PSU rating v GFX Card requirements?

[1.JaVA_Platypus]

Well, I had problems with my PSU as well, when I bought my new vid-card. Judging from the specs on the sticker on the PSU, it could feed my vid-card just fine. But it didn't. PSU's can decrease in quality over the years. I had random black-outs on my system. I bought a new high quality PSU from XFX and I had no more black-outs. My new PSU is 750W max and is a lot more silent then my old 580W.

If your systems remains stable, I shouldn't worry too much. PSU's are meant to get hot. But if you experience black-outs for no reason at all, you should replace the PSU with a better one.

[SEE]

Thanks for the reply, my wife came into the room last night and said something was burning.....sniffed around (like they do) and said it was my PC ....yeeks! The PSU was blasting hot air and the fan full bore and very loud!

I have ordered a Coolermaster Pro M600 which is supposed to be quieter and has a single 40A 12v supply. Not sure I need to have ordered it now, but its a modular type and I suppose it will have the advantage of only requiring the conx I actually need and not having bundles of extra wires hanging about.

[Rattlehead]

I'd say your PSU is definitely taking strain.

A similar thing happened to me years ago, when I got my (then) new 8800GTX. At the time I had an Aopen 530W PSU...which according to websites was sufficient, but in reality it wasn't.
It ran very hot and the fan was going nuts, something it wasn't doing with my older card. My system was stable enough, but logic told me that it wasn't good to have the PSU working that hard, and that was in a non-overclocked system.

[SEE]

Well, I just did a 20min session with CoD and the PSU case is too hot to touch so it's coming out and in with the new one tomorrow. It just goes to show that buying a PSU based on power rating alone isn't necessarily a good idea. Mine is rated at 750W and I thought it would be perfect but, since the 12V supplies are split, I suspect one of them is pretty close to its max when CoD is pushing the 560ti to full load. Its best to have a single 12v supply thats upto the job IMO. I noticed Corsair also have single 12v supples.

[Widowmaker214]

Dying PSU's can also kill system hardware.

They dont provide enough voltage to your gear and it can kill stuff.
Had a dying PSU take out a video card before.

Always good to have a good bit of overhead. That way you aren't running it maxed all the time.
I have a UPS that shows me output wattage so I can get a good idea how much strain Im putting on it.

right now IM running quad SLI (Dual GTX 590s)... off a corsair AX1200.

So far Ive got plenty of overhead on games that can use the SLI.
Glad I didnt have to go up to a 1500w unit (those require a 20 amp line at the wall.. not the usual 15amp wire you find in most homes).

Never skimp on cheap power supplies.. it will bite you in the butt.

As far as the rails go.. even PSU's that claim multiple 20amp rails. Its still usually a single rail that they just divide off.
not a big deal. Just have to look at the amp ratting on them and what your card requires.

with your vid card, Id say that 600w is close.
the 560ti benched pulling about 135w idle and about 285 at load.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/gra...i-1gb-review/8

you should have over 100-150 watts of overhead after you factor in your CPU/mobo/fans and drives.