Overclocked i5-4690k and MSI GTX 970: how much power is enough?
Tags:
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Overclocking
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Power Supplies
- Intel i5
- Seasonic
- Power Consumption
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MSI
- Gtx
Last response: in Overclocking
dachoppa
October 9, 2014 10:44:56 AM
Hi all
I'm building a rig with an ASRock z97 extreme6 mobo, an i5-4690k CPU and and and a single (for now) MSI Gaming TFV GTX 970.
I'll be OCing the CPU and GPU, and I'm wondering what to go for in terms of PSU. I've been looking at a 750w seasonic G-series but honestly it's a little more than I really want to spend.
Am I overkilling the power supply? Would 650w be enough? And even if I stick to 750w, is there an option that costs a bit less without compromising on quality?
I should mention I might want to add a 2nd 970 at some point in the future.
Thanks in advance.
I'm building a rig with an ASRock z97 extreme6 mobo, an i5-4690k CPU and and and a single (for now) MSI Gaming TFV GTX 970.
I'll be OCing the CPU and GPU, and I'm wondering what to go for in terms of PSU. I've been looking at a 750w seasonic G-series but honestly it's a little more than I really want to spend.
Am I overkilling the power supply? Would 650w be enough? And even if I stick to 750w, is there an option that costs a bit less without compromising on quality?
I should mention I might want to add a 2nd 970 at some point in the future.
Thanks in advance.
More about : overclocked 4690k msi gtx 970 power
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Best solution
Enough for SLI and overclocking.
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Best 750w Bronze on the market.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£66.60 @ Aria PC)
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Reply to SR-71 Blackbird
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dachoppa
October 9, 2014 2:24:29 PM
mosti
October 10, 2014 3:05:15 AM
mosti said:
You wont need a 750watt. People don't have a clue what they're talking about.who doesn't have a clue what they're talking about?
750w is definitely ideal. 20amps from a gtx970 is a very liberal estimate. 15amps is about what they use stock. in sli overclocking would likely be limited too so i dont really see sli 970s taking much more than 400w by themselves. likely there are volt mods to allow overclocks that can push the card up to 20 amps or even higher. 650w would definitely work and if psu quality is very good, it would work for a long time. but if you can get a 750w for a price that you like then by all means do it. but many people have used sli 760s on 650w power supplies and it works if you have to to do it. thing is, if you have the money for sli 970s, you can fork out a few extra bucks for a 750w psu. though for me, i would just go gold at that point and get the xfx pro 750w or a corsair rm750.
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Reply to nikoli707
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an overclocked 970 can use 280+ watts . you can argue with [H] if you want. so if you were to SLI then you could be looking easily 550 watts just in GPU's.
In fact, if you compare the GeForce GTX 980’s power consumption to an overclocked GeForce GTX Titan Black, there really aren’t any differences between them. This is further evidence supporting our assertion that the new graphics card’s increased efficiency is largely attributable to better load adjustment and matching. <<<this is copy pasted from toms HW article. also the 970 uses a less efficient power delivery method i believe. i think that came from the [H] article.
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/09/29/msi_geforce_g...
In fact, if you compare the GeForce GTX 980’s power consumption to an overclocked GeForce GTX Titan Black, there really aren’t any differences between them. This is further evidence supporting our assertion that the new graphics card’s increased efficiency is largely attributable to better load adjustment and matching
so an overclocked GPU can take you to 280 watts and an overclocked CPU and system can use 180+ watts. that is 460 watts without taking into consideration spikes in amperage wattage, just look at tom's charts and see the fluctuation in power usage. So a 650 watt would be fine for a single GPU and a 750 would be required for SLI. This is worst case scenario on power usage but when picking a power supply you want to have the power available if needed. Even the 750 watt that has been rec will go over 750 watts of production so it is a perfect fit for both your current build and a future SLI setup.
power usage for CPU from anandtech below:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8227/devils-canyon-review...
