Power Question

[JMCD]

Well I've got my new rig set up and here are the specs.
Silverstone 750w PSU
EVGA 780i
C2D E8500
XFX 8800 ultra
4gb corsair ram
zalman 9700
2 250gb seagate hdds
I have about 6 case fans.

Now before I say anything else I have a zalman fan controller which measures the amount of power going into the power supply. At idle it pulls around 250w and at load around 360w. I've yet to see anything higher than this. Originally I thought I was going to get a 9600GT but the 8800 ultras are on sale for 170-200$! So I changed my mind after already ordering the PSU. My question is will a 750w be enough to go SLI? A friend of mine has 3 on 1000w so I would think it would work. Also considering how much power I'm pulling, 350w x .8 for efficiency is still only 280w. I would like to make a decision soon since it's on sale for $170 and I can't imagine that lasting forever. Upgrading my PSU is out of the question for money reasons. Anyways any input would be appreciated

Thanks

Mike

[enaberif]

most people have more power than needed for most systems.

a 750w is MORE than enough for a SLI system.. but it depends on what cards you are running together.

[jay51]

2 x8800 ultra's will work on 750w,i run 2x8800gtx with no probs on 750

[JMCD]

Turns out it is about borderline for enough power. If I max my fps to 100 I don't use an excessive amount of power and I don't crash. If I leave maxfps off it shutsdown randomly. For now I'm keeping all my games locked but I'll have to upgrade in the future.

[DarKStar]

It's always best to get a PSU that is overrated for what you use, this way it is future proof and it will not be running at its peak and under constant stress/heat - always take into account your total usage under full load and get something that is SLI certified and you're set.

[JMCD]

Yeah it was my first build and it was one of the first things I ordered (on sale so it looked appealing). Then I ended up changing my mind and getting the 8800 ultra. Anyways A friend of mine is looking to upgrade to a 1200W PSU and might sell me his 1000W Ultra. I suppose I'll be selling my current PSU.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by JMCD

Yeah it was my first build and it was one of the first things I ordered (on sale so it looked appealing). Then I ended up changing my mind and getting the 8800 ultra. Anyways A friend of mine is looking to upgrade to a 1200W PSU and might sell me his 1000W Ultra. I suppose I'll be selling my current PSU.

1200w and 1000w are total overkill and absolute un-needed.

Lots of 700w power supplies go on sale for under $110 all the time.

[Eagle Eye]

Originally Posted by enaberif

most people have more power than needed for most systems.

a 750w is MORE than enough for a SLI system.. but it depends on what cards you are running together.

It also depends a lot on the qaulity of the PSU you are using not all are made equal regardless of specification. I'd bet that a Corsair TX750 including your own PCP&C 750w would best the silverstone he's using now and those random crashes would dissappear.

Originally Posted by JMCD

Turns out it is about borderline for enough power. If I max my fps to 100 I don't use an excessive amount of power and I don't crash. If I leave maxfps off it shutsdown randomly. For now I'm keeping all my games locked but I'll have to upgrade in the future.

If you are overclocking you should back off a little and reduce the stress on the system it is likely putting to much load on the 12v rails.

[MpG]

Yeah, 1000W is definitely overkill for your needs. That said, if you get a really good deal on that Ultra X3, it's a pretty sweet PSU in its own right. But only if the price is really good. That, or tell your friend that there's a 99% chance he doesn't need the upgrade.

[JMCD]

Originally Posted by MpG

Yeah, 1000W is definitely overkill for your needs. That said, if you get a really good deal on that Ultra X3, it's a pretty sweet PSU in its own right. But only if the price is really good. That, or tell your friend that there's a 99% chance he doesn't need the upgrade.

Oh I know he doesn't, but you know the type where they always want the best. I agree 1000W is overkill as I am barely going over what I have now, but it's a great deal. He's running an C2Q extreme with 3x8800ultras.

Sadly I guess 750 falls just shy of what I really need. I'll be playing around with things first to see. My Zalman fan controller says I'm only bringing in around 500W when it crashes.