550W PS enough for R9 290 & i5 2500K?

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Specifically this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182298
It's got 546W on the 12V. So say 250 watts for the R9, a generous 150w for the i5 @ 4GHz, that leaves 146w for everything else. So math says yes, right?

 

[crashtech]

It's probably OK. I like a little more margin in the builds I do, but it should work. I might go for something like this, but it's 10 bucks more.

Edit: I think the 290 can spike well over 325W, btw, so you might want to figure that in.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Yeah, well it was an upcoming shellshocker but $40AR is still kind of meh for it. Hopefully something better pops up this weekend.

 

[.vodka]

Don't overclock the 290 and you'll be fine. More specifically, don't think of overvolting it, that's where the power consumption could get out of control for a 550w PSU.

A small OC on stock voltage for the 2500k, like 4GHz, won't do much for its power needs, so go ahead... enough headroom for everything to run smoothly.




EDIT: http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11612

Doesn't look like a PSU that's capable of doing what's printed on the label. Having seen this I wouldn't put a 290 near that PSU. A quality 550w unit, on the other hand... yes, without a doubt.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Good catch, that's awful. I'm trying to keep this cheap, but it seems like the only deals going on now are for cheap/underpowered units or way overkill for what I'd need.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I agree with our well-distilled friend. There are other Rosewill PSUs with 5 and 7-year warranties. A 3-year warranty and a $50 price-tag says a lot.

I understand -- it's an old processor, similarly-aged motherboard.

I've commented in other threads here (where I'm more of an interloper) that I'm less and less inclined to get a PSU excessively spec'd above the power-draw requirements of the rig. The really good PSUs -- Seasonic usually -- can sustain power-draw of as much as 100W above the spec. But the cheaper knock-offs can't be trusted to do that.

All the other advice here is also good. You could probably do OK for a Seasonic 550W, but I'd get at least a 650 and call it a day. If you plan to add another gfx card, though -- consider a 750 or 850. Also note -- XFX more certainly and some few other brands and models are rebadged Seasonics, so you have a wider field of choice for pretty much the same thing coming out of a Seasonic factory. Just do the homework to assure what you're getting.

I wouldn't settle for less than a 5-year warranty, though.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I'm considering this XFX 850W monster:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...011&cm_re=xfx_850w_psu-_-17-207-011-_-Product
At $60AR it's not that much more expensive than weaker models, but it's not modular and it's so much more power than I'll ever need. Unless I do in fact pop in another 290. Or wait, a 390 might crossfire too...

 

[crashtech]

Looks like there's a promo code on it too, might actually be $50 AR. Don't know anything about it but it *looks* like a killer deal.

Edit: JonnyGuru says not too shabby, so I think it might be a steal at that price.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=217

 

[.vodka]

Yeah, that is a solid PSU. If it passes jonny's testing and gets a high score, you can be pretty sure it's a really good PSU. This is one of the parts you can't and don't skimp on. You can cheap out on the rest of build, but not on the PSU. It's the easiest way to avoid problems in the future.

Can't go wrong with that one.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I think I'll order that XFX one today unless this one goes to $40AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3174&cm_re=SP-750PCBUS-_-17-153-174-_-Product
It's scheduled to hit neweggflash at 9PST. I don't particularly like those black ribbon cables though. I'm worried a plug could be backwards and just waiting to kill something.

 

[bigboxes]

I think I'll order that XFX one today unless this one goes to $40AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3174&cm_re=SP-750PCBUS-_-17-153-174-_-Product
It's scheduled to hit neweggflash at 9PST. I don't particularly like those black ribbon cables though. I'm worried a plug could be backwards and just waiting to kill something.

1. Those don't look like "ribbon" cables.
2. It's almost impossible to hook up the cables incorrectly. Both SATA and the molex connectors are keyed, meaning that they only fit one way.

 

[cruzinforit]

850W is definitely overkill for the system you have. 550 is sufficient, maybe 650 on the high side, at least if it was me. The XFX one you linked is only 80PLUS bronze certified, and while there is nothing wrong with it. At that price though, it would be hard to pass up, considering the 550-650W gold units are typically in the $80-$100 range.
Also bigboxes is correct, it's almost impossible to hook those cables up incorrectly- on MOST units. Some units (looking at you, Rosewill) aren't electrically compatible between the PCIe and the CPU connectors on the PSU side, but they are physically compatible. IE you can plug one into the other. If you are careful and paying attention, this shouldn't be an issue, but it's something I agree with oklahomawolf over at Jonnyguru on- PSU makers that don't make them physically incapable of plugging into the wrong socket should be smacked.

 

[Arg Clin]

Somewhat on the topic at hand;

I have a Seasonic X-750 power my i5 4690K (no OC) and an R290X (Sapphire, factory OC to 1040Mhz)

I'm considering adding another R290X, but feel unsure if my PSU is up to it. PSU calculators around the net estimates powerdraw to peak at around 700W if I add the second 290X. So basically I'll be operating with almost no headroom. PSU is 5 years old.

