220-watt PSU running a GeForce GT 630 in an Emachines EL1352g-41w?

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Craig M

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I have an Emachines EL1352g-41w ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883114102 Link for all specs if needed ) and I was researching to see if I could use the Geforce GT 630 for this computer. I checked the usual wattage needed for each computer part and added them all up. I figured I would also disconnect my dvd drive to stop power from going to it as an added bonus (probably wouldn't need to do that, but yeah lol). Anyways, I came up with the PC using around 176 watts with everything including this graphics card. I will show you how I arrived at that number. Just clearing up now that I like the price range of this graphics card and I like how it performs from what I've read about it. I know about the 750 ti and other cards, but I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money on this lol I must also add that I am perfectly content with playing games at their lowest settings. Below is the PC wattage use for parts in my computer (some numbers are elevated to allow for error).

PC wattage use

AMD Athlon II X2 220 65-watts ( http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K10/AMD-Athlon%20II%20X2%20220%20-%20ADX220OCK22GM.html )

Motherboard 40-watts going by the higher number for the motherboard ( http://www.buildcomputers.net/power-consumption-of-pc-components.html )

RAM-6-watts ddr3 are said to be around 2-3 watts each ( http://www.buildcomputers.net/power-consumption-of-pc-components.html )

GeForce GT 630 50-watts ( http://gaminginsideinfo.blogspot.com/2013/10/best-low-power-graphics-card-for-gaming.html )

Hard Drive 9-watts ( http://www.buildcomputers.net/power-consumption-of-pc-components.html )

Case fan 6-watts I just went with the highest listed one for this at 6-watts lol Whatever is in my pc, it keeps it very cool no matter what I do lol ( http://www.buildcomputers.net/power-consumption-of-pc-components.html )

DVD drive Unplugged and not in use

I've heard stories about how people were using PSUs (220 and even lower) with good results on certain cards that were said to require 300-400-watts. Is there really any reason as to why this card wouldn't work in this PC? At the very least, would it be a decent enough upgrade for me to play my League Of Legends game without any lag? If you see errors in my research, please feel free to correct me as I'm not that knowledgeable about these things and it's late lol Thanks for your time and any help with this.
 
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Archaic59
It seems you've researched your system power usage pretty well. You should know that sustained loads at close to maximum capacity is not a good idea, even for a high quality PSU. An OEM unit, which are generally made from cheap low quality parts, will simply fail under the stress eventually. The question is, when it fails, will it go out with a whimper or a bang? Proceed at your own risk, knowing the potential consequences.
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Archaic59

Archaic59

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It seems you've researched your system power usage pretty well. You should know that sustained loads at close to maximum capacity is not a good idea, even for a high quality PSU. An OEM unit, which are generally made from cheap low quality parts, will simply fail under the stress eventually. The question is, when it fails, will it go out with a whimper or a bang? Proceed at your own risk, knowing the potential consequences.
 
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Karadjgne

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Cpu @ 65w
Motherboard,drives,fans,ram etc @ 80w
Pcie @ 75w

That's maxed out values, which totals out at 220w.

As far as psu goes, that's pot luck unless you can find the OEM. Some psus are OEM Seasonic or Delta, which are considerably higher quality than most, some are Lite-on, some are serious junk that'll crap out long before hitting 100% load.

For the price, as much as I dislike Corsair CX, the CX430w would be well worth the upgrade, and would alleviate any power issues on such a low end gpu, possibly allowing for a stronger gpu
 
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Craig M

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I allowed for some error in favor of lower watts. It would probably be in the 160s somewhere (probably around 165). I should also add that the PSU does have a sticker on it saying it's an 80 plus bronze PSU and someone wrote the following in another discussion about the 80 plus bronze PSU "Its worth getting a bronze star certified power supply simply because they are certified to be able to supply the current that they are rated at. It is only worth getting a silver gold or platinum supply depending on how long the computer is going to be powered on for. If for example the computer is going to be on 24/7 at full load then it would pay to get a platinum supply because of the energy costs over the life of the computer, but if you only have the computer on for a few hours a day then get a bronze one." I do play games for a few hours a day, but I don't keep computer on all day and keep it pushed too hard when I do have it on while not playing games. Are the risks still as bad as they were since I have at least an 80 plus bronze PSU? Thanks for your help with this.

