Wanted to share: Dual PSU Action

[JrRacinFan]

While testing to find stable clocks with my motherboard I decided to connected a dedicated power supply for graphics. I found out the easy way that all my instabilities are not caused by power consumption.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x278/jrracinfan/S3010049.jpg

I know this is not a pretty site with wires but the power supply stays cool and does not even get remotely warm. Any comments/suggestions are welcome.


Main question being to my post though is this, Leave it or remove it?

[intel igent]

any improvement's at all?

[JrRacinFan]

None really intel. All I have noticed is that i can push CL4 up to my max fsb.

[Cold Storm]

Bro, I think its crazy that you have that you did it! But, it works! Just have to see if its "safe"!

[JrRacinFan]

Perfectly safe man. I've been running with this all this morning. I will leave it in for a few days and see how well it does.

[intel igent]

None really intel. All I have noticed is that i can push CL4 up to my max fsb.

at max FSB without the added PSU what are you at CL5?

i dunno if all you get is 1 bump in CL timing and everything else is equal....

any improvement on the GFX side?

have you run any benches?

:toast:

[JrRacinFan]

Been running benches all morning. Only improvement is the jump to CL4.

[intel igent]

no increase in FSb of GFX clock's?

have you tried to put only the MOBO on main PSU and GFX/peripheral's on the second?

what does the CL4 give you? anything noticeable?

:toast:

[JrRacinFan]

No increase in vid card clocks ..

I can try the hdd's/optical if you want and post back.

CL4 drops about a second off my superpi

[intel igent]

it's not for me your trying, it's for you ;)

i'm just making suggestion's

:toast:

[Cold Storm]

I think doing that would be a great idea. Puts less onto the computer.

[JrRacinFan]

After doing what was suggested. This the good reason to push for a good psu.
http://img.techpowerup.org/080615/Capture013.jpg
http://img.techpowerup.org/080615/Capture014.jpg

And I have a little bit of room to go.

[intel igent]

what were your #'s prior to this?

edit : you were at 2.5 before? not bad an extra 400mhz! :rockout:

[panchoman]

jr, if you're not getting anything outta the dual psus, you're better off sticking with 1 psu. i imagine you'll be on a worse part of the efficency curve and its just much more of a hassle really..

[JrRacinFan]

Yup working on it pancho. Lookin at some new motherboards. Once I get that I will resurrect the dual psu project. I just noticed thats its more stable and mroe responsive.

@intel

Thats my max stable right there at CL4.

[intel igent]

so you gained 400Mhz and bumped up to CL4?

if so :rockout:

[JrRacinFan]

Disconnecting the slave psu for now until I get a new motherboard. It gives me no true noticeable improvements due to the 975x chipset. If I had a P35/X38/P45, then this would be a different story. Not much more to see here.

[Cold Storm]

Well, at lease it shows you what is needed. You've tried all there is to try before getting a new board.

[Xazax]

Personally, i would get one of those "dedicated" PSU's for the Graphics card ive seen a few, that might help more having your dual PSU's :P

But yea your crazy...

[farlex85]

Seems to me this would only be useful if you vmod the graphics card, or if you have water on the proc and thus are able to push large amounts of power through it. W/ an unmodded card and air cooling, there doesn't seem to be much reason for it imo.

[JrRacinFan]

Thanks for the input farlex. Like I was saying, I just needed to test and make my instabilties werent due to an underpowering psu. Thank you all for your opinions.

[farlex85]

Thanks for the input farlex. Like I was saying, I just needed to test and make my instabilties werent due to an underpowering psu. Thank you all for your opinions.

Ah yes ok I see. Yeah that does seem like a good way to test for that. I'll keep that in mind if I ever run into a similar situation.

[Xazax]

BTW what are you watts and amps on those PSU's?

[JrRacinFan]

The Antec 500W: dual 12v 18a. The @Power 550W: single nominal 24a/max 28A.

@farlex

Just figured since it wasn't an underpowering psu might have wanted to play around and bench a little. Didn't work out as well as I wanted.

[dark2099]

Possibly with a better board that will be helpful, I'll definitely keep a close eye and maybe fiddle with that some time.

[JrRacinFan]

@dark

Yeah, it can be quite fun when doing benchmarking.

After doing some testing from yesterday spanning into today. Idid find I will need a new power supply if I want to overclock the HD3870. If I do not run it overclocked the whole system is fine on my single Antec.

[Skitzo]

Disconnecting the slave psu for now until I get a new motherboard. It gives me no true noticeable improvements due to the 975x chipset. If I had a P35/X38/P45, then this would be a different story. Not much more to see here.

So what kind of improvments would you expect with a P35? I only ask because I have one and I like to mess with shit:)

[dark2099]

The 975x chipset is a bit aged, so my guess it is limiting his overclock on the processor, from talking with him and doing some research, the board can't reach as high of an FSB as the newer chips so to a point his motherboard and CPU combo are being coming a bottle neck for his 3870.

