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3.6Ghz Conroe +8800 GTS on Fortron 500w?

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SunTzu69

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2004
Location
Canada
My setup:

- Swiftech pump
- 2-3 120mm Sanyo Denki fans
- EVGA 8800 GTS @ 650Mhz (from 500)
- Conroe 3.6 Ghz on water
- 2GB Teamgroup @ 450 Ghz FSB
- 2HD (including a 74GB raptor)
- one DVD-R drive

I run a Fortron Bluestorm 500W PSU. It runs the above setup fine with an ATI X800XT, but I have the new 8000 GTS under the Xmas tree... :attn:

Your thoughts on whether the PSU will handle the load are welcome.
 
First of all you don't have forton 500w power supply. The forton bluestorm has a name ax500 something like that. The actual output of that power supply is 460w.

It could run what ever you planing to run. Not sure if and how it will affect cpu overclock.
 
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Thank you for the replies guys. I think I will overclock each component separately if all goes well, and see if I get additional stability issues once I load it up with all components at 100% overclock.

:beer:
 
Hey, nice rig there since the last time we talked. :D

I'm not as confident as everyone else. I ran an X1900 on a friends system with a Bluestorm 500 and A64 at 2.8GHz. It ran the card ok at stock, but overclockability was in a word, awful. Sticking a DMM in showed a drop from 12.1v or so down to 11.7x V. 3.3%, not too bad, but enough to cause instability at high clocks. It's somewhat to be expected, as we were loading a rail rated at 15A pretty much right at its limit, especially when other peripherals are concered.

nVidia recommends 26A combined of +12v output, and you have 30A, which is rather close to the minimum. I expect you'll see a similar situation. The system will run fine at stock, but once you start increasing speeds and voltages, your power needs might exceed what the PSU is capable of, and it might not be able to give you the stability you'd desire. It's worth noting that the PSU in my case did meet all its specifications, including below 5% line regulation...but an overclocked scenario would very likely push it beyond spec.
 
The AX line of Fortron's units are actually their mid-low end stuff, not as high quality as their FSP line. If I remember right, the Blue Storm also doesn't crossload well. Make no mistake, though, the OP doesn't actually need any more wattage, just a better built PSU (if at all).

This guy ran a system that draws a decent amount more power than the OP's with a quality Seventeam-built 500W PSU.
 
Bluestorm AX500-A won't run it. Guarenteed. It stuttered with my 6800GS SLI and an Opty 165. Rails were all over the place. I didn't know what was going on and have even recommended thse units for low end SLI before. That was a mistake on my part. I don't think the AX series are anywhere as good as the older Sparkle branded ones.
 
I just had a bluestorm go on me after a year and a half, running a barton 2600M @2.5 with a TI4200. I wouldn't trust it with that 8800gts.
 
Thanks again. I am beginning to think more along the lines of the last poster now. Why take chances with this... Even if I can run this setup well, I don't think I will be happy at less than a stable 3.6Ghz Conroe with the relatively low voltages I enjoy.

I am going to look for a new PSU as my second rig's PSU is starting to get noisy and old anyhow. Time to stick the ole Fortron in that rig... :beer:

Merry Xmas to you guys. :santa:
 
I don't think you will like your results when you start overclocking. I have an Opty 165 @2.7 and an x1900xt (less power usage then an 8800) and the 12V line on my AX-500A starts to drop quickly (as far as 11.7V as read by a multimeter) if I overvolt the card to push the overclock. It is almost definitely the limiting factor on my overclock ATM.

I just ordered a Silverstone Zeus 560W supply today though, which should alleviate that problem (planning on a G80/R600 upgrade in the near future). I also picked up a LIAN LI PC-V1200Bplus II with the free shipping paypal deal off of newegg. Can't wait to move the system to its new home with the new power supply. I should be able to push much better overclocks :D

I liked the Fortron for what it was worth. It worked great when I had this system with an x800gto2 (kind of like your x800xt), but the x1900xt is really pushing it.
 
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