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5850 amps and connectors.

Tags:
  • Radeon
  • Core
  • Power Supplies
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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February 27, 2011 5:06:55 PM

Hi,
I have a 8800GT, overclocked to 700MHz core. Also, i have a Task International 450W power-supply, with 26A on the 12V. It's stable 100% (<1% deviation on the 12V loaded), running nearly 75% of the time gaming for the past 3 years on the 8800GT. It's a 7 years-old PSU, but has been working great so far, even with a fully overclocked system; had the 8800GT at 850 core, but couldn't take the A/C anymore :p , and didn't have a third-party cooler.

My question is ... since (from what i've read somewhere) the 8800GT consumes the same power as the 5850, can i use the same power-supply? Also, since i have no 4-pin or 6-pin connectors on my PSU (using a converter for the 8800GT), can i use two molex to 4-pin converters and connect them to the two 6-pin on the 5850 with 2 pins in each left unconnected? Or do i have to get a molex to 6-pin? (Trying to work with what i have first)

I can't buy a VGA + PSU at the moment, and since my PSU is stable in the current system, i don't need to upgrade anything except my VGA, and even that isn't urgent.

Any suggestions please? Thanks.


PS: I searched the forum for answers, and indeed found "some" info, but need the full picture please.

More about : 5850 amps connectors

February 27, 2011 5:22:44 PM

os008 said:
Hi,
I have a 8800GT, overclocked to 700MHz core. Also, i have a Task International 450W power-supply, with 26A on the 12V. It's stable 100% (<1% deviation on the 12V loaded), running nearly 75% of the time gaming for the past 3 years on the 8800GT. It's a 7 years-old PSU, but has been working great so far, even with a fully overclocked system; had the 8800GT at 850 core, but couldn't take the A/C anymore :p , and didn't have a third-party cooler.

My question is ... since (from what i've read somewhere) the 8800GT consumes the same power as the 5850, can i use the same power-supply? Also, since i have no 4-pin or 6-pin connectors on my PSU (using a converter for the 8800GT), can i use two molex to 4-pin converters and connect them to the two 6-pin on the 5850 with 2 pins in each left unconnected? Or do i have to get a molex to 6-pin? (Trying to work with what i have first)

I can't buy a VGA + PSU at the moment, and since my PSU is stable in the current system, i don't need to upgrade anything except my VGA, and even that isn't urgent.

Any suggestions please? Thanks.


PS: I searched the forum for answers, and indeed found "some" info, but need the full picture please.


an 8800GT does not consume the same power as a 5850, it consumed around 110-120W, while the 5850 consumes around 160W and requires 2 6pin connectors as apposed to the the one for the 8800.

If you are gonna go for a 5850, I would suggest a modern 550W+ PSU thast at least 80plus certified. I know that both Corsair and Antec have models in this range.
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March 4, 2011 1:25:50 PM

Ya u should get a new PSU atleast 550W nd make sure dat total amp frm 12v rail is atleast 40amps.
btw i recently made a ned rig, my 5850 needs two 4 pin pci connector, not 6 pin.
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March 4, 2011 2:09:17 PM

Thanks for the answers guys. I got the card a couple of days ago. I used 2 molex to 6-pin converters. Connected the card to my PSU. Overclocked it 30% to 900 core. It's stable 100%; no problems at all. Not sure why you recommend a 500+ PSU? Anyway, thanks guys :) .
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a b ) Power supply
March 4, 2011 2:14:34 PM

You're saying you overclocked the 5850 to 900 core? At stock volts? And it's stable?

You must have got crazy lucky with that card. Although FYI the mem speed is hugely important.
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March 4, 2011 2:21:39 PM

The card is set at 1.06v in the BIOS. It's hard-coded analog VRM (?), so i can't change voltage through software; all PowerColor's PCS+ 5850 are like that unfortunately. While sifting through some online-posted BIOS' i noticed one of them had a 1.15v core, so i modified my BIOS to be 1.15 instead of 1.06, which worked. Anything other than those 2 voltages, whether higher or lower, doesn't work; defaults to 1.06.

At 1.06v, core maxed at something low, not sure what. At 1.15v it maxed at 915 or so, but i settled for 900. As for the memory, maxed at 1175, settled for 1150.
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a b ) Power supply
March 4, 2011 2:30:29 PM

Interesting. My cards are at 870 at 1.15V (stock). They didn't seem to like going over 900. But my memory is fine at 1200.
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March 4, 2011 3:46:50 PM

I think it could be any number of things; temp, voltage regulation, program used to test, quality of chip(s). Whatever the reason for the 30 extra MHz, i would count it towards an error margin :D .

As for the memory, your cooler could be better on that side, or my app was heavier on the RAM, or even the timing are tighter here.

I used Unigine Heaven maxed at 1080p, and played a good amount of time in other games. I'm also computing while i'm not gaming.


EDIT1: Sorry about the rant; sometimes i talk too much :D .

EDIT2: Here's my complete spec ...

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a b ) Power supply
March 4, 2011 4:21:07 PM

I would recommend trying FurMark for stability.
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March 4, 2011 5:31:45 PM

I read in some review on a web-site (I think Guru3D.com; don't remember) that FurMark isn't objective enough (why they stopped using it), and that Unigine Heaven stresses the GPU as a whole even more than FurMark.

Think about it this way ... why would i use a program that loads the GPU core, say, 20% more than the heaviest game? If the core would be stable in the most demanding game out there at 1000MHz, i don't want a program telling me "no, you should run it at 833MHz because i said so."

Practical testing is more important to me because i'm a normal user, i'm not manufacturing the card for sale wanting to test it in conditions that'll never happen.

Same thing happened with my CPU overclocking. I used a program to stress test it which got it up to 73c or something, which is the limit temp of the CPU. I just ignored that program afterwards because from what i've been able to see on the course of the year i had this CPU, it never exceeded 60c whatever the practical app i use; whether game, encoding, calculations, ... etc.

I'm saying this because it's a trend i don't like. The keyword is "practicality".


EDIT: Argh, I did it again; thank you for the advice :) .
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