Upgrading your GFX > What about your power supply?

[Timotheus 416]

When you will be upgrading to a new GFX card, you might wonder whether your PSU will be able to handle it. Use the list below to compare your current card to your new one, to determine wether your PSU needs replacing as well. You will find the watts needed for the cards to function properly.

 

3 indications behind a card: Idle (Min) - Idle (Max) - 3D (Max)

2 indications behind a card: Idle (Max) - 3D (Max)

1 indication behind a card: 3D (Max)*

(*)unless stated otherwise

 

Please note that these numbers are only for comparison only. Do not use them to determine the power consumption of your complete pc. Also, Watts aren't the only feature of PSU's that can force you to upgrade. Amps (the amount of current) running through the 12v line is crucial. I will try to update the list with amps in the future.

This list was created by The_Viper on the (Dutch) forum of bouweenpc.nl

 

 

 

nVidia

 

SLI

 

9600 GT SLI - 98W - 148W

 

8800 Ultra 3x SLI - 256W - 528W

8800 Ultra SLI - 168W - 388W

8800 GTX SLI - 166W - 294W

8800 GT SLI - 79W - 185W

8800 GTS SLI - 143W - 241W (2x 640MB 576/1700)

8600 GTS SLI - 92W

 

7950 GX2 SLI - 107W - 220W (“Quad SLI" )

7950 GT SLI - 55W - 131W

7900 GX2 SLI - 301W ("Quad SLI" )

7900 GTX SLI - 67W - 186W

7900 GT SLI - 46W - 110W

7900 GS SLI - 47W - 115W

7800 GTX 512 SLI - 88W - 196W

7800 GTX SLI - 67W - 191W

7800 GT SLI - 43W - 145W

7600 GT SLI - 27W - 77W

7600 GS SLI - 54W

7300 GS SLI - 32W

 

6800 Ultra SLI - 161W

6800 GT SLI - 126W

6800 GS SLI - 47W - 142W

6600 GT SLI - 37W - 100W

 

Singlecard

 

9800 GX2 - 150W (Idle!)

9800 GTX - 131W - 230W

9600 GT - 21W - 54W

9500 GT - unknown

 

8800 Ultra - 85W - 163W

8800 GTX - 70W - 83W - 132W (768MB)

8800 GTS - 51W - 113W (512MB G92)

8800 GT - 35W - 39W - 78W (512MB)

8800 GT - 27W - 45W (256MB)

8800 GTS OC - 60W - 78W - 117W (640MB 576/1350)

8800 GTS - 58W - 71W - 106W (640MB)

8800 GTS - 56W - 69W - 103W (320MB)

8800 GS - 43W - 56W

8600 GTS - 21W - 31W - 47W

8600 GT - 30W

8500 GT - 14W - 19W - 27W

8400 GS - 38W

8300 GS - 24W

 

7950 GX2 - 50W - 110W

7900 GX2 - 143W

7900 GTX - 31W - 52W - 84W

7900 GTO - 29W - 80W

7950 GT - 26W - 37W - 61W

7900 GT - 23W - 32W - 48W

7900 GS - 19W - 28W - 45W

7800 GTX 512 - 29W - 53W - 95W

7800 GTX - 29W - 52W - 81W

7800 GT - 20W - 39W - 57W

7800 GS - 52W

7600 GT - 15W - 23W - 36W

7600 GS 14W - 20W - 27W (underclocked 7600 GT)

7300 GT - 13W - 30W

7300 GS - 9W - 10W - 16W

7300 LE - 24W

 

6800 Ultra - 29W - 72W

6800 GT - 23W - 55W

6800 GS - 20W - 41W - 55W

6800 - 15W - 31W - 39W

6600 GT - 19W - 39W - 48W

6600 - 12W - 24W - 27W (GDDR2 model)

6200 8W - 18W

 

FX 5950 Ultra - 20W - 73W

FX 5900 Ultra - 27W - 59W

FX 5900 XT - 58W

FX 5800 - 53W

FX 5700 Ultra - 24W - 46W

FX 5700 - 10W - 24W

FX 5600 - 65W

FX 5200 - 34W

 

GF4 Ti - 35W

GF3 Ti-GF4 MX - 30W

 

Quadro

 

FX 5600 - 157W

FX 5500 - 89W

FX 4500 - 109W

FX 4400 - 110W

FX 4000 PCI-E - 85W

FX 4000 AGP - 105W

FX 3450 - 83W

FX 3400 - 101W

FX 1400 - 13W - 68W

FX 1300 - 59W

FX 540 - 35W

FX 330 - 21W

 

 

 

ATi

Crossfire

 

HD 3870 CF - 48W - 193W

HD 3850 CF - 45W - 159W

 

HD 2900 XT CF - 98W - 319W (2x 1GB GDDR4)

HD 2900 XT CF - 115W - 354W (2x 512MB GDDR3)

 

X1950 XTX CF - 30W - 234W

X1900 XTX CF - 84W - 222W (XTX with an XT master card)

X1900 XT CF - 30W - 209W

X1950 Pro CF - 24W - 121W

X1900 GT CF - 150W

X1800 XT CF - 92W - 216W

X1800 XL CF - 71W - 172W

X1650 XT CF - 25W - 112W

X1600 XT CF - 94W

X1600 PRO CF - 82W

X1300 PRO CF - 72W

 

