How to make a Dual PSU setup?

[ILikeCosmosS]

but what devices use the 3.3 and 5 volt rails?

[[486]]

not much uses the 3.3 anymore, but the motherboard does, and 5 volt is used by drives and the motherboard...

[ILikeCosmosS]

how long would it take for the slave psu to fail if the 3.3 rail isnt used?

does this include cpu power?

[Sn@ke:~]

Oh, then you won't be using the 3.3 volt rail, regardless, having no load on one rail isn't good for the power supply, I used a really nice one to power my watercooling pump overnight to get the bubbles out of the system and it died, but didn't kill my pump.

I do not know much about electricity but, what if he uses one 4 pin ATX from each PSU to fire up the mobo that would clear two things the load share and the uses of 5v and 3.3v.

That of course if its the board needs 8 pin ATX to be fired up and than again he could also uses 2 X 4pin molex to 8pin ATX power adapter and fire up the mobo with the two 4 pin ATX therefore sharing the load after is just a question of plugging the same amount of GPU on each PSU.


Considering he would use the Bitspower X-Station Multi-PSU Active Module

http://pcpartscollection.stores.yaho...suto8atxm.html

Couldn't that be done?????

[davidhammock200]

how long would it take for the slave psu to fail if the 3.3 rail isnt used?

does this include cpu power?

The +3.3V primarily powers the RAM.

And it all depends upon the "minimum load requirements" of that specific PSU.

For example the BFG ES-800 does not require any loading on the secondary voltages, just the +12V.

[ILikeCosmosS]

what about the enermax modu 82+ 425 watt?
good idea about using to 4 pin cpu power to fire up the cpu, i will use a enermax revolution and a enermax modu

[Brian y.]

I do not know much about electricity but, what if he uses one 4 pin ATX from each PSU to fire up the mobo that would clear two things the load share and the uses of 5v and 3.3v.

That of course if its the board needs 8 pin ATX to be fired up and than again he could also uses 2 X 4pin molex to 8pin ATX power adapter and fire up the mobo with the two 4 pin ATX therefore sharing the load after is just a question of plugging the same amount of GPU on each PSU.


Considering he would use the Bitspower X-Station Multi-PSU Active Module

http://pcpartscollection.stores.yaho...suto8atxm.html

Couldn't that be done?????

That is what I have been wondering myself. I have a motherboard that uses two 8pin 12v connectors for the CPU and I am wondering if I use a 24 pin adapter that I can hook up a Ultax3 1600w & OCZ 800w PSU and use the 8 pin connectors from both PSU's in order to fill both 8 pin connections....I would rather spend the $10 then go out and get a new PSU that has two 8 pin connectors.

Is this possible?
(It would be for benching sessions and not a 24/7 rig)

[Expat GriZ]

I've got one of those Bits Power PSU adapter thingies on order but then I tripped across this.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ducts_id=23845

If I can unload 2 4870X2's onto this, my Antec 1000 should be in the clear for running all the other stuff I have hooked up on my bench rig. Doesn't seem to be available in Europe yet but this looks like a solution to my power supply worries. Anybody have one of these yet and care to pass on your findings?

[ILikeCosmosS]

the thermaltake express is design to run as supplementry due to that it has only 12volt rail

i gonna buy this to run 1 4890 or 2 but the point is that the thermaltake express will not fail even though it may fall 78% efficeny at full load its still pretty good then keep replacing failing psu's

[Sn@ke:~]

That is what I have been wondering myself. I have a motherboard that uses two 8pin 12v connectors for the CPU and I am wondering if I use a 24 pin adapter that I can hook up a Ultax3 1600w & OCZ 800w PSU and use the 8 pin connectors from both PSU's in order to fill both 8 pin connections....I would rather spend the $10 then go out and get a new PSU that has two 8 pin connectors.

Is this possible?
(It would be for benching sessions and not a 24/7 rig)

Ok Did I mention I don't know a whole lot in electricity, but you can always and I suggest you do ask others that can confirm it.

