Need a new PSU to power (2) HD6950's flashed to 6970 + overclocked

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OldtimeGamer

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I currently have a 530 PSU in my build and it works fine to run my gaming build. According to "PC Part Picker" 410 watts is enough to meet the requirements of what I have with my build.

So I went with a dual 12v rail 530w PSU, made by Raidmax and have no complaints. My 6950 2GB is flashed to 6970 specs and also overclocked.

However....I'm going to add a second 6950 and also flash it to 6970 and OC both of them to around 950/1400 ...or so, meaning more power will be needed.

I read a 750w or 850w PSU is the right power range for this upgrade. There are so many opinions on if 750w being enough. What do you guys thin about a 750? Will it do the trick?

Also I will need a PSU that will have all the needed connectors to power these two 6950's...each card requires (2) 6 pin connectors... so I need a total of (4) six pin connectors.

Here is my build...saved on PC Part Picker for reference.http://

(Just a POI, I disabled the iGPU --7660D since it was just slowing my 6950 flashed to 6970 down to a crawl) So this upgrade will just be the two flashed 6950's.
 
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aredflyingbird

aredflyingbird

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I would recommend this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182263 it has more than enough power you will ever need, your rig will probably bring around 500-550w, so your good.

 
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2 x HD 6970s need a recommended 800 watts.

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

I would stay with that recommendation. The 6970 is a power hog. Stick with Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power and Cooling, XFX, Silverstone, Enermax, OCZ, Antec or the higher efficiency Rosewill models. Raidmax is junk.

Here are a few good deals.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1850bnlg9

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss850am

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pc-power--cooling-power-supply-ppcmk3s850

Those are the best deals I see to save money. I would go with a Seasonic X myself for a system needing that much power. It's the best of the best and the power supply line all others are compared to.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-x850
 
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650 watts is grossly underpowered for 2 x 6970s. Anandtech managed to draw 600 watts from their test of Crossfire 6970s. You should leave way more than 50 watts headroom.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4061/amds-radeon-hd-6970-radeon-hd-6950/2
 
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aredflyingbird

aredflyingbird

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Thanks.
 
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OldtimeGamer

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Lots of replies already..thanks.

I read somewhere that a single 6970 or in my case flashed 6950/70 requires about 190w ...so when I soon add the second flashed 6950/70.... right there I'd be up to 380w just for the GPU's alone) This is assuming it works out that way..doubling the wattage for the second card)

I want to get a good PSU, yet need to maintain a reasonable budget, as this already passed what I wanted to spend...but I guess that's typical and skimping on a PSU would be foolish at this point.

I'll look over these suggestions and go from there. I always sign up for the sale alerts on PC Part Picker, so thats always a good way to find a deal an save a few bucks. I'd even buy a used one if it wasn't abused, seized fan, or very high hours on it.
I haven't not yet looked them over yet, but am I able to find a PSU that provides for (4) 6-pin connectors and (2) 12 volt rails?

(The funny thing is as lousy a some people claimed a Raidmax PSu would be.... I was really please with it in tems of quality and cables. To bad it's only 530w and not a 750 or 850w. I won't buy anymore Raidmax products...not because of quality but because they never honored my mail-in-rebate, which I submitted 3 months ago. I won't give them any more of my business if they are going to have lousy business practices like that. Lucky for me... Newegg just recently now took action and gave me a store gift card to cover my losses for the rebate I never received)
 
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OldtimeGamer

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That's a good link you posted. It shows a CF 6950 needing 700w and CF 6970 needing 800w.

I tried to click on:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1850bnlg9

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss850am

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pc-power--cooling-power-supply-ppcmk3s850

..but all 3 were bad links



 
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OldtimeGamer

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Yea..right now I have 530w just for a single card, so I think I'd be a little nervous about only a 650w for a crossfire. Of course I don't want to over do it either and go too high.... if I really don't need to.

It's interesting when you read what manufactures suggest for their cards (PSU) and then see real world testing which shows you don't need to go as high as the manufactures claim.
This page from the article mentioned shows power consumption at both idle and then at full load.
http://
 
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OldtimeGamer

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I tried but its just those 3 that wont work properly...strange indeed.
And sure enough my Raidmax is at the bottom of the list in "TIER 5" so..I need to keep my selection within the TIER 3...maybe 2b list or better. That's a really helpful list to get started.
 
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Sorry those links really don't work. Not sure why.

