I wish this was all just for showing off... Nvidia 3D vision is a beast when it comes to requirements. When you see a game like Metro2033 on Max settings in 3D, you simply can't go back to playing on medium detail level. Believe it or not GTX295 chugs (but still playable @ roughly ~25 frames per second, per eye) when in 3d vision and running at max settings at 1080p. I've overlocked it too...

Something that uses less power like a GTS250 or a GTX260 would get annihilated with 3D vision...believe me, I've tried both.

Hmm, maybe me psu will do for some time? I'm getting an HD 5870 1GB and I'm still gonna run my cpu for a while (a Core 2 Duo E6600 clocked at 3GHz). My current psu is 580 watts, that should do for now, right?

this is one of the dumber theories in the PC building world (right up there with needing 20 case fans to cool a rig). Power supplies should be at 80% load during max load for maximum efficiency. I got conned into a 600W supply once with one of my PCs which typically only draws like 120W idling because I didn't understand power supplies at the time. I should have had a ~350-400W supply.

So, if you have a PC that truly draws 400W under full load, then yea you need a 500W supply, else you are just losing efficiency especially when it's just idling. If you upgrade often, then just make the PSU part of your upgrade plan and sell the old one as they really don't drop in price (unlike other hardware components)

But, but the PC has to have an internatl temperature fewer than 5 degrees above ambiant under load!

Btw, shouldn't a 80+ PSU have sustained efficiency throughout the wattage range? Thats what the certification is about.

I cannot even remember what make and model my power supply was now (its half decent) as I've not needed to touch it apart frorm the occasional air duster blow out. I have a 600W PSU which I think is about right for my setup, I have a Intel E6600 @ 3.0GHz, 4GB RAM, 2x8800GT SLI, 2x DVDRW, 4HDD's, 2 Inlet and 3 exhaust fans.

http://www.antec.outervision.com/PSUEngine

The above site gives you a pretty decent guestimate.

I've seen some studies that showed the best cooling accomplished was with 2 fans (plus the PSU fan). They used identical computers with varying fan setups. The theory why it outdid the other combinations was the over abundance of turblance caused by the manny fans slowed the overall cooling rate. All I know, is that so long as you have decent airflow over the hot components you should be good. Adding 5 more fans generally doesn't help. I can't find the test I found before, or I'd link you to it.

I just looked up the 80+ (which I understood wrong) and you get sustained 80% minimum efficiency from 20% to 100% load, but some PSU's get 85% or better in the 50-80% load range. Obviously your best bet would be to look at the efficiency chart for the PSU you are considering and map it to your estimated power requirements.

I've seen too many custom-built PCs get their components fried by a crappy power supply, so I approve this message.

Don't buy a crappy power supply unless you enjoy replacing your mother board once a year.

Thanks for the info on the turbulance. Thats something I certainly hadn't though of. I suspect the number of case fans is essentially an enthusiast circle jerk. When I was into car modification it was the same deal, people even going as far as to cryo treat their components. Too much money and not enough (engineering) sense?

The main consideration when considering power supplies is probably cost. If you get a big and impracticle one which costs heaps with little benefit to the setup you're using you've paid too much. I suspect this is still a bigger factor than ~15W of wasted heat under load.

As longs as you have a clear pathway for air in and out of your case then the number of fans is of less importance.  I have 2 intakes at the front of my case which push air over the HDD's, I then have 2 exhaust near my graphics cards and one at the rear to pull the hot air coming off my CPU cooler out of the case.  My GPU, CPU and ambient temperatures are fine even with a reasonable overclock on my CPU. 

Where things go pear shaped is people installing fans not knowing the difference between a intake or exhaust and inevitably they end up with lost of fans pushing air into the case but nothing pulling out the hot air efficiently.  Ideally you want cool air being pulled in and that then pushes the hot air straight out.  I know my system vents heat out very well as the room temperature my PC is in goes up noticably with the PC running while the PC itself isn't even warm to touch (LianLi aluminium case, quite old now sadly).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

I got this PSU back in Nov. when I built my PC. Is it good enough?


haha my PC is so beast. And I'm looking at all the parts I got and they're all more expensive now. And I got 10% off of everything because it was black friday weekend. ANDD i got my 5850 for the MSRP cause I preordered it on Amazon before they started jacking the price up.


I'm so happy with my PC purchase.