Looking for PSU and GPU advice; upgrading an APU build

Feb 26, 2018
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Hello!

A couple of weeks ago I asked the community for some GPU advice.

I was originally recommended a 1070 or Vega56 for 1080p 144Hz Freesync, but have since decided to upgrade my monitor next month to a 1440p 165Hz G-Sync Dell one.

Thus I have decided to go with a 1070Ti (not sure by which brand - Gigabyte Gaming (713$), Zotac PGF (713$) or MSI Titanium (745$)).

A 1080 is also an option (Inno3D iChill 793$, Colorful 793$, MSI Gaming 824$), but I'm not sure if the price difference of 50$-110$ makes sense given the performance difference and my budgetary constraints. Furthermore the former 2 brands seem significantly less well known.

So now the question is - will my Cooler Master Masterwatt Lite 500W PSU be able to support the 1070Ti, given that my CPU is the Ryzen 5 2400G at stock speeds (3.6GHz, often boosting to 3.9GHz)? If relevant - my case has 3 intake fans at the front and one exhaust fan in the back. RAM is 2x8GB sticks. Motherboard is M-ATX - MSI B350M Mortar.

I understand that the wattage should be sufficient, but I'm worried that my brand new card will be fried by a mediocre PSU.

Should I push my budget and also get a Seasonic S12II 80Plus Bronze 620W unit or is the risk of my current PSU frying my whole system incredibly low over the next month?

With the Seasonic PSU I believe I will be able to OC without any worries, but it will strain my budget.

If I stay with the Cooler Master unit for a month without OC-ing the GPU at all (maybe even undervolt it and limit it's power somehow? I'm not very familiar with how to do this) and change the PSU in May will it be fine?

I know no one can say for sure, but I'm just looking for someone with a bit more educated opinion than my couple days of research on the topic. I've been doing my best to learn more, but detailed reviews on my current PSU are extremely scarce.

I will order the 1070Ti on Monday or Tuesday so I want to decide beforehand whether to also get the Seasonic PSU or not.

I apologize for the extremely lengthy post, but it's been driving me crazy over the past few days. Advice on both the GPU (1070Ti or 1080 and which board partner) and the PSU (Cooler Master for a month or directly get the Seasonic one) is very welcome!

Thank you very much in advance, you guys rock!

 
Solution
>> If so, I assume this limits my options to the Gigabyte, Inno3D and ASUS cards.
That is right.

>> What about the MSI card with its 8+6 and a 500W recommendation? Would that extra 6 pin pose a risk?
Without OCing, it will work, the 6pin hints at OC-capabilities. But i assume you have less headroom... i just can't say, the specs are not perfectly clear on this...

I'd rather chec k for secondary capabilities: Backplate? RGB? How are the fins of the GPU-cooler arranged (i.e. for the air-flow in your case)?

ragnar-gd

Reputable
The Masterwatt Lite 500W will power a 1070 Ti, as long as the GPU needs just one auxiliary 8pin PCIe-power.
So, don't go for a heavily overclocked version.
A 1070 Ti will easily power any 1440p monitor on HQ settings (even a 1070 would), so i see no need for a 1080.

So, choosing a 1070 Ti - non-overclocked - will protect your wallet, and provide HQ fun nonetheless.
 
Feb 26, 2018
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I checked the pins on the 1070Ti cards available and they are as follows (Prices are identical, except for the MSI, ASUS and Vulcan AD cards, they are 32$ more expensive):

Colorful iGame GTX1070Ti Vulcan U Top and Vulcan AD are identical: 8+8, Recommended 550W or higher;
ZOTAC GeForce GTX1070Ti-8GD5: 8+8, Recommended 550W or higher;
MSI GeForce GTX1070Ti Titanium: 8+6, Recommended 500W or higher;
Gigabyte GeForce GTX1070Ti Gaming: 8 pin x 1, Recommended 500W or higher;
Inno3D GeForce GTX1070Ti ICHILL: 8 pin x 1, Recommended 500W or higher.
ASUS Cerberus GeForce GTX1070Ti-A8G 8 pin x 1, no wattage recommendation

None of the cards are factory overclocked, as they are 1070Ti's.

Does the extra 8 pin mean they will consume more power even with the same clocks?

If so, I assume this limits my options to the Gigabyte, Inno3D and ASUS cards. What about the MSI card with its 8+6 and a 500W recommendation? Would that extra 6 pin pose a risk?

Thank you for bothering to answer such a specific and lengthy question! I'm just trying to make that last minute decision, since I'm buying so soon.
 

ragnar-gd

Reputable
>> If so, I assume this limits my options to the Gigabyte, Inno3D and ASUS cards.
That is right.

>> What about the MSI card with its 8+6 and a 500W recommendation? Would that extra 6 pin pose a risk?
Without OCing, it will work, the 6pin hints at OC-capabilities. But i assume you have less headroom... i just can't say, the specs are not perfectly clear on this...

I'd rather chec k for secondary capabilities: Backplate? RGB? How are the fins of the GPU-cooler arranged (i.e. for the air-flow in your case)?
 
Solution
Feb 26, 2018
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Okay! I have decided to order the Gigabyte Gaming GTX 1070Ti tomorrow after reading some very positive reviews about it.

The MSI GTX 1070Ti Titanium also looks really good, but the extra 6 pin worries me slightly.

I have decided to go until May with my current PSU without overclocking the GPU, and in may I will grab a Super Flower Leadex G650W together with the Dell 1440p monitor and overclock at will.

I have decided to never cheap out on a PSU again and hope those 650W will be able to support whatever single GPU configuration I decide to put together in the future.

I hope this decision doesn't come back to bite me in the rear in a week with the Cooler Master exploding or something.

Would the automatic GPU boost be dangerous in this situation? I've heard people say it can boost more than 200 MHz by itself.

Would that spike power consumption and pose a risk? If so, is there a way to control/disable it temporarily?
 
Feb 26, 2018
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Update: The GTX 1070Ti arrived and has been installed.

Everything seems to be running smoothly. Power consumption on the GPU goes up to 107% of the power limit from what I've seen with MSI afterburner. I've had zero crashes or issues so far.

Much more consistent experience than the APU which gave me black screens quite often.

I haven't tinkered with CPU and memory clocks yet and I don't feel I need to for 1080p. I'm planning to get the 1440p monitor in May so I'll probably need to at that time.

Not sure if the Cooler Master can handle the OC, but I should have the budget to include a nice PSU with the monitor if need be. I've been looking at EVGA G2 and Super Flower Leadex G.