In fact, if you compare the GeForce GTX 980’s power consumption to an overclocked GeForce GTX Titan Black, there really aren’t any differences between them. This is further evidence supporting our assertion that the new graphics card’s increased efficiency is largely attributable to better load adjustment and matching. <<<this is copy pasted from toms HW article. also the 970 uses a less efficient power delivery method i believe. i think that came from the [H] article.
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/09/29/msi_geforce_g...
In fact, if you compare the GeForce GTX 980’s power consumption to an overclocked GeForce GTX Titan Black, there really aren’t any differences between them. This is further evidence supporting our assertion that the new graphics card’s increased efficiency is largely attributable to better load adjustment and matching
so an overclocked GPU can take you to 280 watts and an overclocked CPU and system can use 180+ watts. that is 460 watts without taking into consideration spikes in amperage wattage, just look at tom's charts and see the fluctuation in power usage. So a 650 watt would be fine for a single GPU and a 750 would be required for SLI. This is worst case scenario on power usage but when picking a power supply you want to have the power available if needed. Even the 750 watt that has been rec will go over 750 watts of production so it is a perfect fit for both your current build and a future SLI setup.
power usage for CPU from anandtech below:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8227/devils-canyon-review...
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Reply to fkr
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mosti
October 10, 2014 6:02:30 PM
He has asked if 650watts will be enough for his build. Yes, 650watts will be enough for his build and will also have overclocking headroom. I'm not arguing that he may aswell fork out the extra $$$ for a 750....again, just simply stating 650w is enough for his build and those stating it will need 750w have no idea.
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Reply to mosti
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mosti
October 10, 2014 6:08:43 PM
Would you like to know what my wattage ussage is (measured with a proper wall socket measuring tool) with a 4.5ghz i7 3770k and 2x overclocked 970's, asrock extreme 6 mobo? Knowledge without milage (especially on forums) is bullshit.
650w will suit your build even with sli 970's.750w will give you future headroom (you may or may not need it)
650w will suit your build even with sli 970's.750w will give you future headroom (you may or may not need it)
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Reply to mosti
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mosti
October 10, 2014 6:58:45 PM
fkr said:
you are going to need that 750 if you are going to SLI in the future. a 650watt seasonic would be fine for a single card.fkr said:
you are going to need that 750 if you are going to SLI in the future. a 650watt seasonic would be fine for a single card.fkr said:
an overclocked 970 can use 280+ watts . you can argue with [H] if you want. so if you were to SLI then you could be looking easily 550 watts just in GPU's.In fact, if you compare the GeForce GTX 980’s power consumption to an overclocked GeForce GTX Titan Black, there really aren’t any differences between them. This is further evidence supporting our assertion that the new graphics card’s increased efficiency is largely attributable to better load adjustment and matching. <<<this is copy pasted from toms HW article. also the 970 uses a less efficient power delivery method i believe. i think that came from the [H] article.
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/09/29/msi_geforce_g...
In fact, if you compare the GeForce GTX 980’s power consumption to an overclocked GeForce GTX Titan Black, there really aren’t any differences between them. This is further evidence supporting our assertion that the new graphics card’s increased efficiency is largely attributable to better load adjustment and matching
so an overclocked GPU can take you to 280 watts and an overclocked CPU and system can use 180+ watts. that is 460 watts without taking into consideration spikes in amperage wattage, just look at tom's charts and see the fluctuation in power usage. So a 650 watt would be fine for a single GPU and a 750 would be required for SLI. This is worst case scenario on power usage but when picking a power supply you want to have the power available if needed. Even the 750 watt that has been rec will go over 750 watts of production so it is a perfect fit for both your current build and a future SLI setup.
power usage for CPU from anandtech below:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8227/devils-canyon-review...
Here you go genius. Measured with a proper measuring tool at the wall socket.
My system details can be seen in my sig. Also, correct me if I'm wrong but my i7 3770k will be drawing more power then an i5 4690k.