 
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Craig M

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The one I have is a 220 watt Lite-on 80 plus bronze PSU. Would this one be ok in a sense that it would probably be enough to work well enough and get by without anything seriously bad happening? lol Thanks

 
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Karadjgne

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The 80+ rating system is not a standard as such, just a voluntary certification. What 80+ means is that at 20%/50%/100% loads, it carries 80% efficiency or better. Bronze is more efficient than plus, gold more than bronze etc.

Along with this efficiency comes output ripple. When alternating current is converted to direct current (ac to dc) DC is not a pure voltage. It has a ripple still (small, but there). With higher efficiency psus, this ripple is smaller, so in 80+ titanium, its almost non existent. This ripple is only important to 1 group of people. Extreme overclockers. At higher OC, to maintain stability at a nominal voltage, that ripple has to be as stable as possible, so extreme OC benefits from gold or better psus. For everyday, mediocre OC or stock usage, bronze is more than capable, as voltages are not so tight.

Being a voluntary certification, there is 0 regulation or standardization. This means that unless you have a psu by a known OEM such as Delta or Seasonic, that bronze rating could very well be suspect, or a marketing ploy or down right lie.

I've seen 'Gold' rated, made in China tier5 psus that I have no idea how they got 700w from on a 4x12v rail at 18a per rail and 35a on 3.3v and 5v.

The rating has nothing to do with output. I'd trust a Seasonic 330w 80+ over that 700w 80+gold any day of the week.

Wiki has a very good explanation of 80+.

Just remember this, not every builder is honest, and more than a few skirt that honesty in the name of saving a dollar.
 
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Craig M

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If it can go the 220, would it be ok then? and is there any way I can test this power supply to see what it's putting out? Thanks

Update
Would this be a good PSU to upgrade my computer with? http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7828885&CatId=1077 I just don't want to put more and more money into this stuff haha
 
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delaro

delaro

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For that card you need 15Amp on your 12V rail, you have 12Amps, watts doesn't matter all that much if you don't have the amps to back it up. You have a few options.

1. Buy a Case with a ATX supply This is a slimline case so a full size supply will not fit.
2. Grab the Supply below that can run up to a 750TI "Low Profile"
3. Save and buy a system or build a system to more current specs.

SeaSonic SS-300TFX Bronze 300W TFX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151090

A 630 GT will play LoL but not at very high settings with a display of 1680X1050 or larger, A 730 GT will handle 1080p with high settings but your CPU will hold you back considerably, consider upgrading unless you plan on playing in Low settings with 20-30 FPS before large amounts of AOE.

AMD Athlon II X4 640 3 GHz Quad-Core Processor $45
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Athlon-II-X4-640-3-GHz-Quad-Core-Processor-/331532736127?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d30e4167f

AMD Phenom II X4 820 2.8 GHz Quad-Core $ 50
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Phenom-II-X4-820-HDX820WFK4FGI-2-8-GHz-quad-core-socket-AM3-CPU-Deneb-95W-/251921407418?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa7af9dba


Price
SeaSonic 300W Power Supply $40
730 GT 2GB "SFF Low Profile" $60
AMD Athlon II X4 640 $45
.................................
$145


 
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Craig M

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I may consider upgrading to a reliable PSU like you and others have said. Thank you for your time and help with this.

 
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Craig M

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Thanks for the information and links. I have a bigger case that I could use for this already that was from a much older computer. I could transfer the MOBO and parts to it. I would probably just need to get that PSU, GPU and CPU. I feel like I could have a decent gaming rig by simply upgrading this right. Should I also upgrade my RAM? I wouldn't want lag and I was afraid that I would lag with insufficient RAM. I really hope I don't have to upgrade that too lol I have 2gb ddr3 1333mhz RAM on Windows 7 64 bit OS. Thanks
 
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delaro

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Replacing you RAM wont help with a ACER eMachine motherboard, by default AM3 CPU's run RAM @1333mhz you lack overclocking options so any RAM you add will be downclocked to 1333mhz. If your planning on playing Titles Like LoL that are not as demanding then the upgrades I listed will do you fine, for current titles that are more demanding you would need to replace everything.
 
