PCI-E GPU with only 250W PSU?

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paulhbrown

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Aug 26, 2013
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My hp a6110n has a 250W PSU and the onboard graphic is shot. I have a PCI-E x16 slot into which I can put a GPU.

Not all of Newegg's GPU cards specify a PSU minimum requirement. How to find a GPU that will work?

(For example, will the ECS NG210C-512QO-F do the trick?)
 
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Some very low end power efficient GPUs will work alright. If you can find a GPU that does not require a 6 pin auxiliary connector you'll be good to go. That will limit the card's power to 6.25 amperes drawn directly from the socket. This should leave enough current on the 12 volt rail for the rest of your platform without risking damage.

Most HD 7750 based cards do not require 6 pin power connectors, nor do HD 7730 based cards
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paulhbrown

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Thanks. I'm not a gamer; I just want the computer to work for web surfing, email, etc. GT210 (if that is a low-end unit) is probably sufficient for my needs. Why don't the stated requirements mean much - and is this why so many don't state any requirements at all?

 
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smeezekitty

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Because they estimate the worst case scenario. For example a Radeon 6450 only requires about 25w at most but recommends a 400w PSU.

For reference, my system Core 2 Duo E6700 + Radeon 6670 under full load peaks at about 160w.

If you don't want to play any games or otherwise use anything GPU heavy, the 210 will work ok
 
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Pinhedd

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Some very low end power efficient GPUs will work alright. If you can find a GPU that does not require a 6 pin auxiliary connector you'll be good to go. That will limit the card's power to 6.25 amperes drawn directly from the socket. This should leave enough current on the 12 volt rail for the rest of your platform without risking damage.

Most HD 7750 based cards do not require 6 pin power connectors, nor do HD 7730 based cards
 
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paulhbrown

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If I understand correctly, video cards don't use their stated power requirements unless they're working hard, e.g., trying to display lots of action? So a card that has a 350W "requirement" doesn't require 350W all of the time?
 
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Pinhedd

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That's correct. ASICs are designed within a constraint known as the thermal envelope, or thermal design power (TDP). This is a measure of how much thermal energy the chip is designed to release and dictates cooling appropriately.

Embedded SoCs in smartphones and tablets typically have TDPs less than 10 watts. Laptops have CPUs with TDPs of around 45 watts. Desktops have CPUs with TDPs between 75 and 150 watts. High end GPUs have TDPs of around 200 watts. CPUs in mainframe computers have TDPs of between 300 and 400 watts.

The exact definition of TDP varies with respect to each manufacturer. AMD and Intel specify TDP as the maximum thermal output under marketed conditions, and should only be reached if the ASIC was going full tilt. NVidia specifies TDP as some sort of average, this is usually slightly lower than the AMD/Intel measurements. In fact, Intel has a new measurement for their tablet oriented CPUs which reflects the power consumption under standard load conditions rather than maximum load conditions.
 
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