[SOLVED] 550W Gold rated PSU not enough for RTX 2070 Super?

Neobond

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Hi, I built a system recently which is:
  • Pure Base 600 ATX case
  • Be quiet! Straight Power 11 550W, 80 Plus Gold
  • Aorus z390 pro wifi
  • Intel i5-9600K
  • 32GB G Skill Ripjaw DDR4 3200
  • 256GB Samsung 970 Evo Plus + 1TB Intel 660p M.2 cards
  • Toshiba P600 6TB HDD
  • Nvidia 1060 GTX
  • 2x 27" screens (primary is G-Sync, other isn't)
I am not overclocking this system but I want to change the video card to a RTX 2070 Super. According to a PSU calculator the load wattage for the same system with RTX 2070 Super ius 489W with a recommended PSU wattage of 539W.. link: https://outervision.com/b/6yoQul

So will I be okay to keep the 550W PSU or can I expect problems?
 
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Recommended PSU for a 2070 Super is 650w

You are really cutting it fine with the 550w. The reason is the 2070 draws 215w at stock clocks. That can go up to the 280w mark when boost clocks are at full speed.

With a PSU, it's defo better to have more than less, and risk random shutdowns, restarts, or worse you fry the PSU and some components with it.

Calculators are good for a guide, but I'd not be cutting it so close.

A decent gold unit like this:

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $99.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-01 13:29 EDT-0400


The BeQuiet is a good enough PSU. You could see how it goes, and if there are no issues then fine. But i expect you will have some issues, if not immediately then pretty soon.
 
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Neobond

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Thanks guys, I am in The Netherlands and I saw this which has good reviews and it means I can keep my cabling setup and just replace the PSU https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/1130235/be-quiet!-straight-power-11-650w.html

The SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80 is slightly cheaper and the reviews complain a lot about single 12V rail and poor cables/connectors https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/829903/seasonic-focus-plus-650-gold.html

Initially I don't plan to overclock but I want to be able to once I have read up about what to do safely, so would that mean 650W might not be enough too?.
 
Well, if it were me, I know I'd be taking the Focus Plus gold. I'm not sure where you read that about any issues with the 12v rail. However, what I can tell you that it gets a 9.6 on jonnyguru, and is highly rated on any reputable reviewers site.

If you are happy with the BeQuiet 650w then go for it. Ours is but to advise. You decide.

For OC'ing, it might be worth considering a 750w, if you are thinking of OC'ing both GPU and CPU. If only one, then 650w will do.
 
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TJ Hooker

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I think you're fine TBH. Even OC'd you're looking at maybe 300W for the GPU and 150W for the CPU, so you still have 100W for the rest of the system. And you're not going to be maxing out both CPU and GPU like that during regular usage/gaming anyway.

Edit: How old is the PSU? It looks like it has a 5 year warranty, so once you start getting close to 5 years you could start looking for a replacement. And at that time maybe you could go to a 650W or something, just to have a little extra headroom.
 
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TJ Hooker

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A friend told me that a PSU is most efficient when it is running 50-60% of load which seems to be the thing about PSUs needing headroom, so I am just going to future proof at this https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/461913/cooler-master-v-series-v750.html
Not that this is a bad idea, but keep in mind we're talking about maybe 2-4% difference in efficiency at most when operating at peak efficiency (~50% load) compared to operating at say ~80% load for these PSUs. Assuming the same PSU in both cases; it looks like the Straight Power 11 may be a tiny bit more efficient overall than the V Series.

I'd encourage you to calculate how much money you'd really be saving in a year by operating at ~2% better efficiency, based on how many hours you game and what electricity costs you.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooler-master-v750-power-supply,4341-5.html
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13494/the-be-quiet-straight-power-11-750w-psu-review/3
https://hexus.net/tech/reviews/psu/114524-quiet-straight-power-11-550w/
 

logainofhades

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Thanks guys, I am in The Netherlands and I saw this which has good reviews and it means I can keep my cabling setup and just replace the PSU https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/1130235/be-quiet!-straight-power-11-650w.html

The SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80 is slightly cheaper and the reviews complain a lot about single 12V rail and poor cables/connectors https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/829903/seasonic-focus-plus-650-gold.html

Initially I don't plan to overclock but I want to be able to once I have read up about what to do safely, so would that mean 650W might not be enough too?.


Those people complaining about it having a single 12v rail, have no clue as to what they are talking about. I would also probably recommend a 750w. Capacitors aging can lower output, over time, so there is no point in cutting it close. Corsair TXM and RMX are other models, to consider.
 

Neobond

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I'd encourage you to calculate how much money you'd really be saving in a year by operating at ~2% better efficiency, based on how many hours you game and what electricity costs you.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooler-master-v750-power-supply,4341-5.html
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13494/the-be-quiet-straight-power-11-750w-psu-review/3
https://hexus.net/tech/reviews/psu/114524-quiet-straight-power-11-550w/
OK I hadn't factored that in, electricity is expensive where I live, I am running about ~300kW/month at around €160/month (incl gas) so not cheap. But also I work from home so the PC is on all day and I might game on it for an hour or two each day.
 

