GTX 570/580 Power Requirements.

[Draco]

Hi Guys,

I just read that very informative 12V rail FAQ sticky at the top, and I'm still not a 100% clear.

I have a OCZ 550w, which is advertised to have two 12V rails at 25 AMPS each. Does that mean I meet the required minimum 38/42 AMP required on the 12V rail for a single GTX570 or 580 even though mine says it's split?

I'm thinking I'm okay, but I'd appreciate some feedback.

 

[lehtv]

The amp requirement is for the total +12V output. On your PSU each rail can output 25*12=300W, and the cabling is likely to be designed in a way that either rail is very difficult to overload with the available connectors. In total, the +12V output is rated at 450W which translates to 37.5A, enough for the GTX 570 officially. Even though it's just a bit under NVIDIA's specs, GTX 580 would be doable too (unless you're running a particularly power hungry system otherwise).

I don't recommend you buy a GTX 580, it's bad value for money. GTX 570 runs any game smoothly and nice looking. In a few months we'll get newer gen GPUs that will destroy the 580 anyway (along with its resale value).

 

[Draco]

Thanks a lot. I was leaning towards the 570 anyway.