How Much Power Does Your Graphics Card Need?

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Power Consumption--Graphics Cards And Electricity Costs

In the following tables, the consumption of the test system was subtracted from the overall total to yield the approximate power consumption of the graphics card. The actual values fluctuate depending on the performance class of 3D graphics chips, which is why we made our calculations with average values. Note that for SLI with Nvidia graphics cards, the nForce 780i chipset from Nvidia is used; this component requires about 50 watts more than the X38 chipset from Intel.

Test System	2D Without Load	3D Full Load	2D Average	3D Average
X38 Chipset	52-68 Watts	80-120 Watts	64 Watts	104 Watts
780i Chipset	114-125 Watts	142-158 Watts	119 Watts	150 Watts

Again, this measurement was made at the outlet, and serves only as a basis for the calculation of the electricity cost. As examples, the 2D operation was estimated with both 8 and 24 hours a day and the 3D operation with 8 hours daily use. The power cost was estimated at 20 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

With the GeForce GTX 260 and 280, you can easily see how the new graphics chips slow down in 2D mode—the older GeForce 8800 Ultra running 8 hours a day uses up almost double the electricity. The cost of a double-chip card (Radeon HD 4870 X2) is pretty intense; if you let the PC run on the desktop for two years continuously, the electricity cost adds up to the purchase price of the card.

If you compare the Radeon HD 4870 X2 and HD 4870 Crossfire, you can easily see that you could save up to 20 watts per HD 4870 card in 2D mode, if only AMD clocked down the single chip card as well. Generally, you should not use a double-chip card, SLI or CrossFire for a computer to remain in use 24 hours a day—a more modest graphics solution can reduce the electricity cost by at least 50%.

Power Consumption Nvidia Graphic Cards	2D Desktop Watts (socket)	3D Full Load Watts (Socket)	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 24 Hours	3D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours
GeForce GTX 280 (1024 MB)	53	248	31	93	145
GeForce GTX 260 (896 MB)	47	232	27	82	135
GeForce 9800 GX2 (2x512 MB)	109	264	64	191	154
GeForce 9800 GTX (512 MB)	55	153	32	96	89
GeForce 9800 GTX (512 MB)	62	160	36	109	93
GeForce 9600 GT (1024 MB)	38	83	22	67	48
GeForce 9600 GT (512 MB)	42	104	25	74	61
GeForce 8800 GTS OC (512 MB)	63	173	37	110	101
GeForce 8800 GTS (512 MB)	62	165	36	109	96
GeForce 8800 GT (1024 MB)	39	94	23	68	55
GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB)	51	135	30	89	119
GeForce 8800 Ultra (768 MB)	90	209	53	158	122
GeForce 8800 GTX (768 MB)	82	192	48	144	112
GeForce 8800 GTS (640 MB)	74	152	43	130	89
GeForce 8800 GTS (320 MB)	63	136	37	110	79
GeForce 8600 GTS (512 MB)	34	74	20	60	43
GeForce 8600 GTS (256 MB)	29	68	17	51	40
GeForce 8600 GT (256 MB)	25	56	15	44	33
GeForce 8500 GT (256 MB)	21	36	12	37	21
GeForce 8400GS (256 MB)	19	32	11	33	19
GeForce 7950 GX2 (2x512 MB)	56	134	33	98	78
GeForce 7950 GT (512 MB)	35	79	20	61	46
GeForce 7900 GTX (512 MB)	41	102	24	72	60
GeForce 7900 GTO (512 MB)	40	98	23	70	57
GeForce 7900 GT (256 MB)	29	59	17	51	34
GeForce 7900 GS (256 MB)	31	60	18	54	35
GeForce 7800 GTX (512 MB)	41	131	24	72	77
GeForce 7800 GTX (256 MB)	41	104	24	72	61
GeForce 7800 GT (256 MB)	31	79	18	54	46
GeForce 7600 GT (256 MB)	24	48	14	42	28
GeForce 7600 GS (256 MB)	20	33	12	35	19
GeForce 7300 GT (256 MB)	20	29	12	35	17
GeForce 7300 GS (128 MB)	18	28	11	32	16
GeForce 6800 Ultra (256 MB)	58	98	34	102	57
GeForce 6800 GT (256 MB)	52	81	30	91	47
GeForce 6600 GT (128 MB)	26	57	15	46	33

