Is my PSU enough for the new hardwares?

[Tibor Hazafi]

Hi all,

My current specs are:
-i7-6700K
-2*8GB DDR4
-Msi GTX 980 Gaming 4G
-1*SATA HDD
-1*SATA SSD
-3*120mm Fan
-2*140mm Fan
-2*Xbox 360 Controllers

I would like to change my drives to 2*M.2 PCIe SSDs and my VGA to an Msi RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio.
According to the result of the outervision calculator the recommended PSU Wattage is 503W (result). But in spite of the result it recommends a 650W PSU, and on the sheet of the picked new VGA there is a 650W recommendation as well.
Now I have a CoolerMaster V550S and I don't want to spend any money for a new PSU, unless if I must. Is it enough for the new hardwares with theese specs, or do I have to buy a new one with bigger Wattage?

Thank you,
hazazs

 

[azngreentea01]

No you do not needed. It should be fine. The power consumption for this graphic card is 215W max. Your old gtx 980 max power consumption is 165. So the extra 50w is not gonna hurt it. Just dont overclock. ALso, your m.2 drive use less Watt than hour HDD.

 

[Frick]

No worries, depending on overclocking.

 

[Tibor Hazafi]

Thank you guys for the replies. The reason why I have bought an unlocked CPU not with a Z board is that I don't want to overclock, but I want the highest base clock that's possible.

 

[Bill_Bright]

According to the result of the outervision calculator the recommended PSU Wattage is 503W (result). But in spite of the result it recommends a 650W PSU

Ummm, no it doesn't - not according the "result" link you provided. The 650W you see is for advertising purposes only. It takes a lot of money to maintain the databases and keep that eXtreme Outervision PSU calculator updated with the latest hardware. In order to provide that great service for free, they must earn revenue some way, so they do it by recommending EVGA PSUs.

So go by what the calculator itself recommends, which is, as you noted 503W, indicating your current 550W supply is fine. You even still have some decent wiggle room if you want to overclock or add more RAM or another drive.

Note all PSU calculators pad the results. The last thing they want to do is recommend an under-powered PSU. But because Outvision's calculator is so flexible with so many input options, they can be and are the most conservative.

And the last thing MSI wants to do is recommend an under-powered PSU. But unlike the calculator, MSI does NOT know which CPU you have, or what type or how many hard drives you have, or how many sticks of which type of RAM are installed. So they REALLY pad the recommendations - almost to the point of overkill!

BTW, the eXtreme OuterVision Power supply Calculator is the only PSU calculator I use or recommend - because it is constantly updated and it is the most conservative too. Another nice feature is it recommends an UPS size too. And I am a strong proponent of having all computers on a "good" UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Note backup power during a full power outage is just a minor added bonus. It is the AVR that matters.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

The power consumption for this graphic card is 215W max. Your old gtx 980 max power consumption is 165.

Both of those statements are incorrect, according to w1zzard's testing.

Msi GTX 980 Gaming 4G and Msi RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio Peak gaming power:

recommended PSU Wattage is 503W

Those "calculators" always use peak watts for all components - a worst case scenario. During use, that actually can't happen. I think you'll be fine with the additional 40 watts, but you could pick up (or even check out from some libraries) a watt meter to see what you're actually using. I'd be surprised to see actual usage from the wall exceed 400 watts without using benchmarks.

 

[azngreentea01]

Both of those statements are incorrect, according to w1zzard's testing.

Msi GTX 980 Gaming 4G and Msi RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio Peak gaming power:

Those "calculators" always use peak watts for all components - a worst case scenario. During use, that actually can't happen. I think you'll be fine with the additional 40 watts, but you could pick up (or even check out from some libraries) a watt meter to see what you're actually using. I'd be surprised to see actual usage from the wall exceed 400 watts without using benchmarks.

I check with the site, that what they said on the label. that what they advertises .
rtx 2080: https://www.msi.com/Graphics-card/GeForce-RTX-2070-SUPER-GAMING-X-TRIO/Specification
gtx 980: https://www.msi.com/Graphics-card/GTX-980-GAMING-4G/Specification

 

[64K]

Those wattage calculators also have to make allowance for people running a crappy PSU that may not be capable of delivering their rated wattage.

