Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking.amd,alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,uk.comp.homebuilt (
More info?)
On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 10:22:51 +0100, Piotr Makley <pmakley@mail.com> wrote:
>Hi there. Thanks for the reply.
>
>My *real* question is .. will my FSP250 PSU support a much faster
>processor than the Duron 700 I have already got.
>
>So maybe I can go to a Duron 1800 without spending money on a new
>PSU. If I have to buy a new PSU then I will go for an Athlon.
>
>Below are some details of my figures. If someone like yourself (or
>anyone else) can look through them then I would be grateful.
>
>If the Duron 1800 compared to the 700 only needs an extra 2 amps at
>12v then maybe I can always unhook a single dish drive to get the
>extra 2 amp capacity? See below.
>
>Piotr
>
>
>===== BEGIN DETAILS ========
>
>My PSU details at
http://tinyurl.com/3c4ht say this:
>
> +12v 13A
> +5v 27A
> +3.3 20A
> 3.3 and 5 combined = 175 W
>
>According to AMD (http://tinyurl.com/25o2g) the 1800 has about
>twice the power consumption of the 700. Max 57W and max 31W.
>
>Unfortunately
http://users.erols.com/chare/elec.htm does not list a
>Duron 1800 so I can't get the "typical power consumption" value
>from there.
>
>Page 7 of AMD's own document building systems has a section on
>power consumption http://tinyurl.com/7a2s. It points out that hard
>drives can each need about 2 amps at 12 volt. I have *five* HDDS
>and will soon add a sixth! All but one is 7200.
>
>My copy of Motherboard Monitor shows my 12v as being actually
>11.81v (only 1.6% low). Atthe same time MB Probe shows 11.78v
>(only 1.8% low).
>
>===== END DETAILS ======
First of all, it is just plain incorrect for anyone to state that a modern
Athlon "uses 12V power. The truth is that the majority of Athlon
motherboards still use 5V for CPU power. It is a proven fact. Only a
large percentage of nForce2 boards and a very low number of others use 12V
for an Athlon or Duron. In other words, the motherboard is the variable
here, you need to consider your motherboard.
Also, the wattage printed on a power supply label is not necessarily
accurate. Even a Sparkle "250W" can mean different things based on the
exact model. Some Sparkle 250W have higher output than others. Offhand I
recall at least two versions, the "GT" model is lower output than the
"ATV" (last two letters in model name). I don't recall seeing a "GTV" as
you linked, but perhaps that's the "GT" I was thinking of.
Anyway, all of the above is somewhat irrelevant, you should get a larger
power supply because you're running 5 hard drives plus planning
upgrade(s). The goal of matching a power supply to a system is not to
calculate down to the last amp or two, but to use a unit with plenty of
reserve capacity, that's running at lower than maximum possible output to
reduce ripple, decrease response time, and promote longer power supply and
motherboard lifespan.
That means buying a name-brand so you can have more confidence in the
specs on the label. If you like Sparkle power supplies then you might
consider their 400W models. A good power supply will last several years,
though multiple system upgrades. There's no sign of future systems using
any less power so you might as well get a unit that will support more than
you presently need, especially since you appear to like so many hard
drives.
On the other hand, if you just want the bottom line, if your current
motherboard uses 5V for CPU power then you'll most likley be able to
upgrade the 700MHz CPU to an 1800 Duron without changing the power
supply... but then again it's closer and closer to it's max capacity, may
wear out sooner and probably isn't all that new anyway either. It might
soon be time to replace it regardless of the planned upgrade to the CPU,
or if it has a sleeve bearing Yate Loon fan in it you might, at the very
least, want to put a drop of heavy oil in it as those Yate Loon fans are
subject to seize, failing in the worst possibly way by simply not spinning
up the next time you power on the system so the power supply start to bake
inside, making it not worthwhile to replace the fan by the time (most
people would realize) the fan isn't working... It's fairly easy to
overlook a fan that's silent because it has seized.
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