Hardware Decisions and Discussions - Power Suppy Unit (PSU)
I had an OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W on hand, so didn't put much thought into this decision. At stock CPU speeds and no dedicated graphics card I'm pulling 440W - 460W from the wall. Overclocking 10% pushed to 480W of consumption. I've seen post with folks using AMD 6180 CPUs and large overclocks pulling 800W - 850W. If you buying a PSU I'd recommend one that is EPS12V 2.92 version, I believe all 850W and above units come standard with 2 8-pin CPU / EPS connectors. Alot of smaller PSU come with 1 8-pin & 1 4-pin ATX12V / EPS. The 4-pin (inserted in the motherboard 8-pin connector) provides enough power to boot the system and do the installation, but you're not going to be able to fold under that setup. Other options would be to use an adapter converts 2 4-pin molex connectors to feed the 8-pin CPU / EPS connector NOT RECOMMENDED or a 4 Pin Male to 8 Pin Female EPS Power Cable Adapter or a PCI-E (6+2) to 8-pin EPS. I used the adaptor (2x 4-pin Molex to 8-pin CPU / EPS connecter) on my system and it seems fine for stock speeds, but I've had alot of difficult with overclock and I'm looking into this as a possible problem.
EDIT We are definitely seeing reports that the CPU / EPS sockets are capable of pulling more power than the molex wires can handle. For more details read Patriot's post on 4p Power advisory. EDIT After upgrade the PSU to a EVGA 1200W (that has 2 CPU / EPS connectors, I've had no problems with the overclocking. My 6166HE default clock is 1.8 GHz now running 2.3 GHz. Detail reference Bowlinra's post AMD 4P Burning and Prep for OC? Power Draw References:AMD 2P 6172 @ 2.1Ghz - 280 Watts
AMD 2P 6176SE @ 2.3Ghz - 340 Watts
AMD 2P 62xx @ 3.2Ghz - 495 Watts
AMD 4P 8425 "Socket F / Ankle biter" - 360 Watts
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 1.8Ghz - 465 Watts
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 2.3Ghz - 552 Watts
AMD 4P 6172 @ 2.4Ghz - 580 Watts
AMD 4P 6176SE @ 2.748Ghz - 680 Watts
AMD 4P 61xx ES 3.0Ghz ~900 Watts
AMD 4P 6272ES @ 2.9Ghz - 785 Watts
Power draw will vary based on the component in the system, Project WUs and amount of Overclocking.
Amd 4P 6176se @ 2.713Ghz by WU
P8101 - 704 Watts - 431,276 PPD
P8102 - ? Watts - 709,273 PPD
P8103 - 680 Watts - 705,088 PPD
P8104 - 675 Watts - 698,086 PPD
P8105 - 682 Watts - 686,576 PPD
Using Kill-A-Watt , CM 212+, USB Flash drive for Boot, No other drives or case fans.
Overclocking Power Draw Changes
SuperMicro H8QGi+-f with 4x 6166HE (85W CPUs) stock is 1.8Ghz
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 1.8Ghz - 465 Watts
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 2.12Ghz - 530Watts <- Change VCore to 1.05
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 2.27Ghz - 542 Watts
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 2.25Ghz - 543 Watts
AMD 4P 6166HE @ 2.31Ghz - 552 Watts
Special note - Consider going with Gold or better rated PSU, this could reduce the electric cost by 10 - 20% for me at a relative low rate of .10 per KWh that's an $40 - $80 annual savings.
Where to Buy:
Name Brand 850w PSU EPS12V 2.92 version
Molex to 8-pin EPS connector (~$7) 4 Pin Male to 8 Pin Female EPS Power Cable Adapter ($.54)
PCI-E (6+2) to 8-pin EPS (~$9)