[SOLVED] PSU and graphics card

[Gfost73]

Hello I am about to upgrade my Graphics card , I have been thinking about the Gforce GTX 1650 4Gb card , however I have also taken a liking to the RX570 8gb card , now here's my issue, the RX570 states a min PSU of 450Watt is needed (which is what I have) .. I have tested my system with a watt meter to see the actual power draw from wall, Idle its around 80watts.. and under full load (CPU and GPU) I peak around 180watt. ( Ill assume at least 75 watt of that is the GPU already installed) .. so I am wondering would it be wise to stick with the 1650 (needing only 300 watt PSU) or should the RX570 be ok ? .. I cant really afford to buy a new PSU at this testing whole system while Idle and under full load my PSU has over 250watt to spare . or is this not as simple as checking the draw from wall.

 

[DSzymborski]

Can't answer this question without knowing the exact power supply.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Psu wattage is only part of the equation. You need to kake sure your psu has the required connectors and is of decent quality.

What is you exact model of psu?

 

[Gfost73]

I have a EVGA 450BV Bronze 80+ (yes I know its budget and not the best) .. but again the total draw from wall even playing games that max the system is never exceeded 200watt.. infact running GTA5 (now) and system still is under 200 watt

full system is
AMD FX 6300
Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2 (Ver 2.0)
AMD Radeon R7 250 (MSI) 2Gb
8GB DDR 3 ram (2 @ 4GB)

 

[Gfost73]

I have the connectors 2 8 pin ( well 6 pin with a separate 2 pin part) ..

** update*8 running prime 95, ad well as Unique "valley" benchmark, GTA5 and every game I have , pushing system to max, only ever draws a MAX of 181Watt from the wall, so does that mean my PSU still has (in theory) over 250 Watt "buffer"

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Heres what a certain @jonnyguru has to say about it:
"I’m going to be straight up with you folks… if you’re building a computer with the idea of skimping on the power supply so you can get a better video card or bigger SSD, don’t. You should not be budgeting the dollar figure this thing costs if you want anything to hold up over the long haul. Is this a gutless wonder? No. There’s a whole world of absolute crap below this one waiting to burn your house down. But it’s not too good, either. It’s better than a swift kick in the skull with a frozen boot, but don’t plan on running it long if you do have one. And don’t expect full power in any reasonable application, because the thirty degree temp cutoff is probably not going to allow it. Mine might have done thirty-three without shutting down, but there’s no guarantee the next one will. Plan on maybe getting 350-400 watts here in the real world."
https://www.jonnyguru.com/blog/2018/09/03/evga-450bv-450w-power-supply/6/

Your PSU needs replaced if you are going to use an RX570. The 1650 should be ok.

Even if you don't draw 450w, from his testing it will only deliver 350-400w before shutting off. With age and dust buildup, this may get even worse. This is bad, very bad. He even compares it to the original CX green which has high failure rates.
Now I am starting to understand why cheap EVGA units get so much hate...

So, what is your all-in budget for upgrades? BTW, your old FX CPU may limit either GPU in some games.

 

[DSzymborski]

I have a EVGA 450BV Bronze 80+ (yes I know its budget and not the best) .. but again the total draw from wall even playing games that max the system is never exceeded 200watt.. infact running GTA5 (now) and system still is under 200 watt

full system is
AMD FX 6300
Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2 (Ver 2.0)
AMD Radeon R7 250 (MSI) 2Gb
8GB DDR 3 ram (2 @ 4GB)

You're overemphasizing total draw. The question of the power supply's overall quality is the larger one.

It's not an impressive power supply -- it's realistically a 420W power supply and the numbers are all tested at 30 degrees, which is unrealistically low. But you're likely on the good side of the OK/not OK border (though not by a mile). If you're going for an RX 570, I'd probably avoid a factory overclocked one; those can average 160-180W at peak gaming use and peak at over 200W intermittently. I'd also make sure to not overclock your CPU if using an RX 570.

