my plan for my first build. $5000-$6000 budget... need your help please (Build log added) - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaiFanatic 


Of course! It "sticks" *Dr. Evil finger thing*
Plus, that's how I fondly remember you

Well y'know something, I'm a drummer so I think I'll make TwoSticks my new user title.    Of course, I know that this stemmed from the funny "stick in the mud" thing, but I also threw TwoSticks in there, so yeah!  There's nothin' like a good pair of sticks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tha d0ctor 

don't listen to the others, get a 1200w PSU for the option of future upgradability. I would go tri or quad sli too with that budget, that or spend the remaining money on a high resolution monitor

For future upgradability to what?  Each new release of CPUs and GPUs require less power than their predecessors, so a 1200W is absolutely unnecessary unless you're planning on having four GTX 480s in 4-way SLi for some reason.  Who would do that in a modern system?  I mean, even having 4 GTX 680s in this system would only require a quality 950W power supply.

For example:  Guru3D did a review of three GTX 680s and tested the power consumption of their test system with just one, then with two, and then finally with all 3.  With all 3 in their system with all 3 under full load (but not the CPU), their test system pulled 649W from the wall outlet.  Now, if I add 200W in order to account for a very power-hungry CPU under full load as well as having cold cathode lights and a water cooling system, then that would be 849W from the wall outlet.  However, the PSU is not 100% efficient, so that means the system would not pull 849W from the PSU.  Instead, it would be no more than 725W (721.65W exactly) which means a quality 750W PSU is plenty.

When Guru3D added the 2nd GTX 680, it added 166W to the power draw.  When they added the 3rd GTX 680, it added 176W to the power draw.  So, let's add 186W to 725W.  If that's what it would add, then their entire test system would pull about 911W from the power supply.

So unless he's planning on having 3-4 GTX 680s or something similar, there's no need to even get a quality 750W power supply.  A quality 650W PSU is more than enough.

Are you still worried about future upgrades?  If so, then check this out:  from NVIDIA's line of video cards alone, the GTX 580 pulls less power than the GTX 480, and the GTX 680 pulls less than the GTX 580.  So the GTX 780 will pull less than the GTX 680.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atham 


I doubt the GTX 780 a.k.a. GK100 will not be that efficient IMO. The GK104 (GTX680-- to GTX 660ti) seems efficient due to the die size. But I guess that nVidia will do something to make it more efficient.

The point is that CPUs and GPUs are getting more and more efficient, requiring less power than their predecessors when comparing like for like where possible, and so therefore a quality 650W power supply should be more than enough for any system with 1-2 video cards in it for a long time to come.