GPU: Will it blow up my comp.?

[graphicalsolutions]

Hello,

Yes I've been researching for about 3 weeks now. Yes, I looked around the forum. Yes, I am beginning to understand computer lingo, but not accurately!

 

The computer I'll be purchasing:

 

DELL Optiplex 9010

Ivy i7-3770 [3.4 GHz, 3.9GHz maxed, 8MB cache]

16GB RAM [1600]

2 x 1TB 7200rpm HDD

GPU: Esus GTX560 2GB DDR5

PSU: 700W

 

 

Somethings I will use it for:

 

1. Adobe CS5 and some CS6 as I learn

a) Photoshop

b) Illustrator

c) After Effects [motion gfx], using pretty much every plug-in I can get my hands on

2. SketchUp

3. renderers for SketchUp

a) Twilight

b) V-Ray

c) Indigo

d) Octane

4. some gaming with hopefully good performance!

5. other 'regular' stuff

 

I no longer reside in the States, so for now assume warranties and buying over the net are both myths.

 

I've been told there's no room for an additional fan inside the comp. Apparently no professional fan can replace the stock one either [have NO idea why the technician claims so].

 

QUESTION:

 

1. Keeping the stock fan, and having added a more powerful GPU and larger PSU, do you think I will have major issues with overheating? Assume a ~25C environment.

 

Bonus question: If I can, for about $400 more, have a comp. built with a GTX670, a more robust cooling system and a new case should I go for it?

 

Any other helpful information would be greatly appreciated. Remember I am not too proficient with the lingo and acronyms.

 

Sorry for the long post. Thank you in advance.

[Dimitris Tolios]

1) You don't need a better cooler than the stock one unless you want to overclock.

2) You don't need to worry about PSU if you have a 700W now...Even if you would go for dual GPUs, you would be fine.

3) You don't need to worry about extra cooling going to a GTX 670 - the 6xx GPUs are more powerful but also much much cooler than the GTX 5xx (unless you compare 690 with a single GPU 5xx). Even a GTX 680 is much much cooler and more silent than a 560ti.

4) If you are to start tweaking a Dell configuration you don't already own with aftermarket parts, consider building a new PC from scratch all-together. Will be cheaper in the long-run, and most likely individual pieces will come with a much better warranty that the basic Dell one.

[graphicalsolutions]

Ha! I had a feeling you'd be the first to answer. Before posting I noticed how much you were helping around the forums. Appreciate it my friend.

 

1) I've come across the word 'overclock' quite a few times, on and outside the forum. Although I didn't Google into too many details about it, my guess is it has something to do with pushing the limits of the hardware by 'bypassing' something or the other. Scary how close it comes to the word 'overcook'. Makes me think though; in your opinion would I want to learn and overclock my system for what I use it for?

 

2) I don't have a 700W at this point. It has the 350W that comes with it. Does that change your opinion?

 

3) Interesting. Thank you.

 

4) As I mentioned, warranties don't mean anything here. Trust me. As far as building one, I've read it's supposed to be cheaper as well. Strangely enough, when the 'put-together guys' here gave me a list and prices of the parts they would use for a build [whitebox computer? is that the term?], it turned out to be a tad more expensive. And no, the components aren't much different from what they told me. And no, I don't have the list anymore b/c at the time I wasn't considering actually having one built.

 

I've always wondered: why the heck can they not just pull out the components from the Dell and put them in a larger case?

 

Thanks again.

[Dimitris Tolios]

With a 350W PSU, a 560 ti is a definite no-no. There are high chances it will "fry" your system. Quoting a power draw comparisson chart from Anandtech's GTX 670 2GB review.

 

 

Keep in mind that values do vary in different tests and different sites, but a GTX 560 is almost always above 350W actual draw under heaving gaming load (total system draw).

 

Add the above to the fact that most OEM PSUs are "rated" to a capacity but not always meet it, especially for prolonged sessions, and the mix is just bad.

 

The 6xx series is definitely less power hungry.

I don't know about the 670 (again maybe you should allow for a bit more than 10% headroom from your PSU's capacity), but most likely it would work ok.

A 660 ti would not be much more efficient I am afraid, it is on par with the 670 within the single digits in Watts.

 

You have to drop to a 650Ti in order to be much lower than 320W actual load.

 

Tbh, I would not throw more money than a 660Ti or even a 650Ti if I wanted something newer that a 550ti that is also a great value card, and it sits in the safe side of power draw also. The 550 is respectable, and the 650 can play almost anything @ 1080p without much hesitation. Ok, you won't have all the newest titles @ maxed, but you would not notice a difference tbh if you did.

 

As far as 3D viewport acceleration etc, most of these nVidia cards won't differ. It is "ok" for the most part. I bet Sketchup will be happy with either.

