is 400 watts PSU enough for 260gtx , 4870, or GX2???

[magicbullet]

The question is:

will 400watts PSU has enough energy to run any of those video card?

my specification are
C2Q 6600, ECS G31T mb, 2GB OCZ 6400, 500Gb 7200RPM some brand, and not much else.

i'm asking this because i'm not expert in PSU. all my previous card has been main stream card like right now. i'm using 2600xt which doesnt require a lot of power.


BTW i'm using fanless PSU:
http://www.watt-power.co.uk/catalogue/watts-fanless-silent-noiseless-operation-p-881.html

 

[magicbullet]

OH!! another question:

Which card should i buy?
I play game at 1900*1200 and AA and AF is a must.

My opinion according to recent release of Tomshardware article, It shows that 260 has better framerate than other contender at 1900 with AA.

 

[Kari]

The Truth About Graphics Power Requirements V2
http://archive.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=7&t=9354&p=0

I'd guess the rest of your system might use something like 150W at max load so you might be good to go, depending on the output of the 12V rail on your PSU. CPU, GPU and drives mainly use the 12V for power.

But running a PSU at close to the max wattage isn't a very good idea, you'll get lower effiency, more noise and it puts generally more strain on the PSU's components that might shorten its lifespan

 

[homerdog]

No, unfortunately that PSU isn't going to cut it for such high end cards. Look into something more powerful like the Corsair TX650. If you're on a tight budget you can get by on something like the Antec earthwatts EA500.

At that resolution you should look into either an HD4870 or GTX260. They perform very close to each other, and I generally recommend the 4870 as it slightly edges out the 260 overall. However, there are some killer deals on GTX260s out there, so if you can find one on the cheap it's a perfectly viable option.

 

[invisik]

a gtx260 or 4870 should work with that psu.

 

[magicbullet]

2 say yay and 1 say nay..........

I hope and believe it would, but as kari said "But running a PSU at close to the max wattage isn't a very good idea, you'll get lower effiency, more noise and it puts generally more strain on the PSU's components that might shorten its lifespan." giving a lot of though.

would too low of watts in PSU has affect on how video card performance? Does it perform slower?

Homerdog's answer is very helpful too, so in the worst case cenerio, I really dont want to spend money on the new PSU, but I like to know which video card to get the will be compatible with my PSU while I can play game on 1900 with AA?

 

[bruce555]

I would have to say no. You've probably had that PSU for awhile already and they do degrade. Can't see it degrading too much so far but it might have.

One thing to remember is if your PSU goes there's a really high chance it takes out a mobo and cpu too; could even be your whole system.

I'd get a new one as you definatly can have performance issues with your system if your PSU is stressed too high.

One last thing, post what psu you have and what games you hope to play at that res + settings.

 

[megamanx00]

Good little Power Supply. Well the Radeon 4870 requires like 130W while the 260 needs about 140W, all tho overclocked version will consume a little more. You may be able to get away with using that Power Supply, but it would be pushing it. If you are pushing that power supply to it's limits it will make a high pitched wine. If it is pushed too hard or overheats it will turn itself off so that it won't fry everything. If that happens you will need a new PSU, don't try and turn it on again right away. That said you should be able to get a 4870 and run it just fine. If your PSU can handle it then it will run just fine, if not it will shut itself off.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Anyone who says it will work is RETARDED!!!

If it did work it wouldn't be very long.

Do some research and see what the "recommended" requirements are, and check the amps especially, then go from there.

 

[pinaplex]

2 say yay and 1 say nay..........

I hope and believe it would, but as kari said "But running a PSU at close to the max wattage isn't a very good idea, you'll get lower effiency, more noise and it puts generally more strain on the PSU's components that might shorten its lifespan." giving a lot of though.

would too low of watts in PSU has affect on how video card performance? Does it perform slower?

Homerdog's answer is very helpful too, so in the worst case cenerio, I really dont want to spend money on the new PSU, but I like to know which video card to get the will be compatible with my PSU while I can play game on 1900 with AA?

if you do not have enough STABLE power to a GPU, it will cause crashes and even cause the video card to underperform.

with your setup, you should go with a 600W and up PSU, preferably an 80PLUS certified PSU.

