Does the GTX 280 absolutely NEED to be connected to 2 PCIE power connectors?

C

cheesetogo

Weaksauce
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
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I ordered a GTX 280 for my system, and to my dismay, the box did not include a molex => PCIE 8 Pin adapter. If I were to only connect it with one 6 Pin, would I have some issues? Is there a potential danger in damaging the card if it doesn't get enough power?

I really don't understand why the GTX 280 needs so many PCIE connectors - my X1900XTX actually uses more power than the GTX 280 (based on the Anandtech reviews of each card), yet the X1900XTX requires only 1 PCIE 6 Pin connector. What gives?
 
You will hear an alarm at bootup letting you know you didn't connect both connectors.
Your system will not bootup without both plugged in.

 
You really need to know the brand and specs for you PSU before you can make an informed decision.
 
Yeah I had a Corsair 450 vx but it had the wrong type of 8 pin plug so I had to buy a 750 Antec Earthwatts. Make sure it is compatible.
 
cheesetogo said:
In the GTX 280 system, a QX770 is used. In the X1900XTX system, a FX-57 is used. I've got to imagine that a QX770 would pull more power.

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2679&p=15

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3334&p=9
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Again, what PSU do you have? Just because it has a decent amount of wattage does not mean that it has a decent amount of ameps on the +12V rail.

Also, problems with those two reviews: Different PSUs with different levels of efficiency. IN addition,

@ Spaceman:
there's never been a 750 Antec Earthwatts. Did you mean the EA650 650W?
 
The power draw from the PCIE bus is about 65 to 75 watts. This is why many video cards need to supplemental power. A 6 pin PCI run adds another 65 to 75 watts and an 8 pin brings up the total another 150 watts. Now, keep in mind those are all sources of power. It will depend on the design of the card where it sources the power. With the advent of PCI, Crossfire and Tri -SLI, using the motherboard for power from the motherboard has been reduced significantly and the video cards rely more exclusively on the PCIE power runs.

So, motherboard, and dual 6 pins is about 195 watts to 225 watts. Motherboard, single 6 and a single 150 is supports up to 300 watts.

Keep in mind, however, that a 6 pin and 8 pin are very similar but the 8 pin has extra ground runs. And, since many 8 pin runs are simply six pin runs with adapters, it means that the 6 pin run on a PSU is just as capable as an 8 pin. But, again, it comes down to the power draw design on the card. 8 pin sockets will draw more power than a 6 pin.

Power Supply choice will depend on your load balances. A single big rail PSU is the easiest to manage since you can never overload one rail versus another.The high capacity PC Power and Cooling PSUs leverage that design.

NVIDIA has their certified products page here. Keep in mind that it is more of a marketing item than technical requirement:

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_ecosystem.html
 
cheesetogo,

You appear to be going about this the wrong way, if you skimp now your going to pay later.

Do it right the first time ;)
 
The PSU is the last place to roll back any investment. It is the heart of your PC. If it dies, everything else goes with it. It is always been best practice to get the best PSU you can afford. If your PSU costs less than your motherboard, you probably did not spend enough. I use this as a rule of thumb. $89 motherboard - $89 PSU. $300 motherboard - $300 PSU. This will ensure that you can use the features of the motherboard to their full potential whether that be more video cards, all of the SATA connectors, memory, or high end CPU.

Always be wary of the wattage rating. Many cheaper PSUs will load up capaicty on the 5V and 3.3 V rails since those are easy to convert. You will notice that on the spec listings. Good PSUs have most of their power rating aligned to the 12V rail (s).
 
Dont feel bad.

I have an "Nvidia Certified" and "SLI Ready" power supply I picked up less then a year ago.

Just put in a GTX 280 and found both, I didnt have the right conecters and had to use the adapters that came with the Vid card and that the 650 watt (silverstone modular) doesnt have the, um, Guts to power both the GTX 280 and my old 8800 gtx (was going to put my second monitor on it and run physics)

When I get the cash together I plan to pick up a new Power Supply. The old going to my "make a linux box" foundation.
 
HeavyH20 said:
If your PSU costs less than your motherboard, you probably did not spend enough.
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Thats a very poor comparision, considering how much top end mobo's can cost :rolleyes: Unless your running Dual or triple SLI or shit loads of drives, you can get a quality PSU for around $100
 
Freezebyte said:
Thats a very poor comparision, considering how much top end mobo's can cost :rolleyes: Unless your running Dual or triple SLI or shit loads of drives, you can get a quality PSU for around $100
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No, you certainly cannot get the right PSU to power up the potential of the motherboard for $100. And, the keyword is potential. Sure, you could cheap out and get a PSU that meets your current minimum needs, but, it is still not a wise investment. There are reasons to invest in a good PSU:

1. You can expand as needed (SLI, more memory, more hard drives, more powerful CPU, etc, etc)
2. Keeping loads to about 65% of the PSU capacity will help keep the PSU at peak efficiency without getting loud since heat is less of an issue at normal loads.
3. A good PSU will get you voltage regulation, top quality components, ratings at 50C, and proper voltage ratings.

