Will a 520W PSU work with R9 280X GFX card?

TetrisMango on 26/06/2014 - 17:00

So I'm currently in the process of building my first PC, and seem to have stumbled across a bit of a hiccup. Basically I bought the parts from the Whirlpool PC Suggestions page here: http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/rmp_sg_whirlpoolpcs_gaming_conf…
and here is the specific model I chose copied and pasted from the site below. I bought a few different items from the ones on the list, but only items such as a bigger HHD, SSD, and a different ODD.

$1,300 ($1,700) Gaming/Multi-Purpose Config Quiet

CPU: Intel Core i5 4590 $228
Mobo: Asrock H97M-Pro4 $118
RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) G.Skill Ares/Sniper DDR3-1600 $96
SSD: SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB $149
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB $94
GPU: XFX Radeon R9 280X Double Dissipation 3GB $329 (Use MSI Afterburner to set the fan speed curve to your liking)
Case: Silverstone TJ08-E $99
PSU: Antec Neo Eco 520C Bronze $82
ODD: DVD-RW Drive $20
Cables: SATA data cable $2 (Motherboard only comes with two, extra needed for the 3rd drive in this build)
CPU Heatsink: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO $37 (Remove the stock fan, use the Gelid 120mm fan instead)
CPU Fan: Gelid Silent 12 $6 (Use the ASRock fan control software to tune the fan to your liking)
Peripherals: [ 23" LG 23EA53V-P / Ducky 2087/2108 Zero w/ 40A-L o-ring mod / JSCO JNL-101K / Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II ] ($414)

Total: $1,260 ($1,674)

Anyway, long story short, I was talking to one of my friends who has a good knowledge on computers (unlike myself), and he says that a 520W PSU would not be enough for the graphics card. I've looked at a few websites and found some broad answers (such as "should work"), but still feel a bit concerned about the situation.

I was just wondering if anyone can confirm, from first-hand experience or not, as to whether or not the PSU will be sufficient for not. If not, what PSU would be recommended? Thank you.

P.S. I don't want, or plan to do any overclocking (if it's even possible with this setup), if that makes any difference.

Computing

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 26/06/2014 - 17:20
    +4

    It's enough. Take a look at the chart:

    http://www.pcper.com/image/view/31925?return=node%2F58604

    This is based on a system configured as:
    CPU Intel Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E
    Motherboard ASUS P9X79 Deluxe
    Memory Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 16GB
    Hard Drive OCZ Agility 4 256GB SSD
    Graphics Card AMD Radeon R9 280X 3GB
    Power Supply Corsair AX1200i

    Total load from the wall is less than 400 watts. So a 500 watt power supply is already sufficient. I don't think your friend is as knowledgeable as you think he is.

    If you're afraid that the PSU isn't beefy enough, spend 10 dollars more and get the Antec High Current Gamer 620w. It sells for 99.

    Long story short you can generally trust what is given on the Whirlpool Wiki. What is put up there is the general consensus of a large number of users, and it's not just some random guy who decides what's best to buy.

    • TetrisMango on 26/06/2014 - 18:17
      +1

      Hey there, thank you for confirming that information for me.

      I do trust what is on Whirlpool in general, which is why I didn't instantly think the PSU wasn't powerful enough for my configuration. The box the GFX came in claimed that it needs 750W to operate (which is what I told my friend), however now that I think of it, seems to be one of those "can't blame us if something goes wrong", or "better safe than sorry" sort of recommendations.

  • zaddaz on 26/06/2014 - 20:29

    PC's use most power on the 12V rail
    your psu is rated at 40Amps =480W

    As long as you don't overclock too much you'll be fine
    ~90W cpu and 250W GPU = 340W = 30% to spare. so you'll be fine

    Note that the silverstone 18cm fan is bit loud, especially on full. on low its a quiet white noise :)

    btw a 280x is enough to drive a 27inch 1440p monitor hint hint.

  • p1 ama on 26/06/2014 - 20:49
    +1

    Easily. I'm running a 290X + 3930K on an RM550 without issues. Don't buy into the whole power supply snobbery that PC enthusiasts love to get into.

  • Joysky on 26/06/2014 - 22:46

    del pls

  • MasterScythe on 27/06/2014 - 08:50
    +1

    parts always overestimate to cover their asses.
    If you own a decent multimeter measure the current on some of the components.

    Ive seen CD drives that say '7w' and will use about 3w considering new low voltage tech.

    This doesnt sound like much, but when you add up things like: solid capacitors, 22nm manufacturing, on-chip features, low voltage RAM, SSD's, and all the other 'drops' in power use over the last 5 years; they soon add up.
    Those charts and tables have never (rarely) been updated IMO.

