PSU for a GTX 670

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ventay

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I've been saving up to get this card, and am close to purchasing it. But I'm new to building computers, and know nothing about PSUs. I found an old computer in my garage and am setting up to turn it into a gaming rig. I have a 500w PSU, and that was the requirement for the 670 and i thought i was in the clear. but I've been reading around and now I'm not so sure if my PSU even has the cables for a high end GPU. The rig currently has an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 and 4 gigs of ram. I have 4 drives and an optical drive. Im running windows through just one of the drives so im willing to pull some out if that helps. I'll also take out the sound card if need be. I solely want to upgrade the GPU, and would prefer avoiding buying a new PSU. Just some questions I have, What happens if the PSU cant meet the power reqs? Will it damage my components? Can a PSU you supply too much power?

Info on Current PSU:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1273332&CatId=1079

What are the chances of that PSU being able to support a GTX 670? If i do have to buy a PSU my future upgrades will include upto 16 gigs of ram, 2 x 2tb hard drives, i5 (some ivy bridge) or i7 3770k. So what PSU would you recommend, i'd prefer something cheap but relaible, if thats possible...
 
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Z1NONLY

Z1NONLY

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I'd say the PSU is more likely to be able to support that card than not. But it's only a little better than a 50/50 proposition, and that's an expensive video card to roll the dice on.

A PSU can damage components. (When defective/overloaded)

You would also need a molex to PCIe adapter for your second power connection on your video card. (Your PSU only seems to have one PCIe and your card needs two)



 
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ventay

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I heard that if it doesnt have enough power the computer just shuts down? does it really damage components? Stupid question but if the card did get damaged would i be able to return it?
 
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Z1NONLY

Z1NONLY

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A good PSU has protection circuitry that *tries* to protect your equipment with varying degrees of success.

If your card gets damaged, you probably CAN return it because you are using a PSU that claims to meet the minimum requirements they laid out. (That and they don't know what PSU you used anyway)


 
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ventay

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Thanks that was really helpful, is there anyway to check if your PSU has protection circuitry?
 
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mocchan

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I would swap out your PSU ASAP if you're planning to throw a GTX670 in your rig. Your PSU is highly insufficient; what matters is not the wattage of the PSU, rather the amps on your +12 Rail(s).

Your +12v rail only has 28 amps, which roughly equals 336 watts (12*28=336).

Your first priority should be the PSU, not the GPU IMO.
 
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ventay

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What GPU would you recommend? Is this a good one, its fairly cheap, i dont know if the brand name is good though...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=419877&CatId=2533

And what are rails?
 
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mocchan

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Don't get ThermalTake PSU's, they have a very bad rep unless it's something from their ToughPower line.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151106
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088

Any of those will do, they're all very high quality and all but the Corsair unit is built by Seasonic if I remember correctly.

**EDIT**

-Added Wiki link to PSU rails.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_supply_unit_(computer)
 
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ventay

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awesome thats sitting right in my budget... Will this cover me for future upgrades of MoBo and CPU? I currently have a intel core 2 quad Q9550 @ 2.83 and want to upgrade to an ivy bridge i5 or i7, and replace my asus p5qc.
 
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Z1NONLY

Z1NONLY

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If those are in your budget, then any of them will work for those upgrades.

If you intend to add a second 670 down the road, go for a PSU that comes with 4 PCIe connectors to begin with.

My Corsair TX750 has 4 PCIe connectors. $85 after rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021
 
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mocchan

mocchan

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Yes, definitely. The 650w PSU's I have listed above will be able to power any single-GPU card on the market at the moment and most likely be able to power any Single-GPU card to come in the future. Basically, you could upgrade anything in your rig and any of those PSU's will be able to handle it without breaking a sweat.

-coughs- Though, if I may... you should consider the Seasonic X PSU I listed more than any of the other ones :lol: it's 80+ GOLD certified and it's fully modular. With the current discount of $20, the price of the PSU is $109.99...one heck of a deal!
 
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mocchan

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Great recommendation, OP may also want to consider the CX600 PSU if he wants to save a few extra $$$.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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The PSU you link to is sufficient for either of the systems that you mention with a GTX670.

It's on the low recommended end but it is sufficient. It will run noisier than a similar 750W PSU though. Fan noise stays fairly level until at 50% load then ramps up.
 
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ventay

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Yeah i was actually considering SLI and that seems like a reasonable price, I think im going to get this. And since im throwing down $450 for card i dont really wanna risk anything. But Is it possible to have too much power, i mean until i get a 2nd card i dont think i really need 750w.
 
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mocchan

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If you're going to purchase a second card in the future for sure, then get a 750w now. If you're still iffy about getting a second card, then I would think over purchasing any components until you figure out for sure what you want to do.

Also, no, there is no such thing as too much power. Your PSU will only use as much power as your rig needs :) Efficiency of the PSU, however, is a whole different story.
 
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Z1NONLY

Z1NONLY

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The PSU will only provide the power that's drawn by the components connected to it. (and a little power for its own operation of course)

You could connect a 45w CPU to a good 1000w PSU and have no issues at all.
 
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