Need a powerful, yet small server PSU...

J

Jaxel

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
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119
Okay, so I have a rather unique requirement for my PC.

First of all, it has to be a 3U server rack case, with a depth of 15 inches... it also needs to fit a full sized ATX motherboard. Currently I have 3U rack cases that fit micro ATX motherboards; but I have run out of expansion slots, so I need to the full total of 6.

There is only one case I have found that met such requirements:
http://www.istarusa.com/istarusa/pr...b=D STORM&model=D-300S5&factor=3#.U-mmRfldVFU

You will notice however that this case does not accept a standard PC power supply unit.

My question is simple. What power supply would fit this unit and be able to supply enough power for a pretty powerful computer, with a top of the line video card and 4 x1 expansion cards in it? I would assume I would need at least 750 watts.
 
As stated in the specs, the case fits a standard 1U power supply. They come up to 2000 watts, so it shouldn't be a problem. But you'll have to find one with 6/8-pin power connectors for the graphics card. With a top of the line GPU, I don't know if Molex adapters would do it.
 
System specs would give us a much better idea of how much power you need. "Top of the line video card" can mean anything from a GTX 680/770 (less than 200 watts) to the R9 295X (up to 600 watts).
 
timmay said:
As stated in the specs, the case fits a standard 1U power supply. They come up to 2000 watts, so it shouldn't be a problem. But you'll have to find one with 6/8-pin power connectors for the graphics card. With a top of the line GPU, I don't know if Molex adapters would do it.
Click to expand...

Every 1U power supply I find doesn't even have cables coming out of them... or they are too long.
 
Since the external Intensity models appear to be powered off of a USB 3.0 port, those cards probably use 10-20 watts, at most. And your R9 270X isn't even high end, it's mid-range. 150 watts. Your system is probably a 400 watt system, at most. 500 if overclocking to the max.
 
I've tried running my system off of 450 watts... While it did work, technically, I had to hold the power button on the computer for 2 minutes everytime I turned it on before the system would actually boot. The moment I replaced the power supply with something more powerful, it worked perfectly fine. I guess I would probably be fine with 600-700 watts though... I just dont know which ones will fit my case.

Also, I consider a $200 video card top of the line personally.
 
Jaxel said:
I've tried running my system off of 450 watts... While it did work, technically, I had to hold the power button on the computer for 2 minutes everytime I turned it on before the system would actually boot. The moment I replaced the power supply with something more powerful, it worked perfectly fine. I guess I would probably be fine with 600-700 watts though... I just dont know which ones will fit my case.

Also, I consider a $200 video card top of the line personally.
Click to expand...

That is a symptom of a bad power supply, not insufficient power. You're not using anywhere near 400 watts during boot, more like 100-150.

What you consider is irrelevant. Top of the line cards cost $500+. Mid-range cards cost 150-250. Low end cards cost below $100. That's the way it is, period.

I'll say it again. You have a mid-range system. Your mid-range system peaks at about 400 watts. A good 500 watt power supply is all you need. Make sure it is a good quality power supply, not a crap one that can't deliver 50% of its rated power in spec.
 
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