Question Dual System Power Supply asking for help

[Knowix]

Hi guys!

I'm in the process of planning to build a Dual system pc for streaming and for playing. I have a kinda big problem with choosing the right psu solution. I'd be so happy if someone could help me.

So the following is a must in my pc.
1. 1 case with 2 motherboards
2. Single power supply
3. Able to run just one of the systems at a time
4. Should be smart instead of buying expensive stuff

So for the first one I already decided that I'll go with Phanteks enthoo pro 2 case it seems the cheapest case that have support for 2 motherboards. Since I will use two motherboards in that case I'm limited to one power supply. I found that Phantkes revolt X psu is made for dual systems. Just I don't want to use it since it's 400$ and also I saw a lot of people complaining about it(melting cables, fires) So i want to avoid that psu. I found the Phanteks power splitter and that would be the perfect option for me to use. Just I couldn't find anywhere to buy used or new. The last stock was in 2019. So that option is out as far as i can see If you know where can i get one let me know.
So how can I power two systems with one power supply while I'm able to switch one off and just run one system?

It came to my mind that might be the best option to have two power supplys at the back of the case. I didn't know if it fits or not. But I think for the streamer pc since it not using too much power 400W maybe the psu can be a passively cooled psu than it's easyer to put next to the other one. But this should be the last option.

Thanks for the help!

ui: sorry for my English I'm not a native speaker

 

[NightHawkRMX]

5600x or a 11600k are good all around gaming CPUs.

 

[Knowix]

Yeah that's not gonna work unless you're in for some hardmodding...... the analog route would imply a couple of wires, transistors, switches... whereas the digital would involve an Arduino, a status screen with control buttons or a touch panel, that's what's coming to my mind rn

Why don't you get a capture card? I'm no expert in streaming but the El Gato HD60 PRO looks more than capable for streaming a game or movies.

The capture cards won't help in a single system scanario. The capture card has to be in or connected to a another pc. Since the pc have to encode and stream the sources that the capture card gives.

 

[Knowix]

It is fine for the dedicated streaming PC with just a lower end CPU and igpu.

It shouldn't be anywhere close to $100 though.

Okey thanks! Yeah I'm amazed how cheap it is I checked it and it's 68$ todays price.
I'll go for it then.

 

[jtk2515]

For us the 5950x and the 5900x is around 1.5k$ which is a lot also the 3080 and 3090 cost the same and even more on the 3090. So these options are out.
So instead I will kinda change up the things. So my current gaming pc with the 3900x will be the streaming processor and I will buy an old used gpu to it. A good looking one since the power of the gpu doesn't matter for the streaming pc.
Than I will add the 1080 TI to the gaming pc and the ITX build will be my gaming pc. As I understand the article published here: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpus,3986.html
The second best CPU-s after the Ryzen 5000series is the 10 Series intel processors. So I'm will thinking to buy a 10700k maybe a i9 only gaming on it. I can get these processors for around 300-400$.
What processor would you recommend for the gaming pc just for playing games?

1. I can't cap my FPS since I'm playing 144Hz and the 240Hz monitor will arrive soon. So I need every FPS I can get.
2. My SLOBS settings is perfect just my cpu can't keep up the game and the stream and the webcam and also animated effects on the stream.
3. why cbr matter? does it slow the stream or what? If you wrote it bcs of my internet speed I'm having 1000/500 Mbps all the time. So 6Mb of uploading is nothing basically.

If you cannt cap your fps you will run into problems with windows 10 and studder. So it would be best to offload it to another gpu or computer so you dont run into frame timing issues. This is beyond my knowledge as I just cap my framerates.

Contant BR is always at the set bitrate. If your are doing a very slow paced game Variable BR will have alot less bitrate to encode.

 

[Darkbreeze]

5600x or a 11600k are good all around gaming CPUs.

They are, but, what he has in the 3900x, is EXTREMELY good for gaming PLUS streaming, given the number of cores and threads it has. And the difference in performance between the 3900x and anything newer, simply is not justified based on any kind of increase in performance. There is no reason with a system like that, that anybody shouldn't be fully capable of doing what he wants to do. CPUs and GPUs are highly advanced compared to five years ago, and the hardware that was out five years ago was EASILY able to do this if it was in the upper performance range for that time.

