How much power is the PSU really using???

[Kryogen]

If I have a 300W PSU for example, is it always taking 300W in my power outlet, or it's only using the wattage that it needs?

How much is used approx for a regular comp with a pentium quadcore + 8800GT + 1 HD + 1 optical +soud card? Like a regular setup....

Thanks

 

[Redbeard]

If I have a 300W PSU for example, is it always taking 300W in my power outlet, or it's only using the wattage that it needs?

How much is used approx for a regular comp with a pentium quadcore + 8800GT + 1 HD + 1 optical +soud card? Like a regular setup....

Thanks

It only draws what is needed.

A quad core is either ~100W (Core 2 Quad) or ~130W (Core 2 Extreme), 8800GT is about 110W, HD is 15W or so, Optical and Sound Cards are less than 10W each, I usually add a base of 50-70W for motherboard/RAM/sound card/lan/etc altogether.

If you overclock the processor significantly you can add another 15-35%, same with Video Card. Ideally you're around 300W maximum load with that system, I'd wager, and at idle, probably 120-150W if that.

Meaning that your PSU should probably be a 450W-550W, it'd run nice and quiet even at maximum load (if it's rated accurately) and wouldn't significantly stress the PSU components and shorten their lifespan.

 

[Kryogen]

Yeah, prolly getting an antec sonate 3 with earthwatts 500W. So thats going to be enuf.

Thanks alot

 

[kennyc28]

I have the same setup and I used the psu calculator and I am came up with 624 at 90% load oc'd to 3ghz 524 not oc'd.I actually got a cooler master 750w just to be safe.Crazy how much power a computer needs compared to 5 years ago!

 

[Kryogen]

I really think your numbers are somehow wrong.... 550w is not needed for that kind of comp, seriously.

 

[Farva]

I have the same setup and I used the psu calculator and I am came up with 624 at 90% load oc'd to 3ghz 524 not oc'd.I actually got a cooler master 750w just to be safe.Crazy how much power a computer needs compared to 5 years ago!

Do people never read the stickies?

 

[BillParrish]

Do people never read the stickies?

No, they do not. I highly recommend renaming the sticky titles to

Naked Girl pictures, More naked Girl pictures, and NEW Naked Girl pictures.

Search should be renamed, Naked Girls that what to meet YOU !

 

[Dangman]

I second Bill's recommendation.