Rosewill 550w RP-2 PSU and Gigabyte 4890 OC - Will I be safe?

[sparky13]

My system:


Antec 300 case w/4 120mm intake/exhaust fans
Gigabyte ga-ma78gm-us2h Am2+ motherboard
AMD Phenom II X3 720 OC to 3.5 @ 1.44
CoolerMaster Hyper 520 CPU Cooler
260 GB WD Caviar Black SATA HDD
22X LG DVD/CD Burner combo drive
550w Rosewill RP-2 PSU

I had an XFX GTS 250 prior to ordering the Gigabyte 4890 OC. The GTS 250 ran fine for months w/out a hiccup but I know a 4890 OC will draw more power. I will upgrade my PSU in a couple months to something like an Antec or Corsair but don't have the moeny at the moment. Will my current PSU suffice in the meantime? Thanks in advance to all who reply.

-Sparky13

 

[o1die]

You will just have to try it. It's borderline at best. If you're worried, why don't you use your old video card until you replace the ps.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

I can't find any technical reviews for the Rosewill 550 watt RP-2 power supply so I have no basis for an opinion either good or bad. Specs are showing 35 amps on the 12 volt rail(s).

I took a look at 4890 OC power consumption - Peak system power draw during stress testing was about 440 to 450 watts. That's total power for the entire system measured at the wall outlet (mains). Power draw during gaming sessions is tytpically lower.

 

[jsc]

I do not know if the RP-2 is one of the "new, improved" Rosewill's, but Rosewill PSU's have a pretty bad reputation, especially when operated anywhere near their maximum ratings.

I'd upgrade PSU first, then video card if you cannot afford to do both.

 

[rand_79]

it has 2 12volt rails @18A
and a 5volt rail@ 51amp

Do the powersupply first.

3.5seconds of googling turned up
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182017

 

[JohnnyLucky]

jsc - The real power (RP-2) psu's are definitely a newer series. I just couldn't find out if there were any improvements. It's usually the high wattage psu's that get reviewed.

rand_79 - I always look for technical reviews at web sites like jonnyguru.com, xbitlabs.com, hardwarecanucks.com, and anandtech.com. Couldn't find any. Google didn't help either. I don't bother with customer reviews at vendor web sites.

 

[sparky13]

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=32I found this searching Jonnyguru.com This is an older model, a 500w. Mine is a 550w. Review was very good. ATI's site lists the 4890 as requiring a 550w PSU minimum.

 

[sparky13]

I picked up a Corsair 550w VX on sale at CompUSA. Didn't want to chance anything. Everything seems good so far, the Gigabyte 4890 OC card I got is fantastic. Much faster than my old XFX GTS 250 and whisper quiet! Has a nice Zalman cooler on it. Thanks for the input everyone.