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Karadjgne

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While replacing ram with a higher speed won't help (as said above) the fact you have win7 x64 does. This means you could max out ram size easily. Even running 4Gb would help tremendously as Windows itself is using up 1+Gb and anything else needed above the 2Gb you have is coming from the virtual ram located on hdd (slow as molasses in winter)

Since you are on a very tight budget, and this is not a super-gamer pc, take baby steps when upgrading. You can get cases for $20 or less, new, even cheaper on eBay etc. Shop around, just keep the psu size, gpu size, and maybe ram size in mind and it's possible to have a respectable lower end gaming pc for a minimal cost but decent performance.
 
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Craig M

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That's good to know. I have an older Emachines case ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883114060 ) Could I just use this case? If not it's fine haha I'll research and find a case for it in time unless you know of one you would recommend for me. Thanks and I appreciate all of your help and time with this.

 
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Karadjgne

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That case (from the looks of it) is a micro ATX, which means it'll fit a normal size ATX psu, a medium gpu and a mATX motherboard. It should work fine. It'll allow you to use any psu and any size gpu, so you won't be restricted to slim form factor components, which are limited and usually more expensive as there isn't as much demand or competition to bring prices down.

https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/ a good place to shop for prices, items etc, as it uses several sites and vendors, so you'll be able to watch for sales etc.
 
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Craig M

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Thanks a lot and I'm glad that I can use that case which pushes back what I would be spending a bit. I have used that website recently actually and it's very good because it helped me find compatible parts for the cheapest prices for a computer build for my girlfriend. We ordered the parts and put it together perfectly only to have it stop working after a little while. We put it all together correctly and after having it on for a couple to a few hours, I decided to shut the computer down. A little while later, I went to turn the PC back on and it wouldn't come on and gave error beep code which I found out was an error code for the graphics card. The card in it was a GTX 560 and if I remember correctly, the GTX 560 recommends 450-watt PSU and we have an EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX PSU in it. So since it was looking like a graphics card issue, we went online and ordered a GT 730 (lower PSU requirement) and the system works fine now. I came to the conclusion that it was the PSU that just stopped putting out enough power to power that GTX 560 after a little while of it being on. By the way, do you think that that GTX 560 is okay after that? If I got a good PSU, like a bronze 750-watt for this computer I'm trying to fix here, could I just use that GTX 560 I have for computer build here instead of the 630 that I was going to use? I figured that would be worth asking about it lol The motherboard supports the card with slot if I'm not mistaken. Thanks

 
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Karadjgne

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One thing that most ppl overlook and take for granted is the psu. It literally does absolutely nothing towards gaming. As long as it is big enough to handle the gpu and cpu/OC, who cares right? Wrong. The psu is the single most important component of the pc. It directly affects everything. From motherboard, cpu, gpu, ram, everything. And yet ppl insist on putting a $40 psu in a $1600 pc. Absolutely nuts.

The problem wasn't the Evga psu, the problem was more than likely the gtx560, the psu will either work or it won't, and if it'll push a gt730, it'll push a gtx560

When it comes to psus, quality over quantity. A quality 550w like the XFX series will power everything from a gtx970 and lower. I have a 520w Seasonic that'll power a gtx970, but I wouldn't even consider the Evga 500, its a mediocre psu at best.

Size is not a determine factor when it comes to good or bad, a common mistake many make when buying an oversized piece of junk, then saying it has worked for them. Sure a 750w will work, when the system power draw is only 300w, but the capacitors are always the first to go, day after that 3 yr warranty expires. And when it spikes and takes out the motherboard and/or the gpu, you never hear mention of the junk psu they insisted on buying, they just claim to need an upgrade.

Quality. If you were to replace the Evga 500, I'd suggest the XFX 550w, Antec HCG(M) 520/620w, Seasonic M12-II / S12II 520/620w, Rosewill Capstone 550w. Any of those is about equal in quality and reliability, and at least 1 of them can be found on sale for a very good price, I've personally seen as low as $25, which is a literal steal.

The Berlin should be able to power the 560 with relative ease, its more than large enough, but I get the feeling, its not gonna be happy news, I feel the gtx560 capped out on you.

If it has, I'd RMA the 560 at least, if it's not being used currently, its money wasted.
 
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Craig M

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Here are two reviews pointing towards it being the PSU. I really wished I had gotten a decent gold 550-watt instead of that bronze PSU. At the time I got it, I was trying to get a decent low cost pc for my gf to play games on lol

"Other Thoughts: Make sure you have a big enough power supply. I got a 750w Continuous PSU that works fine.

