Definitive graphic card power consumption thread

[Liquid3D]

I was hoping we might pool our talent and start a thread which details the power usage of todays graphics cards beginning with those drawing the most amperes. To date the most accurate article I've found was by X-Bit Labs based on the methodology in which they constructed several shunt devices allowing measurement at the slot and external connector.

The problem is I've yet to find a source which determines amperes? We know from the EPS1V Guide v.2.91 and ATX12V Guide v.2.2 which dictate 12V-Rail amperes shall be limited to 18A per. These specs only cover Power Supplies up to 800W in which the total combined 12v-Rail current cannot exceed 64A or 70A Peak total.

My question to those more electrically inclined then I; Can we take the same formula which determines Wattage, i.e Amps x Volts = Wattage and reverse it to find Amps, i.e. Wattage / Volts = Amps?

X-Bit Labs has published several versions in which they usesd a shunt device which could measure the APG/PCIe slot and external connector. The photos below show the devices they built to test the cards, from the second article Power Consumption of Contemporary Graphics Accelerators. Part II: NVIDIA vs. ATI (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/ati-vs-nv-power.html) in the series Power Consumption of Contemporary Graphics Accelerators. Part I: Graphics Cards on ATI Chips (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/ati-powercons.html)

http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/video/ati-vs-nv-power/testing2.jpg

http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/video/ati-vs-nv-power/testing.jpg

Here's the chart from the lastest article The Grand Clash for Watts: Power Consumption of Modern Graphics Cards (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/gpu-consumption2006.html)

http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/video/gpu-consumption2006/premium_gpu_consumption.gif

[nvidiaOCmaster]

damn.... cool forumla!!!!

I want a device just like that.. just to have..

[Froggy]

Yes Liquid we can "reverse" the formula to make it show amps.

So 120.6W/12=10.05A.

Now one would have to measure the actual voltage to find actual amps.

If the volt meter shows 11.8V then 120.6/11.8=10.22A and so on.

[BossBorot]

if only this had more cards...

[Wolverine690]

if only this had more cards...


Sorry to go off topic here but I had to ask, what's withthe Avatar?lol I have no love for ATI but what's with the ATI is enemy of freedom?lol

[BossBorot]

I was googling ATi, and no I dont hate ATi otherwise why would I even bother googling ATi images, and after a few pages the pic came up it was so random that I had to use it as an avatar. Basically some guy at MIT hated ATi and "nVidious'es" stance on driver support for linux so he protested some talk that an ATi rep gave at MIT.

Im prob gonna change it cuz now a few people think I'm an nVidia fanboy and it casts a slight appearance of bias in my posts when you look over and see my avatar. I had a link explaining it in my sig but it had an external link to the article so I had to take it down.

here (http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/rms-ati-protest.html) is the article I got it from.

[Liquid3D]

Eight years later.

Well i tried, but wanted to thank you for answering the ampere calculation question, very helpful.

[Shell]

lol, looks ATI will be first place in this category for years to come! :D

[BossBorot]

It is ATi's goal to assure that computer nerds never go hungry for lack of wanting to get up and go to the fridge. To accomplish this goal ATi is attempting to generate enough power to fry food on your graphics card and might even make gpu's external so that you have easier access to your grill, I mean Gpu.

[Liquid3D]

Dam if Intel had't gone and found those P-III architectual plans (e.g. Conroe) the Marketing department had stashed in utility closet five years ago, I would have been able to get the
Alienware Double Broiler + Smoker PC (personal chef edition) with ATI mesquite / Intel NeBurst flash fryer.

Only $8,000 and you can smoke FatBack Pork, grill Salmon, deep fry softshell crab and invite Bobby Flay (http://www.epicurious.com/features/entertaining/grilling06) over for some Internet Food Porn (LegsofLamb.net "and what Legs") and a nice game of
The Sims - Outdoor Grilling edition.