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misterix




Posts: 149
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 06:29    Post subject: Wattage question for 2 SLI cards
I want to get 2 SLI cards. On newegg it says that the card needs a minimum of 400Watt Power Supply. If I get 2 does that mean I need a minimum of 800Watts?
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KrAzY-KaMeL




Posts: 2248
Location: City Of Compton
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 08:17    Post subject:
No. First of all why don't you disclose the cards you have in mind. Second the overall wattage Nvidia recommends (Which is inflated for logical reasons) is a very broad and general number. What you need to be looking at is the 12v Rail amp rating they recommend.

For example most mid/high end cards require 30A on the 12v rail. Many PSU's come with multiple 12v rails. I'd say for most any multi-GPU setups a quality 650-700W PSU will suffice but you can go higher/more expensive for peace of mind which many do.
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misterix




Posts: 149
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 09:35    Post subject:
I was looking at XFX GeForce 9600 GSO PVT96OSDFH, I wanted to get 2 cards, my board is a nforce4 with sli. What is the minimum power supply that I would want with that card?
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LeoNatan
☢ NFOHump Despot ☢



Posts: 73213
Location: Ramat Gan, Israel 🇮🇱
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 09:56    Post subject:
Nah, no way you need 800W for two 9600 cards (and the rest of the system). I'd say 600-650W is great for you and will leave you some head room.
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Newty182




Posts: 10805
Location: UK
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 16:32    Post subject:
misterix wrote:
I was looking at XFX GeForce 9600 GSO PVT96OSDFH, I wanted to get 2 cards, my board is a nforce4 with sli. What is the minimum power supply that I would want with that card?


an 8800GT uses somewhere around 100-110watts at peak, the 9600 will use less. about another 200-300watts for everything else (300 max btw).

you would be suprised how much less u need than what u are told by manufacturers. but as said Amperes are important.

Ryzen 5 5600, ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING WIFI II, Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32GB 3600MHz C16, MSI RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC , Corsair RMx Series RM750x. AOC AGON AG324UX - 4K 144Hz 1ms
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misterix




Posts: 149
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 19:20    Post subject:
Can you explain the whole amperes thing and how do I tell if my computer has enough?
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Devi-Lee




Posts: 659
Location: Slovenia
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 20:42    Post subject:
On the back of your PSU there should be a label or sticker that says how many amps each rail (cable) provides. A good PSU will have at least 30 A on the 12V rail which you need to plug into your graphic card. Also it's always wise to check for a test of the PSU that you intend to buy to look for any deviations of amperage when your PSU is put under heavy load.

Basically what I'm saying is that it's best to invest a little more money into a PSU of a recognized brand and eliminate the risk of damaging your computer and ensure a smooth operation in the future.
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Atropa




Posts: 878
PostPosted: Wed, 26th Nov 2008 23:03    Post subject:
Bear in mind I don't know anything about this, but if 9600 uses less than 110 watts then why would you need a 12 V and 30 amps( It does mean ampere?) ?
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Devi-Lee




Posts: 659
Location: Slovenia
PostPosted: Fri, 28th Nov 2008 13:17    Post subject:
Well 30 amps is for newer graphic cards. Older should work with less.
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Atropa




Posts: 878
PostPosted: Fri, 28th Nov 2008 14:26    Post subject:
12 *30 is 360 watt! That's way over the needed :/
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AwE




Posts: 1686
PostPosted: Sun, 30th Nov 2008 22:57    Post subject:
sorry to say this, but i think getting to MIDRANGE Cards for sli is BS!!!

get one 260/280/4870 nad you save money, time and have a better performance.
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