I need to figure out how big a PSU I need

[saymyname]

Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 (first version)
Intel E6400 (first revision)
4x1GB PC5300
BFG Nvidia GTX 260
Raptor 740GD (first version)
WD 3200JD
WD 6400AAKS
3x120MM Fans
1x200MM Fan

The problem I have is that my Enermax 565W died after upgrading to 4GB and swapping my X1900xt in there. I tried an Antec Earthwatt 500W and it lasted a day before I'd get continuous short beeps on startup.

Going over to PCPC and then doing a little bit of googleing seems to indicated that the load at startup is something like 600W+. Multiply by 1.5 and I'm at 900W. This can't possibly be right?! I currently have a friend's 900W in there but it's only been an hour.

Anyways some insight into my actual power needs would be nice and an affordable recommendation for a power supply that lasts.

 

[HOOfan 1]

The Earthwatts 500W should have been fine as long as you haven't really overclocked your processor or videocard. Certainly not 600W+.....

A good 550W PSU should do you just fine. Corsair VX550 or Antec Truepower New 550W....but for the price of those you can just go for the Earthwatts 650W.

Too bad the BFG LS550 isn't around anymore for $70

 

[Modelworks]

900 watts ? They must be hurting in sales. 550/600 watts is plenty.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The Earthwatts 500w should have been plenty. Maybe you just got very unlucky with two PSUs in a row, or perhaps the Enermax actually did some damage to the motherboard when it died, and it caused the setup to seem flaky with the Antec?

As others said, 550-600w should be more than plenty, and give you some headroom. Just go with a quality company like Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, BFG, etc.

 

[yh125d]

I ran more than that off of 400w.

 

[faxon]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
The Earthwatts 500w should have been plenty. Maybe you just got very unlucky with two PSUs in a row, or perhaps the Enermax actually did some damage to the motherboard when it died, and it caused the setup to seem flaky with the Antec?

As others said, 550-600w should be more than plenty, and give you some headroom. Just go with a quality company like Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, BFG, etc.

this

Originally posted by: yh125d
I ran more than that off of 400w.

and this. im running an e5200 OC to 3.2GHz with 6GB of ram (2x2 and 2x1), 1HDD, and a G92A (65nm) 9800GTX with the full power usage that goes with it off an antec neopower 430w without issue. for a while when it was at my friends house, we were running his GTX260 off of it as well lol. i havent tried my HD5870 yet, probably be a bit much. as for the recommendations for a good PSU, the earthwatts 650w is a good choice. the new TX650 from corsair is also a great alternative

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: saymyname
I tried an Antec Earthwatt 500W and it lasted a day before I'd get continuous short beeps on startup.

Thats not a PSU problem my friend.

That sounds more like a RAM problem.

 

[saymyname]

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: saymyname
I tried an Antec Earthwatt 500W and it lasted a day before I'd get continuous short beeps on startup.

Thats not a PSU problem my friend.

That sounds more like a RAM problem.

This depends on bios and motherboard and my manual says "power problem". Considering that if I put another PSU in I am good to go again I tend to agree.

I'm just frustrated that I had 2 problem PSU's in a row. Is there a surefire way to figure out my power draw? The v1 e6400 for example pulled a lot of draw and was re released a bit later with a far more power efficient version.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: saymyname
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 (first version)
Intel E6400 (first revision)
4x1GB PC5300
BFG Nvidia GTX 260
Raptor 740GD (first version)
WD 3200JD
WD 6400AAKS
3x120MM Fans
1x200MM Fan

Your board + cpu will put out at most 90W + another 100W for the board... for a total of 190W Theoretical.
Your hard drive about 50W.. i think thats a high number, but for sake we'll use 50W each for a total of 100W.
Your fans use a total of 30W, again a pretty high number.
On average fans use about .25-.52amps... even the high x 4 = 2.08A x 12v = 24W... But lets use 30 for a nice even number.
Your GPU will do another 180W TDP

190 + 100 + 30 +180 = 500W * 120% = 600W

I would recomend at least a 600W.

 

[yh125d]

Aigo, I will never question your knowledge on water, but you don't know power usage that well

More like...

70w CPU
30w mobo
8w ram
150w gpu
50w all three HDs
30w fans


Not even 350w. Any quality 400w+ unit can do that fine. Like I said, I handled more (specifically, an OC'd GTX260, OC'd e7200 at 3.5, same # HDs and a few more fans) on a year old FSP mediocre 400w

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: yh125d
Aigo, I will never question your knowledge on water, but you don't know power usage that well

More like...

70w CPU
30w mobo
8w ram
150w gpu
50w all three HDs
30w fans

LOL


staying quiet..

well i inflated values majorly.. and also represent full load values.. :\

The board will draw way more then 30W.

Im fairly sure about that, because it puts out 30W of heat.
Usually more power is drawn then heat released.

LOL i know roughly a 500W psu should be fine.. but the op is saying a 500W wont work.
By doing the math and stretching the values out majorly, we can see even a 600W will work.

Which is what im trying to point to the op.

I personally run a 1600W Ultra :X

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
The board will draw way more then 30W.

Im fairly sure about that, because it puts out 30W of heat.
Usually more power is drawn then heat released.

Electric heating is 100% efficient. So whatever is put out as heat, is what it draws.

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: yh125d
Aigo, I will never question your knowledge on water, but you don't know power usage that well

More like...

70w CPU
30w mobo
8w ram
150w gpu
50w all three HDs
30w fans

LOL


staying quiet..

well i inflated values majorly.. and also represent full load values.. :\

The board will draw way more then 30W.

Im fairly sure about that, because it puts out 30W of heat.
Usually more power is drawn then heat released.

LOL i know roughly a 500W psu should be fine.. but the op is saying a 500W wont work.
By doing the math and stretching the values out majorly, we can see even a 600W will work.

Which is what im trying to point to the op.

I personally run a 1600W Ultra :X

More than 30w? Not really. Well, maybe, since its a 775 board and the IMC is on the board, but definitely well under 50w.


The OP is saying it isn't working with a 500w. That doesn't mean it isn't working BECAUSE of the 500w. You had it right the first time

Thats not a PSU problem my friend. That sounds more like a RAM problem.

And yeah what larry said is pretty much right. Maybe not precisely 100%, but damn close. as far as the motherboard is concerned, the only work done by the electricity it consumes is the moving of a few billions of electrons, which is absolutely miniscule, the rest is heat


In fact, the heat produced by a computer is exactly the power draw from the wall less the work done by rotating the fans/platters/pumps/opticals, and a few random beeps as sound and led's as light

 

[nyker96]

why don't you put back your old memory, see if you got an old pcie card use it to see if you boot up ok or not. I think your problem could just be the new items you put into the box. an EW500 means you can draw greater than 600W off the wall and it'll be ok. I don't see your system needing even 500W at 100% load much less needing so much power that you can't even turn it on with everything idle. Nope. something else is acting up here.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Originally posted by: HOOfan 1

Too bad the BFG LS550 isn't around anymore for $70

How about $39.90 at Fry's? (In Store only)

http://www.frys.com/product/5692311