Run a GTX 680 on a 500W PSU? :/

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Crandle

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Jun 23, 2013
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Hi guys!

I recently got a Geforce GTX 680, and i haven't installed it yet.
Now, in my current setup, i have a GTX 460, and it seems to work fine with my Silver Power sp-ss500 500W, but i don't know if it can handle a GTX 680.

Any suggestions?
And yes i know that GTX requires a 550W PSU, or it's recommended at least, but i've heard about people running a GTX 680 on a 500W, so i just want to know if someone has any experience with it.. :)
 
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doubletake

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Sep 30, 2012
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Wattage isn't what really matters, it's amp delivery. The quality of the PSU will determine how much amperage it can deliver on the 12V line, the one that matters for the gpu, because as long as it's efficient enough to provide that, that's what matters. Realistically, even with overclocking, a system with anything less than the highest-end Intel hex-core or AMD 8-core with just a single 680 isn't going to pull more than 300W. So since the quality of your PSU is questionable, you might want to replace it with a reputable brand one from the likes of Seasonic, Corsair, XFX, Antec, NZXT, etc. As long as you don't plan on adding another 680 anytime soon, you can get by with an efficient 450-500W model, and you'll only need 650W+ if you plan on going SLI. I run an i5-2500k @ 4.4GHz, 16GB ram, 2x660Tis @1.15Ghz, one ssd and 4 hdds, and I have yet to see power usage go over 400W.
 
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P1nnacle

P1nnacle

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Sep 12, 2013
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This is simplified to the point of being wrong, yes, amp delivery is important, but writing off wattage is a stupid mistake. Really, it's best to use watts because that's what every manufacturer measures and calculates and markets their cards/components/psus for, and for the less technically inclined, adding amperage as a consideration is unnecessary and confusing. It's also important to think about overhead, which is actually measured in Watts, just because you only need 400 watts doesn't mean you should buy a 400 watt power supply. The best PSU for a 400W load is an 800W PSU. For the sake of this thread, it's a much better idea to overshoot than undershoot.
 
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Dark Lord of Tech

Dark Lord of Tech

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Aug 18, 2009
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Silver Power sp-ss500 500W is made by SEASONIC , but will not run a 680.[/b ]It comes up just short in the power it needs to run it.

You need 38 amps but your PSU will only output 34 amps.


Here is a 550w that will get the job done.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $44.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-26 16:04 EDT-0400)
 
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doubletake

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Sep 30, 2012
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Yeah no, unless your unit is garbage, you don't need to follow such a ridiculous recommendation and get double the required power. 50% more is all you really need, unless you plan on loading the machine 100% all day, or you know for sure that you really want to overclock and add more gpus at a later time. And what's really stupid is to write off what I said, because in case you didn't realize it, not everyone knows who does or doesn't make quality PSUs. An amateur could easily go off and pick up a garbage PSU that technically provides enough wattage for the system, but delivers the most amps on the wrong rails, like how many cheap units deliver excessive amount of 3.3 and 5v and not enough 12v. Again, my point isn't to make teach anyone in particular how to pick out a PSU, it's to answer the OPs question about whether or not his current PSU will work with his new gpu.
 
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