30 replies to this topic

[kaiserD]

i have a few questions about upgrading my power supply. right now i have a 250 watt power supply that came with my dell. my first question is, should i upgrade to a 450 watt power supply? the reason i ask this is because i plan on purchasing a better video card, and i want to make sure i have enough power. another question i have is how easy is it to take my exsisting power supply out and put a new one in.

here is the website of the power supply i want to buy...only $9 too,

power supply

thanks for the help.

[kaiserD]

well i looked on pricewatch.com and they usually dont send you to "fishy" sites. most of the power supplies they have on pricewatch.com are pretty cheap. its actually $12, which is still pretty cheap. im gonna ask some of my friends who know more about computers if i really need a power supply upgrade, but if anyone else has an opinion, let me know. i still need to know if it is easy to install.

[Boondock Saint]

You get what you pay for. I recently upgraded video card to Chaintech GeForce 5900XT and it gave a pop-up everytime I started puter saying that it will not run at optimal because my power supply was below 300W. I then had Comp USA put in an Antec True Power 400W supply and this baby really hums now. The power supply was between $80.00-$100.00 (cant remember).....Antec is one of the best names in the business when it comes to power supplies. Having a unit that states "True Power" is important as many supplies that say 300,350,400 are that wattage only when totally peaked redline (not a good thing).....I know $$ might be an issue for what you want to invest, but there are certain things you dont want to screw around with on the cheap side, and the power supply is one of them.....just my .02.....good luck.....

[LeadPoison]

The power supply is not something you should skimp on, its the most important part of your computer. Power supplies are usually labeled with the amount of power it supplies. Keep in mind that the labeled output is the peak output; the device may not use the rated output all the time. Look for one that gives the "true watts" not just the peak. I have put two different power supplies in this computer, the first replacement I paid like $15 for and it crapped out on me in like two weeks, the second one i have had for like six months with no problems whatsoever plus it is the most quiet one I have ever heard! Ya get what ya pay for as far as power supplies go! This is the one I have, its around $40 or so but well worth it imo.
Antec 330W True Power Supply Gold Plated Connectors

Once you pick one out here some instructions....

1. Plug your computer into the electrical outlet to ground yourself.
2. Touch the metal frame of your case to complete the ground.
3. Unplug the power supply from the wall.
4. Unplug the peripheral power cables.
5.Unplug the power cable from the motherboard. Make sure to pinch the tab that is located on the side of the plug, and wiggle the connector if needed.
6. Remove the screws on the back of the case that hold the power supply in.
7. Slide the power supply out of the case.
8. Reverse the process to put it back together.

Make sure the voltage is set to 110 (a little red recessed switch on the back of the power supply). It is typically set here by default.


Depending on the power supply you have, it may have an on/off switch on the back as well.

Hope that helps, good luck!

[kaiserD]

yeah, this should help. i am still going to ask someone else, so i'll keep looking.

[DeadlyDon]

Take a look at www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/ to see how much power you will need. Also, it is important to buy a quality power supply. This is especially true if you plan on running a high end video card. The newer video cards require a lot of "clean" power. I upgraded to an Antec "TruePower" 430W recently. I paid about $70 for it. It's a real pain to install so if you aren't computer savy you might want someone to do it for you. I think Best Buy and CompUSA will install it for you. Good luck!

[DeadlyDon]

TomsHardware.com has a good article on several power ranges of power supplies. Take a look at this article http://www6.tomshard...0122/index.html . Simply put, buy the best power supply you can afford. I'd say you want to spend at least $40 for a 400W PS. Any less than that and you will likely be spending $15 on a new power supply every month or two.

[Boondock Saint]

Listen to Deadly Don....he is the one that advised me on what to get, etc....what?....did you think I knew all the ins and outs of power supplies by myself......riiiiiiiight.........

[LeadPoison]

I have two hd's and only one cdrw and the other standard stuff so I can get by with 330watts but like Don said, if you got more more than that you should go with a true 400 watt or better.

[TITO]

Be careful!!
DELL power supplies and “standard” power supplies are NOT COMPATIBLE
They have the same wiring but a different plug layout.
You need a special connector to use standard PS in a Dell motherboard.
Check before buy.

PS- you don’t want a $9.00 400W PS in your computer.
Buy a Fortron Source/Sparkle 350W.

[Lin]

My Troy built generator is a great power supply…

[Boondock Saint]

She has it mounted under her chair.....better than sitting on the washer on spin mode......

[TITO]

Dell Power Supply Adapter (Dell to ATX Power Supply Converter)

http://www.endpcnois...lconverter.html

Pentium 4 Dell Models that do not require a power supply adapter:
Dell Dimension 4300, 4400, 8200

Pentium 4 Dell Models that are not compatible with this power supply adapter:
Dell Dimension 8100

All Dell computers before 1998 use ATX standard PS. No pre-1998 Dell computer can play BF1942 (I think)

PS Lin

[kaiserD]

well, after looking into it, i dont think im gonna upgrade after all. im just gonna wait to get a new computer until after this summer...im still waiting for DDR2 RAM to come out. i think im getting a new video card though, which will kick ass. thanks for your help/advice.

[DeadlyDon]

What video card are you getting?

[LeadPoison]

Some shampoo simple instructions on buying a video card, if you're buying ATI, get a Pro model. If you're buying Nvidia, get an Ultra model. Get the best one of those you can afford!

[kaiserD]

i was gonna get the radeon 9600 256 mb. i just read your post lead about buying a PRO model. i was only gonna spend about $100 on this one, and i dont really want to spend a whole lot more. i looked on pricewatch.com and i didnt see a pro model for what is within my price range. any suggestions don...you seem to know what you are talking about.

[LeadPoison]

No doubt about it, the best bang for the buck card is the Sapphire Atlantis ATI RADEON 9600 PRO 128MB you can get it off of price watch for around 130 bones shipped.