Comments on: Do I Need 32-Phase Power on my Motherboard?? http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/ Loyd Case on the Geek Life Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:12:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TomBrooklyn http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-4209 TomBrooklyn Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:03:40 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-4209 This is useful information. Most readers, if like myself, don't need highly technical explanations. But we do want to get an understanding of what manufacturers are trying to sell us. This is useful information. Most readers, if like myself, don’t need highly technical explanations. But we do want to get an understanding of what manufacturers are trying to sell us.

]]> By: Scott Gardner http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-1285 Scott Gardner Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:09:36 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-1285 BTW, Ruzveh, I read an interesting article on Tom's Hardware (where Loyd does some freelancing), and Thomans Soderstrom took some power and temperature measurements of an i7-870 board being overclocked. The power jumps dramatically as the voltage is increased to achieve the faster speeds. More importantly, the VRM temperature (above ambient) doubles. Apparently, this is enough to destroy some motherboards, though the author mentions that some VRM's included a thermal shut-off (similar to the protection circuitry in a CPU). Here's the link to the relevant page in the article: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/p55-motherboard-overclock,2460-7.html Scott BTW, Ruzveh, I read an interesting article on Tom’s Hardware (where Loyd does some freelancing), and Thomans Soderstrom took some power and temperature measurements of an i7-870 board being overclocked. The power jumps dramatically as the voltage is increased to achieve the faster speeds. More importantly, the VRM temperature (above ambient) doubles. Apparently, this is enough to destroy some motherboards, though the author mentions that some VRM’s included a thermal shut-off (similar to the protection circuitry in a CPU).

Here’s the link to the relevant page in the article: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/p55-motherboard-overclock,2460-7.html

Scott

]]> By: Scott Gardner http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-1284 Scott Gardner Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:01:54 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-1284 Ruzveh, You should be fine with the 12-phase board if you're not overclocking. The impact of adding lots of peripherals is more likely to stress your power supply -- not the voltage regulator to the CPU. The power supply rails that connect to the VRM are likely not shared with supply rails that connect to add-in boards. As I mentioned in the article, the problem is the instantaneous current requirement for the CPU. The VRM in your board should be spec'd to supply this current. Once you over-clock, all bets are off. Scott Ruzveh,

You should be fine with the 12-phase board if you’re not overclocking. The impact of adding lots of peripherals is more likely to stress your power supply — not the voltage regulator to the CPU. The power supply rails that connect to the VRM are likely not shared with supply rails that connect to add-in boards. As I mentioned in the article, the problem is the instantaneous current requirement for the CPU. The VRM in your board should be spec’d to supply this current. Once you over-clock, all bets are off.

Scott

]]> By: Ruzveh http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-1283 Ruzveh Sat, 21 Aug 2010 01:21:02 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-1283 I am still left with a doubt here guys. I am no voice in mechanical spec. I would like to know how much power phase design mdb do i need? I have selected mbd from gigabyte based on my spec i.e. P55A-UD4P which has all the features and perfect for me but comes with only 12phase as against their 24phase. Would it have been a 24 i wud go for it without any doubt but now i am again open for new mdb which has all the features which that mbd has + better power phase design, r u listening gigabyte marketing team member? Actually i plan to run this mbd on my i7-870 and i have tons of add on cards and other requirements for which i have replaced my smps atleast twice a year. I run 2 different tv tuner cards, 2 sound card, i plan to use only 1 graphics card anytime which is high end like 460 or 5850 or later. Rest all other usb add ons and features will b used. So i assume that i require a better power phase design and more PCI-e 1.0 ports as against graphics ports. I dont need SLI that is why i cant go for UD-6 or UD7 since they r power packed for games only. Their additional PCIe ports r left unused for me. I am confused here. Please help. I have seen as high as 48 phase power design form Asus with some 50,000 hrs run time at 100c with their latest mbd. Isnt it exciting Gigabyte :) I am still left with a doubt here guys. I am no voice in mechanical spec. I would like to know how much power phase design mdb do i need? I have selected mbd from gigabyte based on my spec i.e. P55A-UD4P which has all the features and perfect for me but comes with only 12phase as against their 24phase. Would it have been a 24 i wud go for it without any doubt but now i am again open for new mdb which has all the features which that mbd has + better power phase design, r u listening gigabyte marketing team member?

Actually i plan to run this mbd on my i7-870 and i have tons of add on cards and other requirements for which i have replaced my smps atleast twice a year. I run 2 different tv tuner cards, 2 sound card, i plan to use only 1 graphics card anytime which is high end like 460 or 5850 or later. Rest all other usb add ons and features will b used. So i assume that i require a better power phase design and more PCI-e 1.0 ports as against graphics ports. I dont need SLI that is why i cant go for UD-6 or UD7 since they r power packed for games only. Their additional PCIe ports r left unused for me.

I am confused here. Please help.

I have seen as high as 48 phase power design form Asus with some 50,000 hrs run time at 100c with their latest mbd. Isnt it exciting Gigabyte :)

]]> By: Geoff http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-1011 Geoff Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:15:00 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-1011 Great article Scott! I stumbled in here from Google and came across this article which was just what I was looking for as an end user, computer enthusiast and EE student. I've bookmarked this for future reference. I hope you publish some similar articles in future :) Geoff. Great article Scott! I stumbled in here from Google and came across this article which was just what I was looking for as an end user, computer enthusiast and EE student. I’ve bookmarked this for future reference. I hope you publish some similar articles in future :)

Geoff.

]]> By: Scott Gardner http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-1009 Scott Gardner Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:19:33 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-1009 Jim, Thanks for the comments, and I'm glad people are still reading this article. Yeah, I'm a bit chip-centric in my outlook, since I've spent most of my career in the semiconductor industry. As I mentioned in the article, the motherboard vendors have a tougher job trying to differentiate their products as more of the technology gets integrated into fewer and fewer components. Jim,

Thanks for the comments, and I’m glad people are still reading this article. Yeah, I’m a bit chip-centric in my outlook, since I’ve spent most of my career in the semiconductor industry. As I mentioned in the article, the motherboard vendors have a tougher job trying to differentiate their products as more of the technology gets integrated into fewer and fewer components.

]]> By: Jim Sands http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-1003 Jim Sands Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:50:37 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-1003 I always wondered what was up with all of this suspecting that the CPU manufacturer specs if met was all that was necessary. True to a point. Temp is always important and now i know what to look for based on the application I am building for, thus the engineering constant: "It depends". Thanks! I always wondered what was up with all of this suspecting that the CPU manufacturer specs if met was all that was necessary. True to a point. Temp is always important and now i know what to look for based on the application I am building for, thus the engineering constant: “It depends”. Thanks!

]]> By: Scott Gardner http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-796 Scott Gardner Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:50:35 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-796 Yiannis, Glad you found this an interesting topic. After getting distracted by other projects, perhaps it's time to write some more (non-controversial) content for Loyd's site. Feel free to toss out some suggestions for technical topics... Scott Yiannis,

Glad you found this an interesting topic. After getting distracted by other projects, perhaps it’s time to write some more (non-controversial) content for Loyd’s site. Feel free to toss out some suggestions for technical topics…

Scott

]]> By: Yiannis Manousakis http://www.improbableinsights.com/2009/08/28/do-i-need-32-phase-power-on-my-motherboard/comment-page-1/#comment-795 Yiannis Manousakis Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:54:22 +0000 http://www.improbableinsights.com/?p=380#comment-795 Very interesting article, thank you. Yiannis. Very interesting article, thank you.

Yiannis.

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