Is my power supply big enough?

[Diane K]

Hey guys just got my hands on a RTX 3070.  Just wondering if my 550 watt psu will be able to handle it. I have a seasonic 550 watt Gold plus certified Psu and the EVGA RTX 3070 XC3 ULTRA.  My cpu is a intel i5 9500.  All of the wattage calculators say I have about 75-100 watts of headroom. However i am worried about the power spikes? What do you guys think? 

 

Thanks,

Diane

 

[RONOTHAN##]

If I were buying the system today, I wouldn't pair it with anything less than a good 650w. However, since you already have the 550w, you might as well give it a shot, and you can always undervolt it until a new one comes in if it turns out to not be enough. Nothing will break if it's not enough, worst case scenario you'll trigger OCP and your system will blackscreen. If it does work, it will be by the skin of your teeth, but it's still worth trying rather than having to fork over $100 for a new PSU.

[Fasauceome]

There are quality 500 watt PSUs that run the 3070 no problem. However,

16 minutes ago, Diane K said:

a seasonic 550 watt Gold

which one? and is it currently running the 3070? older Seasonic focus plus models have problems with power spikes, which the 30 series is known for.

[Diane K]

Seasonic FOCUS GM-550, 550W 80+ Gold, Semi-Modular

it is this one

 

I tried it out and it works perfectly!  I tried gaming at 4k, the GPU was at 100% utilization and the system did not shut off or crash. So i guess i am fine? will there be any long term damage to the GPU if I keep it like this for a year or two.  Also my computer runs approx. 8 hours a day every day if that matters. 

[Diane K]

Also are the wattage calculators accurate?  Lastly when i build a new system down the road how much wattage headroom would you recommend?

[Diane K]

https://www.newegg.ca/seasonic-focus-550-gold-ssr-550fm-550w/p/N82E16817151203

here is the link also

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Diane K said:

https://www.newegg.ca/seasonic-focus-550-gold-ssr-550fm-550w/p/N82E16817151203

here is the link also

 

Run Prime 95 and Furmark at the same time.  While in Furmark, hit the space bar to turn the fur donut off and on.   If the PC keeps running, you're good to go.

 

I find a lot of the problems with the Seasonic Focus and Ampere cards depends on the motherboard.  Something to do with the way power is delivered through the slot. Some work.  Some don't.

 

[Diane K]

ok thanks.  If it helps i have a ASROCK B365 Pro 4.  Here is the link https://www.asrock.com/MB/Intel/B365 Pro4/index.asp#CPU

 

I will try those tests and if it works out the thing i would be worried about then would be if the GPU would get damaged in any way. The card if expensive so that is why i am being extremely paranoid.  would there be any long term damage from the card having just a large enough PSU and having it run 8 hours a day every day?  also what do you guys think about undervolting the GPU to extend its life.  I have heard that bitcoin miners do it since the rig is running 24/7.  my computer runs roughly 8 hours a day so would undervolting the gpu be beneficial to the life expectancy of the graphics card.  

[Diane K]

also should i run heaven benchmark instead? I already have it downloaded on my ssd so that would save me some space from having to download furmark.  I also have heard that furmark can damage the GPU? not sure if that is true or not.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, Diane K said:

also should i run heaven benchmark instead? 

No.  Just do Prime 95 and Furmark.  That's the combo that I KNOW will tell you if the PSU will hold up or not.

 

Does Furmark burn up GPU's?  No.  Only if your graphics card is a piece of crap.

 

[OrionFOTL]

8 hours ago, Diane K said:

would there be any long term damage from the card having just a large enough PSU and having it run 8 hours a day every day? 

No, the card doesn't know how big your PSU is, nor would it care. And it doesn't get damaged if your PSU shuts down under heavy transient load - if it even shuts down, like Jonnyguru is telling you to test.

 

8 hours ago, Diane K said:

what do you guys think about undervolting the GPU to extend its life.  I have heard that bitcoin miners do it since the rig is running 24/7.

They do it to reduce the card's power consumption to increase profits per watt.

 

8 hours ago, Diane K said:

my computer runs roughly 8 hours a day so would undervolting the gpu be beneficial to the life expectancy of the graphics card.  

Running it at 10% power, or throwing it in a drawer would be even more beneficial to its life expectancy, but that's not why you bought the card. Your GPU was designed to be used at stock speeds for a reasonable amount of time, so you should enjoy it without willingly gimping yourself for an unknown benefit. If you use the card for 7 years then you won't notice its life extended from 11 years to 12 years, but you will immediately and constantly notice the large performance decrease from undervolting.

[Diane K]

Hey guys.  So i tried out that test and everything seemed to go smoothly.  Nothing crashed so i guess my power supply is large enough.  Thanks for all your help guys!