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Do dedicated PhysX cards use the same PSU draw

AWPC

AWPC

AWPC

Soldato
Joined
8 Dec 2005
Posts
10,782
Please can someone answer the following for me. I am going to use my old GTX480 as a dedicated PhysX card but wonder if it would use the same amps as if it was the primary card as its only going to be used for PhysX so will idle the rest of the time.

Does anyone know if dedicated PhysX uses all of the GPU or not power wise?

Thanks in advance BTW.
 
As no one has responded, I would say no. It will only be used for the PhysX effects and then that part wouldn't be that demanding. Maybe Kaap or WhyScotty or anyone running SLI and a MM would confirm.
 
Won't be using full power no but a 480 will still be quite a thirsty card to have there as an additional card.
 
Rroff said:
Won't be using full power no but a 480 will still be quite a thirsty card to have there as an additional card.
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Do you think a 750W Corsair with 42amps would be enough for a GTX580 as main card and GTX480 as PhysX only or is it too marginal?

Thanks
 
If your not running both for rendering probably ok - I ran GTX470 SLI clocked to stock 480 performance on a decent 700watt PSU but was a less power hungry CPU.
 
It won't use full power, but the load will increase clocks and voltage to the tune where it will use a fair whack of power. I really wouldn't bother. Sell the 480gtx, buy a low end newer card, win win.

I'm not to sure on using things like AB with Nvidia cards or how overclocking tools would work with two cards of two generations. You could attempt to set the 480gtx clock speeds and voltage as low as it will go and still be stable as that would almost certainly reduce power and physx certainly doesn't need a 480gtx at full pelt to run.

But seriously i would suggest selling the 480gtx, hell, sell the 480gtx, AND 580gtx, buy whatever the best value current Nvidia card is, a 760/770gtx, to be honest I have no idea what would be a upgrade to a 580gtx in the current Nvidia series, as in what would be at least a bit faster than it, a 760gtx or would it have to be a 770gtx.

A faster newer card would provide even with physx done on the same card more performance anyway. Ultimately I wouldn't use a what is big and power hungry gpu just for physx.

Don't forget that the 480gtx will use a fairly significant amount of power just in idle, according to Anandtech's 580gtx review which suggests the 580 uses 30-35W at idle(it was at that time AMD had significantly dropped idle power and it was the 680 that Nvidia really dropped theirs) and the 480 uses a bit over 50W. I wouldn't be surprised if at higher voltage, higher clocks and a small load you're talking at least 150W. A new and lower end card would be using probably 15W idle and depending on what you got, significantly less at load.

Having a quick look, there isn't anything low end in the 7xx series, a 650 and 650ti are very different cards with crap naming. One is a 64W tdp card, the other 110W on different cores, the much slower half the shaders card is £83 on ocuk while the twice as fast twice the power faster card is only £100. Without full load it won't use that much more power anyway but at idle will save you noise, heat and money, not loads but some.
 
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Thanks for the reply guys I will have to ponder what to do next as I really do not want to buy another GPU as think it will be hard to shift my 480 + 580 as both have 100% silent HSF's I bought which cost around £50 each extra. I cannot imagine being able to get any extra for those so at best I might get a combined £200 for both cards & postage would be high due to the weight perhaps as much as £30 if I also let the buyer(s) have the original box & HSF :(

I might be better off buying a new PSU instead as the GTX580 & even 480 believe it or not both still hold their own in most PC games @ 1080P with FXAA enabled :eek: which is amazing VFM considering I bought them new @ launch 3 or 3.5 years ago :eek:
 
Sell the 480 on MM, pick up a 640 from MM (640 matches/exceeds a 580 when used as a dedicated PhysX card with a much lower power usage and heat generation).
 
ubersonic said:
Sell the 480 on MM, pick up a 640 from MM (640 matches/exceeds a 580 when used as a dedicated PhysX card with a much lower power usage and heat generation).
Click to expand...

+1 exactly what I was thinking, the 480 is such a power hungry card the rest of your system will be so much happier with a 28nm low end card.
 
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