Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

Does Watts in a psu matter if you want to run a good video card?

Tags:
  • Graphics Cards
  • Systems
  • Motherboards
Last response: in Systems
Share
April 23, 2014 8:00:56 AM

Hi.
I am looking for a cheap psu that could run a 2 4pin motherboard and also a 2 6pin Zotac GTX 560.
I am not sure if the more watts you psu has the better because i had a Tesla 750w psu which burned.
My question is what determines if a psu can support a good motherboard/video card?

More about : watts psu matter run good video card

April 23, 2014 8:05:11 AM

It really depends on your watts. You got to total it up. I recommend downloading a software such as cpumonitor. It shows you everything.
m
1
l
a b U Graphics card
a b V Motherboard
April 23, 2014 8:05:22 AM

The important things are quality build from a reputable manufacturer (Main ones are Seasonic and superflower) and then correct Wattage and Amperage for your particular build.
m
1
l
Related resources

Best solution

a b U Graphics card
a b V Motherboard
April 23, 2014 8:14:35 AM

The wattage rating on the sticker doesn't matter but the actual amperage and watts that the PSU can produce in real world usage does matter. This can be misleading because at the very low end PSU's make 750 watt claims which may be true if the power supply was in a fridge in Antarctica but in real world testing where heat is involved they will handle much less wattage. Stay with reputable companies like Seasonic. Yes it will cost more but that shouldn't surprise anyone since quality always cost more.

These two sites do real hot box testing to see what PSU's are really made of. Pick one that meets your needs that they rate highly. In your case a single GTX 560 will not need a PSU larger than 500w if the PSU is high quality.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=...
http://www.hardocp.com/reviews/psu_power_supplies/
Share
a b U Graphics card
a c 169 V Motherboard
April 23, 2014 8:24:36 AM

What determines the quality of a PSU is the DC output. ATX specifications say the DC voltage output from a PSU must be +/- 5% on the positive voltage rails and +/- 10% on the negative rails, they also have specifications about ripple and noise (variants from true DC voltage). A high quality PSU will keep the voltage very close to what is suppose to deliver while controlling ripple and noise
PSU's are a highly unregulated market and wattage descriptions cannot always be relied on as being accurate (without a little extra research), Gabriel Torres of Hardware Secrets explains some of that here http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Why-99-Percent-o... (Mr. Torres is one of the better PSU reviewers out there IMO)
Here's what I suggest you do to find a quality PSU for your system (500W or greater would be fine), go to http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page541.htm and find a highly rated PSU there or (probably easier) find a PSU you are interested in and then check out it's reviews from that site's links. Personally, if I can't find a good review for a PSU there, I won't consider it for use.
I'll suggest looking at brands such as Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, Enermax (although usually pricy) to start
m
1
l
!