Power consumption of GFFX 5700 Ultra?

[andrewjtc]

Hi guys!!

I'm thinking of getting a 5700U as an upgrade to my Radeon 9100 and I was wondering if anyone here has a rough idea of how much power (watts) this card needs? I've only got a 250W PSU and while I think I'm not really maxxing out in terms of power usage, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks!!

Here are my specs:

Athlon XP 1800+ (T-bred) 11.5x133
ECS K7AMA3
384mb PC133 SDRAM
Sapphire Radeon 9100 64mb @ 275/500
40GB HDD
250W PSU
Creative 8x DVD-ROM drive

 

[jiffylube1024]

I'd really recommend upgrading your PSU regardless for tighter voltages, which gives you better system stability and a much lower chance of frying the PSU due to weak current or frying any other components. All it takes is a fried HD, CPU or memory to make the purchase of a better PSU worthwhile.

If you get a 350W Enermax PSU you will be able to run pretty much anything you throw at it (ie an FX5700 or FX5900, tons of HD's etc) and never have to worry.

I think the minimum recommended PSU for a Radeon 9800 or GF FX 5900 is 300W, and the FX5700 is also a pretty big card so I'd recommend getting a better name-brand PSU (Like the Enermax or an Antec).

 

[Blastman]

I agree, you might be tight with only a 250w psu using a 5700U. You might consider a 9600XT, it?s the same performance and it doesn?t require an external power connector so I suspect it consumes considerably less power than a 5700U.

 

[kylebisme]

i don't know, i doubt the 5700u eats much if any more than a 9100; i'd imagine the ps you have will be just fine. however, a nice big name brand psu is never really a bad thing.

 

[Pete]

You should be safe, but don't count on it. A 475MHz GPU and 450MHz DDRII memory isn't exactly a frugal combination.

BTW, I strongly recommend buying a $200 5900 instead of a $200 5700U. You'll get a faster card (potentially much faster, as the 5900 has almost twice the fillrate and bandwidth as the 5700U) for the same price. Aim for a full-speed, 400/850MHz 5900, but the 400/700 value versions should still be faster than a 5700U. Either way, your slow CPU and memory will hold you back. If you eventually upgrade to a faster CPU with DDR memory, your future FX will scale nicely.

Edit: I would have guessed the 475/450MHz 5700U would draw (considerably) more power than a 250/250MHz 9100, but apparently a 5600U uses about the same as a 9000P. A 5700U is clocked ~20% higher and uses a more power-hungry memory type than a 5600U, but apparently it won't be a big leap.

 

[modedepe]

I'd upgrade the psu if for nothing other than peace of mind. I think running a 250w might be cutting it a little close. And I second getting an fx5900nu over the fx5700u.

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: modedepe
I'd upgrade the psu if for nothing other than peace of mind. I think running a 250w might be cutting it a little close. And I second getting an fx5900nu over the fx5700u.

I'll third that

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: MonkeyDriveExpress

Originally posted by: modedepe
I'd upgrade the psu if for nothing other than peace of mind. I think running a 250w might be cutting it a little close. And I second getting an fx5900nu over the fx5700u.

I'll third that

fourth

 

[andrewjtc]

Thanks guys!!

I guess I'll probably do an upgrade of the PSU. But with regards to my card choices, in my country the FX5900NU is still priced at around $360 which makes it out of my budget. The only cards right now in my budget are the 9600xt and the FX5700U.

 

[Pete]

Why would you waste money on a PSU for "peace of mind?" If the new card doesn't work with your setup, then I'd look into a new one. But if it works, why spend the money for nothing?

andrew, how does the 9600XT compare to the 5700U in price? Does the XT include HL2?

 

[Nebor]

For power consumption, I believe the 5700 Ultra lies somewhere between an electric carving knife and a blender.

 

[andrewjtc]

Originally posted by: Pete
Why would you waste money on a PSU for "peace of mind?" If the new card doesn't work with your setup, then I'd look into a new one. But if it works, why spend the money for nothing?

andrew, how does the 9600XT compare to the 5700U in price? Does the XT include HL2?

So far, here in my country (Philippines), no retail shops still have the 9600XT (or the 5700U for that matter) available in stock. It's mostly independent retailers that import the card into country. The only brands available so far are Powercolor and Sapphire. As far as I know, only the Sapphire one is confirmed to have HL2 included in the package (Powercolor makes no mention what it's bundled with). Prices for both cards are almost the same at $200.

 

[Nebor]

I promise you that HL2 is not bundled in any package. There will be a voucher for the game, which you will entitle you to get the game 2 weeks after it comes out. So approximately the 17th of Never.

 

[SneakyStuff]

The 5700 Ultra consumes 50 watts less than the 5900SE, that was a crucial factor when I got mine, seeing as how my DELL dimension PS is a factory part that cannot be replaced by a standard atx power supply.

 

[modedepe]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
The 5700 Ultra consumes 50 watts less than the 5900SE, that was a crucial factor when I got mine, seeing as how my DELL dimension PS is a factory part that cannot be replaced by a standard atx power supply.

Are you sure? I certainly have my doubts, as many cards use probably around 50 watts total. And I don't see how the 5700 could use that much less power, with it being so similar to the 5900.

 

[Mingon]

Iirc its circa 20watts for 9600pro, 25watts for nv31 (5600) and I would guess at 30-35 watts for 5700. Not bad really considering the tech involved.

 

[SneakyStuff]

the card maker stated that the requirements for your power supply "TOTAL" were 300 watt for the 5900se, and 250 watt for the 5700 ultra, sorry bout that, that was kinda mis-leading.