Good Modular PSU

iknowreal · Jun 1, 2015

I am looking for a suggestions on Power supply I want something modular my PC is pretty power hungry with gtx 970 and maybe switching to a titan for a future build. I also run 4 hardrives ect.

JackNaylorPE · Jun 1, 2015

4 hard drives is 20 watts. To get your needed PSU size, your GFX card will basically determine it 99.7% of the time. The 980 Ti looks more attractive than the Titan X, but 2 970s in SLI is faster than both up thru 1440p.

Answers here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2311121/power-supply-requirements-nvidia-gpus.html#14243229

Look at both the nVidia recommendations (1st post) and that based upon Guru3D test results (2nd post)

I'd do a 750 watter for two 970s except for the fact that the EVGA G2 850 is cheaper.

for the Titan or 980 Ti, you'll want 650 w/ Z97 or 750 w/ X99 for 1 card ..... I'd use a 1000 - 1050 for two

4745454b · Jun 1, 2015

CPU? 550+ Capstone would be good.

iknowreal · Jun 1, 2015

I'm putting a i7 in this build.

iknowreal · Jun 2, 2015

planning on a sli with my 970's

4745454b · Jun 2, 2015

If you are going to SLI the 970s then at least a 650W, 750W Capstone is better idea if OCing as well. The 970 isn't a power hungry GPU and two together will use ~300W.

JackNaylorPE · Jun 2, 2015

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2311121/power-supply-requirements-nvidia-gpus.html#14243229

I would not go below 750 watts.

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/gigabyte_geforce_gtx_970_g1_gaming_review,7.html

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 970 or 980 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 500 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 970 or 980 in 2-way SLI - On your average system the cards require you to have an 800 Watt power supply unit as minimum.

If you are going to overclock your GPU or processor, then we do recommend you purchase something with some more stamina.

per nVidia

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-970/specifications

970 Thermal and Power Specs:
98 C = Maximum GPU Tempurature (in C)
145 W = Graphics Card Power (W)
500 W = Minimum System Power Requirement (W)
2x 6-pins = Supplementary Power Connector

SLI - 500 + n x (145 +20 peaks) = 665 watts for 2 cards

It matters what card you buy. Note the Gigabyte 980 can pull 342 watts compared to MSI (207), Asus (173), EVGA (178)..... expect a similar result from the 970

With the Gigabyte 980s
2 x 342 = 684 watts + 130 watts for OC'd 4690k + 40 watts MoBo + 10 watts RAM + 20 watts HDs + 30 watts miscellaneous = 914 + 15% for capacitor aging = 1050 watts.

Oddly enough the MSI 970 drew 213 watts, more than their 980....techpowerup didn't test the Gigabyte 970 but if it behaves like the 980....you should go bigger.

2 x 213 = 426 watts + 130 watts for OC'd 4690k + 40 watts MoBo + 10 watts RAM + 20 watts HDs + 30 watts miscellaneous = 656 + 15% for capacitor aging = 754 watts.

4745454b · Jun 3, 2015

970 Thermal and Power Specs:
98 C = Maximum GPU Tempurature (in C)
145 W = Graphics Card Power (W)
500 W = Minimum System Power Requirement (W)
2x 6-pins = Supplementary Power Connector

SLI - 500 + n x (145 +20 peaks) = 665 watts for 2 cards

I realize this is Nvidia talking here and not your words, but a 500W system NOT counting the GPU(s) is absurd. Even if you took a ~225W AMD 95xx CPU and OC'd even more to 300 or 350W, you'd still need to have another 150W+ to hit 500W. To hit that you'd have to have a pump or lights running off the PSU. This is nothing more then padding the numbers to handle junk PSUs. Don't run junk PSUs and you won't need to have a 665W PSU to run a GTX970.

40 watts MoBo

40W motherboards? Maybe the higher end ones with built in upgraded sound cards and Killer Nics, but most motherboards only have to worry about the SB/MCH. As a whole they use around 10-15W depending on model.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-980-970-maxwell,3941-13.html

Interesting bit at the top, I'd look up whatever ACTUAL card you are considering. AT ~250W in the test they ran, two should use ~500W. Add in your CPU and I use 50W for the rest of the system and you should get what you need. For example, 500W for the cards, 84W for the CPU and 50W for everything else and you need around 634W. A good 750W should be fine.

iknowreal · Jun 4, 2015

the best fullly modular PSU i could find meeting those requirements I could find seems to be this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438018

thoughts?

4745454b · Jun 4, 2015

That's a good one. Anytime you are buying a PSU with a 7-10yr+ warranty you know they believe in it. Should provide you with years of use.

JackNaylorPE · Jun 4, 2015

4745454b :

Read more carefully. The recommendation is correct. the 500 watt system recommendation IS COUNTING the 1st GPU

SLI - 500 + n x (145 +20 peaks) = 665 watts for 2 cards

The system wattage includes the first card. You can't have a 970 system w/o at least 1 card in it.

145 W = Graphics Card Power (W)
500 W = Minimum System Power Requirement (W)

For 2 way SLI (n = number of extra cards = 1)
500 watts for system including 1 card + 1 x (145+ 20) = 665 Watts with 2 cards

40W motherboards? Maybe the higher end ones with built in upgraded sound cards and Killer Nics, but most motherboards only have to worry about the SB/MCH. As a whole they use around 10-15W depending on model.

Also have to worry about the VRMs

1. Check any water cooling guide, you'll see 30-40 watts as the recommended.

From Martins Liquid Lab

Motherboard
Chipset: 10-30W
Voltage Regulators: 5-20W

2. Go here:

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

By default just the MoBo is loaded ....34 watts .... hit calculate w/ just the MoBo in there... 55 watts.

