You definitely should by a Kill-a-Watt or a BluePlanet Electronic Energy Meter, or similar.
Without one, you can't know for sure when to turn off your miner.
Do you overclock? Power = voltage squared, so overclocking significantly raises power draw.
Topic: 4x 5830, Power Draw? (Read 1667 times)
I am running a 3x 5830 setup and it is drawing 560W measured from a kill-a-watt. Ubuntu on 1000W gold PSU, no underclocking.
Yeah most people's guestimates for power consumption are too high which is why I always recommend a Kill-a-watt.
If you can find any efficiency specs on your PSU your can estimate the DC load. When buying your new PSU you want to pick one that puts the DC load in the sweet spot on the efficiency curve. Some brands don't show the curve but generally max efficiency is between 60% and 80% of peak load.
So if you are pulling 1090W at the wall and PSU are 80% efficient then DC load is ~875W. So you should be looking for a 1000W to 1200W unit if you wanted to maximize efficiency.
I run 3x5970s for ~860W at the wall. Granted that is w/ everything on MB turned off, an underclocked sempron, underclocked RAM, linuxcoin on usb key, and an 80-Gold PSU. Still I think that is the limit. It works out to 2.67 MH/W at the wall which is pretty close to the max without underclocking the GPU or using FPGA.
If you can find any efficiency specs on your PSU your can estimate the DC load. When buying your new PSU you want to pick one that puts the DC load in the sweet spot on the efficiency curve. Some brands don't show the curve but generally max efficiency is between 60% and 80% of peak load.
So if you are pulling 1090W at the wall and PSU are 80% efficient then DC load is ~875W. So you should be looking for a 1000W to 1200W unit if you wanted to maximize efficiency.
I run 3x5970s for ~860W at the wall. Granted that is w/ everything on MB turned off, an underclocked sempron, underclocked RAM, linuxcoin on usb key, and an 80-Gold PSU. Still I think that is the limit. It works out to 2.67 MH/W at the wall which is pretty close to the max without underclocking the GPU or using FPGA.
Electricity is free at the university... But, in reality, living on campus is expensive, so it's really not free, just a sunk cost...
I did purchase a kill-a-watt, however, and to my surprise, I am drawing just 1090w for 4x(5830), a 5770 and a 6950. Not bad, considering two of the three psu's in my rigs are not even 80-plus certified...
I did purchase a kill-a-watt, however, and to my surprise, I am drawing just 1090w for 4x(5830), a 5770 and a 6950. Not bad, considering two of the three psu's in my rigs are not even 80-plus certified...
Was going to add in that I should buy a Kill-A-Watt, but I am dirt poor at the moment and am avoiding any expenditure not necessary to survival. 
Was wondering if anyone had their own numbers via experience, but thank you all anyways.
Makes me glad to see how fast this community is willing to help everyone else.
Was wondering if anyone had their own numbers via experience, but thank you all anyways.Makes me glad to see how fast this community is willing to help everyone else.
If you are dirt poor and on survival funds, you should make certain you are mining at a profit. Unless you have really cheap electricity, that probably isn't the case.
Im currently running a project on how to get cheap source of electricity,
starting a blog here on this project
http://mycheapenergy.blogspot.com/2011/11/episode-2-gathering-source.html
tell me what you guys think
starting a blog here on this project
http://mycheapenergy.blogspot.com/2011/11/episode-2-gathering-source.html
tell me what you guys think
Was going to add in that I should buy a Kill-A-Watt, but I am dirt poor at the moment and am avoiding any expenditure not necessary to survival. Was wondering if anyone had their own numbers via experience, but thank you all anyways.
Makes me glad to see how fast this community is willing to help everyone else.
Was wondering if anyone had their own numbers via experience, but thank you all anyways.Makes me glad to see how fast this community is willing to help everyone else.
Handy i spied this post, just what i was after for a motherboard.
If it helps at all i have seen a few rigs that run 3 5850 off a decent 700w PSU with 6 x 6pin connectors.
Stock i think you need 550w then 150w per extra card according to sites i have read, but that could be rubbish.
I am going for a similar setup and if you figure out the exact setup and if you can stick all those cards on that board and in one case let me know.
This site may be helpful
http://www.coolermaster.outervision.com/
With your spec, RS-700-80GA-D3 is one of the SKU's it comes up with 700w PSU
If it helps at all i have seen a few rigs that run 3 5850 off a decent 700w PSU with 6 x 6pin connectors.
Stock i think you need 550w then 150w per extra card according to sites i have read, but that could be rubbish.
I am going for a similar setup and if you figure out the exact setup and if you can stick all those cards on that board and in one case let me know.
This site may be helpful
http://www.coolermaster.outervision.com/
With your spec, RS-700-80GA-D3 is one of the SKU's it comes up with 700w PSU
What would the power draw be on 4 Sapphire 5830 cards? Strictly the cards, and nothing else? Currently running two single rail 600w PSU's to power them, but I am looking for a new, single power supply that can handle them on a barebones 890FXA-GD70 board.
I am sure someone will give you an estimate but honestly ... buy a Kill-a-watt and then you will have the exact answer. Draw will vary depending on clock speed, voltage, other system components, and even miner settings.
What would the power draw be on 4 Sapphire 5830 cards? Strictly the cards, and nothing else? Currently running two single rail 600w PSU's to power them, but I am looking for a new, single power supply that can handle them on a barebones 890FXA-GD70 board.
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