This is running a i9-9900K @ 5.0GHz

Add a few watts for the Gaming version and you are still fine.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Those "calculators" always use peak watts for all components - a worst case scenario.

Worst case? Not even. What other choice do they (or you, if you do it manually) have? Guessing? That would be the worst case scenario!

Whether you research and add up all the components yourself, or you use a good calculator, you have no choice but to assume all the connected components will pull maximum power at the exact same point in time. So yes, peak watts for all components! If you assume the CPU will never be maxed out at the same time the GPU is maxed out at the same time the RAM is maxed out, you risk buying an under-powered PSU. And that would be very bad.

So again, you MUST go by peak watts for all components - that is, you must assume the worst case scenario is a distinct possibility.

And for the record, any student of electronics knows it is a very real possibility. In fact it is a common characteristic of all electronics to pull maximum current during power up. This is especially true for things with motors. This characteristic is exactly why, when power is restored after a power outage, the grid is unstable for a few seconds. All the connected electronics are suddenly pulling maximum current.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

And for the record, any student of electronics knows it is a very real possibility. In fact it is a common characteristic of all electronics to pull maximum current during power up. This is especially true for things with motors. This characteristic is exactly why, when power is restored after a power outage, the grid is unstable for a few seconds. All the connected electronics are suddenly pulling maximum current.

Seriously? You think that computers "pull maximum current during power up"? Of the actual components of a computer, the only thing (other than lights) that does that is a HDD, which can use ~24 watts to start up but then no more than ~10 watts during use. GPU's and CPU's just idle during power up. I've actually started up (just to BIOS) a 2600K with the heatsink (without TIM) just sitting on the CPU without a problem.

Edit: Yes, BTW, I have watched a watt meter during boot so I can confirm this.

 

[juiseman]

He is correct; easy real world test, look at you lights when you do power up on a device that pulls a good amount of amperage.
They will dim, The current in rush happens fast.

But Your correct that a computer is in a low power state at power on. but will pull more current when its at full 100% load.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

The 6700k pulls around 100 watts in a worse case scenario. The 2070 pulls around 250 in a worse case scenario. That leaves you with about 200 watts to power the rest of your system.

I wouldn't OC the 6700k with that PSU and I would leave the 2070 at whatever stock boost the card you purchase has but other than that you're gonna be fine.
Then next time you buy a PSU get something that's around 750w range so that regardless of what hardware you buy in the future you don't have to worry if it's going to power it.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Seriously? You think that computers "pull maximum current during power up"?

First, it is not about computers. It is about all electronics. And I am saying you have to assume they will demand maximum current - since that is a characteristic of all electronics - again, as ANY student of electronics knows as this is taught early on in basic electronics classes.

Low power state has nothing to do with sizing up a PSU. You must size the PSU based on the "worst case scenario" which is when every component pulls its maximum amount at the same time. If this is not done, you create the potential of demanding too much current through the circuits and (if lucky!) tripping the overload protection devices. If not lucky, over-heating a device, smoke or even fire.

Just because most computers go to a low power state most of the time, they still, some times, boot from a "cold" or no-power state. And that is the state to use when calculating power demands and power supply requirements.

the only thing (other than lights) that does that is a HDD

Sorry, but that is totally incorrect. If it were true, your big screen TV would never draw more than when it displays pure white at full audio amplification gain. But they do at power up. High powered stereo and home theater audio amplifiers would not need built in delays during power up to prevent blowing out speakers.

As for power meters, they react slowly intentionally - other wise they would be fluctuating rapidly much of the time. A decent power supply analyzer or oscope would easily show the peaks.

 

[MrGRiMv25]

Power supply requirements have been over-blown by people for years, it's usually recommended to buy basing full system load at around 50-60% of the PSU as they're usually most efficient when 50% utilized. I've seen people recommending 750w PSU's for setups that at the very most would require a solid 450w supply.

