HD 4870 x2 on 500W ?

[marko94]

Hi guys,I was wondering is it possible to run ATi Radeon HD 4870 x2 on 500 Watt power supply?Cause I was planing on buying that GPU and was wondering will I have to buy new power supply too.

[marko94]

Wow,it's been a week since i posted this and no response ... just great

[PrairieDawg]

We were all just lining up to answer your question! Anyway ... a real quick google tells me that ATI recommends a 600watt PSU for that card. You might get away with less but I would not want to risk it on any computer I built. A good quality and high wattage PSU is always a good investment IMO. I do realize that money does not grow on trees (I've looked) but an older/weaker PSU is just asking for trouble and may not have all the connections you need anyway.

[marko94]

I was planing on buying Chieftec power supply 650W Turbo Series, Cable management, 4×12V, Active PFC, 14cm fan. Is this good enough?

[PrairieDawg]

I'm not familiar with the brand but (again) a quick google seems to come up with some good reviews. Looks to me like it should do the job nicely but I'm not a pro.

[SCSIraidGURU]

PC Power and Cooling 750W or higher would be a better choice. Don't skimp on your power supply. It is the most important component in your computer.

[R_Hollandtekk]

Originally Posted by SCSIraidGURU

PC Power and Cooling 750W or higher would be a better choice. Don't skimp on your power supply. It is the most important component in your computer.

Try to find one atleast in the price range $100 - $140 PC Power and Cooling, Corsair, Antec, OCZ. Find one that is more reasonably priced. And 80+% efficiency, active pfc. for lower heat output. Keeps your room cooler during the summer.

+1 rep SCSIraidGURU. Its just that whenever i think of PC Power and Cooling I think of their Turbo-Cool series which is almost $200 -500+

[SCSIraidGURU]

I am an electrical engineer. I took one to the electronics lab and pulled the cover off. The MOSFets and power circuitry was impressive. I have used PC Power and Cooling for around 20 years. They are very reliable. I had issues with my 1000W and they paid for shipping overnight both ways to bring it back in house and test it. I have seen the 750W for $99 at Micro Center. You can also pay $40-$60 to custom wire the power supplies to your specifications. You can add/remove connections, length/shorten wires. You can design it for your chassis to remove excess wire and connections to improve airflow.

OCZ bought PC Power and Cooling. Just make sure you go over the current chart and it will handle your two video cards properly. You also have CPU and hard drives using 12V. PC Power and Cooling are single rail so you do get better 12V current loads.

[marko94]

I saw at Legit Reviews - Technology News and Reviews that Palit radeon hd 4870 x2 even overclocked pulls only 411W so why 750W and not 650W ?

And also here's the link to see it yourself :
PaLiT Revolution 700 HD 4870 X2 Video Card Review - Thermals, Overclocking, and Power Consumption - Legit Reviews

[SCSIraidGURU]

It is based on 12V current draw not total watts.

4870x2: can use 18-22A @ 12V
CPU: 8-11A @ 12V

PC Power and Cooling 750W has a single rail
+5V @ 30A
+12V @ 60A
-12V @ 0.8A
+3.3V @ 24A
+5VSB @ 3A
continuous = 750W
peak = 825W
I have seen them for $99 on sale.

The benefit is the power supply will run cooler because you are not drawing close to the current limits of the rails. Never base a power supply on the total wattage. You base it on current draw at maximum load. 4870x2 can peak around 24-26A depending on the 3D game being played. On average they run 18-22A @ 12V.