Thread: 6850 psu

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  1. #1
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    6850 psu

    My XFX 5770's fan started making an awful noise a few days ago so I'm looking at new GPUs (third this year ). Got my options down to a Sapphire 5770 and Sapphire 6850, both 1GB. However, I'm kinda worried about getting the 6850.

    I have an OCZ StealthXStream 500w but I'm not sure I trust it with handling a 6850 which seems more demanding than a 5770. I've read the power recommendations for the 6850 and they go from 400 to 600w. They mostly lean towards 450/500 though.

    Could anyone tell me if I'm safe with 500w? I have a Intel C2D E8400 with 3GB RAM, can provide more info if needed.

    Also, I haven't been lucky with finding the dimensions. How big is the 6850? (UK/EU model preferred)

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Prentice View Post
    The new 6850's require less power under load than the higher 5000 series cards do and they use almost no power when idling. A 500W PSU should be sufficient assuming you don't have other power hogs in your rig. If you ever want to step up to dual video cards, you will need to upgrade your supply though.
    This. OCZ makes good stuff so the PSU you have should be fine.
    I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

  3. #3
    5770/5850/6850/6870 comparison

    The power usage difference is so minimal.

    Also, my version of the 6850 is only 9.25" long, but others can run as long as 11". I can't speak for EU models but would assume that they fall somewhere in that same range. My card fits easily in a standard ATX mid tower case. In fact, its smaller than the Radeon HD 4870 it replaced.

    Last edited by Prentice; 2010-12-28 at 09:51 PM.

    Win7(64)Pro - Intel 3770K @ 4.5GHz - 4x4GB DDR3 G Skill Ripjaws X - XFX Radeon HD 7970 - Samsung EVO 500GB SSD

  4. #4
    Scarab Lord
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    A Radeon HD5770 or HD6850 will both require a minimum of 500W or larger power supply.

    Source

    If you tell us your full system specifications I can tell you whether or not a 500W power supply is underrated for what you have. Off the hop I would say it is since you are onto your third video card.

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the replies. Nice to know 500w should be okay. I don't intend to ever go SLi or CrossFire but if I do I'll definitely go for a 1000-1200w. What d'you mean by other power hogs?

    Hopefully it'll fit in my case. XFX and Sapphire sizes seem to be pretty similar but sadly my faith in XFX has been destroyed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Culadin View Post
    If you tell us your full system specifications I can tell you whether or not a 500W power supply is underrated for what you have. Off the hop I would say it is since you are onto your third video card.
    I'm almost 100% certain they didn't fail because of my PSU. My 9800gt died because I clocked it too far. My 4850 was broken as soon as I received it, unfortunately I didn't notice the problem until it was too late. My 5770 broke down on Christmas day. A part of the fan isn't functioningly correctly, causing it to make a rattling sound and periodically grind to a halt. Last I checked, if there wasn't enough power, the GPU/PC just wouldn't run.
    Last edited by mmocd1e1b40705; 2010-12-28 at 11:02 PM.

  6. #6
    It would. I've done it.

    It will all be fine until you put some load on the computer, then the PSU will peak. It makes a sound like a high pitched whine, then a sound like a single, large arc, then it will go back to normal. A few moments later, if the computer is still at load, it will do it again, and again until the computer blue screens.

    Pretty neat to watch actually, kinda dangerous for your hardware though.
    I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

  7. #7
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    Fair enough but even still, my computer hasn't blue screened in years. I've played WoW and Black Ops at the same time with various other applications open (Firefox, msn, Winamp etc) and nothing happened. I'd consider that a heavy enough load for something to happen. Maybe in a couple of years, but this PSU is only 6 months old.
    Last edited by mmocd1e1b40705; 2010-12-29 at 12:41 AM.

  8. #8
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    Theory =/= practical application

    The theory behind the minimum and recommended power is based on the average wattage of items. In this scenario the average power consumption of your system on idle in comparison to a full load will obviously differ. Playing it safe and suggesting a larger wattage power supply will always be better advice than suggesting you stay with what you have and a potential problem occur.

    At least now you have been fairly warned.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Culadin View Post
    Theory =/= practical application

    The theory behind the minimum and recommended power is based on the average wattage of items. In this scenario the average power consumption of your system on idle in comparison to a full load will obviously differ. Playing it safe and suggesting a larger wattage power supply will always be better advice than suggesting you stay with what you have and a potential problem occur.

    At least now you have been fairly warned.
    Of course. I apologise if my replies came across as rude, I'm just on a fairly tight budget. Everest won't work so I can't post my full specs since I don't remember my mobo model. My HDD is a Western Digital 460 GB, I have 3 GB RAM, a Samsung P2250 21.5" and an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3.0 Ghz, all running on an OCZ StealthXStream 500w (I not II). If you can work something out from that, it'd be great but either way I probably won't be downgrading my card, so it's a 5770 or above.

  10. #10
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    A Core2Duo with a 6850 should draw no more than about 300W at full load - but typical gaming use will see it draw less than that. Most estimates are designed with the 125W and 95W CPUs in mind, not the core2s duos 65W.

    A 200W overhead is fine, as at its estimated peak its loading no more than 60% of capacity.

  11. #11
    These 450/500W requirements on the middle range graphic cards are just for safety, because most people have terrible PSUs.
    And why are you getting a new graphic card because of a fan problem ? It doesn't make any sense.
    Last edited by haxartus; 2010-12-29 at 03:12 AM.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by DarkXale View Post
    A Core2Duo with a 6850 should draw no more than about 300W at full load - but typical gaming use will see it draw less than that. Most estimates are designed with the 125W and 95W CPUs in mind, not the core2s duos 65W.

