Minimum Power Supply for 4870...yes i've researched, down to specifics now

[Hellotalkie]

double post sorry!!

 

[Hellotalkie]

I finally got a new computer, a gateway for cheap (300)
has a q9300
4gbs ram
1 hard drive
dvd rom etc

although the big part im adding is the 4870
I was going to take out the FSP group PSU i bought a couple years back from my old computer into the new gateway to support the hd4870 512mb.
The problem is, i keep looking up reviews, and it keeps going both ways, no and yes, 450w is not enough, or it is.

question
Is my FSP Group PSU 450w enough to power this system safely?

pretty sure this is the psu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954
looks newer but pretty much the same.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

You should be fine.

 

[yh125d]

yes

 

[exar333]

You are fine. You might need a bigger PSU if you massively OCd your CPU and added a number of HDDs/optical drives to the computer.

 

[happy medium]

70% efficiency and 12 and 13 amp rails. It dosen't say what the combined amperage is either.
With a quad core? With a 2 year old psu? I'd say your pushing it.

I'd go with a NO.

 

[yh125d]

The 12v rails look low but theyactually give as much power ad msot PSUs that say they have 18A rails. It has 324w on 12v, which should be fine

For the record, I ran a GTX260 on a similar FSP 400w psu with no problems, it was 2 years old at the time

 

[tviceman]

Try it and find out! If your system is hanging, rebooting, or locking up under load then yes you need a better PSU.

 

[Rhoxed]

i would say your fine, i was running a 9850BE @ 3.2/4GB DDR2/Three 3870's/4 Hard Drives/2 DVD Burner/~8 120MM fans on an Antec True Power Trio 650W from 07 (before they even came with sleeved cables) PSU only had two 6pin so i had to use an adapter.

currently it is running 965 c3 (stock), 4gb 1066, 5850, 1 HD, 1 dvd drive, and only a few fans (sold the whole 9850BE system to a friend semi-recently with only one 3870, but everything else the same for $350 and he added the 965 and 5850 recently)

friend doesn't overclock, so he should be fine

all and all you should be ok op

 

[RaistlinZ]

70% efficiency FTL. :thumbsdown:

You'd probably sleep better at night with something like this Antec PSU. 550w, modular, 85% efficiency, $54.99. Good value for a name-brand PSU with good efficiency.

And it would probably be better suited down the road if you ever choose to upgrade your video card.

 

[soccerballtux]

Try it and find out! If your system is hanging, rebooting, or locking up under load then yes you need a better PSU.

It would only do that if he was running way out of the PSU's specifications.
What would happen otherwise is he's running it at 95-105% what it's rated for and a year later his video card dies due to the fluctuations.
I had this happen to a friend 2 times before he decided he actually did need a bigger PSU.