Quality is always important though, I had a 600w **Evo-Labs** literally blow up using a Q9550 @ 3.6Ghz and a GTX 760 after 30 minutes of Far Cry 4... I then proceeded to run the system off a good quality 450w Jeantech supply which the PC shop gave me in replace of the Evo-Labs. I will say the motherboard was a Gigabyte Ultra-Durable and it definitely was durable to not let the surge kill my stuff and still work afterwards haha.

**The Evo-Labs was bought as my previous 750w supply stopped supplying the PWR-Good signal so got the Evo-Labs as it was the only one in the shop and at best was only meant to last 3 days until I could afford to replace it with a proper one**

Your Corsair 550 will be fine, but if you splash out on the 650 it won't hurt either way but if you don't want to "waste" the money then there's no need.

 

[Frick]

About peak loads: The term "continious power" is used for a reason. The various protections don't kick in at that load to allow for the very short moments of peak power used.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Power supply requirements have been over-blown by people for years, it's usually recommended to buy basing full system load at around 50-60% of the PSU as they're usually most efficient when 50% utilized. I've seen people recommending 750w PSU's for setups that at the very most would require a solid 450w supply.

I agree with this completely - especially with cheap supplies that are NOT 80 PLUS certified. Basic PSUs tend to have a bell shaped efficiency curve with a peak efficiency somewhere between 50 and 70% load. Using one of these supplies is great when the load is constant and that peak point is matched to that load point.

But computers present a constantly varying load from near nothing at idle, to maximum load when taxed. This is where 80 PLUS certs come in. They require supplies to have at least 80% efficiency across a full range of expected loads. For this ready, that 50-60% value doesn't really apply any more - with a quality 80 PLUS supply. We can safely run a quality 80 PLUS supply at 80 - 90% load most of the time and still maintain great efficiency values. We may have to put up with louder fan noise, however.

About peak loads: The term "continious power" is used for a reason. The various protections don't kick in at that load to allow for the very short moments of peak power used.

Ummm, kinda-sorta but not really. This suggests only one specification matters and that is just not true. Continuous power specs matter because that is typically where heat build-up comes into play and power supplies (and their cooling features) must be able to deal with that heat. Peak power specs matter because PSUs must also be able to support those near instantaneous peak demands too. This is exactly why there are different types of protection circuits. They are often referred to by their legacy terms when "fusible links" were commonly used: fast-blow and slow-blow.

 

[EarthDog]

Seriously? You think that computers "pull maximum current during power up"? Of the actual components of a computer, the only thing (other than lights) that does that is a HDD, which can use ~24 watts to start up but then no more than ~10 watts during use. GPU's and CPU's just idle during power up. I've actually started up (just to BIOS) a 2600K with the heatsink (without TIM) just sitting on the CPU without a problem.

Edit: Yes, BTW, I have watched a watt meter during boot so I can confirm this.

QFT.

This is a myth... plain and simple. I've seen it on a simple Kill-A-Watt, I've seen it on a much more expensive (and higher reporting frequency) device as well. A CPU stress test easily eclipses startup wattage in my experience.

I wouldn't OC the 6700k with that PSU and I would leave the 2070 at whatever stock boost the card you purchase has

I would.. happily... In our testing, with an 8700K at 4.7 GHz and a 2070 FE fully overclocked, when gaming our system peaked at 339W at the wall.

If you stress tested both of those at the same time, I could see 400-425W at most.

That PSU is fine no matter how you slice it.

 

[Frick]

Ummm, kinda-sorta but not really. This suggests only one specification matters and that is just not true. Continuous power specs matter because that is typically where heat build-up comes into play and power supplies (and their cooling features) must be able to deal with that heat. Peak power specs matter because PSUs must also be able to support those near instantaneous peak demands too. This is exactly why there are different types of protection circuits. They are often referred to by their legacy terms when "fusible links" were commonly used: fast-blow and slow-blow.

No, it suggests you have both specs. That's what I meant.