Help me make the most of 65W!

[Blue_Max]

Unless I can find the better 90W power adapters, I'm stuck with 65W typical AC power exactly like laptops.

I have two Antec ISK systems I need to buy laptop-style power adapters for and will likely end up with the lower 65W. I should plan for that...

I'd like to replace the current DDR3-equipped Atom boards with something much faster but gaming capable...

I might be able to get back my i3 3220T (35W) processor and give him something equivalent but standard. That'll free some power for a low-profile video card like a Radeon 7750/R7-250 or maaaaybe even a Geforce GTX 750(non-ti)

If I can't get that processor back, what are some of my other options?
I could snag an AMD APU A10-7800 (which seems like a lousy value! $165 seems too expensive and the $104 C A8-7600 drops the video speed pretty drastically, IIRC.)

That would also be a 65W processor, pushing the power supply to the max. That going to be a problem if gaming for a few hours?

Love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Cerb]

A GTX 750 Ti will take the whole power brick, leaving no room for a CPU. Same for most cards much better than IGP. Even with a low-wattage CPU, the rest of the system, depending on mobo and internal PSU, will take anywhere from maybe 5W to another 25W. Basically, you can get a CPU with no video card to work, with 65W.

What's the internal PSU good for? You can get 6.2W@19V PSUs for $20-40. Just redo the connector, and voila: 120W. 120W could handle any i3, low-wattage i5 (or, set your own, if your mobo lets you), and a lower-midrange video card, like a GTX 750 (Ti). Barely, but it would work. 150W would definitely do.

 

[Blue_Max]

I'm revisiting this because I was able to get a 70W adapter for the above rig. It's currently a useless Atom machine but I was thinking of turning it into a rig for the TV to play netflix all day and a little team-gaming when my kids are over. Lego games, Space Engineers, Robocraft, etc.

Will the AMD FM2+ 7600 be a sensible choice? I see it's even got an internal option to run at 45W instead of 65W and benchmarks put it within ~90% of full performance when doing so.

Good idea? Bad?

Is an i3 w/ 4600 graphics a better choice in the long run?

 

[Cerb]

An i3 is a better choice in the long run, but if the A8 is substantially cheaper, it's quite a nice little chip, even if inferior to the i3. You can adjust your i3's power limits on most motherboards.

P.S. Look in the manual for short term power limit, long term power limit, or CPU package power values. That way, you can "dial in" any new Core CPU you choose, without needing to get a T or S version.

 

[ArtShapiro]

A couple years ago I built such a machine as a gift. It has been running fine. In the little Antec 65 watt ISK case, I installed an Asus P8H61-I MB, an I3-2120T, an SSD, 8 GB of Ram, and an appropriate small DVD unit.

I was using it yesterday while visiting the recipient, and I remain very pleased with the machine. Machines that unobtrusively small are a pleasure.

Just some food for thought.

Art

 

[dave_the_nerd]

You can get 90/120/150w power bricks pretty easily. What's the problem?

 

[Blue_Max]

You can get 90/120/150w power bricks pretty easily. What's the problem?

...the problem is it'll mess with the internal part of the power supply system... this ain't your usual case. Beside, I have what I have - if I were to just "get something else" I'd rebuild from scratch. Still a tempting option.

I'm still tempted to sell the Atom rig entirely, AND my PS3, and build a nice little light-gaming-plus-Netflix-all-day machine. Then we can do some multiplayer games when my kids are over. Three if we throw in my laptop.

The AMD A8-7600 still looks like a tasty option for a good price. The 7850k is a little more performance for an exorbitant increase in price that makes an Intel + vid card seem like the better choice.

 

[ZGR]

Totally different form factor, but my Macbook Pro was hitting its 80w limit because of high temperatures and excessive turbo boost.

The 35w i7s can easily stay in the 2 GHz range at load plus a low clocked GT 640 could stay below 70w. The i7 is probably overkill, but that just means more GPU power available.

 

[Blue_Max]

A little more research has me almost giving up on the idea. Apparently even in 45W mode, the A8-7600 will still draw ~75-80W while gaming. So much for 45W!

That leaves only the AM1 platform which performs so poorly it's not worth wasting money on.

*sigh* Anyone wanna' buy an Atom? I'll sell it off and get myself a cute ITX cube with power to spare.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

i3 4130t based system?? The 4400hd igpu seems to be capable enough for your requirements: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8774/...-core-i3-4130t-i5-4570s-and-i7-4790s-tested/4

The athlon 5350 might scrape by as well. Cheaply. http://www.anandtech.com/show/7933/the-desktop-kabini-review-part-1-athlon-5350-am1/6

 

[Blue_Max]

i3 4130t based system?? The 4400hd igpu seems to be capable enough for your requirements: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8774/...-core-i3-4130t-i5-4570s-and-i7-4790s-tested/4

The athlon 5350 might scrape by as well. Cheaply. http://www.anandtech.com/show/7933/the-desktop-kabini-review-part-1-athlon-5350-am1/6

I'm disappointed Anand's reviews are not including power consumption charts...

I Wish AM1 Kibini was just a little faster - the price is sure right!
As it is, it looks like Intel IGP or rebuild completely. With OTHER benchmarks, Intel HD 4600 stayed under the required wattage.

You'd think the A8-7600 in 45W mode would be closer to 45W under load.... but it's much higher.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I'm disappointed Anand's reviews are not including power consumption charts...

I Wish AM1 Kibini was just a little faster - the price is sure right!
As it is, it looks like Intel IGP or rebuild completely. With OTHER benchmarks, Intel HD 4600 stayed under the required wattage.

You'd think the A8-7600 in 45W mode would be closer to 45W under load.... but it's much higher.

I'd trust the Intel published 35w draw for the 4130t. The productivity and FPS advantage the 4130t has over the 5350 is, IMHO, well worth the cost. If I was in your shoes it would be the intel or bust.