Low power graphics to replace AMD5670

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chrisjoewood

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Nov 2, 2009
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Hi,

So here's the thing. I'm currently running a Core i5 750 and AMD 5670 with 4GB RAM and a 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 inside this case:

http://www.dabs.com/products/antec-nsk-1380-uk-black-matx-cube-350w-psu-4V4G.html

I'd like to upgrade the graphics card to something a bit more powerful, but the power supply is only 350W and there is no dedicated PCIe power cable (I'd have to use a molex adapter). The power supply is proprietary so not much chance of swapping it out for a bigger one.

There's a reasonably amount of room inside, so I could move to a dual slot card (although ideally a dual slot card that blows out the back) - the only really constraint is power.

What's the 'most powerful' card I could be looking at given my 350W limit? Could I get away with an AMD6850 even though in most cases a 450W power supply is recommended? What about adding another 5670 for crossfire? I think this is a possibility as I have 2x 16x slots on the motherboard, and it's stated to be crossfire compatible.

Any thoughts / recommendations gratefully received!

Chris
 
jyjjy

jyjjy

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Antec is a good brand for PSUs so there's a good chance a 350w by them can handle up to an HD5770/6770. The link says its a custom PSU for that case specifically so I can't find info on the output of the +12v rail(s) which is the important rating. This info is usually on a chart on the side of the PSU. If you could check for such a chart and if it gives amperage or combined wattage for the +12v that would help determine what cards you can use.
 
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chrisjoewood

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That's useful thanks. I'll have a look at the PSU later to see if I can determine the output of the +12v rail (I'm betting there's only one, but you never know).

Chris
 
ps3hacker12

ps3hacker12

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look on the sticker on the side of your PSU, it should look something like this:
27822517036493970415110.jpg


for example the PSU in this picture has 30A on the +12V.
 
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chrisjoewood

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Nov 2, 2009
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OK, I've checked my PSU.

There are two 12v rails: +12V1 with max load 18A and +12V2 with max load 18A.

The PSU also says that the combined max +12V output is 300W.

Does this mean that in theory I could run a graphics card requiring up to 18 x 12 = 216W of power? Or am I completely misunderstanding how this works?

I suppose I'd need to leave some headroom, but based on those numbers I don't see why I couldn't run an AMD6850. Someone enlighten me please!

Thanks,

Chris
 
jyjjy

jyjjy

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Feb 27, 2006
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The PSU needs to run the entire system, not just the video card. The max output on the +12v rails is what matters. The best card I would probably use on that PSU is the HD5770/6770. The HD6850 would probably work but it would be pushing thing to the limit which is never a good idea and can shorten the lifespan of the PSU as well as lower its efficiency. Seems like it might be difficult to replace as well. The HD5770/6770 will be a nice upgrade though. Almost twice as fast as your HD5670.
 
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chrisjoewood

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Nov 2, 2009
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I see - thanks for the advice. I'll probably look at the HD6770. I'm in the UK so newegg isn't much good to me - I'll have a shop around on dabs, ebuyer etc.

Thanks again,

Chris
 
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