I am so use to seeing low-activity power draw in the 80-90W range with my other rigs, I about fell out of my chair when I saw how low it is with this setup.
Why do so many just *know* their rig needs a 600 or 800 watt power supply? Too many, who claim to be technically informed, only recite popular myths. Subjective claims are how to educate the naive. Too few learn by measuring; by obtaining and learning from numbers. Some get angry when they are required to know numbers.
With a recent breakthrough in semiconductor processing (ie hafnium), power numbers began dropping slightly. But no computer was consuming energy like a bread toaster. Anyone could easily use their hand to know computers were not consuming so many hundred watts.
Cars are another example of too much knowledge without first learning facts. The 70 horsepower per liter engine that obsoleted V-8 and V-6s was ready for production in GM in 1975. And kept out of the market until technical people in Toyota, Honda, VW, and other (more responsible) companies began manufacturing it. Today's 4 cylinder engine does what a V-8 did in 1975. Of course. As required to advance mankind. It is called innovation. A concept too many do not understand because they just know without first learning the numbers. Because too many only learn from subjective myths or advertising - no numbers.
Good luck getting highway mileage from a car designed by business school graduates (ie Chevy). Routinely exceeded are EPA highway mileage in cars designed by 'car guys'. 'Car guys' design to optimize mileage in real world driving. 'Bean counters' optimize a design to only have higher EPA numbers. Cars designed by 'bean counters' have difficulty meeting EPA highway mileage. Do the numbers yourself.
The informed also realize discount gasoline is typically 30 cents higher than the posted price. Gasoline selling at a discount station for $3.60 really cost about $3.90 per gallon. Because gas mileage is so much lower. Multiple tanks from superior brands are required to restore mileage.
Dollars per gallon is only relevant when including that 30 cent price increase. Dollars per mile are more relevant. Again, how many learned this by doing numbers?
In every case, a real world answer requires numbers based in science. And confirmed by numbers from experimental evidence.
Due to technical naivety, we tell computer assemblers to installed 600 watt supplies. Since these assemblers have no idea how to do the numbers that matter (ie amps). Too many assemblers only know what they were told - subjectively.
Massively oversize a supply so we do not waste time on customer support lines explaining to the technically naive what they refused to read. Or waste time debugging problems created by that technical naivety. Computers do not consumer 500 or 800 watts despite so many computer assembler who know otherwise.