X850 XT CF - 152W

X800 XL CF - 110W

 

Singlecard

 

HD 3870 X2 - 65W - 188W

HD 3870 - 19W - 25W - 81W

HD 3850 - 14W - 20W - 63W

HD 3690 - 21W - 51W

HD 3650 - 8W - 31W

HD 3470 - 25W

HD 3450 - 7W - 10W

 

HD 2900 XTX - 270W (OEM 12.4" )

HD 2900 XTX - 240W (Retail 9.5" )

HD 2900 XT - 95W - 159W (1GB GDDR4)

HD 2900 XT - 72W - 76W - 161W (512MB GDDR3)

HD 2900 Pro - 71W - 76W - 133W

HD 2900 XL - 180W

HD 2600 XT - 21W - 28W - 49W

HD 2600 Pro - 16W - 22W - 31W

HD 2400 XT - 7W - 15W - 19W

HD 2400 Pro - 7W- 14W

 

X1950 XTX - 33W - 54W - 125W

X1900 XTX - 29W - 50W - 121W

X1950 XT - 110W

X1900 XT - 28W - 46W - 109W

X1900 XT - 27W - 99W (R580+ 256MB model)

X1950 Pro - 24W - 36W - 66W

X1950 GT - 15W - 53W

X1900 GT - 25W - 45W - 75W

X1800 XT OC - 26W - 48W - 110W (XT OC version, 700/1600)

X1800 XT - 30W - 52W - 103W

X1800 XL - 27W - 42W - 57W

X1800 GTO - 25W - 35W - 48W

X1650 XT - 23W - 42W - 55W

X1650 Pro - 23W - 44W

X1600 XT 24W - 38W - 42W

X1600 Pro - 24W - 30W - 41W

X1300 XT - 28W

X1300 Pro - 18W - 26W - 31W

 

X850 XT PE - 74W

X850 XT - 27W - 45W - 69W

X800 XT PE - 18W - 63W

X800 XT - 58W

X800 Pro - 15W - 48W

X800 XL - 18W - 36W - 49W

X800 GTO - 19W - 31W - 49W

X800 GT - 21W - 31W - 40W

X800 - 37W

X700 XT - 12W - 38W

X700 PRO - 16W - 30W - 33W

X700 - 29W

X600 XT - 11W - 25W

X600 - 42W

X300 - 8W - 16W

X300 SE - 31W

 

9800 XT - 38W - 60W

9800 Pro - 31W - 47W

9700/9800 - 42W

9600 XT - 9W - 22W

9600 Pro - 9W - 18W

9500/9600 - 17W

9000-9200 - 35W

 

 

FireGL

GL V8600 - 155W

GL V7530 - 33W - 113W

GL V7300 - 112W

GL V7100 - 78W

GL V5200 - 44W

GL V3200 - 55W

 

GL X3-256 - 67W

GL X1-256 - 46W

 

 

 

S3

 

Multichrome

 

MultiChrome S27 - 28W - 56W

 

 

Singlecard

 

Chrome S25 - 21W

Chrome S27 -14W - 21W - 24W

 

 

 

Ageia

 

PhysX PPU - 28W

Edited August 4, 2008 by Timotheus

[gogoblender 3,071]

Awesome post Timo, thank you.

 

Good lord... do just cards actually use this much?

 

 

gogo

[Timotheus 416]

Well the higher they are on their respective list, the more powerhungry they are

[gogoblender 3,071]

Hey Timo, is there stats anywhere that can tell me how much my computer costs roughly a month in electricity? I ask because we were thinking of keeping my old comp running as a server...but weren't sure how much more it would add to the electricity bill.

 

 

gogo

[Silearth 6]

Hey Timo, is there stats anywhere that can tell me how much my computer costs roughly a month in electricity? I ask because we were thinking of keeping my old comp running as a server...but weren't sure how much more it would add to the electricity bill.

 

 

gogo

 

That has always been an area of great confusion for me. I remember being told that the cost to keep your PC running 24/7 is minimal. But I have friends who are always complaining about their power bills--blaming their computers. I think that SDGE used to have a costing tool on it's site.....

[tomi 0]

Wow nice list Timo.

 

I'll learn some things of it.

 

Yeah I heard to that the bills are very high bcos of th computers.

 

With computers basically we heat the nature. And the global heat (?) is worse and worse.

 

[Zinsho 0]

The heat aspect is iffy... if you've got air conditioning running then yes, it adds to the electricity bill since you have to compensate, however when you have heating running (or when you're cooling the house via open windows) then it costs you nothing 'extra'. In fact you 'save' some money when the electric heat is on if you've got PCs running since heat is heat, no matter the source. If your computer heats the house 1 degree, then the furnace has 1 less degree to heat.

 

And although today this isn't the case anymore for most people, I remember comparing at one point during a LAN party at a friend's house. 5 CRTs and 5 Desktops, the CRTs on average drained more electricity than the computers, horribly inefficient machines they are (we were gaming, however we could short a circuit with the monitors that the PCs wouldn't short at the same time... although the following site might disagree with this statement slightly).

 

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html

 

It gives you a rough idea of what you're likely using.

[Timotheus 416]

A small update with an article over at tomshardware.com