Course: CSCI 1400
Description
Operation Watt Whisper
Diagnosis
The system experiences shutdown under heavy load; this could be a sign that the current PSU’s wattage is insufficient to handle the power demands of the components. The i9-11900K and RTX 3080 both require a lot of power, especially under heavy load.
- CPU: i9-11900k → 125W + overclock headroom
- GPU: RTX 3080 → ~320W under load
- Motherboard/RAM/SSD/etc → ~100W additional This totals to around ~545W total without overclocking, and PSUs aren’t 100% efficient
Solution
An 850W gold-rated PSU would provide the necessary power, as well as increased efficiency. This, in turn, would reduce the risk of shutdowns under load. Recommended: EVGA SuperNOVA 850G XC.
With components that use a lot of power, cooling might become an issue. Additionally, since the PSU has a good amount of headroom, overclocking shouldn’t be an issue of wattage.
Operation Silent Thunder
Diagnosis
The current PSU fan is loud under high-performance loads. This is likely due to the PSU’s fan becoming faster to cool the unit under strain. The wattage is sufficient, but the user wants a quieter PSU.
Solution
An 850W platinum-rated (fanless/semi-fanless) PSU would offer better efficiency, and produce less heat which would reduce the need for intensive fan cooling. Moreover, a fanless or semi-fanless model would remain silent during most tasks and the fan only only turn on during extreme loads. Recommended: SilverStone Technology ST85F-PT
Additionally, a fully modular PSU is ideal, since it allows for better cable management, which would reduce clutter and could improve airflow as a result. This would slightly help with cooling efficiency.
Quieter case fans, such as Noctua or be quiet! models would be ideal, since they would also lead to a quieter build. Another consideration would be to go liquid-cooled, but that would be a lot of overhead for this PC.
Operation Green Machine
Diagnosis
The is concerned about energy efficiency. The 750W bronze-rated PSU is powerful, but it’s not very efficient, since it’s only bronze-rated.
Solution
A 650W platinum-rated PSU would reduce wasted energy by operating more efficiently (~92% vs ~85% for bronze-rated). This lowers energy consumption, and also generates less heat, which improves the overall system efficiency. Recommended: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P5
For an average usage of 8 hrs/day @ ~300W power draw:
- Bronze PSU → 300W / 0.85 = 353W actual usage
- Platinum PSU → 300W / 0.92 = 326W actual usage
- Annual Savings →
Operation Future
Diagnosis
The user is planning to upgrade to a more powerful GPU and to overclock the CPU. The current 650W PSU may not be enough to handle future demands, mainly due to overclocking and high-end GPUs.
Solution
A 1000W gold-rated PSU would ensure there is enough headroom for the power-demanding components like high-end GPUs such as the 4000 series RTX, and high overclocks on the CPU/GPU. Recommended: CORSAIR RM1000x
Also, a motherboard that supports PCIe 5.0 would be helpful for future-proofing the build, since future GPUs will likely use PCIe 5.0 (although none do at the moment).