12v 35a hd 5850

[Guest]

I was wondering if a 500w psu 12v 35a will power a hd 5850?


I have a dell inspiron 530

3 gigs ram

E8500 3.16ghz)

 

[rockyjohn]

Yes it will work and not be an issue, although I would prefer to see a little more overhead since a PSU runs cooler, quieter, and more efficiently when not running close to its capacity. Still if I already had the 500w PSU installed I would not hesitate to install the 5850, especially if it is a good PSU.

You might google the name of your PSU plus the word "reviews" and see if any of them have the tables or graphs that show how temperature, noise, and efficiency are affect by the load placed on it.

If you need to know the total load, just use the standard calculator:

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

It is a good tool to become familiar with.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the help!

 

[rockyjohn]

The 5870 might be touch and go - I would not do it.

Here is a review (very respected site) showing power requirements for both cards in basic systems (I say basic because the review is to test the card more than power requirements and added components, specific components. or OC the graphics card could increase power needs). Note that the 5870 is only 401w under load.

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3650&p=13

However another respected review repeats the 500w minimum requirement but also recommends 40a minimum:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5870-review-test/13

Any standard ATX PSU should work in the Inspiron 530 - although you might double check the measurements. This would be a good value - stable PSU at relatively low cost:

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail - $60 plus $6 shipping
New Year special savings, limited offer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341019

It has from 43a to 56a on the 12v rails - depending on how much is used on the other rails.

Measurements:

150 x 140 x 86mm (W x L x H)

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/power_management/ocz_700w_stealthxstream_power_supply