What's a good PSU for a 9800 GT?

arisaka · 07-23-2012, 10:26 PM

So my brother has a 9800 GT which replaced the HD 5450 in his prebuilt HP desktop, but we're worried that the PSU isn't up to scratch. What do you guys recommend?

Also, I was thinking of getting an HD 6850, and my computer is also a prebuilt desktop, and yes, the PSU probably isn't good enough. *cue more groans* My friend found this dedicated graphics card PSU. What do you think about that--is it worth it, or is there something better? (Just found out that, apparently, the dedicated graphics card PSU linked above sucks.)

EDIT on 7/26: From now on I will be referring to the 9800GT desktop as my brother's computer, and the HD 6850 one as mine. Hopefully it won't be confusing!

EDIT2 on 7/26: I didn't mention this earlier: My brother's computer (the 9800GT one) doesn't always turn on the PSU fan when he's gaming, so after a little while, the computer will crash and restart. Our slightly more hardware-savvy friend agrees that it's probably an issue with the default PSU. People have recommended the Corsair 650TX

BuffCareBear · 07-24-2012, 04:10 AM

What are the computer cases of both computers? I suspect they are regular mid-size but there a chance they won't accept a normal ATX PSU.
To be honest just buy one PSU that's good, less margin of error. In my opinion you want as few points of failure as possible have an extra PSU is just another point of failure, though others may disagree.

Doc_Gonzo · 07-24-2012, 04:44 AM

If you list the make and model number of the desktops you want to upgrade the Power Supply in, we can check to see it it uses a standard ATX supply or not and go from there. Dell have some small form factor supplies but I've seen HP machines with normal, replaceable units.

arisaka · 07-24-2012, 01:36 PM

Ah, thanks for the replies. So both desktops are HP.

One is an HP p7-1180t (the one that will have a 6850).

The other is a HPE-400Z, the one with the 9800GT. I'm guessing that both cases are your average mid sized ones.

StinkyBlumps · 07-24-2012, 02:32 PM

pre-builts almost always use mid-sized cases

Atwooooood · 07-24-2012, 02:36 PM

If it uses a standard size case/form factor, I'm using a Corsair 650TX with my 9800GTX+.

YahooElite · 07-24-2012, 04:42 PM

a 9800GT shouldnt be a problem for a standard powersupply.

Upgrading to a 6850 and the like, then yes youd most likely need a better PSU.

arisaka · 07-24-2012, 08:59 PM

So would you guys recommend the Corsair 650TX for use with the 6850?

YahooElite · 07-25-2012, 12:08 AM

Yeah thatd work fine.

cannondale06 · 07-25-2012, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YahooElite

a 9800GT shouldnt be a problem for a standard powersupply.

Upgrading to a 6850 and the like, then yes youd most likely need a better PSU.

the standard HP power supply? um no. we have gone over this plenty of times as I think half the people here have HP computers. there is no way that the standard cheap oem 300 watt psu will safely power that system with a 9800gt. and before people say 300 watts is plenty, he does NOT have 300 watts to work with if that is the standard 300 watt psu. it is a cheap oem psu that is lucky to make 150 watts on the 12v line when brand new under realistic conditions.

OP, I have that Corsair psu and it would be really overkill for that system but its not too expensive and you always use it in another build later.

HL2-4-Life · 07-25-2012, 01:55 AM

My bro's P4 finally bit the dirt, so I suggested a big upgrade using some spare parts I had lying a round, and some new ones. Since his P4 came with some crappy generic PSU, I had to get a new one for him. Bought a cheap casing which came with a state-of-the-crud PSU which had only 230W True Power (though rated at 450W), so it won't do since this upgrade would be a quantum jump (for him at least):
LGA775 C2 Q6600
Asus P5E (one bad dimm slot)
2x 2GB KVR DDR2 800
LeadTek GTS450 2GB (New)
500GB WDC Blue
2x ODD

Now, I didn't want to buy some cheap PSU, but he did not wish to spend too much on this upgrade but I talked him into a compromise. Looked around and found a Xigmatek 600W unit (two 12v rails @22A each), though Xigmatek isn't known for PSUs, I figured that it would be much better than some generic 700W PSU, so I bought it. Not exactly heavy, but isn't light either and seems to be of quality build, the generic '450W' PSU that came with the case was so damn light, I'd hardly feel its weight....so, weight matters in PSU. This Xigmatek PSU is priced quite reasonably for a 600W unit, the +12v rails seem solid enough when I left the unit running for a couple of hours checking for stability. Unfortunately, I can't complete the build as the heatsink I have (TRUE 120) is way too big for the case...damn oversight on my part.

