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Wattage/Amps for Potential SLI Setup

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - Wattage/Amps for Potential SLI Setup

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wargigas   10-25-2008 at 09:14:26 PM

Intel C2Q q9550
EVGA nVidia nForce 750i FTW
EVGA Geforce GTX 260 (w/ 216 cores)x2 in SLI
Corsair Dominator 2x2gb DDR2 1066 PC2 8500
7200 RPM WD SATA HDD
IDE DVD+RW
80mm Case Fans w/ LEDx2
120mm Case Fan
PCI Exhaust Fan

I am not going to SLI right away but I may in the future so I want to get a PSU that will support this option. Nvidia lists the min system requirement for a GTX 260 as 500W. It doesn't say what an SLI setup should have. Nvidia's SLI Zone page has a section for Hybrid/SLI-Certified PSUs and for two GTX 260 in SLI it lists a min of 800W (and upwards of 1200W) but they also list the GTX 260 as having a max draw of 182W. If 500W works for one, and one only takes 182W, why do two require an additional 300W?

I've checked various PSU Power Calculators and I've seen results from 419W to over 900W. Newegg lists 2 8800 GTXs in SLI with 865W requirements (which implies a GTX 260 SLI setup would need even more). The eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite v2.5 suggests a min of 419W at 100% load and less than 400W at 90% load. Some other guy here on tomshardware said he has an overclocked e6600 setup w/ two GTX 260s in SLI running w/ a 500W.

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

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wargigas   10-25-2008 at 09:56:02 PM
- 0 +

So far I've found 3 decent deals on various brackets:

550W Antec NeoPower w/ 3x18A Rails - $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817103941
750W Corsair TX w/ 1x60A Rail - $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006
750W PC Power & Cooling Silencer w/ 1x60A Rail - $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817703019
1000W Corsair HX w/ 2x40A Rails - $199
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139007

If necessary I could always get an external VGA PSU as well when I chose to SLI. Prices will are also likely to drop in the next few years before I'd probably choose to SLI.

Considering that Nvidia recommends the minimum system requirement as 500W for a single GTX 260, and also lists the GTX 260 as having a max draw of 182W in theory a 750W should be fine. Looking at the two 750W the Corsair is the best deal, but I've read that the Corsair TX PSUs aren't of as high quality as their HX line. Although it does have a large amount of positive reviews on newegg and the PC Power & Cooling Silencer seems to be an odd model # I don't often see referenced.


Message edited by wargigas on 10-25-2008 at 10:23:24 PM
Reply to wargigas
4ryan6   10-26-2008 at 03:54:34 AM
- 0 +

750W PC Power & Cooling will probably work just fine

------------------------------ Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!
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Diiego   11-01-2008 at 05:59:40 AM
- 0 +

^+1
or ill go with the 750tx corsair, either 1

Reply to Diiego
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