TJ Hooker

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OK I hadn't factored that in, electricity is expensive where I live, I am running about ~300kW/month at around €160/month (incl gas) so not cheap. But also I work from home so the PC is on all day and I might game on it for an hour or two each day.
Ok, let's go with €0.50 per kWh. This is almost certainly a high estimate, as that assumes virtually you're entire bill is for electricity rather than gas, and ignores the fact that part of your bill is going to be fixed costs which don't scale with usage.

If you're gaming 2 hours a day, every day of the month, and your PC draws 500W while gaming, and we assume an efficiency difference of 2%, you save a whopping €0.30 a month.

Assuming your work is light usage (MS Office, etc), you're probably going to be running in a range where both PSUs are considerably less efficient than they are at optimal load. PSU efficiency typically drops off pretty fast under around 20% load.

Go ahead and upgrade your PSU if you'd like, but I wouldn't do it for efficiencies sake. I am correct in my understanding that you already own the Be Quiet, and are now thinking of upgrading, right?
 
Oct 1, 2019
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Recommended PSU for a 2070 Super is 650w
It's because Nvidia doesn't know what the CPU is, how good quality the PSU that the consumer will choose will be, so they have to heavily overestimate in most cases.
You are really cutting it fine with the 550w. The reason is the 2070 draws 215w at stock clocks. That can go up to the 280w mark when boost clocks are at full speed.
Are you not aware that the CPU and GPU consume like 90-95% of the total system power draw? 215-280W for a GPU on a 550W unit isn't that much...
With a PSU, it's defo better to have more than less, and risk random shutdowns, restarts, or worse you fry the PSU and some components with it.
None of these will happen on a decent 550W PSU with OPP/12V OCP set to ~120% or above.
Calculators are good for a guide, but I'd not be cutting it so close.
Sigh, this again... View: https://old.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/d6pm63/common_psu_misconceptions_adopted_from_ltt_forum/

A decent gold unit like this:

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $99.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-01 13:29 EDT-0400
I'd take TXm or RMx over this. One made by Great Wall, one by CWT, both companies more vertically integrated than Seasonic (= better QC). Besides, Seasonic raised the OPP so that it's allowed to get to 268mv+ without shutting down.
 

Neobond

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It's because Nvidia doesn't know what the CPU is, how good quality the PSU that the consumer will choose will be, so they have to heavily overestimate in most cases.

Are you not aware that the CPU and GPU consume like 90-95% of the total system power draw? 215-280W for a GPU on a 550W unit isn't that much...

None of these will happen on a decent 550W PSU with OPP/12V OCP set to ~120% or above.

Sigh, this again... View: https://old.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/d6pm63/common_psu_misconceptions_adopted_from_ltt_forum/


I'd take TXm or RMx over this. One made by Great Wall, one by CWT, both companies more vertically integrated than Seasonic (= better QC). Besides, Seasonic raised the OPP so that it's allowed to get to 268mv+ without shutting down.
Hmm so am I good sticking with the Be Quiet Straight Power 11 550W when I buy the 2070 RTX Super? It is new so I would only go for more wattage if absolutely necessary.
 
It's because Nvidia doesn't know what the CPU is, how good quality the PSU that the consumer will choose will be, so they have to heavily overestimate in most cases.

Are you not aware that the CPU and GPU consume like 90-95% of the total system power draw? 215-280W for a GPU on a 550W unit isn't that much...

None of these will happen on a decent 550W PSU with OPP/12V OCP set to ~120% or above.

Sigh, this again... View: https://old.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/d6pm63/common_psu_misconceptions_adopted_from_ltt_forum/


I'd take TXm or RMx over this. One made by Great Wall, one by CWT, both companies more vertically integrated than Seasonic (= better QC). Besides, Seasonic raised the OPP so that it's allowed to get to 268mv+ without shutting down.

Yeah.....I am on the Linus forum where that piece was written. It was authored by a user with VERY limited PSU knowledge and it was then passed on to reddit as though it was some official proclamation from Linus. It wasn't. It's a mess and not worth reading.

I can tell you spend time there too because they keep repeating that 268mvv nonsense. It was a Focus 750 that was overloaded to 900 watts, where it shutdown. The ripple didn't even start to spike until 888 watts, a mere 12 watts before the OPP shutdown. That isn't an issue at all. The Linus forum people keep saying it is, but it isn't. Even the original reviewer dismissed it as insignificant.

If you really wan't to know about PSU's, spend more time here. The guys running the Linus forum PSU section are mostly clueless.
 
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Neobond

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Oct 1, 2019
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Wow I don't feel like I have been helped with so much conflicting information, I looked on Guru3D and they recommend a 550W PSU too https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/geforce-rtx-2060-and-2070-super-review,5.html I mean they also measured it and everything. I am just going to keep the Straight Power 11. If the system gets too hot or makes too much noise in that configuration I will buy a 650 or 750W replacement.
 
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