r9 290, 500w psu check/question.

Armadillo · 10 Jul 2017 at 23:24

I gave my r9 290 vapor-x to a family member to put in their pc. CPU in the pc is an fx8350.Sapphire reckon 750W (compared to 650 for everyone else), but we all know they have to take into account the 750w £10 ebay special. PSU that is in there is a bequiet purepower 9 500W which is silver rated. According to bequiet, the max load on 12V is 480W.

So I've put it in there, power meter at the wall and played around. Running firestrike to load cpu/gpu at the same time, it pulls 404W max at the wall.

According to online, silver is 88% efficiency at 50% load and 85% at 100% load. It's over 50% load so using 85%, 403 at the wall should mean the system is pulling 342.5W. So 71% of maximum load.

Seems to all be working fine and seems like there is a decent amount of headroom, but just thought I'd double check, that:

I've not messed up on the efficiency/how it works.
71% is fine to have it loaded at for extended periods, I don't see why it shouldn't be, just how much of a load is fine for extended periods/psu life, seems to be a big argument online.

Thanks.

pastymuncher · 11 Jul 2017 at 08:43

I would want more headroom than that. A power hungry gpu and a power hungry cpu with a mediocre psu is not a good mix and that combination of gpu and cpu have the potential to pull much more power than that. I would be looking at a quality 650w psu for that build. Something along the lines of a EVGA G2/G3 would be good.

EsaT · 11 Jul 2017 at 09:04

That card draws near 300W in heavy games unless drivers or some user made power setting limits it.
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/R9_290_Vapor-X/23.html
Also that CPU is power hogging capable so full CPU+GPU load would make 450+W class power draw.
(try Furmark+Prime/IBT at own risk)

Even halving CPU's consumption for games puts that load in class of 400W.

And that's definitely high for cheap PSU with cheap capacitors in it.
Especially when they keep slowing fan speed decreasing cooling of them.
(mediocre 80+ silver efficiency doesn't help in that)
Graphic cards also draw that power with higher frequency variations and peaks in it putting stress on PSU's output filter capacitors.

Armadillo · 11 Jul 2017 at 14:53

pastymuncher said:
I would want more headroom than that. A power hungry gpu and a power hungry cpu with a mediocre psu is not a good mix and that combination of gpu and cpu have the potential to pull much more power than that. I would be looking at a quality 650w psu for that build. Something along the lines of a EVGA G2/G3 would be good.

EsaT said:
That card draws near 300W in heavy games unless drivers or some user made power setting limits it.
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/R9_290_Vapor-X/23.html
Also that CPU is power hogging capable so full CPU+GPU load would make 450+W class power draw.
(try Furmark+Prime/IBT at own risk)

Even halving CPU's consumption for games puts that load in class of 400W.

And that's definitely high for cheap PSU with cheap capacitors in it.
Especially when they keep slowing fan speed decreasing cooling of them.
(mediocre 80+ silver efficiency doesn't help in that)
Graphic cards also draw that power with higher frequency variations and peaks in it putting stress on PSU's output filter capacitors.

Hmm, I thought firestrike would put a typical gpu+cpu gaming load on. Metro there pulls 309W, which is just the gpu. I guess firestrike is not as heavy as I thought or the cpu was not fully/decently loaded with it at the same time.

So I guess the right combo can push it over the edge. I guess new psu it is then. Bequiet was a freebie anyway from one of the comps here a while back.

g2/g3 is out of the question, too expensive. I know you don't want to cheap out on psu, but are there any decent cheaper 600-650W, that drop fluff to make it cheaper. Completely non-modular is fine, just need as cheap as can, without compromising on the actual important stuff.

I do have an hx750i laying around that I could give them. It has one issue though. It buzzes/whines a little when the gpu is under load (and only the gpu, heavy cpu is fine). Worse the higher the fps, 60 is basically inaudible, 144 audible noise from psu, but still not excessive, I got rid just because it's on my desk next to me, where they have it, I doubt you would hear it. From looking around, I think whine like that is just an annoyence, not an actual issue,and it was fine when I was using it, but not really sure, don't want to give them a bad/iffy supply.

