Small PSU question

[magu2k]

I have an Antec EA-750 ( http://www.antec.com/pdf/manuals/EA-750_Manual_EN.pdf ) and am in the process of upgrading my video card to a model which uses 2 6 pin PCI-E connectors. This PSU has one non-modular cable with 2 6 pin connectors and I seem to have misplaced the modular cable which has the additional 6 pin connectors. So my questions is will the single cable provide sufficient power for the card or do I have to find and use the other cable?

[Arbutus]

...will the single cable provide sufficient power for the card...

"Yes, because the weakest link in the power feed is usually the pin connections and not the power cable gauge."

edit: I meant to say:
The copper wires in a single cable can usually provide sufficient power for the card but the weakest link in the power feed is usually the pin connections. In your case the card engineers have decided that you will need 2 x 6 pin connections.

[magu2k]

well this PSU seems to be SLI certified meaning you can use all 4 for video cards so I guess it shouldn't matter then which 2 are used on a single card. Hopefully I'm right got the card today so about to toss it in, I won't be able to change out the cooler for a couple weeks

[magu2k]

This is going off topic from PSU specific but I have this posted already and it's relevant to the same issue so here goes
The situation
-------------
I got a 6950 to upgrade my older HD3600. Soon as I put the 6950 in anything using 3d was causing system crashing constantly, with temps never getting over 68C. It forced me to do a power off / on as reset would leave the monitor saying *Out of range*. I did switch the PCI-E 6pin cord per my above posts, after finally finding the modular cables so now one is on the non-modular connector, the other is connected via a modular, so separate rail. It since the change, seems to be running much more stable, I was able to get max settings, well about 4x AA and all other settings max before it crashed again. Now I think it's my CPU overheating, but it crashes in the exact same way since before I made the PCI-E connector change, just much later. Where MW2 or MOH might crash after about 5min, I played MOH after the change for almost 30min. (All this still needs further testing)

so my basic setup is:

Asus P5k Premium mobo
Intel Q9400 stock speed, stock HSF
6gb 800mhz ram (Stock speed)
3 7200rpm Hard disks All in bottom half of case with PSU, and one Scythe blowing on them)
4 120mm fans - (2 exhaust-1x glacialtech(Top), 1x Gentle Typhoon(Back)) and (2 intake- 2x Scythe Slip stream 500 RPM(Front))
Antec Earthwatts 750 watt PSU
P183 case

My configuration is, prior to the 6950, when I was using a HD3600 (and my PSU was the loudest component), set up for quiet and building slowly towards silent... but will be a while before I get anywhere near there.

My intent with the upgrades
---------------------------
My intent with these upgrades on a limited budget was to improve my video capabilities for Primarily Video editing, 2nd gaming and 3rd minor improvements to photoshop and other graphic packages (yeah even photoshop can take advantage of 3d accelleration). I purchased a gelid icy vision 2 I want(ed) to install on this card once I made sure it was stable, and reliable, and was able to order the icy vision 2 the enhancement kit for compatibility with the 6950. But it leaves me wondering if this project was over-ambitious for goal of having a silent rig. I suppose a lot of it depends on how the icy vision 2 will perform.

So I guess my question is: What would be the cheapest solution assuming it is my CPU overheating? (Still need to do further testing) I am on a really tight budget but might be able to just squeeze out enough cash for a used Noctua NH-D14. Please offer up any ideas and suggestions. Other options may include getting the ext. warranty on the card ( I still can for a few more days) and try to get a downgrade. But I am open to any solution that is within my budget.

[magu2k]

Some further testing, I think it is the CPU it's hard to get a program going that uses 3d and still watch my cpu temps (Have to keep tabbing out) but they were getting up to 70c before I shut down the program however once i close it almost immediately the temps are back down around 50c and within about 1 min they are at 45c again. all the time the highest the video card is getting to is around 60-65c app. but I am going to try perestroika on a GPU test see how that goes that way I can watch the temps easily too.

EDIT: I ran perestroika GPU test, and the GPU got to around 80c and crashed. the whole time, the CPU temps showed normal, around 45-50c. when it crashed it gave an *out of range* error on the monitor.

I'm not sure what to make of this exactly, maybe it's not enough info but it still seems to me the primary problem is the CPU overheating?

[Arbutus]

Soon as I put the 6950 in anything using 3d was causing system crashing

I will suggest these 3 possibilities:

1. The HD 6950 is faulty.
2. The HD 6950 is not compatible with your mainboard.
3. You've got a weird driver issue.

[Arbutus]

I think it is the CPU

I suggest checking the push pins on the CPU heatsink.

[Arbutus]

now one is on the non-modular connector, the other is connected via a modular, so separate rail

There is a very comprehensive review of the EA-750 here:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?na ... y&reid=163

The EA-750 has two 12 volt supplies instead of the usual one circuit. The 12v1 and 12v2 are on the same supply circuit and the 12v3 and 12v4 are on the additional circuit. The CPU power feed, the remainder of the mainboard and the disk drive power connectors are all on the 12v1/12v2 supply. Both of the PCIe connectors are on the 12v3/12v4 supply circuit.

[magu2k]

thank you for your input I will check that out.

[magu2k]

It may be too early to say with any certainty but it seems the driver was really messed up, I was using 11.6, freshly downloaded but whatever happened, the CPU is not overheating now and (so far) not getting any crashing
Now I've used ATI cards since at least 1999. So I have done many installs on ATI drivers before but this one had a lot of problems uninstalling and ultimately had to reboot a few times through the "uninstall" process to get them suitably cleared out. Then I had one re-install go bad, with re-downloaded drivers. the next try worked fine it would seem so far. And it's weird, I was already using 11.6 on my 3600 card, I had no issues installing or un-installing them at that time.

[Arbutus]

Both of the PCIe connectors are on the 12v3/12v4 supply circuit and each power feed is over current protected at higher that 25 amps. If you connect both the 12v3 and the 12v4 power feeds to the same video card you will be interfering with the over current protection and losing the safety that is engineered into the power supply.

Because some engineer spec'd the 12v3 supply for 25 amps that would suggest that the wire gauge used is capable of delivering 25 amps and the pins on the connectors are also capable of handling 25 amps. Apparently the engineer of your video card is calculating the current caring capacities differently. My recommendation is to avoid the possibility of the connectors overheating and seriously degrading by plugging both of the PCIe connectors on the 12v3 cable into the video card.

[magu2k]

ok I will try that, Looking at it, that does seem to make sense. The only thing using the 2nd rail on my machine then is my hard drives, everything else is on 12v1 and 12v2. and I had always assumed that those two, being non-mod conencotrs were on teh same rail/circuit as the ATX connector, P3 etc.

[Arbutus]

The manual has very few details. I wonder where jonnyguru got the more detailed info....

[magu2k]

By taking it apart with enough knowledge of how these circuits work, and the "fingerprint" of different companies that design them.

[magu2k]

Well everything seems to be working well now, thank you for the suggestions.