System at idle. Fluctuating between 92-100watts

Running heaven benchmark at ultra with 8XAA @2560x1440
Lowest observed was 390'swatts and highest observed was around 470watts

Playing shadow of mordor with texture pack on, max settings, no motion blur 60fps @2560x1440
Highest observed was 430watts (after an hour of gameplay, cards nice and heated with fans running etc), lowest observed was 315watts when i first started playing.

Now please start using your V=IR and P=VA etc etc You're just ripping and chopping and mashing different infomation from different threads.
OP, 650watts will be enough for your build. If you can afford it, you can consider 750watts purely for future proofing purposes (but you may never use it).
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Reply to mosti
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I do not know what you are arguing about. I also agreed that a 650 watt PS is perfect for the current build and a 750 would be needed for a SLI config.
you even copy pasted it in your last post so relax. you really need to stay away from profanity in your posts. It only makes you look immature.
I understand that you are probably good with computers and tech in general but please in the future just read the responses before going off.
all i did was collate some info from trusted websites and try to inform somebody. I know my tech also since i am almost 40 and i have 2 degrees (one of which is a SW engineering degree). I was using the internet at 14.4 baud and my first PC was a tandy, i had others before that but they were shared.
you even copy pasted it in your last post so relax. you really need to stay away from profanity in your posts. It only makes you look immature.
I understand that you are probably good with computers and tech in general but please in the future just read the responses before going off.
all i did was collate some info from trusted websites and try to inform somebody. I know my tech also since i am almost 40 and i have 2 degrees (one of which is a SW engineering degree). I was using the internet at 14.4 baud and my first PC was a tandy, i had others before that but they were shared.
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Reply to fkr
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mosti
October 10, 2014 9:10:22 PM
fkr said:
I do not know what you are arguing about. I also agreed that a 650 watt PS is perfect for the current build and a 750 would be needed for a SLI config.you even copy pasted it in your last post so relax. you really need to stay away from profanity in your posts. It only makes you look immature.
I understand that you are probably good with computers and tech in general but please in the future just read the responses before going off.
all i did was collate some info from trusted websites and try to inform somebody. I know my tech also since i am almost 40 and i have 2 degrees (one of which is a SW engineering degree). I was using the internet at 14.4 baud and my first PC was a tandy, i had others before that but they were shared.
There is no profanity in my posts.
I'm arguing with the fact that you're stating he will need 750w for sli 970's. I'm running 970's in sli as I've stated multiple times.
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Reply to mosti
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maybe you are not running the same overclock as hard OCP is. does your card have both the 8 pin and the 6 pin connectors are you running vddc of 1.2. there equipment and tom's equipment are top of the line and it is hard to argue with what they are reporting.
how do you explain the differentiation between your numbers and theirs.
how do you explain the differentiation between your numbers and theirs.
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Reply to fkr
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well, a classified 780 has the potential to draw about 550w if you overclock it to about 2.0ghz with a 1.50v vcore. so for that arguement, a 1000w power supply is not nearly enough for sli 780s and a 650 isn't even enough for a single card. this is going nowhere. normal voltages with a modest overclock with whatever air cooler supplied will limit you to 225w max <80c gpu core on the 970. 750 still should be the aim, but if you are not extremely aggressive with your overclock and you dont run prime95 and furmark at the same time for a long period, you would be fine with a 650w.
if you get classifieds with ek blocks with a custom bios and an unlocked 1.50v vcore, you really should have no less than 850w power supply for both 970/980. but this is not common an never assumed if a common sli question.
if you get classifieds with ek blocks with a custom bios and an unlocked 1.50v vcore, you really should have no less than 850w power supply for both 970/980. but this is not common an never assumed if a common sli question.