 

[dagger]

Power consumption:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=22

Fanless psu are likely to overheat, I wouldn't push it anywhere near max load. Also, it's not a simple matter of wattage, 12v rail ampage also matters. That, plus cpu, gpu, hdds and basically all major power consumers run off 12v rails. Most psus have only 75-80% of total power routed to 12v rails. So "max load" for a psu is actually less than the total wattage.

 

[tipmen]

400 watt won't cut it, as mentioned above it might work but not for long.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

No. A GOOD 500 watt psu is the way to go, and I mean a good one, no cheapies

 

[geofelt]

Those vga cards each require two pci-e 6 or 6/8 pin connectors. Your referenced card has only 1. It won't work.

 

[magicbullet]

I really dont want to change my PSU, so is there anyway to compromise it?

What would be the idle card I should get for the best performance in 1900 + AA?
Would my PSU have enough energy to run 9800gtx+ or 4850 w/o problem?

I generally play TF2 and hopefully will play DiabloIII, Prince of Persia and GTA4 in the future. ofcause in 1900 + AA res.

 

[tim851]

Normally, a 400w PSU would be enough, but seeing as yours is fanless, I'd be careful. No fan means more heat that needs to be endured. In the past, some manufacturers of fanless PSUs have been a bit optimistic about how much power their creations can reliably sustain without getting a heatstroke.

 

[xerohour]

A good 400 is fine for an 9800GTX or 4850. Higher tier cards will burn a 400 out, except for a few under-rated sea sonics and some of the shuttle psu.

 

[mactronix]

@ Magic bullet

Your PSU would give out 22.5 AMPs and comes with one PCIE power cable.
The 4850 only requires the one power cable and would be the best way to go in my opinion. I would be VERY surprised if you could run any of your listed cards on that psu.

Mactronix

 

[magicbullet]

GTX+ or 4850 (T_T)!

I guess i'm gonna look for good deal of one of those two.
If i'm not mistaken, new card should come out in Q4 this year, right?
Should I wait for those benchmark? Does it worth waiting?

Thank you for your comment!!
I appriciated

 

[mactronix]

The GTX+ needs 2 power leads and you have 1 you can use an adaptor to make another one out of two standard 4pin molex connectors if you have them spare and want to go that route but i personally dont think your PSU would be good enough. As i already posted i would stick to a card that only needs the 1 connector your PSU has and for my money the 4850 fits the bill perfectly. Waiting is always a tricky one to advise on as you yourself are the only one who knows how well, or not your machine is performing. If you can wait then wait, if your rig is crying out for more performance then get a new card.
I havent heard and concrete dates yet for new releases.
Mactronix

 

[magicbullet]

thanks Mactronix and everyone else

 

[jivdis1x]

You putting down approx $300 for a video card and you questioning about a $50 400watt PSU.

400watt will turn it on and runs it idle. If you like random crashes and reboots; go ahead.

Spend $100 and get a decent 650watt. duh. I dont want to be a jerk but some forum topic is like a slap in the face.

 

[Superhal]

you can try it, and if you have problems:

read this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/243648-28-power-supply
...to understand the difference between "good" and "bad" psu's.

then, go here:
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
to estimate your computer's wattage needs and find a new psu.

 

[DennisP]

I just assembled a new system. I was debating the same graphics cards that you are and finally ordered the Geforce 9800 GX2. I paid $249 after rebate and this card will out perform the other two cards, Google any of the newer card reviews (if you google the 9800 GX2 those tests are older with immature drivers and not a true representation of the cards capabilities) where the 9800 GX2 is included in the test....the 9800 GX2 runs at or near the top on nearly every test.

I would replace your PSU with a new one. The Corsair 650 W is a very nice unit and will have the "juice" necessary to power any signgle video card on the market.

 

[Krisando]

These guys are basing there facts on theories.
I have a 400 Watt PSU, 48701gb GPU, Q6600 CPU, 4gb pc6200 RAM, 1TB SG HDD. Also a pci express 1.0 slot =/

It will work, I've had It working for a year, but it does really lack power. Used to have ti restart alot when I OC or Raise bandwidth in bios. Even fried a MOBO. I'd suggest new PSU, I'm looking into it aswell.'

Also I run games at 1024x768 and Games lag for me ;P Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Crysis but also games run pretty well I guess.

[EDIT]
Thought I'd mention I run it without any extra fans, only CPU and GPU fan.
I don't have any restarts after that xD