18A on 12v rail

AndrewOng111

i just want to ask if this is enough for my system especially overclocking. some of my rails are 41A on +5v and 35 on +3.3v HEC 475watts

athlon64 3000+ winnie (stock as of now)
epox9nda3j
radeon 9800pro
2x HD 80gb
SB live 5.1
2x rom (dvd & cd writer)
4x kingston 256mb ddr400
8 fans including cpu fan

and how would you know if your 12v rail is messing up?

mkk

Edit: I reconsidered my initial recommendation. I still feel that it should run fine with the parts just as they are, but any real degree of overclocking would not be adviced before getting a new PSU. Your current PSU seems to have been designed primary for older systems with such a high capacity on +5V, whereas todays systems draw much more from +12V. So on accord of your asking especially about overclocking I would have to say no, plan on investing in a new high capacity PSU. Preferably of some known quality brand.

So then as a more general note about 12V load suspected to be near full capacity, check the voltage levels for too low or high values (5% within spec is fine on average) using an information program like SpeedFan. On board sensors are often not too accurate but they can be used as a rough indicator.

itchy5

18A is NOT enough no questions asked. for that system i would sugest a good 450w+ and also the 12V goes to fans so the fans may die -.-

RyderOCZ

Here is a good online calculator to see how much of a power supply you will need...keep in mind though that just because a PSU is rated at 500W, if it only has 18A on the 12V rail then they are probably inflating the Wattage Rating.

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp

Edit: I also agree with Itchy5...with that many fans, 2 HD's and 2 Optical Drives....that one with 18A on 12V will not cut it....you are going to consume 12A just powering those devices.

Dark Lord

ive got a 480watt thermaltake purepower with only 18A on the 12v. and my system runs just fine.
Xaser 3 (7 case fans)
A64 3200+ (clawhammer, i think)
X800pro
huge heatsink
2x512 pc4000
dvd rom
cd-rw
floppy
1x 160gig HD

11 fans total. 7x case, 2x PSU, 1x vid card, 1x HS

itchy5

lol good job TT

CDsDontBurn

I just bought me an OCZ PowerStream 520watt PSU, and it is a BIG difference over my old Enermax Noisetaker 485watt PSU. I can now push my voltages on my CPU alot higher than i used to compared to when i had my Enermax. This new PSU does 33A on the 12v rail ! So awsome . Mind you, it did cost me a pretty penny .

itchy5

damn 33 thats hot :P i got 28 but its stable

CDsDontBurn

not really.....i've seen some reviews on them, and they took one apart....there's this huge heatsink inside that puts the PC Power & Cooling heatsink to shame . Besides...w/my presHOT, i've got other heat issues to worry about before my new PSU comes to mind .

itchy5

lol whats temps are you getting stock (and at 4ghz) just curious

CDsDontBurn

When i run stock, my idle temps are 48C~52C. My 4Ghz OC idle temps are 55C~59C.

itchy5

lol get that checked out cause my sister has a 3.2E and idles 47 stock with a 7000-Cu AS5ed when i had my 7000-CU in my system i was idling 43-45ish and load was mid-low 50s but my room is kinda cold

AndrewOng111

yes, my 12v rail is very low. only 18amps but how about the enermax 350w? 12v rail 26A, +3.3v 33, +5v 35. is this better much reliable compared to my hec 475w?

CDsDontBurn

the enermax more reliable yes, better....not necessarily. Although the 12v rails are lower on your HEC PSU, that doesn't mean that it still doesn't put out a fair amount of wattage through your system. Your PSU is rated at 475w, but because of the low amps on the 12v rail, it is more than likely pushing out about 380w of continuous power, which by all means is good, but there is always better out there. Especially when you enter the world of overclocking, having that extra power will make a big difference

@ itchy5
Just checked my idle temps right now....my p4 is running at 48C. But that's because it's rather cool inside my room tonight.

AndrewOng111

tnx guys.. what do you think should i use enermax 350w or the hec 475w? i'm just going to swap my hec 475w to my friend if the enermax is more reliable.

CDsDontBurn

are you going to be doing any overclocking? How about adding more devices (like HDDs, optical drives, etc.) to your system? If so, get the enermax, if not, then you should be fine w/your HEC PSU. Like i said earlier, the difference between the enermax 350w and your HEC 475w will be almost nothing because the HEC will be putting out a much lower wattage than what it actually says it does. The 475w is only peak power output. However, if you want a 3yr. warranty on a PSU, then go ahead and get the enermax .

AndrewOng111

maybe i should get the enermax 350w. the funny thing here is my friend will add cash if im going to swap my hec 475w. btw, the exect rails of enermax 350w are 3.3 32A, +5v 32A and 12v 26A. i hope the enermax can give me the power that i want.

CDsDontBurn

lol.....so if you're getting some cash in return for you current PSU, then definately go for the enermax . Maybe you will be able to get yourself a 420w enermax w/the extra cash???

AndrewOng111

defenitely! but i have to sell the enermax 350w b4 i can get a new one. i'm planning to buy an enermax 460w w/ 36A on 12v rail. i think its $83. i'm not so sure..

CDsDontBurn

nice! that would be a very nice upgrade if you do get that enermax 460w .

Matth

Now that IS the mark of a quality PSU...
Enermax 350W

+12v 26A = 312W
+5V 32A = 160W
+3.3 32A = 105.6W

The "cheap and nasty", would add all those together, and call it a 550w

AndrewOng111

the total output of 3.3v ang 5v is only 185w, not 265w. btw, how can you compute the max wattage of 12v rail? i dont think its 12v x AMPS coz 12 x 26A is equivalent to 312w and the enermax is only 350w.

RyderOCZ

That is the correct Andrew...Watts = Voltage x Amperage...whether you are talking AC or DC, its the same.

AndrewOng111

hmm. so my enermax 350w is equivalent to 577w?!?? coz hte rails are 3.3v 32A, 5v 32A and 12v 26A.

mkk