its been quite a week!

footman · 21 May 2006 at 19:48

Everything was OK until last Wednesday when I found myself near Overclockers and I decided to pop in and buy an ATI crossfire edition 1900 card to make my system crossfire.
Having installed the card the first problem was a high pitched signal from the mobo when running 3d applications. Then the Asus A8R32-MVP died on me. I ordered a new one, installed it but the new graphics card still screamed at me.
I spent most of today fiddling with different settings, drivers etc and finally the digital input on my Viewsonic 20" went kaput on me!

So, it looks like I'm going to RMA: 1 motherboard, 1 graphics card and 1 monitor!
I'm going to bed...its safer there!

Zefan · 21 May 2006 at 19:50

My 6800gt screams when I don't have a molex plugged in. You sure your PSU is up to the job of supplying both those cards?

SiriusB · 21 May 2006 at 19:53

You must have been pretty flush if you can just "pop in" to OcUK and buy an X1900 lol. Perhaps this is karma

SiriusB

footman · 21 May 2006 at 19:55

Zefan said:
My 6800gt screams when I don't have a molex plugged in. You sure your PSU is up to the job of supplying both those cards?

Im using a Tagan 580W, I would have thought that could handle it?

footman · 21 May 2006 at 19:56

SiriusB said:
You must have been pretty flush if you can just "pop in" to OcUK and buy an X1900 lol. Perhaps this is karma

SiriusB

thats why I'm going to bed soon

Zefan · 21 May 2006 at 19:58

Should be totally fine

Unlucky tbh.

Raikiri · 21 May 2006 at 19:58

footman said:
Im using a Tagan 580W, I would have thought that could handle it?

Looking at the PSU calculator thing it is pushing it, how many HDs do you have? Also optical drives/CPU voltage/fans etc?

footman · 21 May 2006 at 20:03

Raikiri said:
Looking at the PSU calculator thing it is pushing it, how many HDs do you have? Also optical drives/CPU voltage/fans etc?

2 SATA hdd's
2 optical drives
cpu voltage is 1.5v, Ive modded the case slightly so there are 4 input fans and 2 output fans. Do you think Im pushing it then?

Raikiri · 21 May 2006 at 20:04

Well thats almost exactly what I put (1.5v, 2 fans and 3HDs, -1HD + 4 fans is basically the same) and it came out with 556w

Zefan · 21 May 2006 at 20:07

Take into account that most psu's (infact I think all) drop significant amps when they get to their peak wattage.

footman · 21 May 2006 at 20:08

Raikiri said:
Well thats almost exactly what I put (1.5v, 2 fans and 3HDs, -1HD + 4 fans is basically the same) and it came out with 556w

that sounds to me like too close a margin. So what should I go for?

SiriusB · 21 May 2006 at 20:16

600W should be more than enough for a Crossfire setup.

SiriusB

Raikiri · 21 May 2006 at 20:19

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_FSP__Sparkle__484.html

May as well be sure

basmic · 21 May 2006 at 20:25

And here's me thinking I was daft buying my Enermax 600w job in OcUK's This Week Only, a year or two ago.

footman · 21 May 2006 at 20:29

Ive just done a little calculating here:
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

makes surprising reading!

StevenG · 21 May 2006 at 21:19

wow. i didnt realise i was pulling 393w and using a type-r 580w psu.

Good link thanks

fornowagain · 21 May 2006 at 21:34

Zefan said:
Take into account that most psu's (infact I think all) drop significant amps when they get to their peak wattage.

Check the PSU spec, decent brands are rated at the sustained wattage for a given specified temperature, not peak. Also look for the rating temperature, power drops from higher case temps can be 10W/C. The only way to be sure about the PSU is to check the voltages with a multimeter at load.