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[destiriser]

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[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

Here's your worst case power use (Prime 95 + Furmark):

mobo + SSD, case fans, etc 40W
GPU 55 or 60W
CPU 35W or 54-65W

Totals:
case 1: 75W
case 2: 94-105W
case 3:
a) 75W + 55-60W = 130-135W
b) 94W + 55-60W = 149-154W
c) 105W + 55-60W = 160-165W.

In reality, you'll never come close to the stress test load. Worst I've seen while gaming is ~85% of stress load, which would be ~140W for your case 3c. And, a Haswell based system can idle in the 20-25W range.

Power brick: If it supplies a voltage in the range of the pico, and can supply the amperage you need, then you can use it. Look for one that has an efficiency mark of "V" on it. I'm sure someone will pipe up with a brick recommendation if your's doesn't fit.

[quest_for_silence]

Can I just take it from my old laptop or should I pay attention to something?

Is that brick able to supply 160W? I have some doubt, but some high power laptops exist.

BTW, the real drawback of the vast majority of those bricks is their usual mediocre to terrible electrical performance: a Seasonic Platinum costs so much but offers rock-solid voltage stability, outstanding noise/ripple rejection, and an higher grade of reliability. Any Pico is light years away from that kind of performance (and from any really decent ATX PSU performance too).

[Vicotnik]

When you start adding a dedicated graphics card, then it starts to get complicated with a picoPSU. It's possible to power a system that way but you're probably better of with a normal PSU.

For a modest system in a small case the picoPSU is a great alternative, unless you want to use the PSU that came with the case, or if you got one of those fancy mini ITX boards that has DC-DC onboard.

So I say:
1. No problem with a picoPSU.
2. No problem with a picoPSU.
3. Would probably work with a picoPSU but I would replace the barrel connector and probably feed the motherboard +12v from the brick, bypassing the picoPSU.

[xan_user]

IMO, any i3 with a gtx750 is good with 150watt+ pico. overclocking (ti) will really depend on the brick's 12v passthrough, and actual "real world" use. (as opposed to benchmarks/burnins)

[raudi]

I have a similar system to what you want to build with an Intel Pentium G3258, Nvidia GTX 750 Ti, SSD and 2xRAM.
Because I had the same question as you earlier today, I ran Furmark while I had both CPU(4,3GHz) and GPU(+150Mhz) overclocked and overvolted. I also turned on all the chassis fans of my Antec GX700(2X140mm, 1X120mm) and the GPU fan (140mm fan originally from my Thermalright HR-02 Macho) was running at 100% too. Mouse and Keyboard (Logitech G15) were attached as well. Including the 27" Monitor and the speaker amplifier everything together reached roughly 160-170 watts (Measured with a cheap watt meter, so I can't guarantee anything). When I turned of the monitor, it went to 140-150 Watts and since that is lower than the 160 Watt PicoPSU, I didn't bother further.

I already have a lower watt PicoPSU in one of my Baytrail-D builds and during everyday use the PSU(Seasonic G-360) is the only fan running in my system and it annoys me because I can hear the airflow. So I thought about running my main PC with a Pico PSU, but after looking at the prices, I gave up on that idea. The PicoPSU 160W is around 45€ here in Germany and a halfway decent power brick seems to cost at least as much again which totals at around 100€. So the price difference to the Seasonic platinum Fanless 400W (around 110€) is really small and the Seasonic clearly has a better efficiency, stability and versatility(especially for future upgrades).

Why is there no good and cheap 200-300W fanless PSU?

[CA_Steve]

Why is there no good and cheap 200-300W fanless PSU?

PSU manufacturers perceive there is no value. The cost difference in components to make a 200W/300W fanless PSU vs a 400W is maybe a few dollars. The 400W PSU can sell for $100, the market price of the 300W fanless? Maybe $75..and maybe $60 for the 200W. Way bigger profit margins making the larger supplies.

