recommended psu requirements for dual graphics card system

[FallenShandeh]

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.

 

[legend001523]

Or any review of any aftermarlet card will have a section where they test the power consumption of the card, that will give you a rough idea of how much power it draws

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Agreed, but few go into the detail and make the summaries / recommendations that Guru3D does.

 

[FallenShandeh]

Thanks folks

I expected the EVGA 1000W PSU to be a lot pricier than it is. That's definitely well within budget. Done deal.

As for graphics, I've settled on the superclocked 760. I don't need top-of-the-range, I'm not a pro gamer (FAR from it...). I like things to be pretty but it doesn't have to be perfect. I just want it to last. Honestly any GPU setup that'll run all my texture packs and graphics mods will make me very happy.

I'm building in my old rig's case at the moment because I have a deadline to have a working computer. I'm not a huge fan of the idea of running dual graphics cards in a 3-fan setup [and this case isn't able to take any more than it has], but let's face it, there are a lot of other things to handle and on a 20 year old student's budget the $713 I have to spend to get this build to the point where it's sort of workable as a gaming computer is going to be tricky. I have a month and a half to raise it. And that's one graphics card, the PSU and the case. That doesn't even include the 2TB HDD [I'm running a 160GB at the moment, it's ancient] or the second stick of RAM. My brother is handling those because he owes me money.

My tax refund paid for the parts I have so far!

Also, the GPU I'm running as I type isn't even on that chart, it's THAT pathetic. It's the GT 630. It works okay, but could definitely be much better.

 

[legend001523]

Ahh the 760 should get high or ultra settings if the cpu is good enough

 

[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

 

[FallenShandeh]

I was running Skyrim on very high with two texture packs with 6gb of RAM and a Core2 Duo processor... and my crappy GT630 GPU! I don't know how, but it was reliable, loaded consistently, and looked gorgeous. That was RECOMMENDED SETTINGS. I nearly died of shock when it recommended very high quality graphics for the $99 card I was forced into by lack of money and a need for a working computer. That old mobo didn't have enough onboard graphics to run windows 7, let alone any games. It's a gaming mobo but it's 6 years old.

I couldn't run Crysis or Battlefield 4 on max with my Baby but dang it she did well with Skyrim. She's not going into full retirement. My brother gets her. Maybe he'll upgrade her GPU, but I expect the old CPU will be a serious bottleneck. Not my problem anymore!

You've all been a huge help, thanks a million 😀

Edit: Jack, the G2 is the only EVGA PSU series the place I'm getting my parts from stocks. I'm getting the less expensive option of the two 1000W G2s.

I like the idea that I'll be able to upgrade my GPUs later without having to get another PSU to run them. That and I'm modding my case heavily. What I have planned is just the tip of the iceberg. I started with a budget of $1500, then I discovered my tax refund was going to be a lot higher than I expected. That was an instant and significant boost to the budget. And it keeps going up. I have no issues with spending money on my rig as I have it. This is very much a learning exercise.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

yes,m the reason I shied away from the giant PSu was the budget was tight..... since your MoBo can't support 3 cards, having a PSU that could seemed an unnecessary expense.

 

[4745454b]

The 760 uses less power then my 7950, which I run on a 450W gold PSU. Any good PSU that is ~500W will be fine. You'll need more if you OC. I run my parts stock.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Agreed.... but he wants to be able to add a 2nd card down the line, so the bigger PSu makes sense

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_760_sli_review,4.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 760 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 550 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 760 2x SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 700~800 Watt power supply unit as minimum.
GeForce GTX 760 3x SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have a 1000~1200 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

Though we do have some reserves calculated into our recommendation remember this; if you are going to overclock the GPUs or processor, then we do advise you purchase something with some more stamina. .

 

[4745454b]

Oops, missed that. 750W+ depending on OCing.

 

[FallenShandeh]

Thanks again guys

As I mentioned I don't OC at this stage, though I may later on if I find someone to teach me about it. None of my more computer-experienced friends know enough about OCing to feel comfortable teaching me, and it's not something I want to muddle through learning on my own.

By the way, there aren't many of us so I understand you assuming I'm a guy, but I'm a girl gamer