ATI Video Cards Power Hungry?

[MEGAWATTZ2000]

Are ATI video cards power hungry? I ask this question because I notice that on the majority of higher end ATI graphic cards their wattage and amp requirements are way higher than Nvidia's requirements. The fastest Nvidia video card the 8800 series uses/requires only 26 amps whereas a ATI 1900 series requires almost 30+ amps? Can anyone explain why is that?

I recently switched over from Nvidia because of video driver problems I had in the past. It however, seems now that in order to run a ATI card I need to also remember to purchase a very powerful power supply also with the correct amps. Why are these cards using/require so much damn power ... :?

I've even seen where you can install an additional power supply to your already existing main power supply just to fulfill the requirements of the video card alone?

 

[enforcerfx]

Ati cards have along the lines have been power hungry, especially when the X18 series came out, along with those dual slot coolers which are very good. But now nvidia is the big power consumer now with its 8800GTX. The 8800GTS however isn't so bad. Doesn't collect much more power than my 7900GTX does, and I have 2 of them.

 

[MEGAWATTZ2000]

Actually the 8800 needs about 15A by itself. while ATIs high end cards need about 13A on there own. Now the average system with an 8800 will need about 32A on the +12v rails. While the same system with an x1950xtx only needs about 28A on the +12v rails. When upgrading to an 8800 it's not a bad idea to get a Thermaltake addon PSU to cover the video card's needs. It's better then having to spend about $100 on a new PSU. So it's a good option so long as you existing PSU is a good unit. But to day the 8800 are the most power hungry cards.

BTW where did you get this info about the 8800 needing 26A and the X1950xtx needing 30A? If anything these numbers have been reversed.

It said that on the min. power requirements on the side of the ATI and Nvidia video card box interesting ...

 

[knownalien]

are we mixing up "amps" and "Watts?" Because 13 amps is your whole outlet!!!! Most households only have 15 amp room outlets.

 

[0p3n]

are we mixing up "amps" and "Watts?" Because 13 amps is your whole outlet!!!! Most households only have 15 amp room outlets.

Amps

 

[knownalien]

are we mixing up "amps" and "Watts?" Because 13 amps is your whole outlet!!!! Most households only have 15 amp room outlets.

Amps

then I am confused. Because unless they have an appliance plug and suitable outlet, I don't see how the poster above is going to get 30 amps from a 15 amp line. I personally installed my 20 amp lines in my basement which my computer uses (see sig). Please explain to me what it is I am not understanding.

 

[Blacken]

You say you personaly installed 20A lines to your bacement. Now did you actually run a larger guage wire from the fuse box into and throught your basement. Or did you just replace the 15A fuse with a 20A fuse. If you just cahged out the fuse you run the risk of an electrical fire if ever the lines get shorted. You may want to change the fuse back to the 15A.

:lol: ...Sorry, thats not funny.

 

[MEGAWATTZ2000]

Now did you actually run a larger guage wire from the fuse box into and throught your basement. Or did you just replace the 15A fuse with a 20A fuse. If you just cahged out the fuse you run the risk of an electrical fire if ever the lines get shorted. You may want to change the fuse back to the 15A.

oh no ...

 

[djplanet]

MAY want to? He has two choices, replace it, or buy a dry chemical fire extinguisher and some extra homeowner's insurance.

Yeah, it's not funny, but just so long as he didn't do it.

 

[Mccaula718]

ATI Tool and rivatuner tell me that my x1950xt 256mb draws 32 amps.

 

[Valtiel]

How can Rivatuner tell you that??

 

[knownalien]

When elctricity is converted fropm AC (walloutlet) to DC (which the PC uses) everything changes. 1A of AC goes a long way and can be converted in to many amps of DC power. Large PSUs now, the 1kw units are able to produce upwards of 70A or better for the +12v rails. Keep this calculation in mind.

Voltage times Amps equals Watts. So lets say a PSU can off a max of about 300W to just the +12v rails. Then 200/12= 25A. So the +12v rails combined can provide up to 25A.

You say you personaly installed 20A lines to your bacement. Now did you actually run a larger guage wire from the fuse box into and throught your basement. Or did you just replace the 15A fuse with a 20A fuse. If you just cahged out the fuse you run the risk of an electrical fire if ever the lines get shorted. You may want to change the fuse back to the 15A.

If the house only had a 5A fuse on the line that your PC is plugged into it probobly wouldn't even trip that.

yes, I used the thicker guage wire. The guage, I can't recall, was 16. It was in a yellow sleeve from Home Depot.

 

[knownalien]

then I think my confusion had to do with the DC and AC part of it. I think I understand now. It's just that I am also big into stereo equipment and I go back in forth in audio forums about wall sockets and amps and crap like that. For example, I have an amp that may try to pull 1500 watts from my socket. My subwoofer has a class D amp that tries to pull 550 watts!!! I forgot the equation . . something like volts X amps = watts. It's in one of my books. But it's real interesting to see, at least in audio, how the theoretical demand from a given socket (even if different sockets are used, they likely share the same fuse) may exceed the fuse.

anywho . . . .

 

[Zorg]

When elctricity is converted fropm AC (walloutlet) to DC (which the PC uses) everything changes. 1A of AC goes a long way and can be converted in to many amps of DC power. Large PSUs now, the 1kw units are able to produce upwards of 70A or better for the +12v rails. Keep this calculation in mind.

Voltage times Amps equals Watts. So lets say a PSU can off a max of about 300W to just the +12v rails. Then 200/12= 25A. So the +12v rails combined can provide up to 25A.

You say you personaly installed 20A lines to your bacement. Now did you actually run a larger guage wire from the fuse box into and throught your basement. Or did you just replace the 15A fuse with a 20A fuse. If you just cahged out the fuse you run the risk of an electrical fire if ever the lines get shorted. You may want to change the fuse back to the 15A.

If the house only had a 5A fuse on the line that your PC is plugged into it probobly wouldn't even trip that.

yes, I used the thicker guage wire. The guage, I can't recall, was 16. It was in a yellow sleeve from Home Depot.


1st of all a 20 amp circuit requires 12ga. wiring and a 15 amp requires 14 ga. If the wiring shorts out it will trip the 15 amp and the 20 amp breaker. the problem is that if you are using 14 ga. wire, or God help you smaller, (like 16ga.) and you are drawing the 20 amps then the wire will get to hot due to its internal resistance. if you are lucky it will short out and trip the breaker and any melting/burning of the insulators will extinguish themselves. If you are not very lucky you will wake up in a burning bed and die of smoke inhalation, or spend many years of getting skin grafts. Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of your family members? You had better get a qualified electrician to check the wiring.
This is not a joke it is life and death!!!

Now on to your confusion. For purposes of illustration let's ignore power supply efficiency. Power or watts is calculated by Volts x Amps so
120 volts x 15 amps = 1,800 watts of power being used.
12 volts x 15 amps = 180 watts of power being used.
So, at 120 volts with the same amount of current (amps), you are performing 10 times the amount of work (power,watts). I am not sure whether the amount of heat generated is linear but I would bet it is.

 

[Zorg]

Wow, that was a little harsh for New Years Eve. I just want to make sure you get through the next year safe.

Happy New Year