PSU amps

[bryanW1995]

Hi, how do I tell how many amps that, say, and earthwatts 380 or 430 has? The 380 description at newegg says 2x12v rail with each having 17A, but if memory serves me correctly I can't just add the two 17A together. Antec's site is similarly oblique on actual amperage. Why don't psu companies give this info? Isn't the amount of amps more important that watts, anyway?

 

[HOOfan 1]

On the Earthwatts series there is a sentence underneath the rail breakdown that will say combined wattage of 12V1 and 12V2 is 360 Watts(for example)

divide that number by 12(volts) so 360Watts divided by 12Volts = 30Amps

 

[Jessica69]

Exactly HOOfan. The important info is the total wattage that the combined (if multi-railed) 12V rails will support......and if you know the wattage, you know the amps.....and if you know the amps, you know the wattage, as long as you can do the math.

 

[bryanW1995]

nice. so on the earthwatts 380 it's 324w combined = 27 amps. wow, that's a lot more than many no-name 500w units.

edit: the 430 is 360w = 30a. Kind of makes it hard to justify the 430 when it's twice as much right now.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
nice. so on the earthwatts 380 it's 324w combined = 27 amps. wow, that's a lot more than many no-name 500w units.

Yup, and even more +12v amps than many higher wattage NAME BRAND units too. This is why you occasionally see reports of people using these with 8800 series video cards. Just because the EarthWatts can do it doesn't mean the next 380W unit can, but some people just can't comprehend that fact.

 

[chuckm]

Volts X Amps=Watts