If you have an SLI capable board and budget includes a possible Titan X, I'd say the likelihood of that being at the upper end of the range is highly probable

Interesting bit at the top, I'd look up whatever ACTUAL card you are considering. AT ~250W in the test they ran, two should use ~500W. Add in your CPU and I use 50W for the rest of the system and you should get what you need. For example, 500W for the cards, 84W for the CPU and 50W for everything else and you need around 634W. A good 750W should be fine

What about everything else ? CPU OC adds 50 watts all by itself

-The TDP of the 970 is *reported at* 145 but even at stock settings they pull 190-220 before overclocking
-Overclocking each GFX card can add 20-40 watts per card
-Overclocked Z97 at 4.8 Ghz (1.35v) can easily pull well over 84 watts, more like 135
-Each RAM stick is 4-5 watts
-Storage (SSDs and HDs) say 20 watts
-An optical can pull 20 watts
-(5) case fans + (2) cooler fans will pull say 2 watts, say 5 watts w/ LEDs ... more if CLC or CWL
-Figure 5 USBs (KB, Mouse, Phone Charger, Camera, Fan Controller, Thumb Drives, Printers, Game Controller, Flight Stick, etc) say 10 watts

Add all that in and then add capacitor aging.....

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity. We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years.

Adding just 10% to your 634 watts adds ...65 watts. ~ 697 watts .... nvidia says 665 so looks like you agree pretty well

I get:

MoBo - 35 watts
Overclocked CPU 135 - watts
Overclocked MSI / Asus 970s in SLI - 440 watts
RAM - 5 watts
Storage - 20 watts
Optical - 20 watts
Fans / LEDs - 5 watts
USB - 10 watts
USB - 5 watts

675 watts + 10% capacitor aging = 743 say 750 watts

iknowreal · Jun 5, 2015

JackNaylorPE :

4745454b :

Read more carefully. The recommendation is correct. the 500 watt system recommendation IS COUNTING the 1st GPU

SLI - 500 + n x (145 +20 peaks) = 665 watts for 2 cards

The system wattage includes the first card. You can't have a 970 system w/o at least 1 card in it.

145 W = Graphics Card Power (W)
500 W = Minimum System Power Requirement (W)

For 2 way SLI (n = number of extra cards = 1)
500 watts for system including 1 card + 1 x (145+ 20) = 665 Watts with 2 cards

40W motherboards? Maybe the higher end ones with built in upgraded sound cards and Killer Nics, but most motherboards only have to worry about the SB/MCH. As a whole they use around 10-15W depending on model.

Also have to worry about the VRMs

1. Check any water cooling guide, you'll see 30-40 watts as the recommended.

From Martins Liquid Lab

Motherboard
Chipset: 10-30W
Voltage Regulators: 5-20W

2. Go here:

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

By default just the MoBo is loaded ....34 watts .... hit calculate w/ just the MoBo in there... 55 watts.

If you have an SLI capable board and budget includes a possible Titan X, I'd say the likelihood of that being at the upper end of the range is highly probable

Interesting bit at the top, I'd look up whatever ACTUAL card you are considering. AT ~250W in the test they ran, two should use ~500W. Add in your CPU and I use 50W for the rest of the system and you should get what you need. For example, 500W for the cards, 84W for the CPU and 50W for everything else and you need around 634W. A good 750W should be fine

What about everything else ? CPU OC adds 50 watts all by itself

-The TDP of the 970 is *reported at* 145 but even at stock settings they pull 190-220 before overclocking
-Overclocking each GFX card can add 20-40 watts per card
-Overclocked Z97 at 4.8 Ghz (1.35v) can easily pull well over 84 watts, more like 135
-Each RAM stick is 4-5 watts
-Storage (SSDs and HDs) say 20 watts
-An optical can pull 20 watts
-(5) case fans + (2) cooler fans will pull say 2 watts, say 5 watts w/ LEDs ... more if CLC or CWL
-Figure 5 USBs (KB, Mouse, Phone Charger, Camera, Fan Controller, Thumb Drives, Printers, Game Controller, Flight Stick, etc) say 10 watts

Add all that in and then add capacitor aging.....

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity. We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years.

Adding just 10% to your 634 watts adds ...65 watts. ~ 697 watts .... nvidia says 665 so looks like you agree pretty well

I get:

MoBo - 35 watts
Overclocked CPU 135 - watts
Overclocked MSI / Asus 970s in SLI - 440 watts
RAM - 5 watts
Storage - 20 watts
Optical - 20 watts
Fans / LEDs - 5 watts
USB - 10 watts
USB - 5 watts

675 watts + 10% capacitor aging = 743 say 750 watts

so 750watts for sli. 500 for solo?

JackNaylorPE · Jun 5, 2015

nVidia says 500 for one and 665 for two ...so next step up is 700....add 50-100 watts for overlcocking

I use 750 watters on twin 970 air cooled builds and 850 watters for water cooled builds
I use 850 watters on twin 980 air cooled builds and 1050 watters for water cooled builds...

....not that I wouldn't use a good 900-950 watter but the next step up for the good PSUs tends to be 1000/1050

By water cooled builds I mean custom loops or Swiftech OLCs. CLCs have very weak pumps (2 watts) and no PSU adjustment need be made for same.

Keep in mind also that PSUs hit there best efficiency point at 50% load and that the largest voltage variation and ripple / noise will be near the rated capacity. Finally, many of the better PSUs fans won't even turn on till ya hit 40-50% load.

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