Hi, I'm a new member, I signed up because I started using alot of different modded drivers due to problems with my BFG 7800 GSOC APG card. However, in the process of creating my profile here, I found out that what I thought was a 400w PSU is actually a 330w. I guessing at this point that this is probably the major culprit, because I'm getting alot of total crashes and restarts whenever I play stuff like bioshock, MOHA, and also getting persistant stutters and momentary freeze-ups in some less intense newer games. I thought it was a driver issue, because some drivers seem to work better with fewer crashes, but no matter which ones I choose, there are problems. I've had the card for 6 months or so and the major problems only started with the newer games, so I'm guessing that they are requiring my system to work harder than my PSU will allow. So, here's my question(s): Is there a high-wattage PSU that would be compatible with my old P4 rig, and could be transferred into a newer Intel dual-core SLI system I plan on building by next spring? If not, what PSU would you recommend, considering that I would have to buy another one for the new rig in a few months anyway? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. I built my own CPU from barebones a few years ago, but there's so much new stuff out there, it's kind of overwhelming. Like I said, I plan on building a new rig soon, so I hope to become a regular around here, I've been checking the forum out for a little while now and it looks like the people here know what's up. TIA for any replies Zeke UPDATE: Right after I posted this, I found PSU sticky...If that don't help I'll let you know!!!
PSU cont... Alright, I read most of the PSU sticky, so I understand what characteristics and brands to look for, but still have a couple quick questions... I'm guessing that my rig is the old style 20pin, so I realize that this part of the PSU would be compatible with a newer system if I bought a 20+4 PSU. My concerns are about whether or not a PSU with pci-e and SATA connectors will also work with my AGP card and IDE drives. Also, I'm looking in the 600-700w range - should I be concerned about overpowering? for example, here's a thermaltake I was looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153039 It seems to have all the qualities I'm looking for, modular cabling, plenty of power, etc. Size might be the only issue, as far as my current rig is concerned. Would something like this be compatible with my old system? Again, I appreciate any advice or opinions...TIA!
You dont have to worry about the pcixpress + sata conectors , actually thats a good thing because you will have it there whenever you upgrade , dont worry about overpower either its ok actually to get a good PSU. Yes it will be compatible with your system. Good Luck.
I don't know that much about Power Supplies, but i think i can answer a few things. First off i definitely agree that your current Power Supply is probably the culprit, it certainly sounds like symptoms of an insufficient Power Supply. The 20+4 pin main ATX power connector will be fine to use on a 20 pin without using the extra 4 pin connector. The PCI-e and SATA connectors don't need to be used and they are additional connectors that will have a few standard molex connectors. I don't think over powering a system is an issue at all (at least i have never heard of it), it should just draw the power it needs (i assume). That Thermaltake one you linked too seems decent enough, according to Makalu's ATX PSU Maximum Combined 12v Ratings sticky, it has 56 amps on the 12v rails which should be enough for a fairly high end SLI or Crossfire system. While wattage is important, i think the amp rating is more important. Once you get over or around the 600W mark then you should have enough for pretty much any single video card, but you also need the amps. One 600W Power Supply with say 30amps wouldn't be recommenced for something like an 8800Ultra, while another 600W Power Supply with say 48 amps would be more than enough and past the recommended requirements. You can get away with being slightly under recommended requirements but it won't leave you with any room and any problems and it's usually the first suspect. Makalu knows what he's talking about with Power Supplies (as do a few others) so maybe wait and see what they say. I only have a rough idea and base it mainly on what i've read here and to be honest, guess work.
Thanks Thanks for the advice...I should be looking to get a new PSU by next week sometime. Any input or suggestions are really appreciated.
Your welcome , for the best advice buying new PSU its best to ask Makalu our expert in PSU here in Guru3D , ask here to Makalu he will help you find the correct PSU for you: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=205763&page=7 Good Luck.
