eXtreme Outer Vision PSU Calculator Shutting Down :(

[Bill_Bright]

I am very disappointed to learn that the OuterVision PSU Calculator will be permanently shutting down at the end of February 2025. Since 2006, this has been the one and only PSU calculator out there worth using.

The eXtreme OuterVision Calculator has been the most inclusive, most conservative and most flexible calculator. And that is what made it the most accurate and the only one worth using.

It was the best because their team of researchers on staff constantly researched components for us - keeping their extensive databases accurate and current. This allowed us to enter the widest range and variety of possible components to accurately calculate our needs - rather than guess. Or rather than use, for example, a graphics card suggestion based on some arbitrary setup. Or rather than just pick a huge supply we didn't need.

The OuterVision PSU Calculator ensured we bought a properly sized PSU for our needs. No calculator ever wants to recommend an underpowered supply so they all pad the results. But the OuterVision PSU Calculator, being the most conservative, added just a "little" extra headroom for future upgrades, but not so much extra that it suggested a supply what was WAY too big and a waste of our money.

Unlike other calculators provided by PSU makers and retailers, the folks at OuterVision Calculator had no financial incentive to recommend a PSU bigger (and more profitable) than we need.

The eXtreme PSU Calculator also suggested a UPS size - a nice touch.

I know there are some that scoffed at the idea of using a PSU calculator - and that's fine for those who already know how to properly research all their components, and would rather do all that research themselves. But for those unsure how to determine needs, or for those of us who would rather have a team of experts do the research for us, there was no better option than the eXtreme OuterVision PSU calculator. It will be missed.

Edit comment: Fixed a couple minor typos.

 

[Macro Device]

Luckily PSUs became much better than they used to be back in my childhood, also costing way less in the perspective (25 years won't be a bizarre assumption for an average lifespan compared to south of 20 back then + higher efficiency which means less money spent on electricity bills) which means choosing the PSU became kinda easy: you just buy an overkill unit and forget about it until you yourself turn from a yesterday's college graduate into a grandpa or a grandma.

So, let's say you are about to build a PC with roughly 150 W CPU, 250 W GPU, and some SSDs and stuff. This means about 450 W under full load. Hit the x2 button, get 900 W and this is what will serve you fine basically forever. Just make sure you choose a high quality unit instead of picking whatever PSU with the respective label.

 

[68Olds]

I've used that calculator in the past & found its estimates to be very reasonable. I agree that it is too bad we are losing this resource.

 

[eidairaman1]

Considering it appears the psu makers use that calculator as a base line

 

[Bill_Bright]

So, let's say you are about to build a PC with roughly 150 W CPU, 250 W GPU, and some SSDs and stuff. This means about 450 W under full load. Hit the x2 button, get 900 W and this is what will serve you fine basically forever.

Yeah, that type of WAY overkill is what this calculator was great at avoiding. If a 450W full load was realistic, this calculator might recommend as a minimum, 550W. And that makes sense - with no guess work.

If the user wanted to add a little extra to account for a bigger graphics card in the next year, they could easily add another 100W or even 200W and have plenty of headroom for upgrades without pushing the PSU, or going WAY overkill.

Sure, it won't hurt anything (except your budget) to buy a 900W supply if you only need 550W, but there are lots of users who would prefer to buy supplies that are appropriate for their needs.

Considering it appears the psu makers use that calculator as a base line

Very true. I wondered about that as well. Some do indeed use (license) a limited version (fewer menu options) of the eXtreme Outer Vision Calculator, then rebrand it for their own. Not sure what is going to happen for them.

 

[W1zzard]

Anyone know the guys running it? Maybe we could take it over and maintain it here at TPU?

 

[Macro Device]

Sure, some users are reasonable and Excel spreadsheety. Some users are me. I might all of the sudden buy a 500 W GPU not even knowing I'm about to do it a day beforehand. So that's why I buy 1000+ W units to be sure I'm not gonna need a new PSU for this monster.

Also, the price difference between a similarly excellent quality 550 and 850 W units is <100 USD in most cases. In the decades' perspective, I don't even care.

 

[68Olds]

Anyone know the guys running it? Maybe we could take it over and maintain it here at TPU?

From their site.

About eXtreme Outer Vision

The eXtreme Outer Vision's main goal is to help all computer enthusiasts with proper power supply estimation for their PC builds.

outervision.com

 

[Bill_Bright]

Anyone know the guys running it? Maybe we could take it over and maintain it here at TPU?

Check PM.

 

[Frick]

Shit yeah Bill do it!

 

[Bill_Bright]

I would be willing to help where I can. The problem is, many manufacturers don't publish power consumption for their components and devices so it is not like you can just look it up, then update the databases.

Plus, I'm no spring chicken. I'm on my 3rd retirement (24 years USAF, 10 years Northrop Grumman IT, 19 years my own shop) and enjoy doing things at my own pace. Plus, I have adopted the philosophy, "Why do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow!" This is a philosophy not conducive to time schedules and deadlines.

