Upgrading from 3 gb ddr3 to 12 gb ddr3 power requirements

[mrsam1999]

Hi,

My pc config is :-

intel i7 920 @ 2.67 ghz, turbo mode on, intel dx58so mobo, 3 gb ddr3 1333mhz kingston, 320 gb seagate hdd, seagate 1 tb hdd, xfx 9800 gtx+ video card, 17" acer monitor @ 1280 x 1024 res., zebronics realwatts 600 watts psu.

I want to upgrade my pc's memory from 3 gb ddr3 to 12 gb ddr3. Now my problem is, my psu have very little headroom left. I can't even enable hyperthreading..if i do, my pc hangs on bootup. To keep ht on, i have to disconnect one of the 6 pin power cables from my video card. Now i have read somewhere that doubling ram draws a 10% more power from the psu; So if i jump from 3 gb to 12 gb, my power requirement will increase to 20%. I don't know if my psu can handle it. I don't have the money to buy a new psu at the moment. But since ddr3 is so dirt cheap nowadays, i wanna go for it. Please help me with your tips and suggestions !!

 

[blazorthon]

RAM uses insignificant amounts of power. You need to get a new PSU because you really shouldn't have one that is fully loaded because it will drastically lower it's life-span.

A new PSU really isn't any more expensive than the RAM. You could get a 400 watt PSU and use it to power your CPU and motherboard while the 600 watt powers the videocard and everything else. Better to grab a $30 or cheaper PSU to supplement your current one than have your current one fail anytime soon.

New RAM would actually cost more than a supplementary PSU since 12GB would cost around $70.

 

[mrsam1999]

I googled about that supplementary psu that fits in a 5.25"bay and its a wonderful idea..if only it was easily available in local it shops..as i loathe to buy stuff online giving out credit card/debit card details and be vulnereable to hackers. By the way if i buy a conventional psu of 400 watts just to power the video card and don't sync it with the main psu, that means my video card has to be powered up before the mobo/cpu etc (by the main psu), will the video card and/or other pc components be damaged somehow ?

 

[blazorthon]

Buying a conventional 400w PSU would be slightly more work but can be used in conjunction with your current one. Doing so would not damage components when you power the extra PSU on before the current one. What you could try doing is connecting both PSUs to the same switch to avoid powering one on before the other.

Just make sure that the PSU that connects to the motherboard is also the PSU connected to the CPU. The video card can be the extra PSU, maybe with a drive or two.

 

[mrsam1999]

My psu has two 6 pin plugs which goes in to my 9800 gtx+ video card ;can i use a molex to 6 pin converter and connect two molex plugs from a different rail (of the three 12 v rails of my zebronics realwatts 600 pro) ? ..perhaps using the converter to draw power from a different rail will let some extra juice go to my i7 cpu ?

 

[blazorthon]

You would be best to use a two molex to 6 pin adapter for each six pin plug on your video card because a single molex might get a bit warm. So that extra 400 watt PSU would need a minimum of two peripheral molex connectors per 6 pin port on your video card that doesn't have a 6 pin power cable plugged in from the extra PSU. Do not mix connectors from both PSUs on a single device because that can damage the device.

I'm sure moving the video card to the extra PSU would give enough room for the CPU and anything else.