[Lsoqp8844]

So long story short, I've got plans for a large system that would require three 1500 W power supplies, for a total of 4500 watts. Problem is, I can't plug all of these PSUs into one outlet in my room, because it would exceed the amp rating of the entire circuit. To keep things safely balanced, my idea is to cut a length of cable from a 50m spool I have, and wire it to another circuit, which would be two adjacent rooms. Stick a male plug on one end, and make an external socket housing on the other end to plug the PSUs in to (basically, build an extension cable).

Now, I've had computers in the past that run multiple power supplies. As long as the individual hardware are only receiving power from one of the power supplies, there is no danger of electrical damage. For example, power some hard drives with one PSU, while the mobo is powered by another. However, there are a couple of unique situations for what I am currently building, which forces me into uncharted territory.

Firstly, if I have one PSU powering some video cards, while another PSU powers the CPU, mobo, and RAM, will this be an issue? Since the mobo is able to supply some power from the PCI-e slot, I'm not sure if this will be an issue that gives the same results as powering one piece of hardware with two PSUs.

The second issue is on the AC end of things. Different circuits in a house will have different phases, so it's highly unlikely that I will have all three sources of power in phase with each other. I'm not sure if this would affect the DC side of things.

I have a feeling that both of these issues aren't a problem, but just for peace of mind, I'd like to hear some input.

 

[ixsis]

Can't answer the power question, I just want to hear more about a system that needs 4500 watts...

 

[MightEMatt]

For the second question, that won't make a difference. The power supply rectifies and filters so any difference in phase is irrelevant. As for the first question, I have no experience but I'm assuming it wouldn't cause any issues since I thought that was the whole purpose of multi-psu systems (to split the video cards to a different supply).

Overall I'd say you're good to go but I'd let somebody else weigh in before you jump on it.

Edit: Are you planning on putting all three PSUs on three separate circuits? And what are you using for your extension cables?

 

[Lsoqp8844]

Yes, the three power supplies are going to be on three different circuits. I could safely put two on one circuit, but that would be just under the limit of what the circuit can handle, so I thought it's best to place them on three to allow other appliances to be used alongside them.

The extension cables are nothing more than this, plus this, plus this. Standard 3 core electrical cable. I opted for multi strand, because cable tracks are going to be used in a particular area.

And I'm purposefully omitting the details of this project because I want to release it all in one go, or at least when it's relatively close to completion. The entire project will take a few months to complete. I will say now though that there will be lots of processing power involved!

 

[Gilles3000]

You have 2 choices:

-Use 2 different circuits:
-upgrade the breaker to a higher amperage one.(MAKE SURE YOU WIRING SUPPORTS THIS or you might set your house on fire.)

 

[Blze001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixsis

Can't answer the power question, I just want to hear more about a system that needs 4500 watts...

Seconded... is OP making a server farm in his house?

 

[Lsoqp8844]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilles3000

You have 2 choices:

-Use 2 different circuits:
-upgrade the breaker to a higher amperage one.(MAKE SURE YOU WIRING SUPPORTS THIS or you might set your house on fire.)

It's an apartment. Hence why the second option is out.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Blze001

Seconded... is OP making a server farm in his house?

Wall-mounted [email protected]/BOINC rig with plenty of GPUs attached via PCI-e x1 risers made with remapped USB 3.0 cables.