Not the same psu, but the Hx750i makes pretty much the same/similar to noise to this seasonic here https://youtu.be/DsNSjjG-NY8?t=34, except it's no where near as loud (although I guess that could be the mic) and it only done it when the gpu was loaded up. If it's nothing but an annoyence, then I'll let them have the 750i.

pastymuncher · 11 Jul 2017 at 15:39

The problem you have now is that psu prices have shot up in the past year or so. There's the Bitfenix Whisper M 650w which is £15 cheaper but out of stock on here. Apart from that one, any of the cheaper non-modular units on here either don't have enough power or are rubbish. I only recommend psu's that I would be happy using myself. You could have a look if anything is for sale in the MM.

Armadillo · 11 Jul 2017 at 16:02

pastymuncher said:
The problem you have now is that psu prices have shot up in the past year or so.

. Another thing going up. Friend wanted to get a new build soon. Memory, insane prices, gpu, insane again. Can throw psu on the up in price pile as well then

.

Any thoughts on using the 750i? I only got rid because of the noise, but it won't bother them, so if it's just some sort of harmless whine, they can have it.

If not, oh well. A new psu is still far cheaper than a new less power hungry gpu with the grunt of a 290.

pastymuncher · 11 Jul 2017 at 18:54

If it's only coil whine and they can put up with it then use that. It's a better unit than the BeQuiet.

Armadillo · 11 Jul 2017 at 20:51

Yeah, pretty sure it's just whine. Only does it with the gpu and pitch/loudness changes with fps (60 is basically nothing, 144hz, little bit audible). I used it while whining for a few months without issue, I got rid purely because my case is right next to me, so any sort of noise is annnoying.

I'll give them that if it's just annoying and nothing more. If it's audible/annoying where they have it, then it can just be a temp solution until prices go down or I can get a decent unit on the mm.

Armadillo · 11 Jul 2017 at 22:23

Aww. Seems the Corsair is not fit for use

. Got it out it's box to give it the once over and double check everything before passing it on and the ntc thermistor is cracked and the outer coating is coming off/has pieces missing. Really hard to get a nice pic though the grill, don't want to hotlink, so https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Corsair/HX750i/4.html. 5th picture down, green outer coating is all cracked and splitting. Such a shame

. Standard part, not in warranty, wonder if it's worth getting it replaced or if it points to a larger issue, rather than an isolated component failure.

Will have to stick with the 5850 for now then and put the 290 to one side.

pastymuncher · 12 Jul 2017 at 09:14

Doesn't the Corsair have a 7 year warranty? The HXi series was only released in 2014.

Armadillo · 12 Jul 2017 at 14:50

pastymuncher said:
Doesn't the Corsair have a 7 year warranty? The HXi series was only released in 2014.

It does, but it's latest in the line of warranty replacements from Corsair (havent really had much luck with their supplies).

Originally I had a TX650 which only has 5 years. TX650 failed, replacement had a bad fan which seemed to be a batch problem, so it got swapped to a hx750. The 750 had to replaced right near the end of the original 5 years. 750i was the replacement as the 750 was not longer made, when I was getting it changed, Corsair said the warranty period is from the original (so 5 years tx650), so it's out of warranty now. Don't think I have any paperwork for the 750i either.

pastymuncher · 12 Jul 2017 at 18:51

To say you haven't had much luck with Corsair is a bit of a understatement. :eek:

Armadillo · 22 Jul 2017 at 17:11

So, quick update. Decided to replace the ntc thermistor, so figured take it out, hopefully it will have the relevent markings on it and I can get a replacement. At least that was the plan, it had other ideas.

Seems like it really was on it's last legs. Desoldered it, freed it from the white glue/silicon they dribble on components in psus, pulled it free and it literally fell to bits

So a real long shot, it's a standard component, but no idea of the value now. I don't suppose anyone knows or could point me in the direction of a forum that might.

Thanks.