# Tri-SLI on Corsair HX850, or upgrade to HX1000



## bpgt64 (Sep 14, 2010)

As per title, debating trying Tri-SLI on my UD5, but I am not 100% that my HX850 can handle it...thoughts?

Looking for a new 1000w/1200w psu, any thoughts?


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## brandonwh64 (Sep 14, 2010)

thats a touchy thing with fermi. i think with three one of the mods posted that he was peaking like 1K watts on 480s so i dunno about 3 470s on a 850W

Also nice to see people from GA! im from north GA around dalton


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## bpgt64 (Sep 14, 2010)

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-470-2-3-way-sli-review/

only tri-sli review I can find...
"So yeah with 3-way SLI we noticed our power consumption for the GTX 470 peak to almost 800 Watts"

Makes me think a 1000W or 1200W psu might be a good upgrade...


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## musek (Sep 14, 2010)

bpgt64 said:


> http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-470-2-3-way-sli-review/
> 
> only tri-sli review I can find...
> "So yeah with 3-way SLI we noticed our power consumption for the GTX 470 peak to almost 800 Watts"
> ...



Guru says:
"_I'd say on average we are using roughly 50 to 100 Watts more than a standard PC due to higher CPU clock settings, water-cooling, additional cold cathode lights etc._"

IMO it will work in normal usage (games, not furmark), but it will be on the edge.


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## bpgt64 (Sep 14, 2010)

We'll find out tomorow!, unless my MSI GTX 470 sells before the EVGA arrives.


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## JrRacinFan (Sep 14, 2010)

You're going to be pushing it. Somewhere I remember seeing someone mentioning a 750W wouldnt power Tri GTX470. Wouldn't power meaning not even post. Can't remember what article I read so take my post with a grain ...


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## CDdude55 (Sep 14, 2010)

I'm running 2x GTX 470's on a Corsair 850TX PSU, and i personally wouldn't feel comfortable running a third card in there. I would definitely go with a 1kw PSU for 3-way SLI with the 470's.

It also depends on how much extra baggage the PSU is carrying in addition to those three cards. You're running your CPU at almost 4Ghz and your memory is at 2000mhz, plus with the Fermi Architecture that does consume a fair amount of power on it's own, i personally don't think it'll run very well on an 850w PSU.


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## n-ster (Sep 14, 2010)

AFAIK, the HX850 is as good as some 1KW units... the HX1000 is not spectacular in my eyes, if you go 1KW, the HX1000 isn't the best for the price


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## mlee49 (Sep 14, 2010)

Um yeah 750W for just the cards and at least 200W for your CPU(overclocked) and not mentioning other components.

Seems like you feel confident in blowing your $200 power supply. Why risk it with $1000 is gpus alone?


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## bpgt64 (Sep 14, 2010)

mlee49 said:


> Um yeah 750W for just the cards and at least 200W for your CPU(overclocked) and not mentioning other components.
> 
> Seems like you feel confident in blowing your $200 power supply. Why risk it with $1000 is gpus alone?



This isn't permanant, I currently have two GTX 470s, one from MSI, one from EVGA.  Trying to sell the MSI one, and I am replacing it with another EVGA, just had a whim to try TRi-SLi while I had 3 .

In the long run I'll be running the twin EVGA's in SLI and a GT 240 to drive a seperate monitor all together...


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## mlee49 (Sep 14, 2010)

Ok, well still it's risky trying to feed that much machine with a limited power supply.

Granted the 850W Corsair will peak at 1000W so you should be safe, but I bet you could still touch 1KW with a triSLI 470 and OC i7.


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## heky (Sep 14, 2010)

I say you will have no issues whatsoever. That hx can put 70a on the 12v line. So you will be perfectly fine. 3x sli GTX470 with your i7 will consume around 750W on load, maybe a little more peak. Thats it.


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## heky (Sep 14, 2010)

Guys, come on.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-470-2-3-way-sli-review/23

3x sli GTX470 with a i7 overclocked consumes 794W, and that are PEAK values.


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## CDdude55 (Sep 14, 2010)

heky said:


> Guys, come on.
> 
> http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-470-2-3-way-sli-review/23
> 
> 3x sli GTX470 with a i7 overclocked consumes 794W, and that are PEAK values.



Even with an almost 800w peak, i still wouldn't run it on an 850w PSU. That graph also differs depending on the system, guru3d isn't running there memory at 2000mhz or there CPU at almost 4Ghz. So it's really a give or take kind of thing with the graphs, and it's no doubt that with his rig it will be consuming over 800w.

So for some extra space in wattage i would still go for a 1KW PSU.


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## mlee49 (Sep 14, 2010)

heky said:


> Guys, come on.
> 
> http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-470-2-3-way-sli-review/23
> 
> 3x sli GTX470 with a i7 overclocked consumes 794W, and that are PEAK values.



Ask him if he would have done the review on a 850W PSU.  Lets see what his answer would be.


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## bpgt64 (Sep 14, 2010)

mlee49 said:


> Ask him if he would have done the review on a 850W PSU.  Lets see what his answer would be.



He would say that he also planned on testing Twin GTX 480s that push the consumption to over 1kW.  So if you know your planning on testing that kind of power draw, that you should get something thats overkill in all scenarios.  Hence his 1.2kW psu.


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## heky (Sep 14, 2010)

Look i dont want to argue. But hardwarecanucks did use a core i7 @4ghz, and a CoolIT Boreas mTEC, which just for the TECs uses 130W. And their peak power consumption for 2x GTX470 was 541W(for the whole sytem). If you add another GTX470 it still doesnt peak over 800W.

But i guess only bpgt64 can really test and report, and proove either of us wrong.


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 14, 2010)

id say you should BE FINE!!!

the HX850 is a REALLY good psy, and as heky says it will maximum peak at 800w

it WILL make the psu sweat, but wont kill it

and if its only for a short period why even get a new psu?


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## CDdude55 (Sep 14, 2010)

I have no doubts that it will run to a degree, but it's gonna stress it out as Don said. I would definitely go with a 1KW for good measure.

Also as stated above, if you're only going to be running it for a little amount of time, i don't see a reason for a whole new PSU in that aspect.


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## bpgt64 (Sep 14, 2010)

Well, I have made one mistake, I don't have an HX, I have a TX, which as I have seen in the reviews is somewhat of a different animal.  Don't really feel comfortable chancing any of the hardware, and if I did want to do Tri-Sli I'd have to Top Mount the Power supply, and re-route all the power in the case, because it's currently nicely tucked away.

Now that's normally no problem, but I am strapped for cash, and the only way to bring cash it, would be to sell one of the cards...so it's looking like it's not going to happen...  Really don't feel like re-routing power just to attempt something, as I prefer my bottom mount at the moment.


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## n-ster (Sep 14, 2010)

If you have the TX850W, just sell one of the cards and don't even try tri-sli, not that it isn't going to work, it'll just be very stressful


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## bpgt64 (Sep 15, 2010)

So, it's looking more like I might be able keep the MSI card, if it doesn't sell.  So I am not looking at new PSUs....any ideas?


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## Obsidian86 (Sep 15, 2010)

for a good 1kw you could look at this

ABS SL series SL1050 1050W Continuous @50°C ,80 PL...


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