Is my PSU enough?

[adamwhiles]

I am looking at buy a new video card a e-GeForce 8600GT the specs say this:

Minimum of a 300 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 18 Amp Amps.)

My current PSU has these specs:

380 Watt
+3.3V@30A,+5V@28A,+12V1@14A,+12V2@15A,-12V@0.6A, +5VSB@2.0A

I'm confused about all this, can my current PSU support this card?

Do you add both the +12V1 and +12V2 to get the rating?

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

As far as I'm aware, yes, you use the sum of your 12V rails, so yours would be 29A.

You should be fine with that PSU.

 

[adamwhiles]

i was reading something about a separate power plug such as a 4pin molex one. I don't think this card has one. From my understand that means the card only pulls from on +12v. which means my psu is insufficient is that correct?

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

You probably have two 12V rails going to the motherboard. A 20/24-pin main connector and a 4/8-pin secondary connector. I don't know the power pull of the 8600GT off hand but I doubt it would be an issue honestly.

What motherboard and PSU are you using?

 

[adamwhiles]

Power Supply is:
Rosewill RV380-2-FRB ATX 12V ver.2.0 380W Power Supply

Motherboard is:
DFI RS482 INFINITY 939 ATI Radeon Xpress 200 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Aye, your motherboard and PSU have a 24-pin connector and the 4-pin secondary connector.

Picture of your motherboard (stolen from Newegg):

 

[adamwhiles]

So you still think i'm in the clear with my current psu?

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

You should be fine with that PSU.

I don't know the power pull of the 8600GT off hand but I doubt it would be an issue honestly.

Could be wrong, but I don't see there being a problem.

 

[Tedster]

use this tool and add 30% http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp