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Will a Corsair 520w PSU be enough for a Geforce 970 Strix?

gabito

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Mar 4, 2008
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18,510
Hey guys.
I'm trying to save some money and use my old PSU in my new build.

My new rig:


  • - ASUS GeForce GTX 970 STRIX
    As per specs: System Requirements - Power Consumption: up to 225W1 additional 8 pin PCIe power required
    - Intel i7-4790K
    - Corsair Vengeance Series 16GB DDR3-2400
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233585
    - Asus Z97-A
    - Samsung SSD 250GB 850 Pro series

    Then the usual peripherals.
PSU Corsair 520HX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001
qxq7if.jpg


As for the GPU, someone on a forum said: "As long as you have 28 amps on your +12 V rail(s) you're fine".

[strike]The issue with my PSU is that each 12v rail has 18 amps but the GPU has two 8 pin connectors. So technically I could use plug in both 8 pin connectors and meet the requirements.[/strike]

What do you guys think about this PSU and GPU?

EDIT: Turns out this GPU has only one 8 pin connector.
 
Solution
You have more than enough power and the HX series when it was released IN 2007 were some of the best on the market , even though it suffers from age should still easily power a 970.


I just popped my case open and saw that is has 2 x 6+2 PCIe connectors.
Newegg information is apparently incomplete.
 


Good to know. You should be ok as long as the PSU is in good order, but older units with aging capacitors can be risky.
 


You're right gopher. I don't where I got that from then.
Anyways, will I be ok with 18 amps on the 12v rail? Provided my PSU works fine and all.
 


I would, but unfortunately I'm not in the US so PSU prices are crazy year round here :pt1cable:
 
Your psu has three + 12 volt rails. Each is limited to 18A. The output of all the rails are combine before the output giving 480W at 12V. If the parts in the psu are in good shape the is enough wattage to power your system. When you replace the psu move up to a 600 to 650W one for a little more headroom.
 


Thanks SR-71 Blackbird
What about powering the i7-4790K? From reviews I see that I draws 140W under load.
On the other hand, according to linustechtips, the GPU draws 305W under load.
So I guess if I don't OC the GPU nor the CPU, I should be fine, right?
I'll save money in the meanwhile for a better PSU if I choose to OC.
 


The GPU draws 170 watts under load nothing near 305. It can be stressed to the 200 Watt area running a specific stress test, running games on it will be in the 170 watt area when under full load, less in most cases.
The 4790K processor does not require 140 watts....... unless you have a fairly big overclock.
If SR-71 says it's good then no more questions need to be asked!