quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

PSUs: The source of DC power for all components in the PC & often a big noise source.

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derekforreal
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Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:40 am

quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by derekforreal » Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:18 am

i do a lot of 3D rendering and would like to add a 2nd GPU to my system, possibly a 3rd in the near future so would like to make provision for that too.

the rendering software uses both CPU and GPUs so power requirement needs to take that into account.

i currently have a Nexus RX-5300 that was recommended to me on here some time ago. it has worked flawlessly and is quiet even under load. i got the Nexus after several Corsair PSUs arrived faulty (i.e. not working) or stopped working after very little use (1 or 2 days). Although Corsair were happy to replace the units i got tired of waiting for replacements and got the Nexus instead. i have no intention of trying Corsair again.

CPU is the i7 980x and GPU is a GTX 1070, but will be adding a 1070ti and possibly a 2070.

i'd like something reliable and quiet, but no need for bells and whistles. i was thinking 850W?

one other question - would the existing Nexus be enough to run my current system and an additional 1070ti? i think total power draw would be too close to the max PSU output?

Abula
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by Abula » Sun Jun 02, 2019 3:01 pm

derekforreal wrote:one other question - would the existing Nexus be enough to run my current system and an additional 1070ti? i think total power draw would be too close to the max PSU output?
I dont think you will be close to 850W not even with RTX2080Ti, acording to Guru3d Intel Core i7 980X review - Power Consumption and Temperatures, 360W max with the cpu heavlily overclocked, 2070 wont do 400W. I think going with 600-650W would be more than enough, and you can get a better psu.

What case do you have?
derekforreal wrote:i'd like something reliable and quiet, but no need for bells and whistles. i was thinking 850W?
Since you dont want Corsair, here are my recommendations,
EVGA Supernova 650 G3 - Cheaper, it has a new fan not sure how it is but the before fan was decent.
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 - Fan will always spin, but very low rpms and very quiet even under load.
Seasonic Prime 650 Titanium SSR-650TR - Semi Fanless, and very efficent PSU, expensive but 12 years warranty.
Seasonic Prime 600 Titanium SSR-600TL - Expensive, very efficienct and fanless, but depends on the case if its good or not, it always need to be postioned holes up.

derekforreal
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:40 am

Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by derekforreal » Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:25 pm

not sure i've explained well enough. there are 2 scenarios i'm considering:

add a single 1070 ti to my current system

i7 980x = approx 130w
GTX 1070 = approx 150w

as existing, i need approx 280w for the CPU and GPU both under load. if i add a 1070 ti (another approx 180w), then the power draw under load is approx 460w, plus fans, drives etc.

the Nexus is rated at 530w - is that enough for all of the above, including the additional 1070 ti?

if it is then great, i can simply add the 1070 ti without upgrading the PSU.

if not then option 2 is add a new PSU but make provision for a 3rd card in the future, likely a 2070. this will add a further 185w power requirement, so 460w + 185w = 645w, plus other hardware (drives, fans, MB etc). surely i need something more than 650w PSU for this?

derekforreal
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Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:40 am

Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by derekforreal » Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:26 pm

forgot to add, my case is a Silverstone FT02.

CA_Steve
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Jun 03, 2019 4:23 am

Motherboard, fans, etc add maybe 30W. Drive power depends on both the number and type. Your PSU is old enough to consider the amount of 12V power available (as most PC power is drawn from 12V line and then locally regulated to whatever voltage needed). The Nexus is rated at 492W on the 12V line.

Lets say you have 3 HDDs. So, total stressed load (assuming stock clocks) is around 520W with the 2nd gfx card. You might get there while running Prime95 and Furmark. Your true load will be maybe 85% of this, or 440W.

So, the Nexus will probably handle the added card...but, it'll be operating at 80+% load...with maybe some derating due to age and the fan will be running in it's upper range.

Due you have the PCIe graphics power connectors for the added card?

Abula
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by Abula » Mon Jun 03, 2019 8:57 am

derekforreal wrote:forgot to add, my case is a Silverstone FT02.
Thanks for this, in this case i would avoid the Seasonic Prime 600 Titanium SSR-600TL because of the case orientation and supposed mounting orientation.
derekforreal wrote:the Nexus is rated at 530w - is that enough for all of the above, including the additional 1070 ti? make provision for a 3rd card in the future, likely a 2070
Just wondering, what do you do that benefit from different cards at the same time? if you are planning on running 3 GPUs, then definitely go with 850W PSU. There were some comments about Seasonic having issues on their Ultra with synchronized transient loads from multi GPUS, that said i ran 2xGTX980Ti on a Seasonic 750W ultra Titanium with no issues, but since you are going triple gpu at some point, i would suggest to consider EVGA SuperNOVA 850 T2 220-T2-0850-X1 80+ TITANIUM 850W or be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W, BN653, Modular, 80 Plus Platinum, Power Supply.

derekforreal
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Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:40 am

Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by derekforreal » Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:49 am

thanks for the help to both of you - that pretty much confirms my own research in that the Nexus running a 2nd card is borderline and a 3rd GPU will need around 850w to run with a bit of headroom.

the suggestions made are priced higher than i was intending on spending...

is there anything that prioritises on reducing noise only? i'm not fussed if the unit isn't fully modular and i won't be overclocking (in fact underclocking is an option if it means i can keep the Nexus for now).

would an EVGA GQ 850W not suffice? i can't find the review now but in a review i read it was rated as the quietest 850w PSU in a roundup of 5 or 6 units.