    A 200W overhead is fine, as at its estimated peak its loading no more than 60% of capacity.
    Thanks very much for the info.

    Quote Originally Posted by haxartus View Post
    These 450/500W requirements on the middle range graphic cards are just for safety, because most people have terrible PSUs.
    And why are you getting a new graphic card because of a fan problem ? It doesn't make any sense.
    Because the fan makes an awful sound and I have no idea how to fix it. It's very unlikely I'd tamper with the gpu's structure in an attempt to fix the fan when I possess no knowledge of card architecture. I could break it in the process, which makes it even less worthy of wasting my efforts on. Purchasing a new card is pretty much my only solution.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sallv View Post
    Because the fan makes an awful sound and I have no idea how to fix it. It's very unlikely I'd tamper with the gpu's structure in an attempt to fix the fan when I possess no knowledge of card architecture. I could break it in the process, which makes it even less worthy of wasting my efforts on. Purchasing a new card is pretty much my only solution.
    Like with CPUs and the CPU cooler - the two are completely separate and user replaceable. The graphics card specifications only specifies a few basic areas where the cooler needs to 'grip' (screw placement etc). Not its shape or otherwise its functionality, as its not part of the card.

    But that cooler would usually cost a bit itself - so a new GPU can still be a nice way to go.

  14. #14
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    Yep. I'd rather pay the extra for a new card because spending more is less costly than putting in the effort to fix it, which could fail anyway and leave me with a heatsink I have no use for.

  15. #15
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    Because the fan makes an awful sound and I have no idea how to fix it. It's very unlikely I'd tamper with the gpu's structure in an attempt to fix the fan when I possess no knowledge of card architecture. I could break it in the process, which makes it even less worthy of wasting my efforts on. Purchasing a new card is pretty much my only solution.
    XFX do have a lifetime warranty policy on their products, provided you've registered your product online and within 30 days of purchasing the item. This warranty also covers any physical mods to the cards and is transferrable to a new buyer, if you wish to sell the card. But they are an American based company, which do not offer the most amazing support for UK based customers, for obvious reasons, namely distance.

    In regards to the the PSU you have, I guess it should do for now. I've not read any glowing reviews on that particular PSU however, so the 200W overhead is a bit of an over estimate. The 6850 are relatively low power consumption cards however, so you should be fine if you decide to go for that card.

    If budget is an issue and if you are willing to gamble, and it is a gamble...then buying an aftermarket cooler for your GPU maybe the cheapest option to consider. However after some research, it seems quite difficult for this series of card, let alone model. From personal experience, trying to unsuccessfully fit and overclock a newly bought ATI 9800 pro with a GPU cooler, which was binned, its an expensive experience I would rather not repeat.

  16. #16
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Drudgery View Post
    XFX do have a lifetime warranty policy on their products, provided you've registered your product online and within 30 days of purchasing the item. This warranty also covers any physical mods to the cards and is transferrable to a new buyer, if you wish to sell the card. But they are an American based company, which do not offer the most amazing support for UK based customers, for obvious reasons, namely distance.

    In regards to the the PSU you have, I guess it should do for now. I've not read any glowing reviews on that particular PSU however, so the 200W overhead is a bit of an over estimate. The 6850 are relatively low power consumption cards however, so you should be fine if you decide to go for that card.

    If budget is an issue and if you are willing to gamble, and it is a gamble...then buying an aftermarket cooler for your GPU maybe the cheapest option to consider. However after some research, it seems quite difficult for this series of card, let alone model. From personal experience, trying to unsuccessfully fit and overclock a newly bought ATI 9800 pro with a GPU cooler, which was binned, its an expensive experience I would rather not repeat.
    I was actually under the impression they could not offer the lifetime warranty outside of N. America because of EU laws. Please let me know if this is no longer the case because I would gladly try for a replacement card.

    To be honest, on the issue of which card to buy, I'm still too undecided yet a new 5770 is much less of a gamble if it happens to break again and there is in fact something else causing problems (which I doubt, but it is always a possibility).

  17. #17
    You should have at least a one year warranty, if not two from whatever company sold you the card. Sapphire has awful customer service and cards here in the US, not sure why you would even consider them.

  18. #18
    Deleted
    The 5770s have seen a recent price drop in the UK and many of them are selling for about £100 mark and are considerably cheaper than the 6850s.

    The Nvidia's 460 GTX 768MB series cards could also be considered as an alternative option and i've seen the cheapest card sell for around the £115 mark and provides good price/performance ratio.

    Lastly, XFX will only provide double lifetime warranty for cards purchased within the US. So apologies about the warranty snippet. But I've read somewhere that some vendors are willing to fufill XFX standard 2 year warranty to customers. Worth checking with your vendor and perhaps XFX to get an RMA.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by chaud View Post
    You should have at least a one year warranty, if not two from whatever company sold you the card. Sapphire has awful customer service and cards here in the US, not sure why you would even consider them.
    I've never heard anything bad about Sapphire and I associate them with good quality, just as I did with XFX and ASUS.

    Anyway. Thanks very much to anyone who offered advice given in this thread. I decided to push my budget to its limit and go for both a new 5770 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/189741) and a Corsair 650w TX (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135514) for the safety, since I noticed an electric buzz if I flipped the switch on my OCZ 500w.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Sallv View Post
    Because the fan makes an awful sound and I have no idea how to fix it. It's very unlikely I'd tamper with the gpu's structure in an attempt to fix the fan when I possess no knowledge of card architecture. I could break it in the process, which makes it even less worthy of wasting my efforts on. Purchasing a new card is pretty much my only solution.
    Your graphic card isn't broken. There is absolutely no reason to buy a new one. You can ask someone else to change the cooler if you can't.
    Last edited by haxartus; 2010-12-29 at 11:56 PM.

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