Agreed the manufacturer's spec requirements are always high, and actual consumption is lower.
That's not a big surprise.
500W is still a very tight power-budget for that GPU. That's why I suggested 550W or more if he can afford it.
I don't even know if that model PSU has the correct pin connectors for that GPU card.
Running any PSU above 80% of it's max rated load for prolonged time (like for gaming) is going to wear it out faster.
Analogy to what I'm saying: I'm "fine" running my car tires past the recommended mileage too, but I'm risking a blow-out by doing so.
That's not a big surprise.
500W is still a very tight power-budget for that GPU. That's why I suggested 550W or more if he can afford it.
I don't even know if that model PSU has the correct pin connectors for that GPU card.
Running any PSU above 80% of it's max rated load for prolonged time (like for gaming) is going to wear it out faster.
Analogy to what I'm saying: I'm "fine" running my car tires past the recommended mileage too, but I'm risking a blow-out by doing so.