If you use this as DarthBeavis post in here http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ducts_id=23350

You can plug up to four PSU with it. Any of the fifth plug is the cable you to plug to the mobo just like you would do with a standard PSU that will power both PSU when you start your PC from there you can use any combination of wiring as long as you balance it for each respective PSU spec load and yes you would and your PSU wont die on you because you didn't use the 5v and/or the 3v line.

The one thing you got a be careful with is the wall socket, it can only deliver a maximum of 1200w or so and you certainly don't want to use its full capability. Therefore you might and should want to plug each power supply in a different wall socket for safety and efficiency.

[Sn@ke:~]

Ooops I had double posted

[IronWarrior]

You could always just go for a single 2000w PSU, like for example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817101033 or this: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/436/1/

[ILikeCosmosS]

so basically the bp x-station can basically divide the power usage on the 5v and 3.3 rails?

[Sn@ke:~]

so basically the bp x-station can basically divide the power usage on the 5v and 3.3 rails?

No I don't think so. It allow you to use the second PSU. The second PSU need to be power initiated and that is the mobo that does it otherwise you PSU wont power nothing. Once the PSU is up and running you just plug whatever you need to, but you have to make sure that you don't go beyond each and every PSU limits and that you plug the in the wall socket each PSU separately as the wall socket deliver a maximum of 1200watt or so.

Make this test; Plug one PSU in the wall socket that it is not hooked to a motherboard and try to power a 120mm fan. It wont because the power is not being initiated and that is the motherboard 20 pin or 20+4 pin that does it.

[Sn@ke:~]

You could always just go for a single 2000w PSU, like for example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817101033 or this: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/436/1/

Wall socket electricity is max 1200watt or burn and toast

+ it is cheaper than a new PSU

[Sn@ke:~]

so basically the bp x-station can basically divide the power usage on the 5v and 3.3 rails?

No! you just split the power with an adapter like this one
http://pcpartscollection.stores.yaho...suto8atxm.html

that is what is splitting the power.


On second thought I guess it does it for the mobo itself as both PSU are plug in the bp x-station and from there the cable goes into your motherboard. But you still draw power from each individual PSU and you can share power from each to power the CPU or other device using 5v and 3.3v rail without killing your PSU.

There is people saying that if you don't use the 5v or 3.3v of the PSU it will die!! I dunno but if it is true than you can do that.

[ILikeCosmosS]

you know the thermaltake power express is also a alternative to using two psu's
most people get 2 psu's because of the gpu's hence the thermaltake has 2 30 amp 12volt rails which are enough to power two gtx280s
this gets powered with a pin14( green) and a black wire
on the thermaltake unit there is only a 2 pin because it includes a adaptor that just has 2 pins that goes to the power express
hence its safer then getting a regular new psu
so basically thats my suggestion to dual psu's
i reccommend the thermaltake only reason is that your old psu wont go to waste
and that it won't fail on you

[Sn@ke:~]

Yes it is a good and safe alternative if you don't have a second PSU and that you need extra power.

But, if you already have a second PSU and that you need serious power all together to power like this guy that want to power 6 X 280 + all the other hardware you don't have much alternatives.

The wall socket are limited too you cant use higher than 1200watt and you still need to initiate the second PSU than it is just a matter of having two wall socket relatively close and worst case scenario you can have an electrician to get him to make an extra wall socket close to the other on a separate circuit.

[IronWarrior]

Yes it is a good and safe alternative if you don't have a second PSU and that you need extra power.

But, if you already have a second PSU and that you need serious power all together to power like this guy that want to power 6 X 280 + all the other hardware you don't have much alternatives.

The wall socket are limited too you cant use higher than 1200watt and you still need to initiate the second PSU than it is just a matter of having two wall socket relatively close and worst case scenario you can have an electrician to get him to make an extra wall socket close to the other on a separate circuit.

Wall socket electricity is max 1200watt or burn and toast

+ it is cheaper than a new PSU

He's from Spain... he can go higher than 1200watts as already posted which is in this case is 3200watts.

[Freonor]

Wall socket isn't restricted at all -.- It's the fuses.. If he's using a 16A fuse he's fine as long as he doesnt draw anything else from the circuit. And provided the cables he's using are meant for high currents. All you need to draw massive amounts from the wall is a good fuse and good cabling...