Not enough power?

[Gray]

Hi,

I'm trying to build a PC using some of my old bits, plus a new 1950 graphics card.

But the damn thing won't power up. Could it be the Antec 380W Earthwatts psu I'm using just isn't man enough? I've disconnected everything else from the PSU apart from the mobo and the graphics card, just to make sure nothing else is at fault. I've managed to get it to power up twice, change some settings in the BIOS but then... nothing.

It looks as though it's trying - fans are whirring etc., but nowt else.

PSU issue?

 

[hifibloke]

it's the PSU

I had 480W to power X800GTO + the rest whole PC no problem
with 1950 Pro no pict
did change to 650W PSU and problem solved

 

[Sean_UK]

Well id first say PSU, allthough if you have another gfx card to hand; then swap them round to be sure its not a borked x1950.

 

[chaparral]

The 1950 would only draw low power for bootup as the card would not be under any load..

 

[zytok]

it's the PSU

I had 480W to power X800GTO + the rest whole PC no problem
with 1950 Pro no pict
did change to 650W PSU and problem solved

You are having a laugh right?? You can't be seriously suggesting that you need a 650W PSU to run a 1950?????

 

[ovia]

You are having a laugh right?? You can't be seriously suggesting that you need a 650W PSU to run a 1950?????

Its quite possible you need something close, maybe not quite that high.

I run the system in sig on a 600W Enermax PSU and that its fairly much at limit if i want to overclock CPU to its full potential.

But check what your rails are giving out as it does require 2 seperate rails with 18amp (off top of my head, not sure exactly) on each rail to run, so its not just PSU wattage but also what ampage it can give.

 

[zytok]

Its quite possible you need something close, maybe not quite that high.

I run the system in sig on a 600W Enermax PSU and that its fairly much at limit if i want to overclock CPU to its full potential.

But check what your rails are giving out as it does require 2 seperate rails with 18amp (off top of my head, not sure exactly) on each rail to run, so its not just PSU wattage but also what ampage it can give.

I ran a GTS on a 350W supply for a few months and it worked just fine. My current psu on my oc'd C2D setup is only 450W!!

 

[chaparral]

And there me running my 8800gtx / amd 4400 x2 cpu / 2gb ram /150gb raptor / 300gb maxtor /DVD writer /plus 6 fans off my 350watt shuttle PSU

 

[zytok]

And there me running my 8800gtx / amd 4400 x2 cpu / 2gb ram /150gb raptor / 300gb maxtor /DVD writer /plus 6 fans off my 350watt shuttle PSU

exactly! I'm sure that people get way too hung up about supposed PSU "requirements". I'm only gutted that someone else has managed to get an 8800 working on a 350W PSU. I thought I was special

 

[Darkwave]

Could it be the Antec 380W Earthwatts psu I'm using just isn't man enough?

That power supply has 32A combined on the 12V rails, it's more than enough for an X1950Pro.

My Akasa 460W with 29A on the 12V rails saw through an X1800XT, X1900XT and 8800GTS.

I'd say the problem is somewhere else I'm afraid.

 

[cuke2u]

Hi, and my Antec 550 with 18a on the 12v powers my system even with the most extreme settings within a game...
ChrisC

 

[hifibloke]

I'm not suggesting to anyone anything

fact:
Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity.



HIS box :
"A 450W power supply or greater with 30Amps current on 12V rail is recommended to ensure normal system operation where a number of other internal devices are installed"

we can buy these days 1100W PSU surely is not for connecting to the refrigerator

 

[chaparral]

we can buy these days 1100W PSU surely is not for connecting to the refrigerator

Keep the 1100watt for the refrigerator

And use a 2000watt for the PC

 

[Darkwave]

fact: Electrolytic capacitor aging. When used heavily or over an extended period of time (1+ years) a power supply will slowly lose some of its initial wattage capacity.

Usually a PSU dies or outlives its usefulness long before this happens.

HIS box : "A 450W power supply or greater with 30Amps current on 12V rail is recommended to ensure normal system operation where a number of other internal devices are installed"

This is the part that is sensible.

This is the part where the manufacturer is just covering their arse.

we can buy these days 1100W PSU surely is not for connecting to the refrigerator

1KW PSUs are for future-proofing, ego-boosting and systems with SLI plus a massive number of hard disks in an array or whatever. A 700-800W PSU is probably the most any "normal" enthusiast would need, and a 350-450W PSU is more than enough for a normal user who isn't an enthusiast.