Upgrade from EVGA W1

[RaphaNadal]

I currently have a Tier D PSU (I think?), powering my B550 Aorus Pro with a 3700X and a 1650 Super.

 

It’s an EVGA 500 W 80+ unit:

 

https://www.newegg.com/evga-100-w1-500-kr-500w/p/N82E16817438016?&quicklink=true

I plan to upgrade to 6700XT or a 3070 or even a 3080 at some point next year. 

 

I've shortlisted a few PSUs which seem to be high on the PSU tier list for my CPU:

 

https://www.newegg.com/super-flower-leadex-iii-sf-750f14hg-750w/p/1HU-024C-00006

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1548504-REG/seasonic_electronics_focus_gm_750_750w_80.html

I expect 650 W to be sufficient for this combination of CPU/GPU, but have listed 750 W units here.
 

1) Do these prices look reasonable, or are they expected to reduce a bit? I’m planning to buy a new PSU around thanksgiving. 
 

2) Can I get away with 650 W if I don’t overclock my 3700X, beyond what PBO does? My CPU cooler is a Noctua NH-U12S.

 

[Mateyyy]

$129 for the 750W Leadex III sounds fair. I'd say it's definitely worth the extra $5 over the Focus GM.

Some other solid options at (usually) around the same price would be the Corsair RM750x, Fractal Design Ion+ 760W and be quiet! Straight Power 11 Gold 750W.

 

9 minutes ago, RaphaNadal said:

2) Can I get away with 650 W if I don’t overclock my 3700X, beyond what PBO does? My CPU cooler is a Noctua NH-U12S.

Can't comment on RDNA2 since we've barely got any information on those cards, but you could power a system with a 3700X and 3080 (if Nvidia's 320W power draw figure is to be believed), you could run that system with a good 550W PSU, let alone 650 or 750 watts.

So yes, you'd be fine with 650W.

[RaphaNadal]

On 9/15/2020 at 1:35 PM, Mateyyy said:

$129 for the 750W Leadex III sounds fair. I'd say it's definitely worth the extra $5 over the Focus GM.

Some other solid options at (usually) around the same price would be the Corsair RM750x, Fractal Design Ion+ 760W and be quiet! Straight Power 11 Gold 750W.

 

Can't comment on RDNA2 since we've barely got any information on those cards, but you could power a system with a 3700X and 3080 (if Nvidia's 320W power draw figure is to be believed), you could run that system with a good 550W PSU, let alone 650 or 750 watts.

So yes, you'd be fine with 650W.

Any specific reason why Super Flower is better than Seasonic GM/GX

units?

[Mateyyy]

38 minutes ago, RaphaNadal said:

Any specific reason why Super Flower is better than Seasonic GM/GX

units?

Mainly, it's quieter, which is already worth the extra $5 imo. Performance-wise it might be slightly ahead too, but not by a whole lot.

[RaphaNadal]

30 minutes ago, Mateyyy said:

Mainly, it's quieter, which is already worth the extra $5 imo. Performance-wise it might be slightly ahead too, but not by a whole lot.

My present PSU shouldn’t be a ticking time bomb just because it’s not appropriate in spec with the rest of my system, should it? It’s working fine so far and is only about 6 months old.

[MrBrightSyde]

36 minutes ago, RaphaNadal said:

My present PSU shouldn’t be a ticking time bomb just because it’s not appropriate in spec with the rest of my system, should it? It’s working fine so far and is only about 6 months old.

It's bad build quality, and it's only 500w so it would most likely shutdown with the 3080 installed since it wouldn't be able to provide the necessary wattage under any sort of load on the GPU. It's fine for an office build, but not for what you are doing. You need to upgrade your PSU if you want a 3080, and possibly for the 3070 too.

[RaphaNadal]

4 hours ago, Mateyyy said:

Mainly, it's quieter, which is already worth the extra $5 imo. Performance-wise it might be slightly ahead too, but not by a whole lot.

I ordered the 650 W Leadex instead of 750 W, and my goal is to run 3080-comparable GPU, so it should be fine is my belief. I think Nvidia are recommending a higher rated PSU to protect themselves.

[Ankerson]

5 minutes ago, RaphaNadal said:

I think Nvidia are recommending a higher rated PSU to protect themselves.

 

That's not how it works...

 

Even those FE cards can pull 375W....

 

 

[RaphaNadal]

2 minutes ago, Ankerson said:

 

That's not how it works...

 

 

It seems wasteful to buy a 750 W PSU only to run it at 35% efficiency, while I wait for a 3080\equivalent AMD product. 

[Ankerson]

Just now, RaphaNadal said:

It seems wasteful to buy a 750 W PSU only to run it at 35% efficiency, while I wait for a 3080\equivalent AMD product. 

 

 

What are you talking about?

[RaphaNadal]

11 minutes ago, Ankerson said:

 

 

What are you talking about?

My current system draws about 250-300 W max, and a 750 W PSU would be 40% load at best (with efficiency being whatever it is at 40% load). 

 

I cancelled my order as I was doubtful. I guess I should wait longer to make up my mind about what GPU to buy before I buy a beefier PSU.   

[Ankerson]

1 minute ago, RaphaNadal said:

My current system draws about 250-300 W max, and a 750 W PSU would be 40% load at best (with efficiency being whatever it is at 40% load). 

 

I cancelled my order as I was doubtful. I guess I should wait longer to make up my mind about what GPU to buy before I buy a beefier PSU.   

 

Yeah, that would be best....

 

Or at least a very good idea anyway...

[RaphaNadal]

15 hours ago, Ankerson said:

 

Yeah, that would be best....

 

Or at least a very good idea anyway...

Is it a bad idea to run a PSU below 40% efficiency? Asking in general. 
 

if I bought a 750 W PSU, it would be guaranteed to run the GPUs that I’m likely to buy, and is only about $10-15 more than 650 W units. 

[Ankerson]

3 minutes ago, RaphaNadal said:

Is it a bad idea to run a PSU below 40% efficiency? Asking in general. 

 

You mean 40% load....

 

It's not ideal, but it won't hurt it either.

 

Normally you want it in the 50% to 65% load range... Ideally as they run at their peak efficiency range depending on the actual model.