I have the necessary test equipment to measure power consumption - but doubt these companies are going to send me their CPUs, graphics cards, drives, fans, liquid cooling kits, etc. for me to test. I might want to keep them!

 

[windwhirl]

Just learned this today when someone on a Discord server asked recommendations for a PSU... pretty sad overall.

 

[W1zzard]

Tried to reach out to ask if maybe TPU can take it over .. no reply

Shouldn't be terribly hard to build our own, let's wait and see what happens in the coming weeks and months

 

[GerKNG]

Tried to reach out to ask if maybe TPU can take it over .. no reply

Shouldn't be terribly hard to build our own, let's wait and see what happens in the coming weeks and months

on a very simplistic "all parts + 200W" level... sure. but in reality? not at all.
you can run a overclocked 600W 4090 on a cheap 850W PSU with two daisychained 8 pins but often not a stock ~335W 6950XT because it has transients like a electric chainsaw.
so a Corsair RM850X would not be recommended for a 4090 but for the 6950XT where the real world result would be the exact opposite.

 

[W1zzard]

6950XT

i think that's included in "not terribly hard", just add an adjustable factor to mfgr TDP rating, or just use TPU's own numbers, which we have for like everything

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Tried to reach out to ask if maybe TPU can take it over .. no reply

It seems you did not make them an offer that they couldn't refuse

 

[Assimilator]

It seems you didn't make them an offer that they couldn't refuse

"Don W1zzard" has a certain ring to it, I'll give you that.

 

[W1zzard]

It seems you did not make them an offer that they couldn't refuse

Not interested in paying for it if that's what you are asking. Well technically we will, because hosting costs and dev time to maintain.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Not interested in paying for it if that's what you are asking. Well technically we will, because hosting costs and dev time to maintain.

It was a tongue in cheek joke

Shame they didnt reply though.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Shame they didnt reply though.

Yeah, this is disconcerting. In the past, I have had several dealings with the primary researcher (I think owner) - I even worked a little with him on the layout of the redesigned calculator. Initially, you had to enter "1" for both keyboard and mouse. That made no sense since 99+ percent of us have 1 keyboard and mouse so "1" was set as the defaults. I have also pointed out a few graphics cards missing from their databases and within a few days, they were always added.

Anyway, my point is, in the past, the owner typically replied within a day, if not a few hours. So this lack of response now might indicate there are some health concerns. But of course, that is just a total guess.

Also of interest is the fact other calculators are licensed, limited versions of this calculator. Enermax uses it, for example. I am curious what will happen to it.

The be quiet! calculator is okay but is very limited in comparison. Plus, they want to sell us one of their PSUs and top of their recommendations list is always their top of the line, most expensive, monster supplies. You have to scroll down to get to a more realistic match.

Graphics card makers and their recommendations are the least accurate, IMO. They almost always recommend a supply way WAY bigger than what we actually need. Some don't list the associated hardware (CPU, drives, RAM, etc.) used in their estimates. So typically we have no way of knowing what is realistic for our hardware. At least we know going too big doesn't really hurt anything, except our budgets.

The OuterVision PSU Calculator, being the most conservative, always recommends the "minimum" size that will support the connected devices. This makes it, by far, the most realistic. And of course, we can still pad the results even more, if we choose, and still understand where we sit, in terms of actual loading.

I will miss this valuable tool. It has been great at showing the less experienced they don't need a 850W supply for their specific hardware when a quality 550W, for example, will easily do, and still have plenty of room to spare for cool operation and future upgrades.

 

[Macro Device]

you can run a overclocked 600W 4090 on a cheap 850W PSU with two daisychained 8 pins

If I ever happen to buy a 4090 I will do exactly that but with this PSU:

Will it survive 1 (one) 8K Optimised Superposition benchmark..?

 

[Cvrk]

oh c'mon. if they can't afford the hosting, just move hosting for free on TPU's server. How much space does that website take?
A fundraiser could help as well. Hosting is 120$ a year.

 

[Bill_Bright]

oh c'mon. if they can't afford the hosting

Let's not jump to totally unfounded conclusions. No one anywhere suggested or implied this shutting down has anything to do with hosting costs.

Besides, no doubt, the cost to host the site is but a tiny fraction of the total cost of the resources (time and facilities) to provide this service.

 

[Lost_Troll]

Well, it looks like Outer Version was acquired by Enermax. When you go to the Outer Version website you get this address now: https://enermax.outervision.com/

 

[Bill_Bright]

Something is happening but I don't know what. The previous valid OuterVision link (https://outervision.com/) appears to be for sale. And when I try to access that enermax outervision link, the link appears to be broken.

As I noted above, Enermax previously used a licensed version of the eXtreme OuterVision calculator. I don't have a problem with Enermax taking it over AS LONG AS the recommended minimum PSU sizes remain unbiased and don't reflect only Enermax branded supplies.

I am even okay if Enermax puts ads on the results page for Enermax products but again, only if the calculator results remain unbiased.