As for the lifespan of the power supply, you may be getting a new one in 2-3 years when spending a little more would have gotten one that would likely last 7-10 years. But since it appears that purchase is long made, no use crying over spilt milk.

 

[Gfost73]

I can buy a new PSU in a couple months.. I realize this one is far from great, or even good, but it is all I have at the moment. I live on a very small budget ( I am on a disability) .. so I can buy a new one in a couple months, but am looking to get the best Graphics card I can within my budget and the 570 clearly would be better than the 1650 ( or so Id think being 2x the memory) .. that is why I tested the system actual draw from the wall, and without the GOU running (Idle) system like stated only draws 80watt, and gaming at the levels I game now (obviously GTA5 is on low settings and most my games are) .. the system onmly uses max of 180watt.. it has never spiked over 185watt. I know it seems half ass backwards upgrading the GPU before the PSU , but if I can at least use this PSU for a few months with the RX570 , even if I leave settings lower, than Id be happy ..

 

[DSzymborski]

I can buy a new PSU in a couple months.. I realize this one is far from great, or even good, but it is all I have at the moment. I live on a very small budget ( I am on a disability) .. so I can buy a new one in a couple months, but am looking to get the best Graphics card I can within my budget and the 570 clearly would be better than the 1650 ( or so Id think being 2x the memory) .. that is why I tested the system actual draw from the wall, and without the GOU running (Idle) system like stated only draws 80watt, and gaming at the levels I game now (obviously GTA5 is on low settings and most my games are) .. the system onmly uses max of 180watt.. it has never spiked over 185watt. I know it seems half ass backwards upgrading the GPU before the PSU , but if I can at least use this PSU for a few months with the RX570 , even if I leave settings lower, than Id be happy ..

I don't think it's dangerous; the PSU has proper protections and at least has some 105 degree instead of 85 degree capacitors where it matters most. Just don't push it too far (so no torture test/overclocking) in the short-term. If you're only expecting it to be used for a couple of months, I imagine you'd be fine. It's a mediocre power supply, but it's not on the "immediately connect to inside of a garbage bag" level like you see a lot around here.

 

[Gfost73]

Heres what a certain @jonnyguru has to say about it:
"I’m going to be straight up with you folks… if you’re building a computer with the idea of skimping on the power supply so you can get a better video card or bigger SSD, don’t. You should not be budgeting the dollar figure this thing costs if you want anything to hold up over the long haul. Is this a gutless wonder? No. There’s a whole world of absolute crap below this one waiting to burn your house down. But it’s not too good, either. It’s better than a swift kick in the skull with a frozen boot, but don’t plan on running it long if you do have one. And don’t expect full power in any reasonable application, because the thirty degree temp cutoff is probably not going to allow it. Mine might have done thirty-three without shutting down, but there’s no guarantee the next one will. Plan on maybe getting 350-400 watts here in the real world."
https://www.jonnyguru.com/blog/2018/09/03/evga-450bv-450w-power-supply/6/

Your PSU needs replaced if you are going to use an RX570. The 1650 should be ok.

Even if you don't draw 450w, from his testing it will only deliver 350-400w before shutting off. With age and dust buildup, this may get even worse. This is bad, very bad. He even compares it to the original CX green which has high failure rates.
Now I am starting to understand why cheap EVGA units get so much hate...

So, what is your all-in budget for upgrades? BTW, your old FX CPU may limit either GPU in some games.

I know my PSU isn't the best , its what came with the tower, my FX chip sure isn't the top of the line CPU anymore but works perfect for all I do.. I'm not a heavy gamer and the games I do play dont seem too demanding (besides GTA5 and that's why I tested power consumption playing this game) .. my main goal is to get the best I can right now and use it, and in a month or two I can upgrade to a new PSU. nothing on my system is overclocked ( I did OC the CPU before but have since put it back to factory, as the OC benchmarks ended up worse than factory, most likely the GPU bottlenecking the CPU bad.. or vise versa.. but either way its all factory .,.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

The RX570 is a better performer than a GTX 1650 and your PSU should be able to power the 570 in theory, but it is cutting it closer than I would like. The RX570 is your best choice then, but I would certainly not overclock and get that PSU out of there if you start experiencing unexpected shutdowns.