[Skitzo]

ok thanks. well I have fairly decent oc with one psu so I'm thinking there wont be much of a benifit till I v-mod the 9600. My biggest problem at this point is cpu cooling, after I deal with that then maybe this would help. I wouldn't want a smaller psu for my setup, but this one seems to be doing the job for now.

EDIT: however this might let me push the 9600 higher at factory voltages

[JrRacinFan]

I have noticed, if you reference to the SuperPI 1M thread. I can push CL4 timings acrossed my ram. Oh and dark, 381 fsb is my absolute max SuperPI benchable on this board.

[ntdouglas]

Cool Jr. Now I don't feel like the only one. I have a 550w antec for the board and drives and a Thermatake 400w for my 2 9600 gt's. :rockout:

[KieranD]

energy efficiency down the crapper and the bills would increase

if you dont need 2 what is the point? you can just get a higher watt PSU

[JrRacinFan]

@ntdouglas

I dunno, I am getting mixed results unsure if its my psu or my motherboard holding my clocks back. I know it definitely isn't both.

@KeiranD

But this way is cheaper if you already own a strong (but not strong enough to power all components) second psu. Also, a power supply will only draw what is needed up to its maximum.

[ntdouglas]

What kind of mixed results are you talking about?

[JrRacinFan]

I dunno it just seems like that its a more responsive overclock with the 2nd psu, getting the same clocks and ram timings with both options.

[ntdouglas]

I dunno it just seems like that its a more responsive overclock with the 2nd psu, getting the same clocks and ram timings with both options.

It was probably already mentioned in this thread, but what board are you running?

[JrRacinFan]

It was probably already mentioned in this thread, but what board are you running?

See specs, aw9d-max. An old school 975x chipset.

[ntdouglas]

If its working, why fix it? Just leave both psu's in it.Two has got to be better than one for video cards right?

[JrRacinFan]

Hmmm, I guess you do have a point there. How should I mount the 2nd though? I don't have a dremel to mod the case.

[kyle2020]

it does, based on looking at your epenis benchmark results, seem like your motherboards doing some tasty bootlenecking. And of course if thats whats causing your instabilities along with the PSU issue, it looks like a new board is the only way to go.

[intel igent]

energy efficiency down the crapper

wouldn't efficiency increase because your'e splitting the load?

[JrRacinFan]

Also, a psu will only draw what it truly needs. Wait until I get this new board then we will see if it truly does help any.

@kyle

Its not a psu issue at all.

[kyle2020]

Also, a psu will only draw what it truly needs. Wait until I get this new board then we will see if it truly does help any.

@kyle

Its not a psu issue at all.

by issue i meant using 2 :laugh:

[JrRacinFan]

I dont have to use both at all. Its motherboard crappy chipset problem. I don't understand and know where your going witht hat comment. Please elaborate more.

[kyle2020]

i was mainly talking about your benchmark results and commenting on the fact that a new motherboard seems the way to go, be it for the bottleneck or the instabilities your experiencing and that possibly a higher power PSU rather than using 2 would be better.

Sorry for my un-clear post haha, hashed it out quick and nipped out to the shop :)

[JrRacinFan]

Ahhh, I understand. Obviously, once I get the new board I will try it out. I understand completely about the single vs. dual thing, same can be said for Xfire/SLi.

[kyle2020]

Ahhh, I understand. Obviously, once I get the new board I will try it out. I understand completely about the single vs. dual thing, same can be said for Xfire/SLi.

thank god haha, thought you where going to come and punch me or something :laugh:

Got any new boards in mind like?

[JrRacinFan]

Check out my Soon To Be in my specs! :)

Asus P5K or DFI LP P35 Dark.

[vexen]

wouldn't efficiency increase because your'e splitting the load?
one 85% eff. PSU *> two 80% eff. PSU

[ntdouglas]

Check out my Soon To Be in my specs! :)

Asus P5K or DFI LP P35 Dark.

Man Jr. Your getting 10.3 on 3dmark06 with a celeron? I thought that was a little more cpu intensive.

[p_o_s_pc]

Perfectly safe man. I've been running with this all this morning. I will leave it in for a few days and see how well it does.

I have done that before when i had my 7900GS and had the Sempron when i was trying for a 100% overclock on the CPU. I didn't have a problem with it. Something you could also do is if you have any LEDs or anything else that runs off 4pin then you could also use the PSU to run them.

[cdawall]

you could get a drive bay PSU so its not as messy :p like the one i have :rolleyes:

i saw a 130mhz increase on both VGAs and cpu still tops out the same

[JrRacinFan]

you could get a drive bay PSU so its not as messy :p like the one i have :rolleyes:

i saw a 130mhz increase on both VGAs and cpu still tops out the same

Well, card is max benchable @ 877/1230, and I can attain that on the single psu. I can fix the messiness but I don't have a dremel to mod the case to make it fit and look nice. :ohwell:

Just waitin' on a new motherboard .....