Seasonic 520W Fanless - 4 x Zotac 1060 6GB mini GPUs

[user555]

Hi everyone, I'm considering building my first desktop pc / mining rig with the Seasonic 520W Fanless PSU and up to 4 x Zotac 1060 6GB mini (6-pin power input) GPUs, each working at power consumption of 100W or less. PSU specification says the unit has 4 x 6/8-pin PCIe connectors. On the front panel photos I do see 4 x 8-pin connectors, but I suppose 2 are dedicated to CPUs and 2 to GPUs (I'm not sure which 8-pin connectors on the front panel are CPU and which ones are PCIe). So, I guess the 4 PCIe connectors listed in the specification are really the connectors at the end of the 2 dual cables supplied. Can anyone confirm this? In addition, I'm also not sure if each dual cable has 2 x 6-pin, 2 x 8-pin or 2 x 6+2-pin connectors. My question is: Will I be able to plug those 4 x 1060 6-pin GPUs in the PSU's 2 x PCIe 8-pin connectors (which I cannot identify for sure) using the 2 dual cables supplied (with connector pin numbers I don't know for sure)? I hope this is not all too convoluted. Many thanks to those willing to help.

 

[UsandThem]

It looks it has two PCIe (with two 8 [6+2] pins on each) cables for video cards.

However, buying such a small fanless PSU is not a great idea. You will running it non-stop at almost full load. Buy a larger unit with a fan to mine with 4 video cards. I own a 550w Seasonic platinum unit, and they make it clear they don't recommend running more than one video card due to the 12v limit on a smaller unit. I'd say you want at least a good quality 650w minimum, but I'd personally go with a 750w.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Don't buy "Fanless" PSUs for mining rigs. You have been warned...

Edit: Partially, because "fanless" PSUs are design to use case cooling to cool off, and because most "mining" rigs are open-air rigs.

You need a fan in the system somewhere.

 

[user555]

It looks it has two PCIe (with two 8 [6+2] pins on each) cables for video cards.

However, buying such a small fanless PSU is not a great idea. You will running it non-stop at almost full load. Buy a larger unit with a fan to mine with 4 video cards. I own a 550w Seasonic platinum unit, and they make it clear they don't recommend running more than one video card due to the 12v limit on a smaller unit. I'd say you want at least a good quality 650w minimum, but I'd personally go with a 750w.

Thank you for your reply. So, is the problem then the small power output or overheating, or possibly both? It seems fanless PSUs with larger power outputs are coming in the future.

 

[IEC]

For optimal efficiency and longevity, you generally want to have the power supply running at ~50% of its rated capacity. Running a fanless unit at >80% of its rated output 24/7/365 is a recipe for a dead power supply.

If you slap a 120mm fan on the power supply to dissipate heat, it may or may not be adequate. Allowing components to run hot for extended periods of time can significantly impact the lifespan of the component. This is why miners tend to run open-air rigs with lots of active cooling.

 

[UsandThem]

Thank you for your reply. So, is the problem then the small power output or overheating, or possibly both? It seems fanless PSUs with larger power outputs are coming in the future.

For optimal efficiency and longevity, you generally want to have the power supply running at ~50% of its rated capacity. Running a fanless unit at >80% of its rated output 24/7/365 is a recipe for a dead power supply.

If you slap a 120mm fan on the power supply to dissipate heat, it may or may not be adequate. Allowing components to run hot for extended periods of time can significantly impact the lifespan of the component. This is why miners tend to run open-air rigs with lots of active cooling.

What IEC and VirtualLarry stated. A PSU run at, or near capacity, 24/7 without a fan will result in something(s) dying rather quickly. If you are going to mine, you will just have get used to fan noise.....there's no other way around it unless you keep your AC below freezing.

 

[user555]

For optimal efficiency and longevity, you generally want to have the power supply running at ~50% of its rated capacity. Running a fanless unit at >80% of its rated output 24/7/365 is a recipe for a dead power supply.

If you slap a 120mm fan on the power supply to dissipate heat, it may or may not be adequate. Allowing components to run hot for extended periods of time can significantly impact the lifespan of the component. This is why miners tend to run open-air rigs with lots of active cooling.

Thank you, IEC. So, if I've understood correctly, a fanless PSU working at 50% load 24/7/365 will still overheat because passive cooling won't be enough, right? Isn't then the even longer 12-year warranty of the Seasonic PRIME 600 W Titanium Fanless too optimistic? What's the use of fanless PSUs, if they can't compete with the ordinary PSUs with active cooling?

 

[user555]

What IEC and VirtualLarry stated. A PSU run at, or near capacity, 24/7 without a fan will result in something(s) dying rather quickly. If you are going to mine, you will just have get used to fan noise.....there's no other way around it unless you keep your AC below freezing.

Thanks again, UsandThem. So, I'm moving closer to one of the poles then to make this work. Didn't expect crypto mining to be so demanding