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submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

So its been almost 10 years since i've swapped computer parts and I am nervous about this. Ive never done any homelab type thing involving big powerful parts, just dealt with average mid range consumer class parts in standard desktop cases.

I do computational work now and want to convert a desktop pc into a headless server with a beefy GPU. I bit the bullet and ordered a used P100 tesla 16gb. Based on what im reading, a new PSU may be in order as well if nothing else. I havent actually read labels yet but online info on the desktop model indicates its probably around a 450~ watt PSU.

The P100 power draw is rated at 250 W maximum. The card im using now draws 185 W maximum. Im reading that 600W would be better for just-in-case overhead. I plan to get this 700W which I hope is enough overhead to cover an extra GPU if I want to take advantage of nvidia CUDA with the 1070ti in my other desktop.

How much does the rest of the system use on average with a ryzen 5 2600 six core in a m4 motherboard and like 16gb ddr4 ram?

When I read up on powering the P100 though I stumbled across this reddit post of someone confused how to get it to connect to a regular consumer corsehair PSU. Apparently the p100 uses a CPU power cable instead of a PCIE one? But you cant use the regular cpu power output from the PSU. Acording to the post, people buy adapter cables with two input gpu cables to one output cpu cable for these cards.

Can you please help me with a sanity check and to understand what i've gotten myself into? I don't exactly understand what im supposed to do with those adapter cables. Do modern PSUs come with multiple GPU power outputs/outlets from the interface these days and I need to run two parallel lines into that adapter?

Thank you all for your help on the last post im deeply grateful for all the input ive gotten here. Ill do my best not to spam post with my tech concerns but this one has me really worried.

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[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Build out the rest of the machine on PC part picker and see what the draw is. Additionally, I would over spec as it’s not a ton more to go to 1050+

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Thank you! Putting the parts I have now into the pc part picker shows an approximate draw of 334W. Adding 65W on top of that to account for p100 max draw is 400w expected draw. The 1070ti I have has an expected draw of 150W adding that on would draw 550W which seems in range of 700W psu.

Theoretically my current 450w PSU could handle p100 maybe but 50w overhead is slim.

Budget is everything to me right now the 1050W PSU are like 150$ while that 700W psu is 50$. When things aren't so tight and if I get deep enough down the rabbit hole to chain multiple server class GPUs ill probably be in a better spot to afford an expensive psu along with a big batch of cards.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Don't bother sticking a giant PSU in there because you don't need it and they don't run as efficiently when you're only drawing 10-40% of their output rating.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That's fair. Just make sure it's a reputable vendor/name brand for PSU. That is not something you want to cut corners on to save $20. Not worth the risk to your safety, let alone your machine.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Keep in mind that’s the “nominal” max power usage. There’s also the transient spikes you have to factor in.

Ampere had some of the worst. Frequently exceeding 2X the “max power” of the card. Pascal was one of the most efficient architectures in recent times and wasn’t as bad. But 50 watts won’t cut it.

this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
25 points (100.0% liked)

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