If you spend $500 on a video card, $300 on a motherboard, $300 on RAM, $200 on a fast hard drive and $900 on a good monitor only to power it all up with a $99 PSU, you have made a very short term, lopsided decision. I cannot stress it enough, invest in a good PSU.
 
HeavyH20 said:
No, you certainly cannot get the right PSU to power up the potential of the motherboard for $100. And, the keyword is potential. Sure, you could cheap out and get a PSU that meets your current minimum needs, but, it is still not a wise investment. There are reasons to invest in a good PSU:

1. You can expand as needed (SLI, more memory, more hard drives, more powerful CPU, etc, etc)
2. Keeping loads to about 65% of the PSU capacity will help keep the PSU at peak efficiency without getting loud since heat is less of an issue at normal loads.
3. A good PSU will get you voltage regulation, top quality components, ratings at 50C, and proper voltage ratings.

If you spend $500 on a video card, $300 on a motherboard, $300 on RAM, $200 on a fast hard drive and $900 on a good monitor only to power it all up with a $99 PSU, you have made a very short term, lopsided decision. I cannot stress it enough, invest in a good PSU.
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Who says you can't get a good power supply for 100$?

Corsair 750TX
PCP&C 750W

There are plenty others at or under the 100$ price point which are very good.
 
HeavyH20 said:
No, you certainly cannot get the right PSU to power up the potential of the motherboard for $100. And, the keyword is potential. Sure, you could cheap out and get a PSU that meets your current minimum needs, but, it is still not a wise investment. There are reasons to invest in a good PSU:

1. You can expand as needed (SLI, more memory, more hard drives, more powerful CPU, etc, etc)
2. Keeping loads to about 65% of the PSU capacity will help keep the PSU at peak efficiency without getting loud since heat is less of an issue at normal loads.
3. A good PSU will get you voltage regulation, top quality components, ratings at 50C, and proper voltage ratings.

If you spend $500 on a video card, $300 on a motherboard, $300 on RAM, $200 on a fast hard drive and $900 on a good monitor only to power it all up with a $99 PSU, you have made a very short term, lopsided decision. I cannot stress it enough, invest in a good PSU.
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Sorry bud, but your perspective on PSU's is bordering on "anal"
 
Not anal, just not ignorant.

Erasmus354 said:
Who says you can't get a good power supply for 100$?

There are plenty others at or under the 100$ price point which are very good.
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And, my point exactly. Neither of those would meet the potential of a 790i or newer x58 board. Two years ago those would have made the grade which is why they are only $100 today.

My point is simple, if you are building a lower end system, a lower end PSU makes sense. It is all about balance. Why spend $2000 on hardware components backed up by a $99 PSU? It is the foundation of the system and why people do lay out $500 for a PC Power and Cooling unit. If I was completely anal, I would have picked up the that unit for $500 or so, but, like you, I looked for balance. I opted for the Coolmax 1200 CUQ since it was relatively inexpensive at $299 and had a good rating at jonnyguru.

I would definitely use either of those 750 Watt PSUs to build a good basic gaming system with a couple 9800 GTX cards, a quad core and 4 GB of DDR2 on a 750i or like board. And, like the price of the PSU, the motherboard is about $100. A good balance.
 
HeavyH20 said:
Not anal, just not ignorant.
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I think the only one ignorant here is you. You don't need a kilowatt PSU to power a GTX 280, and a quality 750W Corsair/PCP&C would run just about everything except tri-SLI or a dozen hard drives. If you want to pay $500 for a PSU when a quality unit can be had at a fraction of the price, go ahead.
 
Eagle156 said:
I think the only one ignorant here is you. You don't need a kilowatt PSU to power a GTX 280, and a quality 750W Corsair/PCP&C would run just about everything except tri-SLI or a dozen hard drives. If you want to pay $500 for a PSU when a quality unit can be had at a fraction of the price, go ahead.
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Which is what I said. Potential - not just the now. Invest in the foundation. You can build a minimal spec system for the GTX 280, that's your choice. So, following that line, you would be wasting money on an SLI board so you might as well get the 750i board or like for a $100 since that is all you will be able to run, one GTX 280.Maybe you could run two, but it will be loading the PSU to a point where inefficiency and noise become a liability. If you picked up a 780i or 790i, you may have wasted money since none of the features will ever be used. You may want to go SLI or Tri SLI some time, but not without the right PSU.
 
HeavyH20 said:
Which is what I said. Potential - not just the now. Invest in the foundation. You can build a minimal spec system for the GTX 280, that's your choice. So, following that line, you would be wasting money on an SLI board so you might as well get the 750i board or like for a $100 since that is all you will be able to run, one GTX 280.Maybe you could run two, but it will be loading the PSU to a point where inefficiency and noise become a liability. If you picked up a 780i or 790i, you may have wasted money since none of the features will ever be used. You may want to go SLI or Tri SLI some time, but not without the right PSU.
Click to expand...

