Maxing out my PSU?

A

Avengeance

Gawd
Joined
Apr 10, 2004
Messages
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I am currently running an Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU. I am wondering if I am maxing it out with my current hardware. Today I tried to put another 2gb of ram in it and it would turn on but vista wouldnt load. Sometimes it doesnt even turn on correctly. Here is what I am running:

Intel Core2 E6550 Stock speeds
Intel G33BU mobo
2gb (2x1gb) OCZ PC800 Ram
XFX 8800GT 512mb Video Card
250gb SATA2 Western Digital 7200RM drive
2x Optical Drives
2x 120mm Yate loon fans
1x 80mm Fan
Soundblaster Audigy2 ZS
 
If you have indeed reached the limit of your PSU, you risk catastrophic failure.
Also the PSU is sure to age faster meaning its max output is constantly dropping (aging occurs faster when the PSU is pushed hard and/or hotter).
This will ensure that at a later date, it either refuses to work unless you remove some of the load (if lucky), or it will die maybe taking out other hardware with it.

A 500W PSU is a bit low for long term use of the kit you have if you overclock, but at stock speeds, it 'should' be ok as long as the PSU hasnt already been overly aged or doesnt have a fault.

Try unplugging some non required items (to reduce the PSU load) and see if the new RAM works. If this does help, you do need a more powerful PSU.
I would get a better PSU if you overclock, its not worth the heartache and expense of pushing a PSU to destruction!


All that waffle aside, todays problem is more likely a ram speed/timing setting which is too fast for the ram you have fitted.
The memory controller has a harder time driving 4 ram modules than it does 2 and often needs to be configured to run at 2T instead of 1T.
If the ram speeds are being auto detected, it might be worth trying to run them all a bit slower by manually setting the timings. Once you have it stable you can work from there to see which settings can be improved.
 
I just figured it out. One of the sticks that I just got was bad but only was having a problem sometimes. Thank you for the information though. Do you think think I should upgrade to a larger wattage power supply? Like an OCZ 700W or so?
 
Heh cool, glad you found the problem.

If its a fairly new PSU and you dont overclock, I wouldnt worry.
But if pushing your system hard, I'd get something a bit bigger thats well reviewed.
700W will be fine.

For reference, I'll be using a 580W PSU with similar kit to you and will be overclocking its nuts off with air cooling. I would definitely need more power if water cooling and clocking to the max.
I monitor my voltage rails occasionally with an oscilloscope and have a mains meter to monitor mains power draw.
As you probably wont be paying as close attention, a more powerful PSU than I use will save you the trouble :)

As mentioned, get a PSU that is well reviewed, theres a lot of sub par PSU's on the market.
 
Can I monitor my voltages on a molex plug with a DVM? Or do I have to pull it from somewhere else?
 
Yes you can, yellow is 12V, red is 5V.
They should be within 5% of rated value but hardware should work to +/=10% as long as the supply is stable.

A meter wont show up the noise, ripple, disturbances etc so its not the ideal tool to check if you are pushing too far.
You can see how much effect running at load has and how the voltage varies as you raise bus speeds and CPU voltage etc.

Its worth noting that the +/-10% limit is an operational limit for the components in your system, not the PSU.
Its not wise to push a PSU so hard that it gets near +/-10% of its rated voltage.
 
Ok, so I went and exchanged the ram and got another set. I put it in and same problem. Right now neither stick will work added on with what I have in my computer. I think the PSU is the culprit and it might need to be replaced.
 
Avengeance said:
I just figured it out. One of the sticks that I just got was bad but only was having a problem sometimes. Thank you for the information though. Do you think think I should upgrade to a larger wattage power supply? Like an OCZ 700W or so?
Click to expand...
No, not to worry. your PSU is not even close to being pushed. Run a Quad Core O/Ced to 3.2GHZ, 8800GT, and 2GB ram on a Corsair VX 450 Watt PSU just fine.
 
Avengeance said:
I am currently running an Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU. I am wondering if I am maxing it out with my current hardware. Today I tried to put another 2gb of ram in it and it would turn on but vista wouldnt load. Sometimes it doesnt even turn on correctly. Here is what I am running:

Intel Core2 E6550 Stock speeds
Intel G33BU mobo
2gb (2x1gb) OCZ PC800 Ram
XFX 8800GT 512mb Video Card
250gb SATA2 Western Digital 7200RM drive
2x Optical Drives
2x 120mm Yate loon fans
1x 80mm Fan
Soundblaster Audigy2 ZS
Click to expand...

Goto Antec's website. They have a PSU calculator. With what is in my signature, the calculator said I need atleast a PSU that can handle 770W.
 
which that the program is completely wrong. Oh well keep feeding them what they want to hear. I would much rather see better voltage regulation, less ripple, and better efficacy then more watts:rolleyes:
 
Easy there guys.

That power supply shouldn't have any problems running that system. Most PSU calculators are horribly inaccurate. If the power supply is the problem it's because it is defective and Antec will replace it under warranty.

Go ahead and test with another PSU. If it works, get on the phone with Antec support.
 
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