Crossfire Tweaking. Help Me!

[masonchaos]

I have recently decided to upgrade my computer with a Ati Radeon 4770. This would mean I would need new power supply unit. Within the last 2 days I have decided that I wanted to upgrade to Ati Radeon 4770 Crossfire which would mean I need even more powerful PSU.

:::What I am working with:::

-Dell Inspiron 530

-Intel Core2 processor Q8200 (2.33Ghz) w/Quad Core Technology and 4MB cache

-4GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz

-320GB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive (7200RPM)

-Windows XP (I have a Vista sp1 disk too)

Everything else is just standard.

:::Video Card:::

ATi Radeon HD 4770 (x2)

:::Video Card Specs:::

-PCI Express® 2.0 x16 bus interface

-128-bit GDDR5 memory interface

-Microsoft® DirectX® 10.1 support

:::Video Card Requirements:::

-PCI-E based PC with x16 Lane Graphics Slot

-450w with a 75W 6-pin PCI Express Power Connectors

-550 Watt and two 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX technology in dual mode (((THIS IS WHAT I NEED FOR CROSSFIRE)))


So I have two questions...

I only have enough money for one 4770 at the moment. Can I buy a PSU that can run both 4770's for Crossfire and then only run one 4770 until I have enough money to buy the second, or will having a PSU with too much power screw up my computer?

...And what is a recommended PSU? I have been looking around but cant find one that stands out...

My price range for a PSU is $35-$65 but if there's one that is really worth it Ill spend around $80.

As you can see, this is quite the situation and needs the advice of some computer experts to solve this one.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

The answer to your first question is yes. You can start out with a single 4770 video card and then add second card later. No problem with that part.

The answer to your second question is no. Having a high wattage power supply will not screw up your computer. The psu will only draw and supply the power that is actually needed. No problem there.

Luckily Tom's hardware just published a report about using two 4770 video cards in dual Crossfire mode. According to the report two 4770's in dual Crossfire mode use about 250 watts during a gaming session. Another THG article about video card power requirements indicated that the rest of the pc components and an overclocked quad core cpu will use about another 300 watts. That puts the total power draw somewhere around 550 watts during a gaming session. The power draw will be lower if the cpu is not overclocked.

A high quality 650 watt power supply should be just about right. The problem might be the budget.

The Antec Earthwatts EA650 would be a very good choice. It is currently available at directron.com for $75.99 plus shipping:

http://www.directron.com/ea650.html

Here's a link to a technical review of the EA650 at jonnyguru.com:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=110

An excellent choice would be the Corsair TX650. It is currently available at newegg.com for $109.99 and shipping is free. There is a $20.00 mail-in rebate that would eventually bring the final price down to $89.99:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Earlier today I was doing some research. It seems that 650 watt power supplies are hot items right now because they can handle most overclocking and any single video card made as well as most multiple card configurations. The competition is increasing.

 

[masonchaos]

Thank you very much Johnny. Unfortunatly, I have bad news for myself. I contacted Dell and found out today that the Inspiron 530 does not have the ability to install 2 video cards for Crossfire. Yeah, it sucks. So now I have to completely research video cards for a Single GPU card and research a new power supply that will handle what ever power its pulling. Thank again for the help Johnny.

 

[mindless728]

well, could still do an upgrade, just save the money and get something like the 4890

 

[jlynn33]

Or you could choose a two cards in one variant:

4850 x2
4870 x2
4890 x2?

9800 x2

 

[invisik]

4770 are overpriced in my opinion.

Good deal psu:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016