Octane will ofc stress any GPU, and I think the only reason for you to upgrade into something in the 660/670 class (probably requiring you to upgrade PSU too), would be in the case you wanted to be serious with GPU renderings. Renderers for SU in general - including VRay - don't care about GPU acceleration.

[graphicalsolutions]

Thanks for the two charts. Very helpful.

 

in the case you wanted to be serious with GPU renderings. Renderers for SU in general - including VRay - don't care about GPU acceleration.

 

I will be yes. They don't "care about GPU acceleration"? As in, the GPU doesn't matter? This worries me, a lot! What do you mean?

 

 

 

I found a chart at the following url:

 

http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/AfterEffects.htm#Note_1

 

According to it, the GTX 670 pulls about 500W. I can't get any of the other 6xx series here mainly due to unavailability.

 

They're building the comp. as we speak. Here's the thing:

 

If there was a 350W stock power supply in the Dell already, and the GPU pulls 500W, then my guess is I need something that'll provide a total of 850W yes? If that's the case, then a 700W supply would not be enough and I have to tell them to put a more powerful one in [900W?] don't I?

 

I appreciate your help, but an opinion now to that answer would be ideal. If they leave a 750W in there, I might fry it, right? I hope the setup is clear.

[artmaknev]

700W is plenty for 1 GPU and even 2 on SLI, the cooling should be more advanced in GTX600s series, I got myself GTX660ti, it stays at 30c almost the whole time, it is a big change since GTX470 which was at about 60c at idle.

[graphicalsolutions]

I replied with a longer response last night but for some reason it isn't showing up.

 

In any case, thank you for the all the info.

 

 

would be in the case you wanted to be serious with GPU renderings. Renderers for SU in general - including VRay - don't care about GPU acceleration.

 

I will be serious about rendering. That's actually my main aim. Your statement about not caring about GPU acceleration; that's got me worried right now. What do you mean?

 

If the GPU doesn't help in 3D renderings much, then I've pretty much wasted a bunch of money. [scared]

[graphicalsolutions]

700W is plenty for 1 GPU and even 2 on SLI, the cooling should be more advanced in GTX600s series, I got myself GTX660ti, it stays at 30c almost the whole time, it is a big change since GTX470 which was at about 60c at idle.

 

Thank you. That puts a few worries to rest.

[Dimitris Tolios]

GPUs don't help in rendering, unless it is specific GPU accelerated rendering - like the engines introduced by Octane and later found their way in iRay (metal ray equiv. in 3DS Max that doesn't work with 6xx nvidia yet), VRay RT GPU etc.

 

There are no plugin renderers that support GPU accelerated rendering for Sketchup atm, only VRay RT 2.0 or newer 3DS Max.

VRay RT CPU is supported in VRay for Rhino 3D 1.5 or newer. No GPU acceleration.

 

GPUs are mostly used for accelerating viewports, i.e. providing smoother graphics while you are modelling, orbiting or moving around complex geometries, large textures etc (here VRam makes sense, for geometries alone, 256MBs or VRam would be enough for most CG architecture projects and single monitors).

 

GPUs have NOTHING to do while the CPU struggles to ray-trace and produce the final renderings in non specialized, GPU accelerated rendering engines.

[Dimitris Tolios]

I found a chart at the following url:

 

http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/AfterEffects.htm#Note_1

 

According to it, the GTX 670 pulls about 500W. I can't get any of the other 6xx series here mainly due to unavailability.

 

They're building the comp. as we speak. Here's the thing:

 

If there was a 350W stock power supply in the Dell already, and the GPU pulls 500W, then my guess is I need something that'll provide a total of 850W yes? If that's the case, then a 700W supply would not be enough and I have to tell them to put a more powerful one in [900W?] don't I?

 

I appreciate your help, but an opinion now to that answer would be ideal. If they leave a 750W in there, I might fry it, right? I hope the setup is clear.

 

Did not pay attention to the chart you've posted above that claims the GTX 670 drawing 500W...

No, those cards definitely do not draw that much power. To put it into perspective, the reference board of the GTX 670 uses a 6pin PCIe (75W) and an 8pin PCIe (or EPS = 150W) connectors to power itself directly from the PSU - that means that if the card was to draw more than 225W altogether, it would drive the PSU out of PCIe 2.0 specs.

 

The numbers I had attached above, includes total system power draw from the wall socket - so you can include PSU inefficiencies, reduce motherboard/network card/sound card/CPU consumption etc and you will surely be left with a consumption much lower than 225W for the GTX 670.

 

That said, yes, most people and nvidia alike would recommend at least a 500W PSU used in a i7 ivy bridge + GTX 670 system, simply to cover for the cheap PSUs out there that claim 500W usage but could easily fail when put under more than 50-60% load for prolongued times.

Only the best quality 350W PSUs could possibly be feeding a system with 300-320W or so of real power draw and "survive".