Why You Should Try a Digital PSU for Your Next PC Build
I always like to know what’s going on with my computer, but I try to focus only on its cooling capabilities as it directly affects whether my system sounds like a purring kitten or a jet engine when I work (or play). However, I’ve always been curious to know how much power my system is using as I usually leave it on for longer than I probably need during the day.
While measuring the power consumption of any device is easy, picking up a handy reader – like Kill A Watt or something quick and simple like the Belkin Conserve Insight that I use – you might want to consider a more interesting and thorough solution. if you want to upgrade your desktop system (or build a new one). I experimented with the NZXT E850 digital power supply and CAM system monitoring software and both taught me a lot about the power requirements of my system.
Food sources are sexy
The NZXT digital power supply works just like any other power supply, except for one small modification. In addition to the usual set of modular connections that you use to power various components, the power supply also features a self-contained mini-USB connection. It plugs directly into one of the free USB headers on your motherboard (assuming you have one) and allows the power supply to dump what it is doing into the companion (free) NZXT CAM software.
In general, CAM is similar to tools like Speedfan, CPU-Z, GPU-Z, HWMonitor, or any other application you use to monitor your PC’s components. On its main screen, you can quickly read key details: CPU temperature, load, and fan speed of the cooler; your GPU temperature, load and fan speed; and the use of your RAM. Easy thing.
Assuming you’ve connected the NZXT power supply correctly, you’ll also get a dedicated section on power data. Click on the lightning bolt icon and you will see an updated measurement of how much power your system is using, divided into separate measurements for your processor, your GPU, and any other devices plugged into your power source (hard drives and case fans, for example, which are all together fall into the “others” category.)
You can’t tweak a little line chart to get a bunch of historical data or even an hour of measurements (alas), but you can click the Advanced tab to check the voltage and current on your power supply rails . … Overcurrent protection can also be configured here, which can automatically shutdown your system in the event of an unexpected short circuit.
A separate section in the CAM software even lets you adjust the PSU fan profile if it’s too loud when you’re trying to work. I set mine to “quiet” by default and never looked back as my graphics card is the real source of noise on my system anyway.
How accurate is the power supply reading?
I was pleased to find that the measurements from the NZXT power supply and my aforementioned Belkin power meter were fairly close together. In my configuration, the power supply underestimated an average of about 20 watts – probably the amount of power it consumes for its fan and overall operation, which it does not take into account in its measurements.
(If you’re curious, I tested this hypothesis by manually setting the PSU fan to maximum. As I expected, the Belkin power meter reads even more over the PSU. It went back to its typical 20W. Excess. ” when I switched the power supply back to “quiet” mode.)
This is an interesting compromise. If you need to accurately measure the power consumption of your desktop computer, counting each watt, a device like the Kill A Watt is your best bet. However, if you want to explore in more detail how much power your system components are consuming at any given time or over time, a digital power supply is ideal. I’m going to stick with the latter … and just not look at that number and think about how much it costs me when I have a gambling binge all day.