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Reply to nikoli707
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mosti
October 10, 2014 10:30:10 PM
fkr said:
maybe you are not running the same overclock as hard OCP is. does your card have both the 8 pin and the 6 pin connectors are you running vddc of 1.2. there equipment and tom's equipment are top of the line and it is hard to argue with what they are reporting.how do you explain the differentiation between your numbers and theirs.
I'm just going to facepalm myself all day here.
As stated, and I will state again for the 3rd time now, my systems details are in my signature. Now you will see I'm running GALAX GTX 970 EOC in sli. You've already proven you're quite good at digging through junk online, surely you can dig through and see I do indeed require a 6 and 8pin connector for each of my cards.
OP, 650watts is enough. Get a 750w if you want more headroom. FKR is going to driver you insane, ignore him.
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Reply to mosti
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mosti
October 10, 2014 10:35:10 PM
Measured power consumption GTX 970 2-way SLI
System in IDLE = 123 Watts
System Wattage with GPU in FULL Stress = 439 Watts
Difference (GPU load) = 316 Watts
Add average IDLE wattage ~10 Watts
Subjective obtained GPU power consumption = ~ 326 Watts
This is guru3d's power consumption test.
ALSO NOTE THIS:
. Our test system is based on a power hungry six-core Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E based setup on the X79 chipset platform.
This setup is overclocked to 4.60 GHz on all cores. Next to that we have energy saving functions disabled for this motherboard and processor (to ensure consistent benchmark results).
Compare this to what the OP is planning on running.
Now please, shutup
System in IDLE = 123 Watts
System Wattage with GPU in FULL Stress = 439 Watts
Difference (GPU load) = 316 Watts
Add average IDLE wattage ~10 Watts
Subjective obtained GPU power consumption = ~ 326 Watts
This is guru3d's power consumption test.
ALSO NOTE THIS:
. Our test system is based on a power hungry six-core Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E based setup on the X79 chipset platform.
This setup is overclocked to 4.60 GHz on all cores. Next to that we have energy saving functions disabled for this motherboard and processor (to ensure consistent benchmark results).
Compare this to what the OP is planning on running.
Now please, shutup
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Reply to mosti
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mosti
October 10, 2014 10:36:42 PM
Oh and give me the best solution pls and thanks rofl kidding.
Like i said earlier. Knowledge without milage is bullshit. Do you have GTX 970's in sli and power consumption monitoring tools? No you don't. Is my tool state of the art? No. But I don't need accuracy down to a 0.0001% to be able to tell him 650w is enough for his build.
Like i said earlier. Knowledge without milage is bullshit. Do you have GTX 970's in sli and power consumption monitoring tools? No you don't. Is my tool state of the art? No. But I don't need accuracy down to a 0.0001% to be able to tell him 650w is enough for his build.
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Reply to mosti
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I believe that a highly overclocked i5 4670/90k would take about 120W.
I also believe that 970s tend to draw little power on average, but can spike quite high, as shown by tom's review. Spikes that would only be detected with fast sampling equipment.
If running SLI, I think that it wouldn't be strange that both cards power-spiked at the same time, and when the CPU is on a high load.
And if you overclock those cards (since they can be overclocked quite high), the power draw would even be higher.
Given that info, I would not take the risk of the cards spiking its power consumption. A good quality PSU would handle that, but it could degrade over time, or just throttle. A bad quality PSU would maybe even shut down.
That's just what I believe, though.
I also believe that 970s tend to draw little power on average, but can spike quite high, as shown by tom's review. Spikes that would only be detected with fast sampling equipment.
If running SLI, I think that it wouldn't be strange that both cards power-spiked at the same time, and when the CPU is on a high load.
And if you overclock those cards (since they can be overclocked quite high), the power draw would even be higher.
Given that info, I would not take the risk of the cards spiking its power consumption. A good quality PSU would handle that, but it could degrade over time, or just throttle. A bad quality PSU would maybe even shut down.
That's just what I believe, though.
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Reply to anbello262
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mosti
October 10, 2014 10:57:18 PM
ptfpinho
17 minutes ago
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