MeStinkBAD · 07-25-2012, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arisaka

So my brother has a 9800 GT which replaced the HD 5450 in his prebuilt HP desktop, but we're worried that the PSU isn't up to scratch. What do you guys recommend?

Also, I was thinking of getting an HD 6850, and my computer is also a prebuilt desktop, and yes, the PSU probably isn't good enough. *cue more groans* My friend found this dedicated graphics card PSU. What do you think about that--is it worth it, or is there something better?

I would stick with the power supply you have. If you haven't experianced any issues there is *NO* reason to replace it. I remind you that it's doubtful that more than a dozen of the people here know how much power their system is using at any given time (well I do, I have 4 HDs spinning at 10,000 RPM, two Xeon processors, an ATI 5870, and I am using only ~180W at the moment).

Bottom line, if you aren't experiencing any issues there isn't a need to fix anything. Without more information we can only speculate on what you should do. Does your friend's HP behave any differently now than it did with the HD 5450? If not, no don't bother replacing anything unless you feel it's necessary.

borg_7_of_9 · 07-25-2012, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeStinkBAD

I would stick with the power supply you have. If you haven't experianced any issues there is *NO* reason to replace it. I remind you that it's doubtful that anyone here knows how much power their system is using at any given time (well I do, I have 4 HDs spinning at 10,000 RPM, two Xeon processors, an ATI 5870, and I am using only ~180W at the moment).

Yeah know one here knows how much power there using

that would have to be the most stupid answer I have seen...
There is at least a dozen ppl that understand PSU's n how they work, what's good and what's crap and we have power meters....

In saying that nvidia's site says the gt9800 requires 2x 6 pin pci-e power

but the card has a 106W tdp the OEM HP power supply won't have 2x pci-e 6 pin power connectors for one, 2: assuming the psu is 300Watts I doubt it can deliver 200W on the 12V rail safely without ripple or overheating..

OP Best get a better quality psu IMHO with a few more watts/amp's on the 12V rail...

dosbox · 07-25-2012, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HL2-4-Life

Now, I didn't want to buy some cheap PSU, but he did not wish to spend too much on this upgrade but I talked him into a compromise. Looked around and found a Xigmatek 600W unit (two 12v rails @22A each), though Xigmatek isn't known for PSUs, I figured that it would be much better than some generic 700W PSU, so I bought it. Not exactly heavy, but isn't light either and seems to be of quality build, the generic '450W' PSU that came with the case was so damn light, I'd hardly feel its weight....so, weight matters in PSU. This Xigmatek PSU is priced quite reasonably for a 600W unit, the +12v rails seem solid enough when I left the unit running for a couple of hours checking for stability. Unfortunately, I can't complete the build as the heatsink I have (TRUE 120) is way too big for the case...damn oversight on my part.

Xigmatek in general are tarted up generic PSU's. Send it back unless it's this one.

Also, with high efficiency PSU's, weight cannot be used to "measure" PSU quality as they don't need as many big heatsinks any more.

YahooElite · 07-25-2012, 05:05 PM

a 9800GT at the least will need a 6pin yes

Whats suggested for it is this -

Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply. (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 26 Amps.)

If the OP is gonna get a better PSU JUST for that card, then he may as well save up for a better or atleast recent graphics card as well.

For the record, my Previous HP Desktops Powersupply did come with a 6pin PCI-E, and that was like 5 years ago or so, so it is possible.

07-23-2012, 10:26 PM	#1
arisaka Join Date: May 2009 Reputation: 398 Posts: 1,439	What's a good PSU for a 9800 GT? So my brother has a 9800 GT which replaced the HD 5450 in his prebuilt HP desktop, but we're worried that the PSU isn't up to scratch. What do you guys recommend? Also, I was thinking of getting an HD 6850, and my computer is also a prebuilt desktop, and yes, the PSU probably isn't good enough. cue more groans My friend found this dedicated graphics card PSU. What do you think about that--is it worth it, or is there something better? (Just found out that, apparently, the dedicated graphics card PSU linked above sucks.) EDIT on 7/26: From now on I will be referring to the 9800GT desktop as my brother's computer, and the HD 6850 one as mine. Hopefully it won't be confusing! EDIT2 on 7/26: I didn't mention this earlier: My brother's computer (the 9800GT one) doesn't always turn on the PSU fan when he's gaming, so after a little while, the computer will crash and restart. Our slightly more hardware-savvy friend agrees that it's probably an issue with the default PSU. People have recommended the Corsair 650TX Last edited by arisaka: 07-29-2012 at 06:47 PM. Reason: adding information