Power Consumption Nvidia Graphic Card (SLI)	2D Desktop Watts (Socket)	3D Full Load Watts (Socket)	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 24 Hours	3D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours
GeForce GTX 280 SLI (1024 MB)	84	390	49	147	228
GeForce GTX 260 SLI (896 MB)	92	460	54	161	269
GeForce 9800 SLI (512 MB)	116	312	68	203	182
GeForce 9600 SLI (1024 MB)	63	152	37	110	89
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (512 MB)	111	295	65	194	172
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (1024 MB)	65	176	38	114	103
GeForce 8800 GT SLI (512 MB)	84	242	49	147	141
GeForce 8800 Ultra 3SLI (768 MB)	269	565	157	471	330
GeForce 8800 Ultra SLI (768 MB)	175	430	102	307	251
GeForce 8800 GTS SLI (320 MB)	115	270	67	201	158
GeForce 8600 GTS SLI (256 MB)	45	127	26	79	74
GeForce 8600 GT SLI (256 MB)	36	103	21	63	60
GeForce 7950 GX2 SLI (4x512 MB)	106	106	62	186	128
GeForce 7950 GT SLI (512 MB)	51	134	30	89	78
GeForce 7900 GT SLI (256 MB)	42	106	25	74	62
GeForce 7900 GS SLI (256 MB)	36	102	21	63	60
GeForce 7800 GTX SLI (256 MB)	68	190	40	119	111
GeForce 7800 GT SLI (256 MB)	43	139	25	75	81
GeForce 7600 GT SLI (256 MB)	26	82	15	46	48
GeForce 7600 GS SLI (256 MB)	18	85	11	32	32

Power Consumption AMD Graphic Cards	2D Desktop Watts (Socket)	3D Full Load Watts (Sockets)	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 24 Hours	3D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 hours
Radeon HD 4870 X2 (2x1024 MB)	138	326	81	242	190
Radeon HD 4870 (512 MB)	83	184	48	145	107
Radeon HD 4850 (512 MB)	58	133	34	102	78
Radeon HD 4670 (512 MB)	17	69	10	30	40
Radeon HD 4550 (512 MB)	17	31	10	30	18
Radeon HD 3870 X2 (2x512 MB)	68	246	40	119	144
Radeon HD 3870 (512 MB)	31	112	18	54	65
Radeon HD 3850 (256 MB)	24	88	14	42	51
Radeon HD 3650 (512 MB)	25	63	15	44	37
Radeon HD 3470 (256 MB)	26	36	15	46	21
Radeon HD 3450 (256 MB)	21	28	12	37	16
Radeon HD 2900 XT (512 MB)	78	206	46	137	120
Radeon HD 2600 XT (512 MB)	22	66	13	39	39
Radeon HD 2600 XT (256 MB)	32	68	19	56	40
Radeon HD 2600 Pro (256 MB)	18	47	11	32	27
Radeon HD 2400 XT (256 MB)	18	34	11	32	20
Radeon HD 2400 Pro (256 MB)	17	26	10	30	15
Radeon X1950 XTX (512 MB)	38	134	22	67	78
Radeon X1950 XT (256 MB)	41	150	24	72	88
Radeon X1950 Pro (256 MB)	38	94	22	67	55
Radeon X1950 GT (256 MB)	36	84	21	63	49
Radeon X1900 XT (512 MB)	43	158	25	75	92
Radeon X1900 XT (256 MB)	37	129	22	65	75
Radeon X1900 GT (256 MB)	42	101	25	74	59
Radeon X1800 XT (512 MB)	48	107	28	84	62
Radeon X1800 XT (256 MB)	45	111	26	79	65
Radeon X1800 XL (256 MB)	41	70	24	72	41
Radeon X1800 GTO (256 MB)	36	59	21	63	34
Radeon X1650 XT (256 MB)	36	71	21	63	41
Radeon X1650 Pro (256 MB)	28	54	16	49	32
Radeon X1600 XT (256 MB)	28	52	16	49	30
Radeon X1600 Pro (256 MB)	29	47	17	51	27
Radeon X1300 XT (256 MB)	30	54	18	53	32
Radeon X1300 Pro (128 MB)	34	36	14	42	21
Radeon X1300 XT (256 MB)	22	32	13	39	19
Radeon X800 XT (256 MB)	29	78	17	51	46

