Power Supply Which PSU for i3 6100 & RX460?

[beneken]

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping to get my hands on a s4 mini soon. In the meanwhile I'm planning the build. I want to use a i3 6100 and a rx460 (or maybe a 1050 once its released).
Unfortionally I don't know anything about power consumption. That's where I need some help. Will a PicoPSU 160XT be powerful enough or do I need a HDplex 250W?
What specs do I need to look out for in an ac/dc adapter (I live in germany, in case that matters). Would this setup be able top run 24/7 as a server?

Thank you for your help!

 

[confusis]

I recommend starting with http://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator and feeding in your system specs. Feeding in your info quickly you're looking at about 170w total, which is a bit tight on the 160XT.
Regarding bricks, I'm not an expert, and I'll leave it to those who are more knowledgeable to put in their 2 cents.

 

[Kmpkt]

I was running a GTX 950 from the PCIe slot only as well as an i3 with a 54W TDP and was pulling about 150-160 from the wall at full load. Assuming 90% efficiency on the AC-DC, the system draw is probably 130-140. I would estimate that the 1050 will probably operate at 90W instead of 75, which puts you right around 155-160. While the Pico 160 is supposed to have an upper limit of 160W, Josh from NFC has shown that it can max out at over 200. While you'll likely stress it, it should be okay. That being said, the HDPlex 250 gives you headroom up to around 400W if cooled with forced air, which means you'll likely have the ability to do more with it in the future. Also worth mentioning is that the brick selection for 19V (HDplex) is in my opinion much better than 12V (Pico).

 

[beneken]

I would estimate that the 1050 will probably operate at 90W instead of 75, which puts you right around 155-160.

Does that mean I could run a RX460 (without 6-pin connector) using the Pico160?

 

[Saltvann]

Worth mentioning is that the Adapter tech ac-dc power adapter sold by mini-box has been updated to efficiency level VI. According to the manufacturers measurements it hits 90% efficiency (230V) at > 25 % load.

I would think a cpu and sub 75W gpu should be perfect with the XT160 however I do not own a Pico XT160 so I do not have any first-hand experience. With a i7 3770 (77w tdp) ht disabled and turboboost disabled and gtx 750ti, I hit about 145 watts drawn from the wall at max load. A RX 460 + i3 should be somewhat similar. As a general rule it would be wise to avoid exposing any psu to a near-max load over time.

I myself have been considering different options for an upcoming build but I am leaning towards the pico XT160 with the 192W adapter.

 

[Kmpkt]

Yeah if you have a GPU that will operate from the PCIe power only then it will run comfortably off the Pico 160. If you're really keen and haven't bought your CPU yet, you could try getting a T-series CPU which only draws 35W. Since you're not going to be using a super high end GPU, likely you would notice no performance change at all while also lowering your power overhead by about 20W. I did this recently with a 4690T and the GTX 950 I was talking about and was pulling a peak of 125-130W from the wall, which means about 110-115W through the my DC-DC solution which is vastly under spec.

 

[CC Ricers]

T-series CPUs are pretty efficient these days, and their lower clock speeds compared to the regular models are negligible in performance differences if you consider only gaming. A PCIe powered GPU will do fine with it on a HD-Plex or Pico 160 with a 150W AC adapter. I've even had success running a 90W GTX 950 with a cable-modded 160W HD-Plex, but with that I used a 200W power adapter. I was afraid more about skimping too much on the power brick than I was on the HD-Plex's limits, actually.

 

[Kmpkt]

Also keep in mind that your choice of board can influence power usage +/- 10-15W. From what I've seen the ASRock boards tend to be the easiest on power.