Estimated full load of rig is more than power supply..

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joezeppy99

joezeppy99

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I am looking to build a severely ridiculously powered computer. This is going to include 3 GTX 690 cards(overclocked), 2 3TB HDD, biggest SSD i can get, 3rd generation extreme i7 processor (going to be overclocked to hopefully around 4.8), a few bluray/dvd drives, 64 GB RAM, etc...

the point is, if i stress test my rig at full load to detect stability in my components, it will hit approximately 1550 watts. the PSU i plan to buy is only 1500 watts.

1. can i have all i mentioned in one PC(specifically THREE GTX 690's)?
2. will stress testing ever bring it up to maximum wattage in all the components?
3. if it does, what ae my option to increase PSU or decrease wattage usage?
 
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M
Looking at Anandtech's review, I see the GTX690 at 473W in Metro 2033. Be aware that this is TOTAL power consumption, including the i7@4.3GHz. So adding 2 more, it's less than 3*473W=1420W. Add your HDDs and whatever, you will not reach 1500W. Also, the 473W are the AC at wall, which includes the PSU efficiency, so with a 90% efficiency, I'm still talking about 425W.
Also, at least in gaming, I think one single card will be stressed more than having a 2nd card and doing more work per total. This is justified by the fact that 2 cards will never get 100% performance boost. The more units are added, the less the boost (so you 6 GPU setup will be pretty far from the 500% boost).
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mathew7

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Looking at Anandtech's review, I see the GTX690 at 473W in Metro 2033. Be aware that this is TOTAL power consumption, including the i7@4.3GHz. So adding 2 more, it's less than 3*473W=1420W. Add your HDDs and whatever, you will not reach 1500W. Also, the 473W are the AC at wall, which includes the PSU efficiency, so with a 90% efficiency, I'm still talking about 425W.
Also, at least in gaming, I think one single card will be stressed more than having a 2nd card and doing more work per total. This is justified by the fact that 2 cards will never get 100% performance boost. The more units are added, the less the boost (so you 6 GPU setup will be pretty far from the 500% boost).
 
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Solution
WR2

WR2

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@ mathew7;

You didn't account for the 'etc...' in his build.

But you could be right and that would mean that joezeppy99 was wrong in his calculations that his system would draw 1550W DC. ;)

I don't think joezeppy99 has realized yet the GTX 690s only have a single SLI tab and that he can't link his 3 GTX 690s together.
 
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samuelspark

samuelspark

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Lol yeah. :p
 
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joezeppy99

joezeppy99

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I know 3 GTX 690's will not SLI as 6 GPUs, but the first two will (4 GPUs).

1. What are the benefits and issues of adding the third card, even if it will not SLI (exclude financial reasons because it is not an issue)?

Under normal circumstances, the components should never get close to the maximum wattage (gaming). I am just concerned when I do the stress test when everything is overclocked (GPUs, memory, CPU) it will exceed the maximum rating of the PSU and rape my components. I do not worry about putting extra money into my rig to have better components, but I do have a problem with throwing money away to buy replacement parts.

So let's assume that everything is OCed as high as it can reasonably be (GPUs, memory, CPU) and assuming we have at least 4 fans, 3 HDDs, 1 SSD, 2-3 bluray drives, and liquid cooling.

2a. What are the wattages I should be looking at when idling?
2b. What are the wattages I should be looking at when under average load (gaming)?
2c. What are the wattages I should be looking at when under full load (stress testing)?

3. Based on your estimates, will a 1500 watt PSU be adequate for all situations in questions 2a-c?


(i know some of you responded already, but i wanted to cover my "etc..." in my post because it was causing a little confusion)


Finally, any suggestions on how to make my rig idea more powerful? budget= lol, what budget?
 
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gamerk316

gamerk316

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Remember that PSU's are typically, at best, 80% effecient. So a 1500W PSU will only typically deliver ~1200W. Heck, you might need a 1500W PSU JUST to power the GPU's...

Also, three 690's [heck, three of any GPU] is totally overkill and doesn't increase performance any. And the 64GB RAM is pointless given how 90% of apps are still coded as 32-bit EXEs, putting a hard limit of 4GB Address Space usage. Assuming you built this thing for gaming, about 56GB of RAM won't ever be used.
 
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WR2

WR2

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It's the other way around. PSUs are rated in DC power they can provide to the system parts.
So a PSU drawing 1500W DC @ 90% efficiency would draw 1650W from the AC wall socket.
 
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WR2

WR2

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Add a 4th GTX 690. I think that Asus WS MB might handle 4.
Could make a decent Folding@Home rig. Or S.E.T.I@home.
In fact it might benefit any high performance GPGPU app.


 
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ewood

ewood

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I get the feeling there are many many things it has yet to realize...
 
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wr6133

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Use 2 PSU's would be better than running 1 at near or on load.

Whats the point in this rig? If its for bragging it's an epic fail people will just think "fool with money.... all the gear NO idea"

And you'll need to do it again in 2 years time when some guys £400 Dell beats it.
 
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joezeppy99

joezeppy99

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I never liked the idea of using 2 PSUs, too many issues that a bigger PSU can easily solve.

Yes, I know 3 GTX 690s will not SLI together.

And you'll need to do it again in 2 years time when some guys £400 Dell beats it.
Click to expand...
Your point? If I can drop $18,000 into a computer with a few monitors at the drop of a hat (which is what im doing), I'm not exactly worried about being "future-proof", although the server mobo with dual xeon's was a very fine idea.


Whats the point in this rig? If its for bragging it's an epic fail people will just think "fool with money.... all the gear NO idea"
Click to expand...

You are partially right, I have money. I may not be an expert in computer building, but i do have enough sense to ask for help from experienced builders. The intention of this rig is primarily for gaming, but who wants a plain-jane gaming rig? I'm sure most of gamers would build a bigger and better rig if they could afford it.PS BTW you do not wanna hear about my server project build if you are bugging out about this rig.
 
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DJDeCiBeL

DJDeCiBeL

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Agreed. If you have that much money, spend it on something people can actually see to "oohhh and ahhh" at and not something that will just sit there, in a case, that no one will ever see.

That's a little over the top, but I think you get my point. For a gaming rig, you're trying to spend WAY too much. Put your e-peen back in your pants.
 
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joezeppy99

joezeppy99

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1. supercars are nice, but spending 200k+ on a car is stupid. makes yourself a nice big target for problems of the criminal nature.
2. I have a very nice 370z that I am very happy with, I do not need another fun car.
3. aside from PC's, im very conservative with what I have.
4. very off-topic, sir.
 
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delluser1

delluser1

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epeen.gif
 
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DJDeCiBeL

DJDeCiBeL

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It's over the top, like I said, yes, but the point is, if you're only doing this to seem "cool" and rub it the face of everyone on the internet how "awesome" your rig is, you're way off base. If that really is the reason, get over yourself. No one cares. No gaming rig needs THREE GTX 690's (even if you COULD SLI all three). Just get two 690's. That is now, and will be for many years, ALL you will ever need.
 
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R

Robi_g

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Why all the hate? If I had that kind of money I'd build some epic PC.
I think you can SLi 3 way 690s but It really isn't necessary, even if you literally had all the money in the world. 2 is awesome. If you want 64GB then go for it. I'd go for a 1600W or over PSU just to be safe and seeing as there is "no budget" you might as well.
 
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