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XPS 8940, adding external PSU to power high wattage GPU
I have a 8940 with a 500W PSU and a Asus GTX 1060 6gb GPU.
Was looking at upgrading the GPU to a RTX 3 series but I quickly realized the 500W Dell PSU will not keep up. The RTX 2060 is the max I calculated I could upgrade to with a 500W PSU, since the 2060 only gives me 43% more speed than the 1060 6gb, I don't see it as worth the trouble.
I DO NOT want to upgrade the PSU in the 8940 (size, 6-pins MB connector ...), this solution is ruled out.
So I was thinking ... can I buy a mini ITX case with a 650W PSU to power a 3 series RTX which would be plugged to the MB in the 8940 ???
It seems to be possible when I look at posts on internet but the issue is to power the external PSU (in the mini ITX case) at the right moment. Anybody here has experience with that ??? What does it imply ??? I realize I would have to run a power cable from the mini ITX to the rear of the DELL desktop case.
Again : I DO NOT want to upgrade the PSU in the 8940 (size, 6-pins MB connector ...), this solution is ruled out.
redxps630
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10.4K Posts
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January 8th, 2022 10:00
(do not think all these users updated psu to non-Dell >500w)
but if you still want to use an external psu to separately power the 3000 series card in 8940 case, it is theoretically possible. It is as if you are running two PCs each having its own psu, but one psu sends gpu power to the Dell 8940. In the end it is just 12V power.
basic psu calculator Load Wattage: 452 W
Recommended PSU Wattage: 502 W
Dell 500w psu is just about right to support RTX 3070 + i7-11700k
DroZ3
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January 8th, 2022 13:00
Rexxps630
Thanks for thé answer. I am surprised, the PSU calculator I used was already recommending 650W PSU with a RTX 2070 Super, I assumed the 3 series would go to 750W.
I guess I have to check a few PSU calculator now and review my plan.
thanks for the feedback.