Power usage of ati radeon hd 5770

[mindkilla123]

After someone answering my question about the ati radeon hd 5770 vs the ati radeon hd 4870 i'm now wondering if i need a bigger power supply for the upgrade from a gt 220
Current specs:
420 watt power supply
AMD athlon II 620 quad core cpu
500gb 7200 rpm hard drive
2x2gb ddr3 pc3 ram
samsung 22x dvdrw drive (doesn't read dvds?)
samsung 16x dvdrw drive (reads dvds....)
gigabyte MA770T-ud3p am3 ddr3 motherboard
evga gt220 1gb video card
draft N/g/b wireless card
I was thinking of buying a 650w powersupply because my system seems to be underpowered anyway....
Any ideas on this?

 

[skolpo]

Shouldn't be a big problem, but you might end up pushing the PSU to the limit only if it is getting old. Reviews have systems with a single HD5770 pushing power supplies to 300-330W usage at full load (around 230 in idle). As long as your PSU is not too old, you should be fine. The rest of your system doesn't look too power demanding.
You won't need anywhere near a 650w PSU to run a single HD5770. Even with two in crossfire, you won't push your system past 450w.

The breakdown:

Single HD5770 TDP at full load = 330W
You have: 420W (generic PSU i suppose?)
Verdict: You'll be fine but on the border somewhat.

Also, do you know how many amps you got running on the 12v rails? ATi recommends at least 40 amps. This factor is possible the only reason you might want to consider a new PSU. I recommend a 550w+ PSU if you're planning to run two of these cards in the future.

 

[jyjjy]

I wouldn't run an HD5770 on a generic 420w. A 420w of a good brand yes, but not a generic one. Skolpo's numbers are basically correct but they don't account for that a generic PSU will almost always have output on the +12v rail much lower than the total rated power.
This is a decent deal and would be more than enough for your system;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

 

[wa1]

^+1

 

[mindkilla123]

Thank you jyjjy, i guess i'll have to wait till i get a bit more money.... 14 year old pc enthusiast ftw =D
I believe i have about 160 right now so probably a couple more weeks and i'll have those things...

 

[jyjjy]

What brand/model is your PSU exactly?

 

[mindkilla123]

Wait......where's the molex connectors on that psu?

 

[mindkilla123]

umm there's no name on the psu, but i'd assume one of the cheaper brands...

 

[skolpo]

Wait......where's the molex connectors on that psu?

They are listed as peripheral cables under specification. They are also the eighth picture under the picture viewer. The PSU is modular, meaning you only connect the amount of cables you need to the power supply to avoid cable cluttering inside your computer case.

 

[mindkilla123]

Okay nice, it just seemed weird with how psu('s?) normally look... My computer (a cyberpowerpc build) that cost about 580$ back at black friday so obviously it was jerry-rigged and had crappy components but it works well... I wish i could tell you more about the psu but that's all i've seen on it.

 

[jyjjy]

The label with the brand/model would be on the side of the unit inside the case but it is sounding like it is definitely a generic unit so it probably doesn't matter.
As for the molex connectors on the BP550 skolpo is correct. It comes with 6 but you can only see them on the pic with all the cables because the power supply is modular. Everything but the motherboard connector is optional and detachable so you wont have extra cables in your case that you don't need.

 

[mindkilla123]

Best answer selected by mindkilla123.