Power Consumption AMD Graphic Cards (CrossFire)	2D Desktop Watts (Socket)	3D Full Load Watts (Socket)	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours	2D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 24 Hours	3D Operation Cost in Dollars 365 Days x 8 Hours
Radeon HD 4870 CF (512 MB)	178	356	104	312	208
Radeon HD 4850 CF (512 MB)	113	263	66	198	154
Radeon HD 3870 X2 CF (4x512 MB)	135	506	79	237	296
Radeon HD 3870 3CF (3x256 MB)	98	360	57	172	210
Radeon HD 3870 CF (512 MB)	60	219	35	105	128
Radeon HD 3850 CF (256 MB)	47	175	27	82	102
Radeon HD 3650 CF (512 MB)	48	131	28	84	77
Radeon HD 2900 CF (512 MB)	158	436	92	277	255
Radeon HD 2600 XT CF (512 MB)	41	142	24	72	83
Radeon HD 2600 Pro (256 MB)	34	94	20	55	55
Radeon X1950 XTX CF (512 MB)	82	274	48	144	160
Radeon X1900 XT CF (512 MB)	85	300	50	149	175
Radeon X1600 XT CF (256 MB)	58	105	34	102	61
Radeon X1600 Pro CF (256 MB)	54	89	32	95	52

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129 Comments Comment from the forums

Inktfish

Could you please add the Radeon 4830? :)
Reply
sepuko

Took the words right out of my mouth.
Reply
since Core i7 920 has TDP = 130W, how can it consume 85W only?
Reply
1.21 Jigawatts !!!
Reply
nukemaster

This article was due. No more you need an 800 watt psu for the 4870 , core2 quad ad 1 hard drive anymore :p

Guest11since Core i7 920 has TDP = 130W, how can it consume 85W only?The TDP is more of a design thing. Almost all of Intels initial Core2 line had a TDP of 65 watts yet many took much less power. Intel gives a worst case of that type number and does not measure every cpu.

AMD does the same thing. They listed almost all the initial Athlon 64's at 89 watts yet many did not take that or give off that amount.

zxv9511.21 Jigawatts !!!You act like you would need a small fusion reactor or maybe a bolt of lightning to get that?
Reply
neiroatopelcc

So my system actually has a too big power supply to be effective?
I'm running a 3,4ghz c2d with 5x500gb sata drives, a dvdrw and a 4870 on a p35 board.
According to the article that's not going to draw the ~400W needed to get within effective range of my corsair 620 ....
Reply
cynewulf

There's a mistake in the power under load for the 3870X2. It shows the same as the idle consumption. If only that were true! :D
Reply
Inneandar

The TDP (thermal design power) is meant to be a guideline for the cooling solution, not the power consumption. To qualify for a cpu with a TDP of 120W, a cooler must be able to dissipate 120W. Practically, of course, this means it is an upper bound to (sensible) power consumption.

also small note: Is it just me or is it strange to see the 260 SLI consume more than the 280 SLI. maybe in need of a beefier test scene...
Reply
zodiacfml

nice collection of data. i hope many learn from this and avoid recommending too powerful supplies.
Reply
roofus

better off with too much power supply than not enough. at least if you over-spec the power supply you leave some breathing room for any additional components.
Reply

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