Is a 450W Modstream Powerful enough for my upcoming system?

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: maluckey

You dont need anywhere near 500Watt to run in SLI. There are reports of people running SLI without problems on 350Watt PSU's

For how long before it lets go, taking out some expensive things along the way?

I've been there, done that, not interested in a repeat. I tried to run the rig in the sig (rhymes!) with a 430 Watt PSU from a reputable (and loved on this forum), PSU. It let go and was replaced under warranty. It took out a mobo, 1 x 512 RAM when it went. I'd wager that my setup when OC'ed draws some serious juice, so comparing it to an SLI setup is not a bad comparison at all.

You can run a modern TEC cooled rig on a 400 watt PSU. Is it advisable? NOT.

Obviously the PSU you were using wasn't very good. I ran a system comparable to that (actually consumed more power) off of a 300Watt PSU with absolutely no problems.

Also please work on your grammar, i really cant understand your post well enough to really argue the point.

-Kevin

 

[maluckey]

For the sake of clarity.

ran a system comparable to that (actually consumed more power) off of a 300Watt PSU with absolutely no problems.

If you are referring to the rig in your sig, in the configuration shown, it does not draw very much power. Also, just because you got away with it does not make it a good idea. I once tried a TEC setup with a generic 350 watt PSU and it held. I won't even venture to guess at how long this may have lasted. My guess is not very long. I would not reccomend this to anyone.

I powered an very OC'ed rig with a reputable 430 watt PSU and it let go. I can show hundreds of other examples of running a too small (power-wise) PSU being a bad idea
(Check XtremeSystems).

I listened to someone like you who told me that it would be fine. They never offered to help pay for their poor judgement did they???

 

[Tom]

There is something desperately wrong when it takes 500w to run today's computers.

I don't think the Voyager spacecraft used that much power.

 

[maluckey]

It doesn't ake 550 watts to run many/most setups. It IS good insurance though.

it does take a SOLID 400 watt or better unit to ensure trouble free operation with most setups. The issue is that some manufacturers....gulp.....mislead people via the rating system they apply to their PSU. Some underrate, some overrate. If the company underrates, then 400 watts MAY be enough. If they overrate 500 watts isn't enough.

A 500 watt PSU could conceivably fall anywhere from 350 to 600 watts depending on the rating system. They tend to be on the low side more often than the high side,. For safety, round up rather than down. A uniform rating system could make this easy on evryone, but where would the fun be with that?

Be aware of the ratings. Some companies are not so straightforward on how they rate their goods.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: maluckey
For the sake of clarity.

ran a system comparable to that (actually consumed more power) off of a 300Watt PSU with absolutely no problems.

If you are referring to the rig in your sig, in the configuration shown, it does not draw very much power. Also, just because you got away with it does not make it a good idea. I once tried a TEC setup with a generic 350 watt PSU and it held. I won't even venture to guess at how long this may have lasted. My guess is not very long. I would not reccomend this to anyone.

I powered an very OC'ed rig with a reputable 430 watt PSU and it let go. I can show hundreds of other examples of running a too small (power-wise) PSU being a bad idea
(Check XtremeSystems).

I listened to someone like you who told me that it would be fine. They never offered to help pay for their poor judgement did they???

I never said get a generic PSU. I said a QUALITY 300 Watt PSU should be absolutely fine! The rig in my sig is almost exactly the same thing as the one you are referring to. The only difference is a slightly higher end video card and a slightly lower power CPU.

Under no circumstances will a system such as mine or yours or his draw anywhere near 500Watt of power. As i said a quality 350Watt should be more than sufficient.

-Kevin

 

[RussianSensation]

Enermax 565
Even 495 version provides serious power. I wouldnt get Modsteam series since they are the cheaper ToPower units and are not the same quality as the Powerstream series.

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: maluckey
For the sake of clarity.

ran a system comparable to that (actually consumed more power) off of a 300Watt PSU with absolutely no problems.

If you are referring to the rig in your sig, in the configuration shown, it does not draw very much power. Also, just because you got away with it does not make it a good idea. I once tried a TEC setup with a generic 350 watt PSU and it held. I won't even venture to guess at how long this may have lasted. My guess is not very long. I would not reccomend this to anyone.

I powered an very OC'ed rig with a reputable 430 watt PSU and it let go. I can show hundreds of other examples of running a too small (power-wise) PSU being a bad idea
(Check XtremeSystems).