XFX Pro. $119.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207017&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Seasonic M12 II. $120

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151108&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III. $139.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/407826/Silencer_Mk_III_850W_Modular_Power_Supply

And the best is the Seasonic X. $169.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102
 
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OldtimeGamer

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Ok..thanks. I'll look these over tonight.
I was just now looking at a used Corsair HX850W 850 Watt power supply on eb@y. This model appears on the list in the TIER 2 brands... so that might be an alright way to go.
Again...I don't mind buying used just as long as the hours of use are low and it wasn't overheated, etc. There are good deals to be had when builders, like us just want to upgrade their PSU and recover a few bucks by selling off unneeded parts. Much like I'll be doing with my level 5 Raidmax PSU.



 
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Online power supply calculators overstate even more than video card manufacturers. This is mostly due to the number of low quality units on the market that can't deliver their rated power but also they factor in capacitor aging. Capacitor aging is a non issue with modern quality power supplies that use high quality solid Japanese capacitors. If you notice the online calculator probably factored in 20-30% just for capacitor aging when a real world scenario is more like 1-2% a year.

The Realhardtechx site I linked to above maintains the most comprehensive power supply database on the internet. Their recommendations can be trusted.

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

800 watts would be fine for your computer. There are not really any good 800w units on the market though so you are pretty much stuck with an 850w model. If you want quality at a budget price go with the XFX I linked above. $95 for a Seasonic built 850w power supply is an absolute steal.
 
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OldtimeGamer

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Thanks anort3..you seem to really know your stuff. I'll look at that one you suggest.

On another thread, we are discussing PSU's that come with (4) 6 pin PCIe connectors vs. most that only come with 2, since we need (4) to crossfire the 6950's. Actually here is the thread. http://

So anyway,,,a guy was talking about a 750w Corsair CX Series ATX PSU
http://

But I know that 750w is not enough for my needs...but it has (4) 6-pin connectors. Were discussing if you should or need to find PSU's with 4 six pins already there or if you can use adapters (if you only have (2) 6-pins on your PSU...Perhaps you'd like to comment over on that thread too, for the guy who started it.

 
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If the cards need 4 connectors then it's best to have a power supply with 4 connectors. Molex adapters will work but they are not ideal.

I do not recommend the Corsair CX series for systems with cards more powerful than HD 7850/7870 or GTX 660 level cards. The CX series is Corsair's budget line and they use cheap Chinese made Samxon capacitors. They fail at a pretty high rate when loaded heavily. They are good as what they are though. A budget power supply for lower end systems.
 
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toyftw

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Hi - right click on the link & open in incognito window

& any of the units anort linked will be fine for your system


 
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OldtimeGamer

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Newegg has the Thermaltake Black Widow W0319RU 850W on sale but I didn't see it on the TIER list. Normally its about $145 but with the sale price and rebates you can get it for $65...then I have $30 in Newegg cards...so for $35 this would be nice.
http://

Problem is is I didn't see it on that list, so I'm not sure on the quality.
 
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OldtimeGamer

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Thanks...he was able to fix the links..but that's good to know for the future.

 
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It's a renamed TR2 RX. One of the worst power supplies on the market. Thermaltake even prices their junk high so you think you are buying a quality unit. Here is a review of the 750w version. Both are made by HEC and based on the same platform.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermaltake-TR2-RX-750-W-Power-Supply-Review/902/9

The only Thermaltake units worth having are the Toughpower units over 600 watts. Even then I don't support brands that sell overpriced junk as 90% of it's product line.
 
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I just looked again and the XFX I posted a link to above for $94 is still the best deal out there. It's even cheaper than most of the junk brand 850w units.
 
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OldtimeGamer

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Thanks for letting me know about that PSU.
Newegg shows it on sale in their latest email flier, so I checked it out. Yea...for the original $145 price tag...a builder could easily think they are getting a good component. I saw it and figured I'd run it past you ...just in case you thought it was a good deal and quality, at the same time. So..naturally I'll pass it on (since its junk) and get the one you suggested earlier. I'd like it to go on sale just a little cheaper. I like to bargain shop to keep costs down as much as possible.
 
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750w units and below go on sale quite often even the best quality models like the Seasonic X series. Above 750 watts do not go on sale very often at all. These models are more for high end users and the power supply companies know it.

That XFX like all XFX units is made by Seasonic. They are the best manufacturer hands down ( not sure if I mentioned this and can't see all the past posts while I'm writing it ). That XFX unit is the same internally as the S12 II / M12 II and finding that quality for under $100 at that wattage is a great deal. In fact that unit is usually $120 and even at that price is a decent deal for 850 watts.

Not sure if this link will work but here are all the 800-900w power supplies that are of good quality.

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/power-supply/#w=800&m=52,337,11,14,57,106,331,94,29,95,51,71,63,39

 
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