Upgrade Adventure

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted."


I love reading other people's experiences with upgrades, especially the ones that don't go well, because I often learn something. In that vein, here's how mine went:


Everything arrived early last week, but I waited until this weekend to do the upgrade, so I'd have time to handle any problems that came up. And it was a good thing I did.

It took about two hours to remove the old components, install the new ones, and start hooking up cables. Then I couldn't find my SATA cables. I have two, that came with the old motherboard, but they weren't in my "Cables and Bits" box. I recently moved, and don't know where the computer hobbyist stores are in my area, so had to drive back to my old neighborhood (since I didn't have a computer to look online for local ones) to get new ones.

An hour later, I resumed hooking up, and THEN discovered the 4-pin vs 8-pin 12v power connection difference between a motherboard for a single processor CPU, and one for a dual-processor CPU. And, of course, my PSU is a 4-pin model.

I studied the MOBO manual, and figured out that I apparently could put the 4-pin 12v in one end of the 8-pin, but I also knew that I did not know enough to be sure it would work. I definitely needed to do more research. So out came all the new components, back went the old ones, and, after almost six hours, I was right back where I started from. (The old system booted up as though nothing had happened. Plan B worked!)

I little research online established that, yes, I could put the 4-pin supply in the 8-pin connector, but I risked overloading the supply and scorching or even melting the connector! No way I'm going to risk that with a brand-new system.

So, after more research, a new PSU has been ordered, and I'll try again next weekend. The good news is the new PSU has a PCI-E power connector for the video card, so I don't need to use up TWO molex connections for it.

And this is why my original budget was so low. I know, from past experience, that there is almost ALWAYS some significant unanticipated additional expense with a major upgrade, something I didn't know in advance, so I keep a reserve from my actual budget for just such a thing.

Next time (hopefully), the conclusion.

You could have bought a 4 to 8 pin converter.

Yea, well... you see... the 8-pin CPU connector, along with the trend for a <high number>-phase CPU voltage regulator really only comes into play with aggressive overclocking. Aggressive overclocking can double the power requirement of a CPU.

Now the last episode you were getting an ECS IC780M-A2 motherboard and an Athlon II X2 245. That motherboard only has a 4-pin CPU power connector, a conservative CPU voltage regulator and the CPU is only 65 watts max. So something must have changed since the last time. Even if you did switch to my $600 build, that motherboard still has only a 4-pin CPU power connector.

So what changed.

Ah, yes, you're right.

The bundle I was originally going to get was discontinued and I had to change the system. Now it's a

• Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H Motherboard w/ MD785G w/ AMD Athlon II 240 CPU and fan bundle.
• Crucial 2048MB PC6400 Memory and Ultra TherMax T5 Aluminum Memory Cooler Bundle (2x each)

• GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB video card, PCI Express x16 video card.

• Apevia ATX-WA750W Warlock 750-Watt ATX Power Supply

Again, it is only a problem on overclocking and/or high wattage CPUs. In the case of AMD we are talking older, full blown Phenom CPUs and not the Athlon II.

Whatever, now you are getting a PSU that's so big you may actually fall on the low side of it's efficiency curve.

What, I may not be putting enough demand on it? Is that a bad thing? (Man, I never heard of "too much" power before, regarding PSUs.)

FatherXmas posted a most excellent analysis of power demands on systems for my upgrade question.

And I can tell you right now, that the video card I picked (Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 1gig GDDR5 w/Vapor-X cooling) out recommended a 450w PSU (well, ok, the same version without the vapor-x did), but it is chugging away quite happily on a stock 350w PSU. Along with 2 HDs, a DVD burner, and my sound card.

Yeah, I plugged everything into eXtreme's Power Supply Calculator, and, allowing for aging and the drives I plan to add to it in the future, at peak load, it comes up with a max load estimate of ±525W.

My starting load, with what I'll have right now, will be closer to ±385W normal, ±430w peak startup. About 50-60% of the PSU's capacity.

(I have three multicolor LED fans and two regular fans, two cold cathodes, and several other LED lights in it — it's a very "flashy" system )

Hmmm...you need the Mesocricetus auratus-powered auxillary power system then for that setup.

It works really really well.

Father, forgive me! I throw myself on your mercy!

Could I get you to recommend a power supply that fills my needs at a more reasonable cost? ±385W normal, ±430w peak startup, 8-pin 12v connector (I recognize some have 2 4-pins that both go in the 8-pin and do the job properly). Lights and windows are optional.

I'll send back this overpowered one, accepting the delay and possible return charges.

I should have followed your $600 rig to begin with, just dropping what I didn't need (case, drives, etc.). It wouldn't have cost me any more than I'm ending up spending any way.

_________
Edit:

<snip>

I'll go to Fry's this weekend. I'd have to pay extra to get one delivered by Friday, and that would pretty much cancel out any money savings, and I might as well stick with the oversized one I've got, then.

So I want a known brand, something in the 450-500w range, with either 2 4-pin or 1 8-pin 12v connectors, and enough other connectors to make me happy, yes?

The brands I'm familiar with are Coolmax, Thermaltake, and Apevia (formerly Aspire). Do you recommend any other brands, or have warnings against any of those?

Plan C:

Shipping and restocking costs will just about cancel out any savings I would get from getting a smaller PSU and sending the 750w one back.

I've been doing more reading on PSUs, and it appears that the effects of using an oversized PSU are the higher cost and slightly more power consumption/waste heat than an optimal one under the same load.

Is that correct? Did I overlook some potential harm from using a PSU that's roughly twice as big as I need? If not, I'm going to stick with the one that's arriving tomorrow (hopefully). Hey, at least I'll have plenty of expansion room!

It was more of a general comment about people overbuying PSUs. There isn't anything wrong with the one you got, just that it's large for a single GPU rig.

And yes the drawback, due to the shape of the efficiency curve, is that at lower wattage will use more AC power and that extra will be converted into heat. But it's relative.

It's not like it'll generate more heat if you are only using 100 watts Vs 500 watts or cost more in electricity. Only that a more appropriate sized PSU would generate less heat and use less electricity. Of course this assumes both PSUs efficiency curves are similar relative to their output.

Sorry if I confused or panicked you, it wasn't my intention. It's like buying a cigarette boat for a lake with a 15MPH speed limit. Yes, it's a boat, it'll float and move but it'll be a waste just to bass fish with it.

It's all good, Father X. At this point, it's just simpler and easier to go with what I've got coming.

And my deepest appreciation to everyone who's posted. As usual, you've all been quite helpful.