Major Eazy
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Before you suggest that there are PSU calculators on the Internet, yes, I have already tried most of them off Google. I'm fine with them and accept that they are only suggestions and not actual fact. I just want to do my own maths to compare to the information I got off those calculators. I know I can find actual answers from manuals, online, on the package, etc., but some of them I can't find actual details. I don't mind if the figures are just a rough rounded up rule of a thumb numbers. I thought to check with you and see if you agree with me, or if I've made any mistakes, please feel free to point out to me the correct figures. Based on what I learn, am I right in understanding that...
CPUs tend to vary between around 80w to 150w (depending on models, I have a CPU that draws 95w).
Most 3.5" HDDs at busy writing speed are likely to use roughly about just 10w? (if I have two, then it's a case of 2x 10w)
Most SSDs (while we know draws less power than HDDs) would use what? About 3w? (I think my SSD did mention something about 2.4 but I'm not sure if it did meant watts not volts)
200mm LED fans use about 4w each.
RAM. I'm still not very sure about it. All I can find is "1.5v" but what's that in watts? I've been unable to find out how much power in watts do a single DDR3 stick use.
Graphics card. (At the moment, I've already ordered one, and I think its specifications mention it using 120w) so do such cards tend to use vary between 100w to 200w?
The motherboard (Sabertooth 990FX)'s manual mention a recommend minimum of 350w, but I was wondering, do the motherboard needs some power for itself? Do this "350w" means it needs 350w to power the CPU, RAM, HDD, etc., or do it meant the MB needed 350w for itself but I still have to add the 95w for CPU and add for the rest of the parts?)
Do a Blu-Ray combo writer use around 10w? I haven't found some data, but I assume should use about same power as HDDs do, but then it use laser, so do it need a tiny little more?
I still haven't found out what kind of power some of those big CPU coolers (those big heatsink and fans stuff that we tend to prefer over that of ones supplied with the CPUs) use. Any suggestions on how much power?
So far, I've worked out that at a minimum I'm looking at 620w, but of course, that's minus the CPU cooler and RAM, so I thought to throw in an extra 30w and round it up to 650w. But how much extra power do you usually like to throw in on top of the minimum you've worked out so far?
How am I doing with my work out so far?
One last thing: I know that the PSU I need must be a bit more than the minimum power usage the computer's likely to need, and that I must not go for a PUS that offer less power than the minimum. This sort of information can be found everywhere, in books, in magazines, on the Internet, we, you and I, all often suggest that advice to others. But the odd thing is that I don't remember even noticing any information on a maximum limit.
For example, let's say you build a computer that needs 5XXw and you bought a 650w or even a 750w, that would be fine, but would it harm the computer if you went for a 1000w or 1200w PSU just for a PC that only needed less than 600w. I can image it would be a bit of an overkill, and a waste of money, but as there seems no mention on a maximum, do that imply it's okay??
CPUs tend to vary between around 80w to 150w (depending on models, I have a CPU that draws 95w).
Most 3.5" HDDs at busy writing speed are likely to use roughly about just 10w? (if I have two, then it's a case of 2x 10w)
Most SSDs (while we know draws less power than HDDs) would use what? About 3w? (I think my SSD did mention something about 2.4 but I'm not sure if it did meant watts not volts)
200mm LED fans use about 4w each.
RAM. I'm still not very sure about it. All I can find is "1.5v" but what's that in watts? I've been unable to find out how much power in watts do a single DDR3 stick use.
Graphics card. (At the moment, I've already ordered one, and I think its specifications mention it using 120w) so do such cards tend to use vary between 100w to 200w?
The motherboard (Sabertooth 990FX)'s manual mention a recommend minimum of 350w, but I was wondering, do the motherboard needs some power for itself? Do this "350w" means it needs 350w to power the CPU, RAM, HDD, etc., or do it meant the MB needed 350w for itself but I still have to add the 95w for CPU and add for the rest of the parts?)
Do a Blu-Ray combo writer use around 10w? I haven't found some data, but I assume should use about same power as HDDs do, but then it use laser, so do it need a tiny little more?
I still haven't found out what kind of power some of those big CPU coolers (those big heatsink and fans stuff that we tend to prefer over that of ones supplied with the CPUs) use. Any suggestions on how much power?
So far, I've worked out that at a minimum I'm looking at 620w, but of course, that's minus the CPU cooler and RAM, so I thought to throw in an extra 30w and round it up to 650w. But how much extra power do you usually like to throw in on top of the minimum you've worked out so far?
How am I doing with my work out so far?
One last thing: I know that the PSU I need must be a bit more than the minimum power usage the computer's likely to need, and that I must not go for a PUS that offer less power than the minimum. This sort of information can be found everywhere, in books, in magazines, on the Internet, we, you and I, all often suggest that advice to others. But the odd thing is that I don't remember even noticing any information on a maximum limit.
For example, let's say you build a computer that needs 5XXw and you bought a 650w or even a 750w, that would be fine, but would it harm the computer if you went for a 1000w or 1200w PSU just for a PC that only needed less than 600w. I can image it would be a bit of an overkill, and a waste of money, but as there seems no mention on a maximum, do that imply it's okay??
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