I might be willing to risk trying it out. In that case would anybody know what I need to look for to see if the PSU is holding up?

 

[lehtv]

Arg Clin - it should work given that X-750 is about as reliable as they come. In tests, X-750 is capable of pushing almost 800 watts on the +12V alone (albeit in short bursts, not recommended continuously). In your case, +12V load will be about 250W * 2 for the GPU's plus up to 100W for the rest, so 600W. Power spikes possible up to 700W. Since these numbers are still well below the PSU's rated maximum +12V load, there's no reason it shouldn't work - but I'm not 100% certain on how the unit will deal with such loads in the long term.

The only real problem you're facing in the short term is the fan which will certainly not remain quiet at load, but then again, I don't think 290X Crossfire is going to be quiet anyway.

Personally I wouldn't risk wearing it out, I'd rather upgrade to a single high end GPU like 980 Ti or replace the unit with 850W or 1000W, whatever's a good buy in your local market. Another problem I'm seeing is the Define R3 case- not exactly equipped to deal with 600 watts of heat dissipation, and pretty hard to custom configure it to do so without using ridiculously high RPM fans. So you would probably also need a case upgrade for 290X Crossfire (e.g. Phanteks Enthoo Pro), whereas a single 980 Ti wouldn't consume any more power than your current 290X.

 

[MrTeal]

I have a 2500k @ 4.2 and two 290s at 1200MHz, and they can pull 925W from the wall with a platinum PSU running Furmark and Prime95. For non-power virus loads it pulls under 750W DC, and you system should be more efficient than mine.

 

[Arg Clin]

I'm on freesync, so sorta locked on the AMD path.

Yeah, noise under load is going to be hellish. I suspect psu fan will be the least of my worries.

As for the R3 - hadn't really though of that being an issue. I've modded it a bit for better airflow, and can still open up a few vents and place a couple more 140mm's if needed, so I had hoped that would be ok. But advice of caution well taken - thanks

 

[lehtv]

You could consider the Fury X. Putting the rad in the rear fan slot, you'd have zero problems getting hot air out, so you'd only have to worry about sufficient intake air. Define R3's hard disk cage is a little restrictive to airflow, but you could use either a 140mm side fan or a 140mm top fan for intake as well.

Fury X wouldn't be a huge increase over 290X (about 30%), but a single GPU is always safer than dual GPUs. No microstutter to worry about, no crossfire profiles needed, no problems with framerate stability.

 

[repoman0]

I use a Seasonic 550w with a 2500k at 4GHz and R9 290 at stock, although I think it comes with an overclock from the factory. No problems even with Furmark and Prime95 w/ AVX running at the same time for multiple hours.

 

[WTSherman]

I have a Seasonic X Series 650w, it came with Japanese capacitors and a velvet bag.

I almost got the R9 290 but decided on the GTX 970 4GB due to lower power consumption.

I use exclusively Nvidia, I buy R9s for other people if I build a system.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Also bigboxes is correct, it's almost impossible to hook those cables up incorrectly- on MOST units. Some units (looking at you, Rosewill) aren't electrically compatible between the PCIe and the CPU connectors on the PSU side, but they are physically compatible. IE you can plug one into the other. If you are careful and paying attention, this shouldn't be an issue, but it's something I agree with oklahomawolf over at Jonnyguru on- PSU makers that don't make them physically incapable of plugging into the wrong socket should be smacked.

I was going to just let this die with the thread but it keeps bouncing back up. My concern over the flat black cables was/is that the connectors could be backwards from the factory by whatever overworked 8 year old hands were putting them together for 15 cents an hour with no way to tell until plugging them in and *pop.*

Anyway, I got this cheapo 700W Thermaltake while it was $35AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153167
It seems adequate and my rig pulls about 400W from the wall running prime95 and furmark.

 

[bigboxes]

My concern over the flat black cables was/is that the connectors could be backwards from the factory by whatever overworked 8 year old hands were putting them together for 15 cents an hour with no way to tell until plugging them in and *pop.*

Annnnnd this has happened exactly how many times? Do you check your home's front door frequently to make sure it's locked?

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Annnnnd this has happened exactly how many times? Do you check your home's front door frequently to make sure it's locked?

I've gotten an improperly wired connector that popped a power supply before. And I figured you for a argumentative response, which is why I had attempted to just let it go. Shame on me for not sticking to it, bravo on you for being so quick with the reply.

 

[bigboxes]

I've gotten an improperly wired connector that popped a power supply before. And I figured you for a argumentative response, which is why I had attempted to just let it go. Shame on me for not sticking to it, bravo on you for being so quick with the reply.

Seems like irrational fear. I understand that you've had something bad happen to you, but I'd me more concerned about the maker of my power supply than the color of the cable. Not to mention that one could miswire a color coded one as well.

Edit: I see now that the psu in your OP does indeed have ribbon cables. I wouldn't worry about a wire being connected improperly, at least not due to them being all black.

 

[spat55]

I'd only have a minimum of 700w in that build as I always like to leave headroom for overclocking.