You do know that PSU's stay very efficient even approaching 100% load right?

Bottomline, a quality 750W unit will be good for quad cores and SLI for the next couple of years.

Also there are plenty of reasons to get a 790i or 780i that don't include Tri-SLI. Finally, most people don't upgrade their computers every year. They put together a system and use that system until they put together another one. No need to plan on future upgrade-ability for these people.

Sure there are reasons for a bigger PSU, but it isn't a cut and dry blanket statement that you need to get a more expensive higher capacity unit.
 
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

that calc's never failed me. when testing some builds with a meter the calc is usually very close.

i have the PCPC 750 linked earlier. it was a great PSU at $150 and is fantastic at $100. it powers a Q6700 @3.6ghz, GTX260, 6GB DDR2 4dimms @2.0 vdimm, 5 higher performance 120s and 1 200mm fan no prob. in fact, according to the calc, my entire mid-high setup only requires 576w with 30% capacitor aging.

obviously quality of the unit matters more than the rated wattage and amperage, but if you know it's a solid PSU then anything over 650 is overkill for any single card setup with 1-2 drives. not saying not to buy a nice 650+ drive, only that it's not required for single GFX card setups.

most people know whether they plan on spending $300 on 1 GFX card or $900 on 3. even with adding a card later, people generally have an idea of what they plan on doing (usually not worth it if it's 2+ years old).

you're suggesting that i should buy a PSU able to power dual HD4870s and 8 HDDs because my mobo supports it? get real...
 
HeavyH20 said:
Not anal, just not ignorant.
I would definitely use either of those 750 Watt PSUs to build a good basic gaming system with a couple 9800 GTX cards, a quad core and 4 GB of DDR2 on a 750i or like board. And, like the price of the PSU, the motherboard is about $100. A good balance.
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So, if you never intend to go, at most, over a dual GPU card... what's the use in having a PSU over 750w?

The 80+ certification requires efficiency of 80% under all loads.
 
Just a good solid rule of thumb I have gone with buy quality brands then buy with the expectations your going to use it for several years or more.

I just replaced my OCZ 620w that has lasted me close to 4 years now that is getting replaced by a 1000w.

Mind you I was anal until I found a deal in which I found a basically new used unit for $150 I wasnt really ready to make the leap into paying $300 for a PSU. For some people I can see how they really don't want to pay for it but it's really the life support of the whole build.

Had so many friends that have bought those 30 dollar 800w power supplies that dont even weight half a lb yet they come crying to me to fix things when it took the whole system with it.

After posting this I hope the SilverStone Strider 1000W I got coming in does not treat me wrong.
 
The short answer to the OP is yes it will need 2 power connectors. I remember back in the day I forgot to plug my 7800gt into the PSU and it was giving me shitty performance because it scaled down performance due to the lack of power it received, so I assume the gtx280 would do something similar if you don't give it all the power it deserves.
 
Thread necromancy time because I need to make sure of something I've done:

My system has a nice 750 watt PSU that Maingear installed for me a year ago. Easily exceeds the minimum specs for a GTX280. The only thing it doesn't have is an 8-pin connector on the PSU. All the other specs are as they should be.

I ran an EVGA 8800GT 512 in this system with zero issues until two weeks ago. I researched carefully and bought an EVGA GTX280 SSC two weeks ago and installed with EVGA tech support backing me up. My PSU has plenty of six pin connectors on it. What I had to do in my case was use the provided 8 pin to 2 6 pin adapters from GPU to PSU. No problem. Then I had to use the 6 pin to 2 4 pin molexes adapter to connect that part of it into the food chain. Everything seems to work perfectly and I've been gaming ever since.

Here's where it gets a little puzzling for me: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1033339544#post1033339544

Read my posts starting with number three on forward and let me know what you make of that.

I was under the impression that if I did things right I could run the GTX280 in my system and have felt confident until this buggy stuff started to show up.

I'm going to start testing a bunch of games with these newest drivers and then I'm going to roll the drivers back to "old faithful" of 178.43 or whatever those were and see what that does.

Let me know what you all make of this.
 
Can I shove my Ultra 630w PSU I got for $5 from Frys down HeavyH20's throat? Price does not equal quality; there are very good units that are fairly cheap, and there are crappy units that cost a lot.
 
My problem may be solved. I think I was headed towards a little overheating/stability issue. I just set the fan to 100 percent in EVGA Precision and went from flirting with 80 degrees Celsius to mid 60's in Far Cry 2 and about 70 degrees in Dead Space. No more artificacts or crashes. Kind of odd that Dead Space makes the card run hotter than Far Cry 2...
 
Damn, I better go buy one of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101033

You never know, I Potentially could build myself a Skulltrail rig with dual QX9775s, two 4870x2's in crossfire, and of couse 10 300GB Velociraptors and 20 133CFM fans for my case, my dual CPU coolers, my individual NB and SB watercooling set ups, 16GB of ram, and keep my current DVD drive. Hey, I mean, my DVD does have the potential to be in a system like that!

Thanks for the heads up.
 
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