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Gigabyte G1 GTX 980 and PSU

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  • Gtx
  • Gigabyte
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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October 10, 2014 9:01:43 PM

I am on the verge of splurging for the Gigabyte G1 GTX 980, but I have a concern about my PSU. I currently run a GTX 660, which uses a 6-pin adapter. Gigabyte states that 2 8-pin adapters are needed to run this card. I have a 6-pin + 2-pin coming off my PSU; is this sufficient? It states it works as both a 6-pin and 8-pin, but do I need two of them, or does Gigabyte include some sort of adapter that will plug into my 8-pin PSU, then separates into two 8-pins to insert into the card? Also, my PSU is a 650 watt, Gigabyte states that at least 600 is needed, but I guess the real question here is would I need to upgrade the PSU in order to run this card? Thanks.

More about : gigabyte gtx 980 psu

October 10, 2014 9:15:17 PM

I'd say time for a new power supply.
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October 10, 2014 9:17:38 PM

You could use an adapter, but if you are going to spring for the 980 why endanger it with your old psu. Just upgrade the psu also.
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October 10, 2014 9:20:12 PM

Wattage wise you will be fine with that PSU so long as you don't have a lot of other internals in your PC (multiple DVD/BD players and drives, case fans, powerful CPU cooler, etc.) and don't overclock. You don't mention the make and model of your PSU, so at this level a cheaper PSU will increase the chances of you having a failure or crash at load. The less headroom you have on a PSU, the higher quality and more efficient you want it to be.

Regarding the card requirements, you will need two 8-pin (or two 6+2) connectors. However, if you only have one 6+2 connector, Gigabyte provides a PCIe PEG-molex power connector adapter where you can plug that into an unused molex connector and the other end for your other card connector.
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October 11, 2014 11:06:29 PM

10tacle - Excellent advice and exactly what I was looking for, I thank you. I have a i5 3570k OCd at 4.6, with that said can I try to hook up the 980 and see if everything runs okay, or do I risk damaging the card? At this time I can't seem to get my hands on the 980 - looks like I will need to order it online. I would like to avoid having the replace the PSU as well.
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October 12, 2014 12:35:08 PM

I would clock back the CPU to stock and then gradually start your overclocking again after installing this card. If you have a wall outlet wattage gauge tool like from Kill-A-Watt ($20US from NewEgg) this would be the time to use it so you can monitor exactly how much power is being drawn from your PC total. What is your PSU brand? If it's a higher quality brand name (Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, Silverstone, etc.) and 80+ certified (preferably Bronze or above) I wouldn't worry about damaging the card. As I said previously the worst that will happen is that the card will crash and your display will freeze or you will lock up in the middle of a game (been there, done that with a GTX 680 and a Corsair 500W PSU and overclocking). If it is a less expensive off-brand, I would be worried about how it handles high loads and it possibly could not only damage your card, but your entire system. It has happened. Just remember: your system is only as good as the quality of the PSU you buy. Of all the things to go cheap on in a PC build, the PSU is not one of them, especially if overclocking and running powerful GPU(s).

Good luck on getting your hands on a 980. I snapped up an EVGA 970 (superclocked) when they were in stock briefly last month. Just keep looking...the one you want will eventually be available. They are hot items obviously and are as tough to find as when the 680 was released that took me a month to get. And here's an afterthought: overclocking your CPU does not mean as much as you increase your pixels and AA settings, specifically if you are running a monitor with a resolution higher than 1080p or triple 1080p monitors. I have actually clocked down my rig since moving up to a 1440p monitor because in most current games (not all) a higher CPU setting does little to nothing because the GPU is more important because the GPU carries more of the load in higher graphics quality settings and demands (4K resolution specifically details that).
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