Newegg PSU calc

[Zenbaas]

Well i don't think it is the size of PSU that matters really, quality i suppose as you say. My 550w antec runs my system which that calculator says i should need 632

Something to do with rails or some kuk, i know very little about psu's though i must admit

+1 to you not knowing much about psu's

Because people constantly overrate PSUs and the amount of watts you need.

+1. I must stop agreeing with you Ill find a good article for you guys to read over when I get home...

 

[Zenbaas]

PC Power Consumption: How Many Watts Do We Need?

High-End Gaming PC 1

Next goes a top-end and expensive gaming system based on Intel’s newest processor Core i7.

* Processor: Intel Core i7-920 (2.66GHz)
* Mainboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R (iX58 chipset)
* System memory: 3x1GB Samsung (PC3-10666, 1333MHz, CL9)
* Hard disk drive: 1000GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS
* Graphics card: PCI-E 896MB Leadtek WinFast GTX 260 Extreme+ W02G0686
* Optical drive: DVD±RW Optiarc AD-7201S
* System case: IN-WIN IW-J614TA F430 (550W)

High-End Gaming PC 2

The most serious gaming station is the same as in the previous section but the graphics card is replaced with a dual-chip ASUS ENGTX295 (i.e. GeForce GTX 295). Here is the full configuration:

* Processor: Intel Core i7-920 (2.66GHz)
* Mainboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R (iX58 chipset)
* System memory: 3x1GB Samsung (PC3-10666, 1333MHz, CL9)
* Hard disk drive: 1000GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS
* Graphics card: PCI-E 1792MB ASUS ENGTX295/2DI
* Optical drive: DVD±RW Optiarc AD-7201S
* System case: IN-WIN IW-J614TA F430 (550W)

Conclusion

To sum everything up, I will show you a summary diagram with two values for each PC configuration: maximum load (FurMark + Prime95) and typical load (3DMark06).

So, there is nothing frightening about the numbers. Of course, 500 watts is quite a lot. It is about one quarter of an electric iron, but PSUs that can deliver it are widely available for reasonable money, especially if you compare it with the cost of the other components of such a power-hungry configuration. If you want to have a 50% reserve of wattage, a 750W power supply will be sufficient for a system with a Core i7-920 and a GeForce GTX 295.

The other configurations are much more economical. If the graphics card is replaced with a single-chip one, a 500-550W power supply can be used (and it will have a reserve of wattage, too). And an inexpensive 400W PSU will do for midrange gaming PCs.

Note also that this is the power consumption under very heavy tests. No real game can load the computer as heavily as FurMark. It means that a 750W PSU will offer an even larger reserve of power for the most advanced of the tested configurations.

Enjoy!

 

[milomak]

(yes i have a thing that monitors total wattage)

is it easy to setup one of these? where can one pick one up?

 

[LFX]

its actually just a fan controller, the zalman zm-mfc2