recommended psu requirements for dual graphics card system

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FallenShandeh

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Aug 22, 2014
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I'm running the Gigabyte Z97X-SOC mobo, an i5 processor, presently 8gb of Corsair Vengeance RAM with plans to upgrade to 16gb and possibly 32 if I need it (I may be 3d rendering fairly heavily). I plan to run two EVGA GTX 750 Ti graphics cards and a minimum of two HDDs, possibly more. My budget won't stretch to a SSD.

My build will have some power-hungry fans, extra CPU cooling and lots of LEDs, so I need more than mimimum specs to run the build.

I'm running almost half my build on a 600W PSU at present (haven't yet replaced my old PSU or graphics card) but it's old and will be replaced. So what would you all recommend for PSU specs? I'm likely to go with a Corsair unit, that or Coolermaster, fully modular if I can scrape the money together. I've had a 1000W unit recommended to me but wanted to make sure that wasn't excessive.

That being said I'd like a PSU that will allow for further expansion. If I find I need more space, or more RAM, I want to be able to get it without upgrating my PSU.

EDIT: I should clarify I'm not overclocking anything, I don't know anything about it. I decided on my mobo based on non-overclocking benefits it has over the others I considered.
 
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JackNaylorPE
The EVGA P2 / G2 series is one I'd consider buying. The other series, wouldn't be interested in.

1,000 watts is enough for three 760s plus all your stuff
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If you can't SLI the 750 Ti then what for under $350 per card would you recommend for a dual card system? Has to clock well, preferably exceed the capabilities of what I already had planned.
 
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Your system as described would be fine w/ a 450 watter considering the fact that you can't add a 2nd 750 Ti

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nvidia_geforce_gtx_750_and_750_ti_review,5.html

1. 750 Ti won't SLI and is not a very strong rendering card ... two 760s draw 343 watts

2. Starting with 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) works for an upgrade to 16 GB (4 x 4GB) but can be problematic as RAM should always be bought in matched sets ..... 2 x 8GB is a much better choice as 2 modules are easier to run stable than 4. Again whenever possible RAM should be purchased in matched sets (4 x 8GB) for guaranteed compatibility.

3. I don't recommend spending money on an SSD until after you already have maxed out GFX and CPU options. However an SSHD is a minimal upgrade and has a huge impact for a low price.

4. I have 15 140mm fans .... they draw a total of 27 watts at full rpm and they never reach full rpm

5. LEDs have minimal impact on wattage .... for CPU cooler, see 4.

6. None of the above will have any significant impact on PSU size.

7. A 600 watt PSU is way more than enough for what you have listed, since yu can't SLI

8. A filly modular PSU is less efficient, more costly than a hybrid modular. The only reason to consider 100% full modular is is you are resleeving all the cables. There is no point in having for example, the 24 pin cable, 8 Pin EPS cable, 1st SATA cable, "modular" when there is no possibility of building a box w/o these cables..... it just adds resistance, adds unnecessary cost, decreases efficiency and introduces a failure point for no benefit, real or perceived, whatsoever.

9. Brand name is by no means an indicator of quality.... Corsair makes great PSUs.... HX 650 - 850, AX line .... they also make some crappy CPUs....i.e anything with a C in it.

Perfect - Seasonic X series

Neat Perfect - Corsair AX some HX, Seasonic M12, EVGA P2 or G2

Very Good - Seasonic S12, XFX Core Edition, Corsair TXv2, Antec HCG / HCP.

10. More space / more fans will not have have an effect on PSU size..... 10 HDs adds about 67 watts ... RAM adds less than 5

11. For an exercise on what adds to PSU size in significant ways, visit
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

12. There's nothing in there creating heat so big powerful fans would be unnecessary noise.

Here's a test case and come back with some numbers.....

a. Go to the link and press calculate ....minimum PSU wattage will be 38watts w/ regular desktop MoBo.

b. adding 4 sticks of RAM adds 12 watts (3w per stick)

c. Adding 760 Ti, adds 54 watts

d. Adding 2 regular SATA HDs adds 19 watts

e. Adding 2 DVD Writer adds 17 watts

f. Adding 5 USB adds 11 watts

g. Adding Fan Controller and card Reader adds 17 watts

h. Adding 6 LED fans adds 32 watts

We now have a 210 watt load on the system ... don't know ya CPU

i. Using say a 4770 ... adds 78 watts

j. Putting in 15% for capacitor aging takes you to 320 watts, and recommends a 370 watt PSU.

