PSU confusion

Secret_Window · 30 Nov 2010 at 11:47

At the moment I am in the process of acquiring new parts to both put some extra life into my current system and to be used for my Sandy Bridge upgrade next year. One of the things I want to buy now to use with my current system and my Sandy Bridge one, is a new graphics card. But the problem I have is my current PSU - Corsair HX450W is dictating the choice I make at the moment, since it is only 450w modular. I have also read that it is a very capable PSU, but the mere 450w to cope with most modern cards is a little off-putting and I am unsure whether it is necessary to upgrade it.

These are the cards that interest me at the moment:

Nvidia GTX 460 OC 800mhz @ around £150-170
Nvidia GTX 470 @ around £170-200
ATI HD 5850 @ around £170-200
ATI HD 6870 @ around £180-200

With maybe a Q6600 overclocked to 3.2ghz, so I am not hindered by my dual core until Sandy Bridge.

What do you think?

Orcvader · 30 Nov 2010 at 11:50

Will be fine with the 5850, 6870 and 460, but the 470 may be pushing it...

Secret_Window · 30 Nov 2010 at 11:55

Orcvader said:
Will be fine with the 5850, 6870 and 460, but the 470 may be pushing it...

What about the overclocked GTX 460s @ 800mhz? I know a standard clock would probably be fine, but I am only interested in the overclocked ones.

95thrifles · 30 Nov 2010 at 12:21

Id look at the 6870s tbh, as they are very power efficient, your 450 could prob run them in xfire, and they scale very well so you could add a 2nd next year to get very good performance gains

ahenners · 30 Nov 2010 at 12:51

Secret_Window said:
What about the overclocked GTX 460s @ 800mhz? I know a standard clock would probably be fine, but I am only interested in the overclocked ones.

They don't use much more power than the non overclocked ones so if a normal 460 is fine then they should be too

Secret_Window · 30 Nov 2010 at 14:33

95thrifles said:
Id look at the 6870s tbh, as they are very power efficient, your 450 could prob run them in xfire, and they scale very well so you could add a 2nd next year to get very good performance gains

xfire really?!

Seems a bit adventurous I must admit.

95thrifles · 30 Nov 2010 at 15:08

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3987/amds-radeon-6870-6850-renewing-competition-in-the-midrange-market/20

Aretenon · 30 Nov 2010 at 19:35

Is it my faulty research or isn't the 8800GTX 768MB more power hungry than most of the options you listed? According to my research it has a TDP of 185W, the GTX 460, 5850 and 6870 all have TDPs of ~150W and probably have much lower idle power consumption.

If my research is accurate and correct then I would conclude that your power supply would have an easier time with one of those three newer cards compared to the 8800 GTX.

If I'm wrong, you could always get a really overspecced (750/850 or above )power supply which could go into your Sandy Bridge build.