PSUs are a tough one, most companies don't even make their own (and will therefore use different manufacurers for different models) and they're tough to test. There are lists out there that attempt to rank them, here's one for instance. I think thermaltake runs the whole gamut from mediocre to high-quality depending on the model. Definately get one with active PFC and advertises a high efficiency ("80+"). How many amps are on the 12v rail(s) is another biggie since both the video cards and CPU use 12v, but I can't name you any numbers to shoot for.
I don't know what to say that hasn't already been mentioned just fine by others here...see you guys get along just fine without me lol. If you tell us how much money you are willing to spend and where you're located we can point you to some of the best units available for you.
Just as a side note: I'm on a 350W powersupply made by Antec (Smartpower 1.0 - I think) and it has been able to run 6800, 6800GT, X850XT, 7800GS, 7900GT, and 8800GTS 640MB. So it's not necessarily the wattage that's causing problems, it may be the amps on the 12V rail. If you can, on your PSU look at the specifications sticker and under 12V look at what number amps it has.
The rating is 12 amps max on the single 12 volt rail on the Enermax EG351P-VE. It's an old discontinued model..figure if the unit has been in service for 3 years or more than it's probably not capable of putting out 12 amps either...but even if it is that's a bit on the low side for the system the OP has. The other possibility is that the system consumes mostly 12 volt current and the power supply was designed for a system that consumes mostly 5 volt current (the 5v rail is rated at 30 amps...so it can output more watts than the 12 volt rail) so it may be that the load distribution is causing one of the rails to fluctuate out of spec which could be causing the crashing too.
It all started making sense for me when I realized my PSU was only 330w...it is a few years old, and It doesn't surpise me a bit if it's starting to fail. Yeah, the advice I've been given and the sticky have already set me on the right path. Thanks for weighing in, though. I live in NY (Long Island), and although price is always an issue, I'm willing to spend decent $ on a good power supply, especially if I can transfer it to a new rig in a few months. I was looking at this enermax: http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA6250973# It seems that something like this would surely suffice for the system I want to build, the thing I'm concerned about at this point is the backwards compatability issue. This PSU says it comes with a 24 pin connecter, instead of a 20+4 like the thermaltake I posted above. Does this mean it's not compatible with my 20 pin board at all? Is there an adapter or something, or do I have to have the "20+4" connector? The only other critical issue I have to consider is actual size, this one looks like it might be a little hefty, but I have yet to open the case and measure exactly what kind of space I have to work with. Ultimately, if I can't find one that works for my current system AND has the kind of output I'll need to run a decent SLI rig, I'll just go with the best 400w-500w I can find for 100$ or so... Thanks for your help...it is greatly appreciated.
Well the Enermax Infiniti is one of the best power supplies available today in my opinion. I like the Powerguard and Coolguard features. The only downside that a lot of reviews mention is that the cables are on the short side and could be a problem if you have a large tower case or one of the cases with the power supply mounted on the bottom. The 24 pin connectors are compatible with 20 pin motherboards. The only possible problem is that some motherboards might have components soldered next to the connector so make sure that there is room for the 4 pins that hang over on one end of the connector to slide down completely. The size of the unit probably will be OK for you. I'm not sure of the exact dimensions but the Infiniti looks to be about 140mm deep and so does your current Enermax. Width and height will be the same for both...that's standardized. If I was in the market for a high-end unit today capable of SLI I'd probably buy one of the Gigabyte Odin 800's with the software controller. It's a bit more expensive than the Infiniti but it does have some even better features...but I don't think you can go wrong with the Infiniti as long as the cabling works in your system/s.
That Odin is Schweet! little more expensive, but seems well worth it. looks like I'm gonna have to wait another week or two 'till I have the $$, but the local computer vendor show is on the 21st here on L.I., so I'm gonna wait until then anyway...you can usually p/u some good deals there... Thanks again for the scoop, I'll let you know how it works out. Later, Zeke