I listened to someone like you who told me that it would be fine. They never offered to help pay for their poor judgement did they???

I never said get a generic PSU. I said a QUALITY 300 Watt PSU should be absolutely fine! The rig in my sig is almost exactly the same thing as the one you are referring to. The only difference is a slightly higher end video card and a slightly lower power CPU.

Under no circumstances will a system such as mine or yours or his draw anywhere near 500Watt of power. As i said a quality 350Watt should be more than sufficient.

-Kevin

Indeed.
I'm running a somewhat similar computer, little higher end video card, somewhat lower clocked CPU, more harddrives and optical units, etc, on a 400W Fortron PSU.
Could probably have gotten away with less, but the price difference between 300, 350, and 400W was neglible, so I got the 400 just because.

 

[maluckey]

I'm running a somewhat similar computer, little higher end video card, somewhat lower clocked CPU, more harddrives and optical units, etc, on a 400W Fortron PSU

You are on the money here. You are using an FSP unit. FSP units are waaayyy underrated. Most tests show them to put out far in excess of their ratings under the worst of circumstances. There are numerous threads on this, and XtremeSystems about PSU's, labeling/testing. Try them out.

I used to run the setup in the sig with an FSP-460.

I play at @ 210 x 12 for gaming. The rig has 2 x 512 MB BH-5 Ram, four 250 gb 7200 RPM drives, a 256 MB FX5950 Ultra @ 505/995, two DVD R/W, along with 5 x 92 mm case fans. It used to show the following voltages with the FSP-460: +12v = 12.03, +12v(2) = 12.028, +3.3v = 3.31v, and the +5.0v = 4.98 under max load. Try that with some of the other 400 watt PSU's and see if they can even come close. My two dead Antec True 430's will attest to the load being too much for them. Antec did not hesitate to RMA though. Great service.......... I just wish that I hadn't need it.

I only upgraded form the FSP-460 for future proofing, and because the 50 dollar price tag on the fsp-550 that I paid was a steal. Even at the current rate of 79 dollars for the FSP-550 at Directron, Why bother with a 400 watt PSU at all?

 

[feelingshorter]

Originally posted by: RussianSensation
Enermax 565
Even 495 version provides serious power. I wouldnt get Modsteam series since they are the cheaper ToPower units and are not the same quality as the Powerstream series.

More than enough even if he overclocks, read reviews on the voltage.

 

[maluckey]

Exactly...read and compare to other so-called quality PSU's. The differences can be amazing, even between two supposedly equal PSU's.

 

[DfiDude]

I believe that the Powerstream will be good. It has really good stable rails, i also like the adjustable rails. I dont only go for power but looks, i like the powerstreams looks. Heres my rig so far.

Amd Athlon 3500+ San Diego 2.0 Ghz (once it comes out)
Asus A8N SLI Deluxe (Motherboard)
X850 XT PCI-E (Video Card)
OCZ Powerstream 520 Watt (Power Supply)
OCZ El Platinum Revision 2 (512X2) (Ram)
Samsung 990 19" (Crt Monitor)
Logitech MX-518 (Mouse)
Logitech Elite (Keyboard)
Plextor Black PX-712SA (Optical Drive)
Case is undecided

 

[fstime]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: BouZouki

Originally posted by: Ike0069

Originally posted by: BouZouki
You should of got the Powersteam series, they're more about raw power.

Mod stream while still good is mostly for fancy cables.

With all those opticals and hard drives, you'll be using them all.

OCZ 520 powerstream would of been my vote.

Either way, The NEC3520A is what I use and its great.

I also use a Liteon CDRW/DVD-Rom drive.

For a hard drive, go with the Seagate or a Western digital.

WTF!!
Weren't you just calling people morons for recommending a PSU >350W's?

THAT WAS FOR SOMEONE WITH AN OLD PENTIUM 4 AND GEFORCE4 GFX WHO WANTED TO UPGRADE IN 3 YEARS!!!!


He was better off getting somthing like a 350watt powersupply because future proofing a psu for that long is stupid.

He is wasting his money on somthing more then 400 watts.

This guy has a SLI motherboard, A64, and a top video card.

You do know, in order to SLI the latest nvidia cards (GT,Ultra) you need at least 500 watts.

Even anandtech said that./

You dont need anywhere near 500Watt to run in SLI. There are reports of people running SLI without problems on 350Watt PSU's.

