Power Beware: Pending Brick Wall

Why on earth are companies selling 800 and 1000W power supplies for PCs? And why are 500W units, state-of-the-art not very long ago, now being phased out at $0-after-rebate inventory-clearing prices? Multi-graphics card configurations for gaming enthusiasts are partly to blame for escalating current demands. And although both AMD and Intel seem to have per-core CPU power draw back under control, escalating per-CPU core counts will continue that power draw treadmill, too.

But looming on the horizon is another significant system power draw uptick; DirectX 10 graphics technology. Widespread industry rumor suggests that boards based on Nvidia's first DX10 graphics chip, in high-end and mainstream configurations, will respectively (and single-handedly) suck 400 and 450W of power. Incredible. Maximum PC called it right in a recent interview with Nvidia's Tony Tomasi; "No matter what, we are approaching a wall, as the average American home puts out only 120 volts with 10 to 15 amps at the socket. That translates to about 1,200 to 1,800 watts. If the power consumption mess isn't sorted out soon, the only other option will be for consumers to move their PCs to the basement to sit alongside the washer and dryer—and their handy 220-volt outlets."

Follow-up correction: The 400 and 450 watt requirements stated above comprehend the power draw of an entire system containing Nvidia graphics, not just the graphics subsystem.