under various gaming loads I've only seen around 650 max and typically around 600.

I'm not disappointed buying a x750 to replace my x650 to give me plenty of breathing room but I don't think it was necessary if I toned down my overclock on my gpus a bit.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[lehtv]

Way to completely miss the point. Did you see the stress testing they did to it, or are you just going to continue talking theory?

No, I didn't see any stress testing, did you link me? Besides, I don't see why it matters what the PSU would be rated as if it had a fan. If that mattered, it wouldn't be rated at so much lower wattage without a fan.

Also, do you have any evidence to show that NVIDIA bases their requirements on the lowest common denominators that are crap PSUs, instead of basing them on PSUs that are actually fully capable of outputting the wattage indicated in the recommendation?

There you go again, thinking the rated label means the same thing on all PSUs.

Nah, you're extrapolating that. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't recommend using even a Seasonic X with a system that stresses it near its rated wattage; it's not optimal. Over time, even a Seasonic's maximum output will degrade when it is properly stressed, and I would rather like to make sure that there's a sizeable safety margin. And that that safety margin would obviously be preferably even bigger on low quality PSUs. Maybe you're just comfortable with a lesser safety margin.

You also think my PSU is under-specced for my card because you think nVidia’s guidelines apply to all PSUs.

Blah blah blah, read above

I just touched the back grille right now (idle) and it's cold. I'm also wearing a t-shirt because the room is warm enough.

Oh you meant the grille? You said "the back", the grille is on the side. I thought you meant the surface right on top of the components.

 

[BFG10K]

Besides, I don't see why it matters what the PSU would be rated as if it had a fan. If that mattered, it wouldn't be rated at so much lower wattage without a fan.

It matters because the components inside are rated for 700W, and because even with a ridiculous hot box with zero airflow the unit could deliver the full 400W without issue. Therefore it has plenty of reserve. This discussion will go nowhere until you understand that.

Also, do you have any evidence to show that NVIDIA bases their requirements on the lowest common denominators that are crap PSUs, instead of basing them on PSUs that are actually fully capable of outputting the wattage indicated in the recommendation?

Because nVidia states I need a 600W unit for my GTX580, but my 560W doesn’t even break a sweat running it. Most of the time the fan doesn’t even turn on, even during heavy gaming.

Nah, you're extrapolating that. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't recommend using even a Seasonic X with a system that stresses it near its rated wattage; it's not optimal.

Again, are all labels equal? Is a Seasonic 400W the same as a Deer 400W because they’re both rated 400W?

Oh you meant the grille? You said "the back", the grille is on the side. I thought you meant the surface right on top of the components.

Uh, what? The modular connectors are on the front, so ergo the back is on the opposite side.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=202

But no compromises were made with this grille, because it's the important one. This is where the fan pushes the air to the outside of the case.

You do know where the back of your case is, right? LOL.

 

[VI3L]

This has to be the dumbest thread I've seen on Anandtech. This guy is retarded, why do you think he cant afford food?

Quit feeding the troll.

 

[ViRGE]

I have received several complaints about this thread. Rather than issue infractions to a number of people I am going to ask nicely once that everyone take it down a notch. This is a friendly forum and everyone is doing what they can to help. Name calling is unbecoming of many of you and it won't be tolerated.

With that said I'd strongly suggest you listen the advice of the people posting here, houe. They know what they're talking about and are giving their time to try to save you from potential issues in the future.

-Thanks
ViRGE

 

[lehtv]

It matters because the components inside are rated for 700W, and because even with a ridiculous hot box with zero airflow the unit could deliver the full 400W without issue. Therefore it has plenty of reserve. This discussion will go nowhere until you understand that.

I know it has plenty of reserve. I still prefer to keep a gap between the rated wattage and the actual power consumption, just to preserve longevity.

Because nVidia states I need a 600W unit for my GTX580, but my 560W doesn’t even break a sweat running it. Most of the time the fan doesn’t even turn on, even during heavy gaming.

I didn't imply nVidia's recommendations were based on Seasonic's heavily overspecced units. I asked whether they're based on crap-end units, i.e. PSUs that are not capable of their rated wattage, rather than PSUs that are. Seasonic's PSUs, I know, are capable of outputting more than their rated wattage (though not designed to do so continously, I should add).

Again, are all labels equal? Is a Seasonic 400W the same as a Deer 400W because they’re both rated 400W?

Are you kidding me? Where did I ever say I'd recommend anyone even buying, not to mention powering up, a crappy Deer unit? On what basis do you, again, extrapolate that what I'd do with a Seasonic PSU applies to all other PSUs as well? I've never said anything like that. The answer to your question is of course "no".

You do know where the back of your case is, right? LOL.

Sigh.

 

[houe]

I agree if I was building this computer again and needed to pick a power supply I would probably be looking at a 850 watt unit. I'd even recommend a 850 watt to someone asking my advice on what PSU to buy. This is why every site rightfully recommends large supplies. It is the ideal and would be nice to have room for expansion and overclocking. You don't design a computer where you use 100% of the PSU - no room for expansion and upgrading. But that doesn't mean a PSU isn't fully capable of running at 100% load.

Since I already have a 650 watt supply and all power consumptions figures I've been reading do NOT indicate I'll be running above the output capacity of my supply I am inclined to believe its going to work fine. The only figures I've seen that would put me out of spec are stress testing applications (furmark etc), and even these only put me slightly above capacity (~105%). And my system probably won't quite be this high since my single card load is measuring lower than others. This is a reputable power supply and it is designed to run 24/7 at 100% load at 50C (my case will be considerably cooler). That means this supply can pull 744 watts at the wall 24/7! (No one has refuted this.) If it could not do that it would be rated as a lower watt supply. I really don't understand why you guys think its going to fail when I'm going to be running within the specs of the supply. Curious...

Note: If I see power at the wall above 744 watts then I will upgrade my power supply, but I highly doubt I am going to see that.

 

[toyota]

okay lets see if you can understand this...YOU WILL BE PUSHING THAT PSU TOO HARD. just because it works does not mean it is smart to use that setup for anything length of time.

and what is really pissing people off here is how ignorant you are acting. it is not logical for someone buy 1200 bucks worth of video card and then pull out the excuse that they need to stretch their dollar by not getting an adequate power supply. there is really nothing else left to say other than please do not start threads asking for advice when all you are going to do is ignore it.