That is something I will credit EVGA for. Even if their PSUs have a low-temperature rating, this is bandaged by the fact that EVGA includes over-temp protection on even some really cheap units.

 

[j121]

you can run with this psu without issue, its not the best psu but its not the worst either.

 

[Gfost73]

thank you all for the info/advise, I think I will get the RX570 and in a couple months I can upgrade the PSU to something better, I have been looking at several gold + certified ones on Newegg , not too sure which would be the better choice, but I could spend around 150$ for a new PSU in a couple months.. and I never push the system, most times I hardly game, and the game I play most now is Dauntless and I dont think its overly demanding , unlike GTA5 on max settings, and even GTA5 most times my idea of "playing" is driving around town lol.. again, not much of a gamer.. lol

 

[Gfost73]

https://www.newegg.ca/corsair-tx-m-...cription=PSU&cm_re=PSU-_-17-139-207-_-Product

not knowing much on PSU , is this one a good one, has a 7 year warranty and isn't overly expencive

 

[NightHawkRMX]

That is an excellent choice! Solid build quality, good efficiency, and a great warranty.

Heres some cheaper alternatives (similar quality):

$80 Seasonic Focus 80+ Gold 650w with 7 year warranty.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07793TFW8/?tag=pcpapi-20

$60 Seasonic Focus 80+ Gold 550w with 7 year warranty
https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-foc...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-e8JVuRCqbwR3DZpLcepQgg

 

[hftvhftv]

Your upgrade path should be: PSU>GPU>CPU. Depending on what games you play I'd even do the CPU upgrade first. The FX 6300 is weak in lightly threaded games.

 

[Gfost73]

yes I am aware my CPU isn't great, sadly the only other my board supports is the FX8300 wich is only 8 thread CPU, the 6300 being 6, . so in order to really upgrade my CPU I would need a new board as well, so while I would love to be able to buy all new equipment, that for me is not possible at this time. So I am upgrading what I can now, and use while I can save and get more upgrades, I know it probably sounds half assed but its what will work for me. I can get a new PSU in October, so buying the GPU a month early shouldn't be much of an issue, even if it does not work , which I really cant see why It wont as I really dont play many games, and nothing really demanding like new AAA games, as mentioned before the hardest game I have on a system to play would be GTA5 and I dont know if you would even call what I do playing lol.. as most times I just drive around, and am used to low settings as it is so even if I had to play in low settings till I did get the new PSU id beak with that too, then once I can save enough to get a new board and chip I can get it all at once. more than likely id need new RAM too seeing as mine is DDR3 and older so it wouldn't be any good on any new boards, so that "CPU" upgrade is much more than just the CPU.. trust me Ive thought a lot about this and upgrading the system.

 

[Gfost73]

just if your curious the games I play are

Dauntless (most)
GTA5 (rare)
Lord of the rings online (rare but takes nothing to run , even now I get 220fps on max) ..
Diablo 3 (rare) ..
Skyforge (rare)
Destiny 2 (rare)

All these games do play on the current setup, some of course better than others, GTA5 I get like 30fps, (sad I know but I can still play it) .. and same with Dauntless , get around 35fps.. so Id be happy with 60fps and low settings .. Im easy to please lol

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Psu should be fine for a couple months, just watch for unexpected shutdowns.

 

[geofelt]

On tom's gpu ranking chart:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html
RX570 and GTX1650 are next to each other with ratings of 48.3 and 42.2 respectively.
Not so different in performance.
And, your FX processor is likely a more limiting factor anyway.

verified user newegg reviews for the GTX1650 are not numerous.
But looking at reviews for the most reviewed RX570 card do not look good:
https://www.newegg.com/msi-radeon-rx-570-rx-570-armor-8g-oc/p/N82E16814137256
Some 29% of verified users give it 1egg.

I think I would be safe and go with the GTX1650.

When it comes time for a new build, then look for a quality psu.