XFX GTX260 power consumption

[andy5174]

Why is the power requirement for XFX GTX260 greater than that of the XFX GTX285? This is against the nVidia website!

GTX260 power:
http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/200series/260GTX.aspx#2

GTX285 power:
http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/200series/285GTX.aspx#4

 

[neonmonkey]

it must be a typo cause the 260 only requires like a 500 watt psu

 

[EXT64]

Looks like a typo. A good 500-550W power supply should be plenty for either. Maybe they accidentally copied the SLI req.?

 

[g3force]

But then again, the GTX 285 supposedly requires a 550 watt minimum power supply, but also requires 46A on the 12v rail. A bit of simple math equates that to 552 watts, so this magical card manages to feed itself power :lol:

 

[andy5174]

Looks like a typo. A good 500-550W power supply should be plenty for either. Maybe they accidentally copied the SLI req.?

What kind of efficiency is considered to be a good one? The efficiency of my CoolerMaster 550W is above 70%. Is it good enough? Or do I need to get a 80%+ one?

Thanks

 

[EXT64]

Well by good I meant good Brand. For efficiency, 80+ for sure is preferable, however this has no effect on performance of the PSU (except for more heat). The rated power is the DC out, not the AC in. (500W @ 0.7 efficiency = 150W waste heat, 500W @ 85% = 75W waste heat)

 

[andy5174]

I know that. However, the max output at 0.7 and 0.85 efficiency is 350W and 425W. Hence, I would like to ask if 550W@0.7 efficiency is good enough for GTX285 or not.

 

[EXT64]

No, the 550W is after the efficiency loss. in other words, (at 70% efficiency) 650W comes into your PSU, 150W comes out as heat, and 500W goes into components as DC Power. The quality aspect is really asking, did the manufacturer do max continuous power or just max power, and can this PSU really output at that at all.

Regardless. To answer your question, you should be fine. I almost could run a 2900XT on a mediocre/poor 550W, so you should be fine.

 

[pauldh]

But then again, the GTX 285 supposedly requires a 550 watt minimum power supply, but also requires 46A on the 12v rail. A bit of simple math equates that to 552 watts, so this magical card manages to feed itself power :lol:

Seriously ... the 550W with 46A +12V is a greater requirement to list than than a 630W with 2 - PCIe power connectors. Some of the best 550W PSU's I know of have 41A +12V; can't think of any with 46A.

 

[pauldh]

I know that. However, the max output at 0.7 and 0.85 efficiency is 350W and 425W. Hence, I would like to ask if 550W@0.7 efficiency is good enough for GTX285 or not.

It all depends on your system specs, how much +12V the PSU can deliver, and whether you plan to OC . There's a big difference between a stock e8400 and an OC'ed core i7. Add multiple drives, etc., your requirement could go way up. So how "loaded" a system make all the difference. Really can't answer your question without knowing:

What are your system specs?
What PSU are you talking about?
Will you OC?

 

[andy5174]

P6T Deluxe V2
i7-920@4GHz
6GB RAM
1x 7200.12 500GB, 1x WD Black 1TB
XFX GTX285
CoolerMaster RS-550-PCAR-E3
http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?category_id=30&product_id=5888

 

[pauldh]

Oh, I'd say that's asking for trouble.

That PSU doesn't list a max +12V, but the best it will be is 32A 12V. Way too little for 4.0GHz i7 and a GTX285.

Personally, I'd even be leery of a quality 550W with those specs. Something like the Corsair 650TX would be my PSU choice for that system: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=corsair%20650

 

[EXT64]

Yikes, that is quite a high spec system. I agree with pauldh, the power suppy is not something that can be skimped on. It is really the heart of the system.