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Computer Q&A
How do I figure out how big of a PSU I need?
Thinking of running:
AMD 955 chip
890x mobo
ATI 5870 video
would 500w be enough or do I need 750? So confusing.
I'd go 750. You should be able to find the draw for each of the devices in the specifications. However, since there's no disadvantage to going over, and being too close to the limit puts undue heat into the smaller unit shortening it's life, I always fail up.Originally Posted by BigBear
H.
That's the way I was leaning... just wasn't sure. Checking in a few other places as well but it looks like the 750 would be a better average though more powerful.
That GPU has a max power draw of 188 watts according to AMD. AMD recommends > 500 watt PSU. These numbers apply to the stock reference card. If you buy one of the factory overclocked models, your power draw is going to increase accordingly. I'd recommend getting a bigger PSU especially considering you are planning to mate this with an AMD cpu. AMD is behind the curve in CPU power efficiency. Your cpu will probably eat around 130 watts at max load. You're at 300+ watts before you factor in ram, MB, drives, etc.
Can always depend on Mutt for comprehension... so would I be better served to switch to an Intel 930 running at 2.8ghz? Is there that much difference between the 955's 3.2...
Just trying to do the budget build thingy.
Budget build? The 5870 is far from a budget card at $389.99 on newegg. At least you get free shipping. You're building a higher-end gaming box. Budget is a misplaced concept here =)
For your needs, there will be no human perceptible difference between a x4-955 and an i7-930. However, technically speaking, the i7-930 is a superior cpu. But it also costs $130 more.
AHHHH... I give up....
Wife said I have expensive taste...
time to find another hobby I guess.... lol.
I'll be back.
as Much as I hate to say this... you folks are looking at half of the picture
How many CD/DVD drives?
Hard Drives, what Kind, how big, how fast?
how many external dives?
fan controllers?
Fans?
PCI Cards?
I could get away with running a 600w PSU...
except for the 4TB 0=1 on SATA2, the 500GB R1 and the 260 R0 on Velociraptors... then there are the twin 8800 GTX OC 768s...
then Fans...
it all adds up.
Here is a tool I like to use.
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
it will get you reasonably close.. then you should round up. (Good call Hoosier)
and if I might suggest an Un-interuptable power supply... nothing fancy but clean power is extremely important to your MB
Before I Added the Velociraptors
Last edited by Byte Stryke; 07-06-2010 at 22:58. Reason: smaller Picture
Getting back to the original post.
the setup you have and suggest will only require a 750w PSU at most.
this will even allow for expansion such as SLI cards, a spare HDD etc.
for gaming purposes I cannot express the importance of Memory in both fashions.
you are getting Win7 64b I recommend a MINIMUM 4GB
Its cheap right now, so its not that much.
Swap, very touchy subject for some.
You didnt list your HDD so I am going to guess that its a Run of the mill typical 7200rpm 500 GB.
with the price free-fall on HDDs right now... you might consider a stripe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID
If you play MMOs with PvP or high resolution games as I think you do, you may want faster read/writes. This can be achieved by either SSD, SCSI or RAID.
It will definitely support a small array with no difficulty and will actually make better use of those kick-ass channels. all you would need to do is order 2 500GB HDDs. Just something to consider
Thing is, with Win7 its SUPER cake to set up. Seriously, you just switch CDs or use a thumbdrive or a second CD drive for the drivers.
It's so easy, a caveman can do it.
As far as running two HD's and RAID and all that stuff... I'm honestly fine with a single HDD that I back up onto an external every week or so....
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