PSU Watts: Which to Pick?

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CmdrJeffSinclair

CmdrJeffSinclair

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Aug 29, 2014
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Hi everyone,

So I've decided on the following PSUs, which simply boil down to Watts. I've read that PSU's perform best at 20%, 50% and 80% load, but I was wondering if that really is a factor in efficiency. If so, then would the 1200W PSU perform better than the 1600W since I'm around the 50% load mark? Under intense load I bet I'd hit close to 80% load on the 1200W too so it's a two-fer if performance is truly noticeable better at those loads. If not, I'd just get the 1600W version.

My system totals 604W before overclocking on paper, with a highly estimated ~700W total after overclocking but doesn't really include all scenarios of intense loads and day to day use. I'm not really watching it a whole lot so it might be 800W-ish. The GTX 980s can have pretty intense spikes but overall are very efficient and do hover around there claimed total Watts. I have not overclocked the GTX 980s but they did come overclocked already so I guess that counts as overclocking them.

So which PSU should I get?

1) SuperNOVA P2 1200W Platinum
2) SuperNOVA P2 1600W Platinum

Here is the parts to my rig that I've purchased so far:

CPU: Intel i7-5960X overclocked to 4.5GHz
MOBO: ASUS X99 Deluxe
RAM: 32GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3200MHz
--RAM Timings tightened from 16-16-16-36@1.35v to 13-13-13-33@1.4v
GPUs: 2x 4GB Gigabyte G1 Gaming NVIDIA GTX 980s SLI both PCIe 3.0 x16 lanes
STORAGE: (3TB, 2 backups 1 main drive) 3x 1TB Samsung 850 Pro SSD's linked to 4GB RAM for over 1TB/s Read/Write speed
DISPLAY: Optoma HD141X 1080p Full 3D Gaming/Home Theater Projector 3200 Lumens
PSU: 750W Thermaltake P.O.S. lol it is old and dying, need a new one
 
Solution
techgeek
Well the 20%, 50%, 80% are the usages used to classify its 80 Plus rating. The highest efficiency on most PSU's occur at 50%. However efficiency is relative, a few percent less at 20% and 80% isn't a huge deal, a few watts here or there.

I have a SuperNova 1000W G2, very good supply (so far) and well reviewed. So you've picked a good manufacturer, they are made by SeaSonic.

My suggestion is to go with the 1200W, however I think you could also go with a 1000W and still have plenty of room. However we are enthusiasts and thus we tend to overkill.

Another thing to consider on the efficiency scale, is what is your computer doing most of the time. For most people that answer is idling. In my case I crunch WCG, so my CPU is flat...
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techgeek

techgeek

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Well the 20%, 50%, 80% are the usages used to classify its 80 Plus rating. The highest efficiency on most PSU's occur at 50%. However efficiency is relative, a few percent less at 20% and 80% isn't a huge deal, a few watts here or there.

I have a SuperNova 1000W G2, very good supply (so far) and well reviewed. So you've picked a good manufacturer, they are made by SeaSonic.

My suggestion is to go with the 1200W, however I think you could also go with a 1000W and still have plenty of room. However we are enthusiasts and thus we tend to overkill.

Another thing to consider on the efficiency scale, is what is your computer doing most of the time. For most people that answer is idling. In my case I crunch WCG, so my CPU is flat out all the time, with my GPU twiddling its proverbial thumbs. Even at that, my system is only using about 200-250W. So the point is is 80% of the time your computer is idling, and you are concerned with efficiency, then you might want to consider landing on the lighter side of overkill. Again though when it comes to efficiency, it's really only a few watts wasted on either side of 50%.
 
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CmdrJeffSinclair

CmdrJeffSinclair

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Aug 29, 2014
785
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Def sounds like a winner here. I'll go with the 1200W and poo the whole efficiency thing anyway since it sounds like it's much to complicated to hit. I was more concerned with spikes, but from what I read the Platinum rating by itself covers that well by itself so long as I have some load breathing room...and 1200W sounds like it'll offer ample breathing room.

Thanks man for an excellent answer!!
 
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