Think about this:
3200+ : ~89 Watt
1 Gig DDR 3200 RAM: ~18 Watt
2x 6800U's: ~80 each= ~160
HDD and Optical Drives: Ill be liberal with this and say ~55 Watt
Other Misc Peripherals: ~20 Watt

That is only 342 Watt and that is max TDP. I dont know anyone who has been able to stress every single component in their system all at the same time. Of course those are rough estimates but i was as liberal as possible.

-Kevin

Well, i'm just saying what I read in annandtech's review, I myself havnt tried SLI so I wouldnt know.

They reccomended 500 watts.

I will agree with you on one thing though, you can get away easily with less watage but its good to have some cushion.

I my self would reccomend somthing 450+ watts for anyone attempting a GT/Ultra rig.

 

[SVT Cobra]

the modstream comes in 520 and 450w versions there is no 450w as many ppl have stated...

anyway go with the ultra board, not the SLI cause its a waste if your not going SLI, and the mod stream shall be fine for your rig...its a rock solid PSU

 

[DfiDude]

I just really like the features and stuff on the Assu A8n Sli Deluxe, so ima just go with that board, aboutt he psu, im still trying todecide which one. The only thing i really trying to want you guys to suggest me are some cases from 110-160 bucks, if you guys can help on that, that wouldbe awesome . Thanks!

 

[smthmlk]

lian li pc-7. anything lian li.

 

[DfiDude]

Hmm, im thinking to mabe go with the Cooler Master Praetorian, what do you guys think?

 

[DfiDude]

bump

 

[DfiDude]

Ok so im just gonna suggest it and u guys tell me which one to get.

3500+ San Diego?/3200+ Venice?
Asus A8n Sli Deluxe/Dfi Sli Dr?
X850 XT/6800 Ultra? PCI-E
Lian Li PC-65/CoolerMaster Praetorian?
Plextor/Pioneer?
MX 518/Razer diamond back?
Logitech Elite keyboard?
Hitachi SATA2 250 gigs/Seagate 7200.8 250 gigs?
OCZ El platinum rev 2/Patriot XBL/PQI Turbo?
Modstream/Powerstream?

 

[ElFenix]

i seriously think the power supply watts thing is a e-penis contest. much like formatting your hard drive every month.


the cooler master praetorian is a nice looking case. two 80mm exhaust fans should prove sufficient.

 

[IEC]

I am betting that that PSU still will have plenty of power to spare. Most even higher-end systems can run fine on a quality 300W or 350W PSU.

 

[DfiDude]

Ok so ill go with the modstream 520 watt, but what about the other stuff? Can you guys pick it out for me the stuff that i put.

3500+ San Diego?/3200+ Venice?
Asus A8n Sli Deluxe/Dfi Sli Dr?
X850 XT/6800 Ultra? PCI-E
Lian Li PC-65/CoolerMaster Praetorian?
Plextor/Pioneer?
MX 518/Razer diamond back?
Logitech Elite keyboard?
Hitachi SATA2 250 gigs/Seagate 7200.8 250 gigs?
OCZ El platinum rev 2/Patriot XBL/PQI Turbo?

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: maluckey

I'm running a somewhat similar computer, little higher end video card, somewhat lower clocked CPU, more harddrives and optical units, etc, on a 400W Fortron PSU

You are on the money here. You are using an FSP unit. FSP units are waaayyy underrated. Most tests show them to put out far in excess of their ratings under the worst of circumstances. There are numerous threads on this, and XtremeSystems about PSU's, labeling/testing. Try them out.

I used to run the setup in the sig with an FSP-460.

I play at @ 210 x 12 for gaming. The rig has 2 x 512 MB BH-5 Ram, four 250 gb 7200 RPM drives, a 256 MB FX5950 Ultra @ 505/995, two DVD R/W, along with 5 x 92 mm case fans. It used to show the following voltages with the FSP-460: +12v = 12.03, +12v(2) = 12.028, +3.3v = 3.31v, and the +5.0v = 4.98 under max load. Try that with some of the other 400 watt PSU's and see if they can even come close. My two dead Antec True 430's will attest to the load being too much for them. Antec did not hesitate to RMA though. Great service.......... I just wish that I hadn't need it.