Also, make sure you have a GOOD power supply for this. It takes two of the 6 hole power connectors, and has a pretty steep wattage requirement. I'd recommend having at least a 700-watt PSU for this card, even though (I think) it says 500-watt minimum. I was looking at 600-watt PSUs before I settled on the one I got (OCZ ModXStream Pro 700-watt), and many of the reviewers of the 600-watt models were saying they couldn't run the GTX 560 with them."

I would be scared to get anything below 700-watts for that now. If you know of a 700-watt that's reliable, I'm all ears lol Thanks for everything :)
 
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delaro

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Using two 6 pin connectors doesn't mean step power requirements, some 960's do so and all models will run fine off a 500W supply as well all 970 GT's. Any version of a 560 and 560 TI even heavily overclocked will draw less than 170 Watts so matched with a FX-9590 with a max Draw of 248 Watts a 500 Watt will still handle things. If you have a 600 Watt or 700 Watt unit and a 560 is BSODing it then you have a very crappy supply that is outputting less than a 500 Watt unit.
 
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Craig M

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I agree. I think it could very well be that a lot of the people in those reviews who said that about their PSU's below 700 may have had very crappy PSUs lol I believe the bronze EVGA PSU 500-watt I have in gf's computer is only putting out 400-watts or maybe even less. I assume that since I think it was 450 to 500-watts is recommended for the 560, my PSU was somehow unable to power it and run the system with it. It could be that the PSU is just crappy and won't run a card with a high requirement of power lol idk Can a PSU change its consistent output to a lower wattage and then continue to run at that lower wattage? I know that's probably a dumb question lol I figured I would ask though. Second question, could I attempt to run that GTX 560 card with it being plugged into slot only (not having the two power cable plugged into it). Thanks
 
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Karadjgne

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My gtx660ti requires 2x 6pin pcie connectors and I run that sucked hard under heavily modded (134mods currently with 2/4k texture packs for flora and fauna/towns etc) with a OC i5-3570K on a Seasonic m12ii 520w and I have room to spare. I could run a gtx970 on that psu easily.

The OCZ ModXtreme 700 (if it's the 40° version) is a tier3 mediocre at best psu that's not even rated as good as a corsair CX. It's just about a hair over being tier4. In a word... It's not that good.
http://m.hardocp.com/article/2008/11/12/ocz_700w_modxstream_pro_power_supply/9#.VTXQNBAo7qA
 
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Craig M

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I think I just found an incredible deal on that PSU you just said lol Is this the one and should I give it a try? http://www.moddiy.com/products/Seasonic-M12II-Bronze-520W%7B47%7D620W-Modular-Connector-%28Full-Set-7pcs%29.html?gclid=CKLE5aHJhsUCFQwIaQodOQMAxg Uh lol Is that not for the actual PSU? or is it just for the stuff that goes on it? lol I suck at this :p
 
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Karadjgne

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You absolutely need to have both 6pin power connectors direct from the pc attached to the gpu or it will not work. Kinda like trying to start a car that has no spark plug wires.

Inside a psu are things called 'rails'. These are circuits that basically contain the output of any given plug. For a gpu you need the pcie 6pin/6+2 pin connectors that use the 12v rail. These rails have a set amount of amperage output that they are capable of. Being a circuit, they either work, or they don't. If any part of the circuit, like a capacitor, fails, the circuit is dead. It won't vary output maximums, it'll output anything the gpu draws upto the maximum combined amperage of the rails. And that's all.

Minimum recommended psu for a gtx560 is 520w. The Evga 500b is 500w. However, minimum amperage requirements is 24Amps on the 12v rail, and the Evga 500b is capable of 40Amps so is more than sufficient.

It's not the psu.
 
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Craig M

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O ok I see. I'll prob check the specs better if I go ordering anything for this other computer so I don't make a mistake with this lol

 
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delaro

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A Nvidia 560 requires a 450W and 24 Amps. A 560 TI asks for a 500W 30A.




If a card has a External power connection it wont even power up without it. A power supply will only give "Watts/Amps" as needed but should always supply the correct Volts.

Here are some Very good supplies at a decent price.

Antec BP550 Plus 550W $39.99 after $20.00 rebate card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

XFX TS Series P1550SXXB9 550W $47.99 after $15.00 rebate card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-550 $69.99 "Best of the 3"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182068&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

All 3 are very good and will do you fine for many years.
 
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