Is a Corsair 500W PSU enough for an R9 270?

What do you guys think—is a Corsair 500 w enough to keep this card from choking?
The rest of my setup is just 2 x HDDs and 2 x SSDs, an Intel Core i7 CPU, and 16GB of DDR3

I'm guessing you're running Windows Basic, which isn't exactly top-tier, but it should be fine since the GPU tops out at 130W—it'll be hard for the whole system to even hit 300W.

So, it's just the Windows Basic version.
Which basically means... I can pull the trigger on this without having to swap out my power supply, right?

If they’re running an Intel Core i7 or have a decent graphics card, the load is definitely going to top 400 watts. Honestly, for a high-end build like that, I’d suggest picking up a better power supply.

It won't... without a GPU, a setup like this pulls about 80W at idle and hits 150W under load. If you overclock it to 4.7GHz, I guess it climbs to 220W (according to AnandTech and Guru3D). Once you factor in a graphics card, you're looking at a peak of roughly 350W. Honestly, Intel Core i7 chips were actually some of the most efficient ones Intel ever made.

Honestly, you could just pick up an EVGA GTX 950. It draws less power and actually gives you a nice little performance bump, so you won't have to stress about upgrading anything else for a while.😛

crimsonstag84 said:It won't work... without a GPU, a setup like this pulls about 80W at idle and 150W under load, but if you overclock to 4.7GHz, that jumps to 220W (according to AnandTech and Guru3D). Once you add a graphics card, you're looking at a ~350W peak. Honestly, Intel Core i7 chips are some of the most efficient ones Intel has ever made.

Just throw in 16GB of DDR3, two HDDs, two SSDs, and a few fans, and you'll easily clear 400W at peak. Plus, that power supply is definitely lower quality than a Corsair 500 w.

swiftfalcon89 said:Maybe you just grab an EVGA GTX 950 instead? It draws less power and actually performs a bit better, so I guess you wouldn't have to worry about upgrading anything else. 😛

It’s pulling about 10W less, I guess. 🤣

Alexander Moore67 said:Just add 4x4GB DDR3, two HDDs, two SSDs, and a few fans, and you’re looking at over 400W peak—especially since that power supply isn't exactly up to Corsair 500 w standards.

Most of that is probably already factored into those 80W at idle.

crimsonstag84 said:I’m guessing you’re running a Windows Basic series build, which isn't exactly top-tier, but it should be plenty since the GPU draws a maximum of 130W. Total power draw will likely stay under 300W.

The GPU hits 150W max while the GTX 950 pulls 90W, leaving a 60W gap.
http://www.hwcompare.com/20581/gefor...radeon-r9-270/

I mean, honestly... I’ve seen this exact same cycle play out more times than I care to count. You think you're finally getting a handle on things—maybe you just upgraded to an Intel Core i7 or grabbed a decent EVGA GTX 950—and then, boom, reality hits you right in the face. It’s always the same story with these hardware specs and software updates... you expect everything to run smoothly like a dream, but instead, you're left staring at a screen that's about as responsive as a snail on tranquilizers. It doesn't matter if you're running Windows Basic or trying to push some high-end setup through a Corsair 500 w power supply... the disappointment is universal. I was looking at those old R9 270 cards the other day and just had to laugh—remember when we thought those were the cutting edge? Now they're basically paperweights. And don't even get me started on the way people talk about the Nvidia 900 series like it was some kind of miracle. We all know the drill by now... you buy the gear, you install the drivers, and you pray to the tech gods that your favorite game—be it No Man's Sky or something actually decent—doesn't crash the second you hit "play." It’s exhausting, really... just a constant loop of hype followed by inevitable letdowns... kaže:
Look, you’ve got two choices here... either you go out and grab an EVGA GTX 950—which actually pulls less power and delivers slightly better performance anyway—and you can finally stop stressing about your setup and just move on with your life without having to swap out anything else... or you keep overcomplicating things. Honestly, just get the card and be done with it... 😛

Sure, if you want to throw some bucks in there... 😁

Alexander Moore67 said:If you’ve got even a basic Intel Core i7 paired with a decent graphics card, you’re looking at hitting a peak load north of 400 watts... and honestly, if I were sitting there looking at a high-end rig that expensive, I’d be shopping for a much beefier power supply. Just wouldn't risk it...

Look, I’m not trolling and I’m definitely not delusional here. My whole goal was to build the most powerhouse rig possible while keeping the power draw as low as humanly possible—because, let’s be honest, I only actually need that kind of raw horsepower once in a blue moon...
Look, I’m not exactly some hardcore gamer—I don't spend my life glued to a headset or grinding for digital loot every single day. Honestly, I just like to pick up a title once or twice a year if the visuals actually look impressive... you know, something that makes the hardware sweat a little. Right now, though? I'm really gearing up for No Man's Sky... 😁

So, how much extra are you actually looking to spend? If we aren't even counting those cheap overseas retailers, the cheapest R9 270 out there is an XFX model with two years of warranty left, which gives you $0.40, while the EVGA GTX 950 comes with three years of coverage, adding $0.43. Now, just look at the math: you get a 🙂 noticeably more powerful card, lower power draw, better thermals, and an extra year of peace of mind with the warranty... In my book, those $29 extra bucks are totally worth it 😉

Alexander Moore67 said:The GPU pulls 150W max while the GTX 950 is at 90W, so there's a 60W gap.
http://www.hwcompare.com/20581/gefor...radeon-r9-270/

HWCompare 😵

https://tpucdn.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_9...power_peak.gif
https://www.guru3d.com/articles_page..._review,7.html

Actually, looking at this, I guess the difference is only about 15W. ^^

swiftfalcon89 said:I mean, how much more do you even have to add? If we aren't counting those random overseas discount shops... the cheapest R9 270 I can find is that XFX model with the two-year warranty that actually comes included... $0.40So, I’ve got an EVGA GTX 950 here—been running for about three years now... and honestly, it's starting to feel its age. $0.43 Well, you tell me... I'm just sitting here waiting to see what happens next... 🙂 A beefier graphics card, lower power draw, runs way cooler... plus you get an extra year of warranty on top of that. If you ask me, it’s a total steal... $29 I honestly don't even know where to start with this... there's just so much more to dig into here. It’s one of those situations where you think you’ve finally hit the bottom of the rabbit hole, only to realize you were just standing on a ledge looking down at a much deeper pit... anyway, let me try to unpack this properly. 😉

You're absolutely right. All I remember about the Nvidia 900 series is that it was insanely overpriced... I think I spent way too much time staring at the price tags for the 970 and 980 back then, and honestly? It left me a little traumatized by the cost... 😁

crimsonstag84 said:HWCompare 😵

https://tpucdn.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_9...power_peak.gif
https://www.guru3d.com/articles_page..._review,7.html

There’s a 15W difference here. ^^

Guru3D shows about 143 w
http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages...-review,8.html
The gap is 51 w on this one
http://www.legitreviews.com/nvidia-g...-950_170811/12

It really depends on the specific model, so take a look at these click (they actually pull even more power than you'd think). The confusion usually stems from people looking at the TDP—which measures heat dissipation—and assuming it’s the exact same thing as actual power draw. Since they both use watts as the unit, it trips people up. For instance, a GTX 1080 might have a TDP of 145W, but the actual power consumption can swing anywhere from 165W to 190W—link, link (official specs), or link (this isn't the absolute "peak" table showing even higher numbers, but in my opinion, this is a much more realistic representation)

Bottom line: either PSU will handle it just fine. I'd go with this one. It's a solid value, features a dual-fan setup, and comes with a 3-year warranty.