Is my PSU good enough for this build?

boothr2 · Jul 15, 2014

Hi all,

I recently posted a topic in the "Systems" forum about an issue I'm having. You can read about the issue here: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2219856/complex-troubleshooting-problem-gpu-psu.html

After a lot of reading, and after a short suggestion by one user on the other topic, I'm thinking my PSU may be the culprit of sudden crashes while gaming (display, CPU fan, and rear case fan turn off, but all other fans remain running). However, I don't know if my GPU or PSU is to blame.

Here are my specifications...
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 microATX
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6 core
GPU: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB TurboDuo
RAM: 2x 4GB A-DATA XPG DDR3-1600 sticks
PSU: Corsair CX500W
HDD: 1 TB Western Digital
SDD: 120 GB Samsung EVO
Case: Rosewill Line-M microATX mini
Optical Drive: LG (some $15 drive I used to install Windows off disc)

Is the Corsair CX500W sufficient for this build? My computer ONLY CRASHES DURING GAMING. I already ran stress tests, and posted the results in the other topic. Can someone help me find the root of my issues? I did not overclock, and I built this system about 3 weeks ago. Thank you very much guys!

EDIT: I also had my PSU connected to a power strip instead of a wall socket. I also have my monitor connected to the strip, as well as devices not being used all the time. Would this be a cause of the issues? I removed the connection to the power strip and plugged my PSU cord into the wall, will it make a difference?

prit87 · Jul 15, 2014

its tight but okk...but i will not recommend u the cx series in corsair it have very bad feedback try seasonic or xfx these are some reliable brands and i will say at least go for 550 watt in that way you could get some headroom..

boothr2 · Jul 15, 2014

prit87 :

Hi prit87, thanks for your input. Have you read my issue in the other thread? I don't want to go get a new power supply just to have the same thing happen. Would you be able to recommend a specific Seasonic PSU after reading my problem? Thanks.

boothr2 · Jul 15, 2014

So based on this link I found: http://support.asus.com/powersupply.aspx

It says the minimum recommended PSU for my setup is 650 W, can anyone tell me how reliable a calculator like this is?

prit87 · Jul 15, 2014

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Modular-Energy-Certified-P1-650B-BEFX/dp/B00I5HF0KU/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405456394&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=seasonic+650+watt+psu

http://www.amazon.com/SeaSonic-Power-Supply-X650-SS-650KM3/dp/B002VA7RPS/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405456394&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=seasonic+650+watt+psu

these two are very good psu...

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

check this instead...

prit87 · Jul 15, 2014

power consumption chart for r9 270 x

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/03/10/amd_radeon_r9_270x_270_video_card_review/11#.U8WR8mNpVco

power consumption chart for fx 6300

http://www.techspot.com/review/586-amd-fx-8350-fx-6300/page7.html

so at full load 227 plus 391 you get approx 600 watt
this might be reason of black screen with your 500 watt psu though the cpu and gpu will only consume such power when the are at 100% load..

Twirlz · Jul 15, 2014

Hey.

I would imagine a 500W power supply is good enough for your build though I would aim to get something with a little more power spare to make room for future upgrades and overclocking. The 270X GPU does not use that much power, in comparison to other cards at least, and many people run more demanding cards from a 550W PSU.

In addition to print87 links I have found a few other power consumption charts, either using the 6300 or 270X or with similar components.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/fx-8350-8320-6300-4300_8.html
http://stablecomputer.com/power-consumption-analysis/
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-280x-r9-270x-r7-260x,3635-18.html

Are your temperatures okay and is this crashing recent? If it worked fine for the first few days/weeks then it's likely to be a faulty component or something like heat is causing a issue.

boothr2 · Jul 15, 2014

Twirlz :

Thanks for your help as well. I stress tested my CPU, GPU, and RAM, and here are the results:

Prime95 for one hour CPU test: max CPU temp of 51 C, max motherboard temp of 65 C.
Furmark for 20 minutes GPU test: max GPU temp of 73 C, max motherboard temp of 61 C.
RAM is fine.

Even under full load, the temperatures are within safe operating temps. The thing is that after I closed Furmark for GPU testing, my computer shut down after the GPU cooled back to normal temps. I dont think it's an overheating issue, but I'd like to have a better assessment by someone who knows more than I do. Any ideas?

boothr2 · Jul 15, 2014

prit87 :

That calculator won't let me choose my specific CPU or GPU, I've tried that calculator already

Twirlz · Jul 15, 2014

It's strange that it crashed after you closed the test. Have you tried reinstalling the graphics drivers?

boothr2 · Jul 15, 2014

Twirlz :

No, how do I do that? Can I do that through the AMD "catalyst control center?" Sorry for being so inexperienced, this is my first build and I only had to update one driver for my GPU since I first installed all the drivers. Thanks for your patience.

boothr2 · Jul 16, 2014

prit87 :

I ended up buying an EVGA 750 W 80+ Bronze ceritified PSU, it seems like a good PSU for the price ($65).
So I just got done reassembling and testing everything. Yesterday, when I ran Furmark, my system crashed right after I shut the GPU stress test off. Today with the new 750 W PSU, I ran two tests (same length, 20 minutes) and no shutdown occured

Interesting note, when I ran the GPU test with the 500 W PSU, my motherboard reached a temp. of 61 C; with the 750 W PSU, my motherboard only reached 41 C! Is it possible that my PSU had insufficient wattage to power the motherboard at a decent/full load, causing the shutdown? So far so good, I will run some games tomorrow and if there are no crashes, I will award you best answer. Thank you so much for your help, I will post back tomorrow with an update.

EDIT: During the stress tests on the new PSU, I noticed the PSU did not feel warm at all, where as the other one warmed up quickly. Is this a sign that the issue was actually with the PSU after all?

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 16, 2014

This is the good Bronze version: 110-B2-0750-VR

There are 2 this is the good one.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($76.66 @ Newegg)
Total: $76.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

boothr2 · Jul 16, 2014

I don't think I got that one. My box says "NEX 750B," not "750 B2." Will I have a problem? So far so good for now.

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 16, 2014

NEX 750B < Very unstable and poor , fan gets loud

750 B2 < Very stable different fan made by SuperFlower.

boothr2 · Jul 16, 2014

I see, thanks for your input. I wish I knew this before buying it. If I have any problems, I will definitely come to you for help. So far so good on everything for now though, let's hope it stays this way. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

By the way, I no longer hear any POST beeps on startup from the speaker on my motherboard (I noticed this before the shutdowns started happening). Should I be concerned that I don't hear the "OK" beep?

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 16, 2014

Hard to say , that PSU is poor.

Is my PSU good enough for this build?

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