You don't need more than a couple of cores for streaming, very capably, and you don't need more than six cores even for the most demanding games in most cases, so there should be hardly any reason at all why you can't do this with what you have now. Try NOT using the GPU for streaming, and designating the CPU as the streaming processor. It is at least worth a try and I've seen quite a few people get much better results that way than trying to use the GPU to game and stream simultaneously even though technically the GPU is probably more capable for this particular process.

 

[Knowix]

They are, but, what he has in the 3900x, is EXTREMELY good for gaming PLUS streaming, given the number of cores and threads it has. And the difference in performance between the 3900x and anything newer, simply is not justified based on any kind of increase in performance. There is no reason with a system like that, that anybody shouldn't be fully capable of doing what he wants to do. CPUs and GPUs are highly advanced compared to five years ago, and the hardware that was out five years ago was EASILY able to do this if it was in the upper performance range for that time.

You don't need more than a couple of cores for streaming, very capably, and you don't need more than six cores even for the most demanding games in most cases, so there should be hardly any reason at all why you can't do this with what you have now. Try NOT using the GPU for streaming, and designating the CPU as the streaming processor. It is at least worth a try and I've seen quite a few people get much better results that way than trying to use the GPU to game and stream simultaneously even though technically the GPU is probably more capable for this particular process.

I want a gaming pc no matter what 😀 It's a challange for me and I want a beast setup and I want to go full water custome water cooling too. If it wont be better I can sell it too with only a little loss of money. BTW it's korona time where else to spend money? Also I streamed half a year or more every single day. I know It would be better to have a dedicated streaming PC. Because some AAA games with a single pc setup not enough to play in best quality and stream it in the best quality too. It's not a coincidence that all the big streamers have 2 pc setup. And this is still cheaper than the new cpu-s and gpu-s and available right now.

Also the guy was right because those two processors are better for gaming only then my 3900x. And I will need a only gaming cpu because the 3900x is going to be in the streaming pc.

 

[Darkbreeze]

K

 

[Aeacus]

I found a be quiet! SFX psu for under 100$ (BE QUIET! SFX Power 2 300W)

Would you recommend it?

Well, that PSU came out in 2014, it has 80+ Bronze efficiency and mere 2 years of warranty.
Review, in German: https://www.hardwareluxx.de/index.php/artikel/hardware/netzteile/31471-bequiet-tfx-sfx-300w.html

For $68, i, personally, wouldn't go for it. While it might be fine, it's the old platform and measly warranty period that doesn't give me confidence about it.

I'd rather pay $99 and get Seasonic Focus SGX-500,
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/seasonic-focus-sgx-500w-sfx-l-power-supply,6095.html
amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seasonic-SGX-500-Full-Modular-Warranty-SSR-500SGX/dp/B07WVWNZQ3/

For comparison: Focus SGX came out in 2019, it has 80+ Gold efficiency and 10 years of warranty. Much newer platform, hefty warranty period and made by one of the best (if not the best) PSU OEM: Seasonic, gives me a lot of confidence. Btw, Be Quiet! PSU is made by FSP (who is 2nd grade PSU OEM, while Seasonic is 1st grade PSU OEM).

You can cheap out on every other component inside the PC except PSU. Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC. Hence why i don't suggest any PSU below good build quality, while great build quality PSUs are preferred.

 

[Knowix]

Well, that PSU came out in 2014, it has 80+ Bronze efficiency and mere 2 years of warranty.
Review, in German: https://www.hardwareluxx.de/index.php/artikel/hardware/netzteile/31471-bequiet-tfx-sfx-300w.html

For $68, i, personally, wouldn't go for it. While it might be fine, it's the old platform and measly warranty period that doesn't give me confidence about it.

I'd rather pay $99 and get Seasonic Focus SGX-500,
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/seasonic-focus-sgx-500w-sfx-l-power-supply,6095.html
amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seasonic-SGX-500-Full-Modular-Warranty-SSR-500SGX/dp/B07WVWNZQ3/

For comparison: Focus SGX came out in 2019, it has 80+ Gold efficiency and 10 years of warranty. Much newer platform, hefty warranty period and made by one of the best (if not the best) PSU OEM: Seasonic, gives me a lot of confidence. Btw, Be Quiet! PSU is made by FSP (who is 2nd grade PSU OEM, while Seasonic is 1st grade PSU OEM).