07-24-2012, 01:36 PM	#4
arisaka Join Date: May 2009 Reputation: 398 Posts: 1,439	Ah, thanks for the replies. So both desktops are HP. One is an HP p7-1180t (the one that will have a 6850). The other is a HPE-400Z, the one with the 9800GT. I'm guessing that both cases are your average mid sized ones. Last edited by arisaka: 07-24-2012 at 01:38 PM.

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07-24-2012, 04:10 AM	#2
BuffCareBear Join Date: Jan 2011 Reputation: 34 Posts: 256	What are the computer cases of both computers? I suspect they are regular mid-size but there a chance they won't accept a normal ATX PSU. To be honest just buy one PSU that's good, less margin of error. In my opinion you want as few points of failure as possible have an extra PSU is just another point of failure, though others may disagree.

07-24-2012, 04:44 AM	#3
Doc_Gonzo Join Date: Nov 2010 Reputation: 819 Posts: 1,697	If you list the make and model number of the desktops you want to upgrade the Power Supply in, we can check to see it it uses a standard ATX supply or not and go from there. Dell have some small form factor supplies but I've seen HP machines with normal, replaceable units.

07-24-2012, 02:32 PM	#5
StinkyBlumps Join Date: Jul 2012 Reputation: 24 Posts: 100	pre-builts almost always use mid-sized cases

07-24-2012, 02:36 PM	#6
Atwooooood Join Date: Apr 2009 Reputation: 125 Posts: 698	If it uses a standard size case/form factor, I'm using a Corsair 650TX with my 9800GTX+.

07-24-2012, 04:42 PM	#7
YahooElite Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 782 Posts: 6,954	a 9800GT shouldnt be a problem for a standard powersupply. Upgrading to a 6850 and the like, then yes youd most likely need a better PSU.

07-24-2012, 08:59 PM	#8
arisaka Join Date: May 2009 Reputation: 398 Posts: 1,439	So would you guys recommend the Corsair 650TX for use with the 6850?

07-25-2012, 12:08 AM	#9
YahooElite Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 782 Posts: 6,954	Yeah thatd work fine.

07-25-2012, 01:55 AM	#11
HL2-4-Life Join Date: Feb 2005 Reputation: 824 Posts: 7,063	My bro's P4 finally bit the dirt, so I suggested a big upgrade using some spare parts I had lying a round, and some new ones. Since his P4 came with some crappy generic PSU, I had to get a new one for him. Bought a cheap casing which came with a state-of-the-crud PSU which had only 230W True Power (though rated at 450W), so it won't do since this upgrade would be a quantum jump (for him at least): LGA775 C2 Q6600 Asus P5E (one bad dimm slot) 2x 2GB KVR DDR2 800 LeadTek GTS450 2GB (New) 500GB WDC Blue 2x ODD Now, I didn't want to buy some cheap PSU, but he did not wish to spend too much on this upgrade but I talked him into a compromise. Looked around and found a Xigmatek 600W unit (two 12v rails @22A each), though Xigmatek isn't known for PSUs, I figured that it would be much better than some generic 700W PSU, so I bought it. Not exactly heavy, but isn't light either and seems to be of quality build, the generic '450W' PSU that came with the case was so damn light, I'd hardly feel its weight....so, weight matters in PSU. This Xigmatek PSU is priced quite reasonably for a 600W unit, the +12v rails seem solid enough when I left the unit running for a couple of hours checking for stability. Unfortunately, I can't complete the build as the heatsink I have (TRUE 120) is way too big for the case...damn oversight on my part.

07-25-2012, 05:05 PM	#15
YahooElite Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 782 Posts: 6,954	a 9800GT at the least will need a 6pin yes Whats suggested for it is this - Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply. (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 26 Amps.) If the OP is gonna get a better PSU JUST for that card, then he may as well save up for a better or atleast recent graphics card as well. For the record, my Previous HP Desktops Powersupply did come with a 6pin PCI-E, and that was like 5 years ago or so, so it is possible.