OK to run a 400W power supply at 350W 24/7?

hanluc · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:13

Just after a few opinions here, I have an Akasa 400W power supply powering a 3570K and a GTX 570, I do distributed computing so I plan to run both 24/7 non stop for days, my power meter currently shows me drawing 355W from the wall, I've never ran a power supply so close to its rating before, just wondered what you guys think? I'd hate for it to go pop, at the moment the power supply's fan is not screaming in pain or anything.

Leprechaun312 · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:15

well lol we'll see in a few weeks time when we see a post "hi so i ran my pc for 3 weeks straight and...the psu died, from the looks of it my motherboard and cpu have gone with it" 400w akasa it should be fine, aslong as its branded and not an ocuk swift or something

stulid · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:17

400Watt would be the power it can give to the components.

So if the unit is say 80% efficient, that 355w from the wall socket becomes 284 out of it.

Leprechaun312 · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:20

stulid said:
400Watt would be the power it can give to the components.

So if the unit is say 80% efficient, that 355w from the wall socket becomes 284 out of it.

320 wats not 284 where you getting that from?

stulid · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:23

Leprechaun312 said:
320 wats not 284 where you getting that from?

Isn't 80% of 355 = 284?

Leprechaun312 · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:26

stulid said:
Isn't 80% of 355 = 284?

aye but its a 400w power supply i assumed the 355w meant he required 355ws to run?

stulid · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:27

Leprechaun312 said:
aye but its a 400w power supply i assumed the 355w meant he required 355ws to run?

He says its drawing 355 from the wall.

If the unit is (as I say) 80% efficient (this is some random figure I just pulled from the air)

Then what comes out of it is 80% of 355?

Leprechaun312 · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:38

stulid said:
He says its drawing 355 from the wall.

If the unit is (as I say) 80% efficient (this is some random figure I just pulled from the air)

Then what comes out of it is 80% of 355?

is the 355 not what his system requires in power?

Randomface74 · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:39

try it and find out?

olivier renault · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:39

If you are planning on running that stuff 24/7, drawing about 350W, then I'd seriously consider looking at how much it will cost you.

CyberCrow · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:42

^ yes.
So it would be 355 of 400 in use, think this is what Stulid is referring to as 80%.

stulid · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:48

If theres 355 going into something thats 80% efficient, then 284 comes out and thats what the parts are using.

400w would be what the 284 value can go up to.

So the PSU is then having to draw 500 from the wall to make 400?

* I know im drunk, but I think im right.

Leprechaun312 · 25 Jan 2013 at 20:50

stulid said:
If theres 355 going into something thats 80% efficient, then 284 comes out and thats what the parts are using.

400w would be what the 284 value can go up to.

So the PSU is then having to draw 500 from the wall to make 400?

* I know im drunk, but I think im right.

ok i see what u mean now

hanluc · 25 Jan 2013 at 21:03

stulid said:
400Watt would be the power it can give to the components.

So if the unit is say 80% efficient, that 355w from the wall socket becomes 284 out of it.

Ah I didn't think about this, I've no idea what efficiency it is, but I don't suppose it matters, if it's worse it'll be better from that aspect.

olivier renault said:
If you are planning on running that stuff 24/7, drawing about 350W, then I'd seriously consider looking at how much it will cost you.

I know exactly what it costs me, it's a hobby/interest of mine which I've done for years.

Thanks all for the replies, I'll let you know if it goes pop