You can cheap out on every other component inside the PC except PSU. Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC. Hence why i don't suggest any PSU below good build quality, while great build quality PSUs are preferred.

Thank you for your advice!
Yeah the price difference is not so much and your recommended psu is modular and also gold so I'll go for it thanks again.
They said in the review it has kinda loud fan under high loads. And since I'll have to change the fans direction should I change the fan?
What would you recommend?

 

[Aeacus]

They said in the review it has kinda loud fan under high loads.

High load means when your 2nd, streaming build is pulling 350-500W from that PSU. But since you are going to use SFX PSU with streaming build, with low hardware specs and/or without dedicated GPU, it won't be drawing over 200W, if even that.

If you would give me specs of your steaming build, i can estimate more accurate power draw.

should I change the fan?

NEVER EVER open up a PSU to change a fan in it or do any other kind of work in it! At bare minimum, you will void the PSU's warranty. At worst, you can kill yourself (PSU capacitors hold a high charge for a very long time).

 

[Knowix]

High load means when your 2nd, streaming build is pulling 350-500W from that PSU. But since you are going to use SFX PSU with streaming build, with low hardware specs and/or without dedicated GPU, it won't be drawing over 200W, if even that.

If you would give me specs of your steaming build, i can estimate more accurate power draw.



NEVER EVER open up a PSU to change a fan in it or do any other kind of work in it! At bare minimum, you will void the PSU's warranty. At worst, you can kill yourself (PSU capacitors hold a high charge for a very long time).

Then how can I work around it not to push hot air to the case? That's why i want to change the fan direction to push out the hot air at the side of case.

 

[Aeacus]

Then how can I work around it not to push hot air to the case?

PSU airflow configuration works always as exhaust. So, if the PSU fan is facing inwards, it will pull the hot air from the inside of the PC through PSU and exhausts it at the back of the PSU (where the main power cable connects and where PSU switch is). If PSU fan faces downwards (case bottom) or side ways (against case side panel), then PSU has it's own airflow system, by pulling cold air from outside and again, exhausting hot air out of the back.

 

[Knowix]

PSU airflow configuration works always as exhaust. So, if the PSU fan is facing inwards, it will pull the hot air from the inside of the PC through PSU and exhausts it at the back of the PSU (where the main power cable connects and where PSU switch is). If PSU fan faces downwards (case bottom) or side ways (against case side panel), then PSU has it's own airflow system, by pulling cold air from outside and again, exhausting hot air out of the back.

In my case the fan side will be in the case back side and where the power cable is will be towards the front side of the case. So if i understand correctly it will push hot air to the case :/ that's why i want to change it. If i change the direction and like the first psu then the hot air will go to the other psu-s cable and no way that hot air go out of the case. IDK which is better

 

[USAFRet]

In my case the fan side will be in the case back side and where the power cable is will be towards the front side of the case. So if i understand correctly it will push hot air to the case :/ that's why i want to change it. If i change the direction and like the first psu then the hot air will go to the other psu-s cable and no way that hot air go out of the case. IDK which is better

PSU air comes OUT where the power cable to the wall is.

 

[Knowix]

PSU air comes OUT where the power cable to the wall is.

that's what I'm saying. The second psu power cable is facing inside to the case

 

[USAFRet]

that's what I'm saying. The second psu power cable is facing inside to the case

Build a duct that leads to the actual outside.

I think pics or drawings of this contraption would be useful here.

 

[Knowix]

Build a duct that leads to the actual outside.

I think pics or drawings of this contraption would be useful here.

You can see now how it will be pictures
Number one will be the ATX psu and number 2 will be the small factor one. That side cover panel will be taken off and the fan will be there instead of the panel also will cut out the case side panel for able to take air in or out. So if a fan will be there that will suck air in the psu and where you can see the X is where the psu back and will be cut out to a grid pattern. So I want to change the air flow and then front side fans will push air to the psu and the psu fan will push out air from the psu.

Case name is Phanteks Enthoo pro 2

 

[USAFRet]

If it were me....

I'd get a different case that can properly manage 2x PSU.
or
Design and print a duct for the PSU exhaust, with the fan in its normal config.

But that's just me...

 

[Aeacus]

The second psu power cable is facing inside to the case

Here, i agree with USAFRet, we'd like to know or see the PC case you are going to use. Since i know of no PC case, where you have to route the power cable inside the PC case, for it to connect to the PSU.