Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

Do I need a new PSU?

Tags:
  • Power Supplies
  • Components
Last response: in Components
Share
March 5, 2013 7:26:55 PM

Hello, long time reader, first time poster.


I recently upgraded my gaming machine, and the subject of PSU has me very confused. In 2008 I bought a Antec smartpower 2.0 model AN500, and I never used it. Recently I put together a gaming machine, and took the PSU out of the box (I really had never use it!) and it's been great. It is a 500 watt PSU, and runs about 83% efficient (it actually predates the 80CERT label) my specs are this;

i3 2100
asus mobo
2x4 gskill value type ddr3
2x samsung 840pro 250 gig SSD
HD 6870 graphics

Ok so I have a Kill-A-WATT hooked into my PC, and t shows that at idle, ro surfing, liek right this second I use about 74 watts. If I do a Furmark I can use 235, and if I run a dvd movie AND furmark I can get to 242 watts.

Ok so that seems awfully low, right? Ok recently I bought gtx580 used, and with it hooked up I idle at about 79 watts, and when I do the Furmark+ DvD test I can get to about 355 watts peak, at 99% GPU usage.

So heres the thing, I have two drives, one case fan, and four powered USB devices, and yet my power usage seems to low to need a bigger PSU, yet the 500 watt antec is quite a bit under what is recommended.

What gives here? I mean, if my two HDD, 65 watt i3 system with a gtx 580 only peaks at 355 watts, do I need a bigger power supply? It seems confusing when every gfx company says to get like 650+, 750+ watt PSUs.

Would one of you very knowledgeable PC guys tell me what you would do?

More about : psu

Best solution

a c 723 ) Power supply
March 5, 2013 8:16:50 PM

If it runs fine and is stable then there is no need to. It is a well nknown fact that manufacturers overstate the requirements for two reasons, liability and all the crap PSU's that are on the market and do not deliver promised output.
Share
March 5, 2013 10:46:23 PM

rolli59 said:
If it runs fine and is stable then there is no need to. It is a well nknown fact that manufacturers overstate the requirements for two reasons, liability and all the crap PSU's that are on the market and do not deliver promised output.


Well that's what I am hoping. I didn't know how cap aging might effect it, even though I had not used the PSU, it is quite old. It seems solid though.
m
0
l
Related resources
Can't find your answer ? Ask !
a c 723 ) Power supply
March 5, 2013 11:39:59 PM

If it is not enough then you start noticing instability such as sudden shut downs.
m
0
l
March 7, 2013 10:53:49 PM

rolli59 said:
If it is not enough then you start noticing instability such as sudden shut downs.

I appreciate your answers, but after I reeducated myself on PSUs a bit, I discovered that my 2007 model sp500 Antec, while it has been a good soldier, it has two 12V rails, one at 19amps, and one at 17 Amps. So I just decided to buy a Corsair with a nice, fattie single 12V. Again I thank you for your time.
m
0
l
March 7, 2013 10:54:21 PM

Best answer selected by Dankshasta.
m
0
l
!