Adequate power supply?

[wseymour]

Hi,

I'm hoping to upgrade my GFX card soon, from the old 8800GS (OC) I have now to a Radeon 5770
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-HD5770-GDDR5-Graphics-Card/dp/B002ZO3D76/ref=dp_cp_ob_ce_title_1)

The only problem is I was stupid enough to buy a cheap iCute power supply a few years ago, and while it's rated at 500W, it's only 20A on the 12v rail.

My question is: will the PSU cope, given that it runs my overclocked 8800GS fine?
(I think they consume roughly equal amounts of power under load)

Thanks

Edit: main components
Athlon 64x2 6000+
2GB RAM (667mhz OEM)
XFX 8800GS

 

[enzo matrix]

Let's see, 108W max total for GPU
http://www.phoronix.com/image-viewer.php?id=amd_juniper&image=amd_juniper_09_lrg

125W TDP for the CPU
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AMD-Athlon%2064%20X2%206000+%20-%20ADX6000IAA6CZ%20(ADX6000CZBOX).html

12*20=240W
125+108=233W

So I could hasten a guess at yes but I would warn that it might not due to the fact that the power supply is older and if it does work now, it would be pushing the power supply pretty hard. I personally wouldn't risk it.

 

[hunter315]

They do draw a similar level of power, however with only 240W of power on your 12V rail its probably a good idea to upgrade to a good unit while you are at it. If you buy a good 550W unit now you wont have to worry about any future GPU upgrades.

Luckily the rest of your system isnt extremely power hungry so you shouldnt blow it up and should be safe for a while but i still dont think its a good plan to risk it.

 

[wseymour]

Thanks for the quick response, I know this is another one of those "can i run it" threads. Will look into getting a new PSU - something with a decent brand name!

 

[jsc]

PC with any single non-X2 video card:
Corsair 550VX (41 amp 12 volt rail)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

If you are on a budget, these are surprisingly good:
Antec 500 watt BASIQ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371004
Test:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/792

 

[wseymour]

I'm thinking this would fit the bill:
OCZ 500W StealthXStream
http://www.amazon.co.uk/OCZ-500W-StealthXStream-Power-Supply/dp/B001564SRE/ref=pd_cp_ce_1

 

[flaminggerbil]

Apparently the 5770 needs 40amps on the +12v, the OCZ only supplies 18 on both rails.
Might want something a little bit better quality, such as the corsair linked by jsc.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

To size it....

http://www.antec.outervision.com/

To pick it ....

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_PSUs

To check it

http://www.jonnyguru.com/

Avoid buying by "brand name" as most vendors build to satisfy various demographics. The Antec Basiq series for example are budget PSU's, the Antec TP/TPQ/EA series are enthusiast PSU's and the SG / CP series are for the most discerning buyers.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5770/Pages/ati-radeon-hd-5770-system-requirements.aspx

450 Watt or greater power supply with one 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connectors recommended (600 Watt and two 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode)

If your sticking w/ one card and not OC'ing the Corsair 450VX . I have seen that 40 amp thing quoted heavily but it doesn't make sense given its 207 watt power consumption (207 /12 = 17.25 amps)

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5770,2446-15.html

Still, if it was my build, I'd be going with a 600 - 650 watter allowing you to Xfire ....(something you'll wanna do w/ the 5770 for DX11 gaming at 1920 x 1200). With moderate overclocks, I'd use an EA-650 or a Corsair TX650. With seriious OC's, I'b move up to one of these:

Antec Signature 650W
Seasonic X-650 650W
Corsair HX650

 

[flaminggerbil]

Erk, I wouldnt say to completely avoid buying by brand names, yes they do tend to create a varied product range to meet different markets but there are still several companies which are just known for making complete crap with a tendancy to blow up.

The 40amps does seem strangely high, but companies do have a habit of exaggerating power requirements.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Here are the official ATI recommended power supply requirements for the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and 5750 video cards:


450 watt or greater power supply with one 75 watt, 6-pin PCI Express® power connector recommended.

600 watt or greater power supply with two 75 watt, 6-pin PCI Express® connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode.


The recommendations are for an entire pc system.


Corsair and Seasonic are two brands that have a reputation for high quality power supplies that consistently earn high marks in technical reviews. They are reliable, stable, and come with a 5 year warranty. Some of the newer models come with a 7 year warranty. Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units. One example would be the Antec Earthwatts and the Antec TruePower New series which are major improvements over Antec’s older psu’s like the Basiq models.