1000watt and GTX 570

[cbuster]

Alright guys, this is my first post but here goes. I have a BFG EX-1000 which is more than enough to power a GTX 570 BUT on the specs for the GTX 570 it says it needs a +12v Rail with 38 amps or more. Mine has four rails of 36 amps each. If I put the card on the PSU what will happen? Will the card or the PSU go out? How long before they go out? Should I be looking at getting a new PSU?

Thanks,
Cameron Buster

 

[upgrade_1977]

Well, you will probably be fine until the graphics card starts hitting 90% or more utilization, but I wouldn't recommend it. But then again it's only two amps, so you might be fine, but I wouldn't feel good myself about peaking out a rail all the time like that, not worth frying your whole computer over an under powered PSU. Best case scenario is you don't notice, or you get bad performance or a couple of blue screens. Worst case is your PSU blows up, takes all your components with it, and catches your house on fire.

Only 2 amps though, your call.

$105.00 plus shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021&cm_re=Corsair_psu-_-17-139-021-_-Product

 

[jaguarskx]

The 38amps is the recommend total amps for the entire PC, not just for the video card.

You are fine with your BFG PSU. The multiple 12v rails allow you to spread the load on to two or more 12v rails.

 

[upgrade_1977]

Well, it really depends on your whole system configuration, and how old the psu is, as it's efficiency rating decreases with age. Again, without knowing your specs, we can't know what your total power draw is. But, if nvidia recommends a minumum amperage on the 12v rail, then I would't risk it, because IMO I think you should run a PSU that has at least 20% more power then your whole system so you aren't peaking out the PSU the whole time. Also, if "ANY" of the rails go over that rating, then the over current protection will kick in, and thats not good, especially if it happens on a regular basis. Like I said before, you might have trouble, you might not, but the risk is up to you. If your whole system use power draw isn't that high and you balance your components right you should be fine, But i've had a few psu's go on me in the past, and thats why I switched to using single rail design's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_supply_rail

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/

 

[Rustyy117]

Got 3 GTX570's on a 1000W PSU, although it does have a single rail design, I'd be willing to put good money on your PSU being absolutely fine even if your system config consists of a heavily overclocked core i7 + many HDD's, Fans ETC....Many multi rail PSU's have a rail for the motherboard (8 pin + 20/24 Pin), another for the peripheral devices and others for GPU's (6 Pins and 8 Pins).
I'm 99% sure you'd be fine.

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

I'm 100% sure OP will be fine.

There's no way in hell that a single GTX 570 would over-tax a quality 1000W power supply.

How do I know? I have a heavily overclocked and over-volted GTX 570 in a heavily overclocked and over-volted system ... with a 560W power supply. Yes, it's quite possibly the world's best 560W power supply and has a single +12v rail, but still...

All you need to do is make sure the 6-pin power connection and the 8-pin power connection come from different +12v rails. "How?" you ask...

1. Use either the fixed 6-pin or the fixed 8-pin. DO NOT use both fixed PCIe power connectors.
2. Use the other from a modular cable.

Examples: If you used the fixed 8-pin, use a modular 6-pin. If you used the fixed 6-pin, use a modular 8-pin.

The fixed 6-pin and 8-pin connectors use +12v rail #4, and the modular 6-pin and 8-pin connectors use either +12v rail #2 or #3.

Edit: Or, your graphics card might have two 6-pin PCIe connections. (My GTX 570 uses one 6-pin and one 8-pin, so I forget that some use two 6-pin instead) If that's the case, use one fixed 6-pin power connection and one modular 6-pin power connection.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

Your psu is fine "All you need to do is make sure the 6-pin power connection and the 8-pin power connection come from different +12v rails." < that is the key. Should be fine so long as your not using any power adaptors and just using the connectors from the PSU. good PSU's are pretty fol proof like that and the pcie connectors all come from separate rails.