With two 760s, that changes to 567 watt draw / 617 recommended PSU size
With two 770s, that changes to 677 watt draw / 727 recommended PSU size
With two 780s, that changes to 708 watt draw / 758 recommended CPU size

To give you an idea of how conservative that is ..... my box has two water pumps, 25 fans, 2 SSds, 2 HDs, 2 780s and under stress testing w/ Furmark, heavily overclocked, it pulls 745 watts from the wall .... which equates to about 670 watts of PSU output.
 
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Rendering likes CUDA which puts a whomp on the 280x .... two 77s / 280xs wud be fine with a 750 watter

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_770_review,5.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 770 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 770 2-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit as minimum.
GeForce GTX 770 3-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 1000 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock your GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.
Click to expand...

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/asus_radeon_r9_280x_top_review,8.html

This is Guru3D's generic power supply recommendation for the R7 and R9 series:

AMD R9 280X - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
AMD R9 280X Crossfire - On your average system the cards require you to have a 750 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.
Click to expand...

 
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I like my nvidia cards :) been using them 10 years now and have never had an issue. I had one fail but to be fair it was five years old in a system that was badly abused. I have one that's even older and still working, but that one is so ancient it's not worth bothering with.

AU $350, I should clarify, though I CAN push it out if I have to. I'm unimpressed with the clock speeds on the newer model cards, considering I don't overclock, but if I can't SLI the 750 Ti then I expect I'll get better performance out of dual slightly slower clocked higher GRAM cards. I have some thinking to do. Meanwhile I have the cheap crappy card I bought to replace the only one I've had that died on me. It runs Skyrim on Very High (on recommended settings) and my bottleneck (the reason I couldn't run all my texture packs) was my RAM and old CPU, which have both been replaced.

I'm very keen on EVGA parts. I'll have a closer look on my beast once I've gotten my OS installed. It's too hard to see and compare specs on my phone.
 
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I want to clarify that I'm running one stick of RAM presently and will be ordering the second this weekend. I have 8gb now. I'll have 16 shortly. I know it's not ideal, but I can't spend money I don't have, and I need a working computer for my studies. My old girl desperately needed retirement. There's no way her Core2 Duo processor would handle rendering...
 
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With the clock speed on the 750 I was looking at... not even the Titan Black clocks at that speed without OC-ing, I've checked.

Now, I may stick with the laptop for the rendering side of things, would save me having to load the programs onto my desktop rig and considering the laptop isn't costing me anything (provided by the college for the course, will become 100% mine when I graduate) if it dies it won't bother me so much. Pretend I'm gaming on my tower, no rendering. Not only is the fastest clocked 750 Ti a little over half the price of the cheapest 770, it clocks over 200mhz faster on base, and its boost is slightly better.

The cheapest 770 is $359.
 
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A GFX card's job is to bring pixels to the screen .... think of it as a school bus bringing kids to school..... what gets 1800 kids to school the fastest ?

10 Mom's driving Minivaan which seats 5 kids making 36 trips at 40 mph....
10 Bus Drivers using short bus taking 20 kids making 9 trips at 35 mph
10 Bus Drivers using regular bus taking 45 kids making 4 trips at 30 mph


 
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I'm new at this, it probably shows. If it clocks better and the GRAM is the same (because my budget won't stretch to the higher memory cards) why shouldn't I go with the faster-clocked card? I don't OC, I don't know enough and wouldn't want to kill my rig. So an overclocking card does me no good at all.

I'm a bit of a sensitive person and my build has just been shot to pieces (I know it's not personal, but that doesn't mean I can turn off my feelings), plus that implication that I'm an idiot kind of hurts.

This is my first build. I've had a custom built gaming rig before but didn't build it. I'm retiring her now after 6 solid years. I was 14 when I got her, and wasn't allowed NEAR the guts of anything that expensive back then.

My Baby is no longer able to keep up, and because of her age, I can't upgrade her.

So I'm a noob. Doesn't mean I don't want to learn.
 
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Here's the deal ..... You're not an idiot ... what has happened is you what the best you can afford for your baby and you have been misinformed. In making your plans, being new to the game, you didn't have the tools to make informed decisions.... with the data you gather here, you will be in a better position to make choices which fit your long term goals.

Let's 1st attack the GFX card issue and compare relative performance:

perfrel_1920.gif


The 750 Ti is the benchmark at 100%

The 760 is 55 % faster @ 155%
The 760 is 55 % faster @ 155%
The 770 is 90 % faster @ 190%
The 780 is 161 % faster @ 261%
 
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Two things:

1. That is for reference cards and often differ from manufacturer's official numbers. Also, aftermarket cards oft have different connectors....i.e 8 + 8 instead of 8 + 6

2. If ya want a bit more info such as actual power draw, effect of overclocking, etc.....just do a web search on

"Guru3D [insert specific card name here]"

Won't have every card of course but will usually find an equivalent.
 
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