    And if you dont mind?

    $1,300 ($1,700) Gaming/Multi-Purpose Config Quiet

    CPU: Intel Core i5 4590 $228
    This is fine, but you wont be overclocking far on this chip. No dramas though if thats not your thing.

    Mobo: Asrock H97M-Pro4 $118
    Love ASROCK, I wont go anywhere else anymore. Gigabyte have had countless DOA's. never had a faulty asrock.

    RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) G.Skill Ares/Sniper DDR3-1600 $96
    Surely there's some cheaper 1600mhz RAM.. Yep!
    Team 8GB Single DDR3 1600MHz C9 Elite - $89 from umart. Best thing is its only one stick, so when the time comes for 16GB, you just add a stick as opposed to replace both.

    SSD: SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB $149
    Nice I like these; seen pictures inside? They're aboutt he size of a thumb drive, lol.

    HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB $94
    Nope. Seagate have had too long of a bad name for me to trust them again.
    Toshiba 2TB 7200RPM HDD - $89 - Rebranded Hitachi's. Amazing drives.

    GPU: XFX Radeon R9 280X Double Dissipation 3GB $329 (Use MSI Afterburner to set the fan speed curve to your liking)
    Dont do that, let the fan do its own thing. It'll be loud when you're gaming, but so will your game. It will still be silent when you're browsing or working; dont mess with them under load. Unless you're OC'ing Afterburner is just another driver hook to go wrong.

    Case: Silverstone TJ08-E $99
    Nice case.

    PSU: Antec Neo Eco 520C Bronze $82
    Never been a fan of the ECO series, but they ARE quiet.

    ODD: DVD-RW Drive $20
    Go to a bluray, theres only about $50 between them; and if you're going to bother with optical media, at least be up to date with it.

    Cables: SATA data cable $2 (Motherboard only comes with two, extra needed for the 3rd drive in this build)

    CPU Heatsink: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO $37 (Remove the stock fan, use the Gelid 120mm fan instead)
    Are you overclocking? Thats a 22nm CPU, and will run cool unless you hit it hard. Which is normally gaming. I get you're going for quiet, but stock intel fans are silent under office task loads.

    CPU Fan: Gelid Silent 12 $6 (Use the ASRock fan control software to tune the fan to your liking)
    Your call man, but I think in a well constructed case this is overkill.

    Peripherals: [ 23" LG 23EA53V-P / Ducky 2087/2108 Zero w/ 40A-L o-ring mod / JSCO JNL-101K / Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II ] ($414)

    Those T20's are sweeeeet.

    In all seriousness, you're better off removing all the sound reducing parts, and spending the money on a box of Dynamat you use in car stereo installations. Give the case a full coverage. Been done many a time for a silent bedroom PC.

    But your call, your money, just felt like giving my 2c this morning.

    • TetrisMango on 27/06/2014 - 20:18

      Hey, thanks for all the useful information there. Built the whole thing today and am using it right now.

      Few comments in regards to what you have said:
      - I don't want to overclock, mainly because I wouldn't know what I am doing and risk doing something bad. Which is why I'm also not adjusting the fan speeds at all on the GFX.
      - (Don't take my word on this) The MOBO I bought only supports 2 and 4 sticks at any one time by the looks of the instructions. Spending a few dollars less, as a uni student as well, would've been great.
      - I actually got the Samsung EVO 840 250GB when it was on sale at Amazon; it's doing a good job for me so far.
      - I have multiple Seagate drives and none have broken on me. I still have a 500GB portable hard drive that's about 5 years old now, and that's still going strong (but slow because it's USB 2.0). Also, I got the 4TB version in an effort to use the 3TB external drive I have less often.
      - I did decide to upgrade to a blu-ray drive. Thought exactly the same way you did; may as well get something that's at least up to date.
      - Didn't know the stock fan would've been sufficient, but oh well. Hopefully the Hyper 212 lasts a while, so whenever I decide to upgrade the computer, I can still use it (and may be needed more than it is now).
      - Got a completely set of peripherals to what the Whirlpool build suggested; mainly parts I already had, so I could save some money. Will keep in mind that the T20's are good in your opinion though, when I decide to upgrade from my current Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse.

      Overall, I am happy I managed to build my first PC without breaking anything (at least not yet). Thank you again for writing all that info up; especially since I don't have too great a knowledge on computer parts.

      • p1 ama on 29/06/2014 - 19:19
        +1

        Be careful with hard drives, people often say "if they will fail", but it's not an "if", it's a "when", they will fail, so make sure you have a reasonable backup strategy in place and at least back up your important stuff.

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