Abula wrote:Just wondering, what do you do that benefit from different cards at the same time?
derekforreal wrote:i do a lot of 3D rendering and would like to add a 2nd GPU to my system, possibly a 3rd in the near future so would like to make provision for that too.

the rendering software uses both CPU and GPUs
:)

just to be absolutely clear, the rendering software supports any (reasonably modern) CUDA GPU and will use the CPU as well.

Abula
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by Abula » Mon Jun 03, 2019 12:10 pm

derekforreal wrote:would an EVGA GQ 850W not suffice? i can't find the review now but in a review i read it was rated as the quietest 850w PSU in a roundup of 5 or 6 units.
PSU is not something i change that often, so i try to get as good as it gets, i have messed with changing fans over time, but i have good and bad experiences, so i prefer to get a very efficient PSU that wont generate much heat so there is less need to start the fan, etc. Also i believe that solid rails will be the foundry for all your hardware to operate in specs and last as much as it can.

Im not familiar with GQ series, but from reddit,
G1 = FSP OEM, old design and EVGA's worst Gold efficiency PSU
GQ = FSP OEM, good unit, slightly lower in quality than the G2/G3
GS = Seasonic OEM, good unit, slightly lower in quality than the G2/G3
G2 = SuperFlower OEM, great PSU
G3 = SuperFlower OEM, great PSU, updated G2 that is smaller in size and slightly more efficient. Reported to be somewhat louder under load.
From JonnyGuru EVGA 850 GQ 850W Power Supply Review - EVGA 850 GQ 210-GQ-0850-V1
We have another winning product from EVGA here… the GQ 850W is a fantastic performer at a good price. If there’s one real drawback to this unit, it has nothing at all to do with performance and everything to do with the competition. As good as it is, and it is very good indeed, the GQ 850W is outclassed by the Seasonic built GS 850W. Price, performance, features… the GS is simply the better product at this point in time.
From the above review i went to check JonnyGuru Seasonic FOCUS Plus 850 Gold Power Supply review - Seasonic FOCUS Plus 850 Gold SSR-850FX.
Seasonic’s FOCUS Plus Gold line went out with a bang. The good kind of bang. The 850W model in the line has somehow managed to be the best of the lot of them. It’s insanely stable, the price is low enough to steal everyone’s thunder, and it comes in a small package with a 10 year warranty. What’s not to like?
Up to you what fits your budget.

CA_Steve
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Jun 03, 2019 1:54 pm

As an aside, I have the Seasonic Focus Plus 550W and am happy w it.

derekforreal
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by derekforreal » Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:28 am

thanks again for your help.

looking at some reviews for the Seasonic, i came across the chart that set me in the direction of the EVGA. if you look at the noise chart here:

https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/seasonic ... 07-11.html

you can see that the EVGA fares really well in terms of noise, but not sure now going by general opinion.

price wise they're pretty much the same so for me assuming similar performance it comes down to noise.

edit: and under the 'Cons' it does state the unit is noisy under "rough conditions". currently i can barely hear my PC, even when at full load for sustained periods and i don't want to lose that.

CA_Steve
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by CA_Steve » Wed Jun 05, 2019 5:17 am

You might want to look at the noise charts for the reviewed parts rather than the summaries to gain a bit more detail. With a third GPU (say the 175W TDP GTX 2070), your actual load may get up to 600W. Most PSUs have a shallow fan curve up to 50% load and then steepen up. Using the Tom's review, the Seasonic 850 would be ~ 24dB at 600W. Oddly, I couldn't find the EVGA 850...just the 750W. Even derating to 500W load, it's markedly worse than the Seasonic.

It's a shame you are predisposed against Corsair as the RM850x V2 is way better than both for noise.

Abula
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Re: quiet PSU for system with 2 or 3 GPUs

Post by Abula » Wed Jun 05, 2019 7:48 am

derekforreal wrote:thanks again for your help.

looking at some reviews for the Seasonic, i came across the chart that set me in the direction of the EVGA. if you look at the noise chart here:

https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/seasonic ... 07-11.html

you can see that the EVGA fares really well in terms of noise, but not sure now going by general opinion.

price wise they're pretty much the same so for me assuming similar performance it comes down to noise.

edit: and under the 'Cons' it does state the unit is noisy under "rough conditions". currently i can barely hear my PC, even when at full load for sustained periods and i don't want to lose that.
3rd party reviewers are hard to judge in terms of noise, specially the equipment and conditions they use, and not comparable between sites for this reason alone, to me this is one of the biggest drawbacks for us, since we dont have a good source for this kinda information, and most other sites dont focus on it as we would like them to.

I bought a Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum and was fairly quiet even under load, wasn't for me but a friends built, and Steve has good remarks about his experience that's the same line, i never tested with 3 gpus nor a heavier load than 300W, so i cant say how its going to be, but i still recommend sesaonic as my top brand, own more than 8 power supplies from them, and i yet to have an issue with noise, coil or malfunctioning, that said EVGA on most of their higher end line uses Superflower that to me its almost as good as Seasonic, and thus i have done multiple builds with EVGA G2, G3, P2, and all of them have been perfect as well, i really like DELTA but i yet to see a really quiet PSU from them, OEMs that sometimes do good jobs and sometimes they don't, are like CWT, FSP, Flextronics.

I think both Seasonic Focus Gold and EVGA GQ are good value options, and i bet either will work great for you. I also agree with steve that Corsair is another good value option, their RMx line has been used by a lot of SPCR members with good success and goes on sale a lot and haven't seen much bad comments on it, but i also understand that you don't want to go with it because of your bad experience with Corsair.

Good luck with your choice,

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