Voltage to card

Folks

I have just installed a Zoltac 8800 GT AMP card to my machine - the box
says I need a 400w PSU minimum - My current PSU is 350w - is the lack
of 50w really going to make that much difference?

Mick

--

If you read it again it says that a 400 Watt PSU is the MINIMUM power
needed. That would just barely get by. NO, 350 Watts will NOT do it. Of
course you can always try it anyway, and probably burn out your components
from the overpower draw.

--
--DaveW
"Mick" <mick.richardson535@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:lqW1k.78778$Ex2.9448@newsfe12.ams2...
> Folks
>
> I have just installed a Zoltac 8800 GT AMP card to my machine - the box
> says I need a 400w PSU minimum - My current PSU is 350w - is the lack
> of 50w really going to make that much difference?
>
> Mick
>
> --
>

"DaveW" <radiation@nuclear.org> wrote in message
news:Ot-dnQaXVa9i_9XVnZ2dnUVZ_hudnZ2d@comcast.com...
> If you read it again it says that a 400 Watt PSU is the MINIMUM power
> needed. That would just barely get by. NO, 350 Watts will NOT do it.
> Of course you can always try it anyway, and probably burn out your
> components from the overpower draw.
>
> --
> --DaveW

Another great 100% wrong and idiotic reply from DaveW.....

Mick wrote:
> Folks
>
> I have just installed a Zoltac 8800 GT AMP card to my machine - the box
> says I need a 400w PSU minimum - My current PSU is 350w - is the lack
> of 50w really going to make that much difference?
>
> Mick
>

The measured power for the card itself is here. Scroll near the bottom.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...-8800gt_5.html

77.5W or so of 12V power, is 12V @ 6.46 amps.

Whether the 350W is enough, depends on how much loading the rest of
the system presents. For example, if the processor was one of those
65W ones, that would help a lot. The label on the supply, has
current ratings for the various rails, printed on it. You need
a full hardware inventory, plus the info on that label, to do
estimates.

Paul

"Mick" <mick.richardson535@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:lqW1k.78778$Ex2.9448@newsfe12.ams2...
> Folks
>
> I have just installed a Zoltac 8800 GT AMP card to my machine - the box
> says I need a 400w PSU minimum - My current PSU is 350w - is the lack
> of 50w really going to make that much difference?
>
> Mick
>
> --
>

Almost certainly that PSU is insufficient for your needs. You've just added
a graphics card
that's pretty power hungry and will demand more power through the 12volt
rail than that
PSU can comfortably handle. Problems will crop up eventually. In may be in
the form of graphical glitches
or lockups or even include your system rebooting by itself.

Point is - if a PSU dies it can cause damage to other components like the
motherboard.

Power Supplies provide power in 3 forms - 12v (for most things including
that card)
5v and 3v. You need to consider the amperage or current delivered through
the 12v rail.
Your PSU needs to offer around 30 amps through the 12v rail.
(many power supplies have 2x 12v rails - a safety feature - so just add the
amps on the 12v1 and 12v2 together)

"Augustus" <no_one@no_where.net> wrote in message
news:43_1k.966$7B3.173@edtnps91...
>
> "DaveW" <radiation@nuclear.org> wrote in message
> news:Ot-dnQaXVa9i_9XVnZ2dnUVZ_hudnZ2d@comcast.com...
>> If you read it again it says that a 400 Watt PSU is the MINIMUM power
>> needed. That would just barely get by. NO, 350 Watts will NOT do it.
>> Of course you can always try it anyway, and probably burn out your
>> components from the overpower draw.
>>
>> --
>> --DaveW
>
> Another great 100% wrong and idiotic reply from DaveW.....

LOL......it just never ends......:-). I have seen 700w no-name PSUs that
will not perform as well as very good quality 350w units. I would say the OP
has a fairly good quality PSU and going to 400w would be a waste of money.
Crysis is very taxing and like Phil said, he may be lacking in CPU power or
have other issues.


Ed

"Mick" <mick.richardson535@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:lqW1k.78778$Ex2.9448@newsfe12.ams2...
> Folks
>
> I have just installed a Zoltac 8800 GT AMP card to my machine - the box
> says I need a 400w PSU minimum - My current PSU is 350w - is the lack
> of 50w really going to make that much difference?
>
> Mick
>
> --
>

Depends on the PSU and as others have already pointed out it's really the
amperage that counts.

I'm running an EVGA 8800GT 512MB DDR3 on a stock Dell 305W PSU and have had
absolutely NO problems at all even under full load. I'm lucky in that this
particular PSU is known for being under-rated, and it provides plenty of
amperage thru it's dual 12V rails.

If you do decide to upgrade the PSU, I'd go for one that had at least 500W
and 30 Amps. There are some really good ones out there that are under $100.

Good luck.