I only upgraded form the FSP-460 for future proofing, and because the 50 dollar price tag on the fsp-550 that I paid was a steal. Even at the current rate of 79 dollars for the FSP-550 at Directron, Why bother with a 400 watt PSU at all?

Well the whole point was about having a quality PSU, not a POS, Fortron == Quality, same as many other brands.
Same as our servers at work, a ProLiant DL380 comes with a 575W PSU, and this is enough to power two Noconas, up to 12 GB of RAM, three PCI cards, 6 harddrives, and an assload of fans.
The old G3's came with 400W PSU's and had pretty much the same specs, except the Xeons were Prestonia based instead, and some minor differences.

Now these are of course quality PSU's, though the brand is unknown, but the point is, a quality PSU will drive a whole load of equipment, more than most people think.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: DfiDude
Ok so ill go with the modstream 520 watt, but what about the other stuff? Can you guys pick it out for me the stuff that i put.

3500+ San Diego?/3200+ Venice?
Asus A8n Sli Deluxe/Dfi Sli Dr?
X850 XT/6800 Ultra? PCI-E
Lian Li PC-65/CoolerMaster Praetorian?
Plextor/Pioneer?
MX 518/Razer diamond back?
Logitech Elite keyboard?
Hitachi SATA2 250 gigs/Seagate 7200.8 250 gigs?
OCZ El platinum rev 2/Patriot XBL/PQI Turbo?

well, i'd get a seasonic s12 500 myself.
dfi board
as for video, get the less expensive one. it's really such a tossup as to not matter much
mx518
seagate disk drive. the hitaci is slower, and seagate has the best warranty. beware their rebates, they take forever.
ocz has a better reputation, now, than the other two. that memory hasn't been reviews in a while. if you can swing the VX then do so, VX + dfi board for teh pwn.

 

[DfiDude]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: DfiDude
Ok so ill go with the modstream 520 watt, but what about the other stuff? Can you guys pick it out for me the stuff that i put.

3500+ San Diego?/3200+ Venice?
Asus A8n Sli Deluxe/Dfi Sli Dr?
X850 XT/6800 Ultra? PCI-E
Lian Li PC-65/CoolerMaster Praetorian?
Plextor/Pioneer?
MX 518/Razer diamond back?
Logitech Elite keyboard?
Hitachi SATA2 250 gigs/Seagate 7200.8 250 gigs?
OCZ El platinum rev 2/Patriot XBL/PQI Turbo?

well, i'd get a seasonic s12 500 myself.
dfi board
as for video, get the less expensive one. it's really such a tossup as to not matter much
mx518
seagate disk drive. the hitaci is slower, and seagate has the best warranty. beware their rebates, they take forever.
ocz has a better reputation, now, than the other two. that memory hasn't been reviews in a while. if you can swing the VX then do so, VX + dfi board for teh pwn.

How is the hitachi slower?!? The hitachi is SATA 2 which makes it faster. But thanks for the suggestions

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: DfiDude

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: DfiDude
Ok so ill go with the modstream 520 watt, but what about the other stuff? Can you guys pick it out for me the stuff that i put.

3500+ San Diego?/3200+ Venice?
Asus A8n Sli Deluxe/Dfi Sli Dr?
X850 XT/6800 Ultra? PCI-E
Lian Li PC-65/CoolerMaster Praetorian?
Plextor/Pioneer?
MX 518/Razer diamond back?
Logitech Elite keyboard?
Hitachi SATA2 250 gigs/Seagate 7200.8 250 gigs?
OCZ El platinum rev 2/Patriot XBL/PQI Turbo?

well, i'd get a seasonic s12 500 myself.
dfi board
as for video, get the less expensive one. it's really such a tossup as to not matter much
mx518
seagate disk drive. the hitaci is slower, and seagate has the best warranty. beware their rebates, they take forever.
ocz has a better reputation, now, than the other two. that memory hasn't been reviews in a while. if you can swing the VX then do so, VX + dfi board for teh pwn.

How is the hitachi slower?!? The hitachi is SATA 2 which makes it faster. But thanks for the suggestions

is this some new drive that hasn't come out and hasn't been tested? because anandtech's testing of the 7200.8 and the 7K400 show the 7k400 well behind in most real world tests. and interfaces really don't do that much for performance. areal density is usually far more important, and the 7200.8 is much more dense than the 7k400.

and if you go with the ati card there is almost no point to getting the sli board. might as well save the $40 and have a nice dinner.