[destiriser]

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[CA_Steve]

CA_Steve, I hear that fanless PSUs are made from components from twice as powerful PSUs.

Bad rumor. Back when the original Seasonic 400W Gold fanless came out, it was the same platform as their 550W fanned. With Platinum efficiencies, there is less waste heat, so the derating can be even less.

[raudi]

raudi, did you overclock it or undervolt it?
Thanks for posting your results.

The picoPSU is much cheaper in my place, although after checking 160W brick's prices I'm not so enthusiastic anymore, 120W are way more popular and cheaper though.

CA_Steve, I hear that fanless PSUs are made from components from twice as powerful PSUs. Wouldn't that make it more valuable? 400W components in 200W fanless PSU.

As I wrote, I overclocked and overvolted both CPU and GPU. Only the RAM was at standard XMP settings.

[Stevo_]

I'm talking about a 160W picoPSU.
I'd like to use it with one of these three builds:
1. 35W i3, 2x normal RAM stick (I can use one though), mobo, 1 SSD, USB audio interface
2. everything the same as in the first build but with 54, 55 or 65W i3
3. One of the previous builds + semi-fanless or fanless 55W GTX 750 or 60W GTX 750Ti

Which ones of these would this PSU power?

I'm thinking about pico, because I haven't found any other option that would be cheaper than Seasonic fanless PSUs (pico is twice cheaper in my place), and they're totally overkill, I don't need so much power. Although, maybe there are some other options?


BTW does any power brick work with pico? Can I just take it from my old laptop or should I pay attention to something?

PS Please don't convince me to buy a PSU with a fan instead.

I have a 3770K + 750 Ti running off an HD-Plex 160W with a Dell 330W brick(got one when they were realtively cheap), running Prime95 + Kombustor Kill-a-Watt from the wall was 167W watts, figure 135W at the mobo(corroborated by open HWmonitor package and GPU power numbers). Realistic gaming loads are nowhere near the torture load. HD-Plex are 19V optimum input, pico-box versions are more typically 12V but there are people running similar setups to your no problem off picoPSU 160W PSUs.

Check some of the bundle deals at mini-box like this 160W DC plus 192W AC brick for $80

http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-160-XT- ... -Power-Kit

[pingalep]

any advice using two psu for powering atx connect and p4 4pin 12v connector separately?
i have two dell da-2 and two pico psu 160w. q930o(95w), p45(22w), hd4670(70w). two hdd one ssd and 3 fans. the gpu doesn't have external connection, so my idea is to connect one dell+pico on the atx connector only and one dell+pico to 4pin 12v connector and all the stuff remained(fans and drives).
any idea if i can damage anything trying this?

[destiriser]

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[eqc.liu]

I'm running an AMD 5800k (100 watt TDP, less w/ GPU disabled) and a 750 Ti (60 watts) on a 160 watt PicoPSU + 192 watt brick. Been chugging along fine for the past 3 months, and before that fine with a HD 7750 for a year and a half, with me gaming on it regularly.

So I'd say you're fine.

[Brem]

I'd say go for it! My current setup is:

i3-4150 + Ninja Plus rev.B
2x 4GB
HD 7750 + Accelero S1
256GB SSD + 500GB HDD
SG05 + picoPSU 150W

with just one intake Scythe fan, everything works fine. Have been running it for a year or so without any problems, mostly for gaming, photo editing and websurfing. Still thinking about switching to GTX 750, but don't need it really for what I use.

[destiriser]

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[Vicotnik]

I'll switch to skylake soon and will have something like a fanless GTX 750 in form of its iGPU, sweet.

You will also have to get a PSU, unless that motherboard also has one onboard. That's a nice feature of the picoPSU; it's modular. But onboard (ondie? ;) PSUs is getting more common, good thing that. :)

[destiriser]

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[Vicotnik]

Ah, I misunderstood. I thought you needed to get a new motherboard.