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NOOB powesourse ?

R

Rydawg5143

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
6,781
So thinking a should probably buy a better powersource for my comp ( bought at bestbuy, yeah i know) since im going to do some upgrades so need a few questions answered.
1. Where can i find out what type of PS i currently have
2. I'll ask when i figure #1 out :)
 
If you open up the computer a sticker should be on the power supply, this usually includes the output and model number. Once you have the model number you can do a search on google and find all the info on it.
 
Thanks, I'm trying to get all my info now so when i do start to buil i can know a little more about stuff :p
 
Is there a program or something that can tell you how much power you are using. I'd like to know if I need to upgrade my stock PS.
 
Rydawg5143 said:
Is there a program or something that can tell you how much power you are using. I'd like to know if I need to upgrade my stock PS.
Click to expand...

Well, list out your components here, then list out the specs/model number/whatever from your power supply. There are various calculators online however those are not always the best indicator of if your power supply is a POS for your system or not.

Did you buy a premade like HP? Then just list the model number of your PC and people can usually figure it out that way too.
 
Acer lists that as having...

"Industry Standard 250 Watt"

So yeah, you will likely need a new one if you want to do some upgrades.
 
Yeah... a good 500W should do you for most upgrades. unless you intend on running multiple GPUs and a heavily OCed cpu.
 
Anything made by Corsair is great, thats a good place to start. Have you checked to see what various CPUs you can us in your motherboard? Looks like an AM2 board.
 
If I buy a small upgrade to the stock one, say 450W. will i need to redo any wires? or eill i just be able to replug in all the stuff thats in the stock one atm ?
 
ocellaris said:
Anything made by Corsair is great, thats a good place to start. Have you checked to see what various CPUs you can us in your motherboard? Looks like an AM2 board.
Click to expand...

+1 (means I agree completely)

If you budget can afford it I highly recommend the Corsair VX-550. It has more than enough power to run almost anything now (unless you go very very high end with a quad cpu and multipule video cards. )

Notice also that the newer CPUs and GPUs are being "shrunk" constantly and their power supply requirements are constantly dropping. A P4 of 2 years ago would suck 200w of power with a mild OC, now you can get a quad that overclocked like mad will only require 150W of power. Point is that a good 500-600 watt supply bought now should hold you for many years if of good quality. Even the Corsair 450 watt supply would be more than enough for any ugrades to your current machine and maybe even a future upgrade. But check it all out like you are doing.

I think you are making a very wise decision and dont forget to check out the power supply reviews on the main [H] site before you buy whatever supply. JonnyGuru has a great review site as well, if they dont tear it apart and put it on a commercial load tester and try to blow it up, it is not a real review. :D
 
Would I have to redo any wires? or is it all plug and play ( to a degree) like most computer stuff. I've replaced things in other comps b4, but never a PS
 
Presuming your computer is using standard connectors, its just a matter of plugging in cables. Nothing to it.
 
Any1 recommend a god 450-500 PS, not to pricey though please, also my case doesnt have a top fan to dont think i can have one those ?
 
Wasn't wanting to spend that much, as my PC isnt super uber or anything. I just want something so my vid card wont fry. My system runs fine atm on the wussy 250 stock, but would like to upgrade and Dont see 90 bucks as a good 'small upgrade'
 
Well that PSU would ensure that ANY kind of upgrade you have will have adequate and clean power. Anyway, your system could run on this PSU but don't expect too much in headroom for upgrades:
Antec Earthwats 430W PSU - $60

Also, can you please post the specs of your PC? There seems to be several Acer Aspire T180 models. Dunno which one you have. Use CPU-Z or go to the Acer website to find out the specs to your PC. I wanna make sure that I'm not recommend something overkill.

Oh and what kind of upgrades were you planning on?
 
NOt really planning on upgrading it, cept memory. Already has amd 64 x2 4000+ (2.1). I don't over clock. and a bfg 8800 gt oc 512mb
 
Already has the 8800GT too? If so then I would check all the voltages (with a multimeter) and if its all looking good, do not bother unless you are seeing problems.
 
No idea what a multimeter is :( or how to use it properly :( . I think i get some graphic lose inside Everquest ( once in awhile others characters will flicker) I can only think its the PSU
 
Rydawg5143 said:
No idea what a multimeter is :( or how to use it properly :( . I think i get some graphic lose inside Everquest ( once in awhile others characters will flicker) I can only think its the PSU
Click to expand...

Well normally a power supply problem will manifest itself in some other manner than characters flicking in a videogame. When I had a GeFore 5700 Ultra on a somewhat poor PSU, it would pop up a window and inform me that the card was not getting enough power. Not sure if the current cards do anything like that. Also is your system randomly crashing? Is the current PSU fan pushing out extremely hot air or just regular warm air?
 
Rydawg5143 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023. This a decent one ?
Click to expand...

Its not particularly good. Check the combined 12v ratings to see what a power supply can do. The one you link has 18 amps available on the 12v rail. So thats 18x12 = 216 watts of power out of a 450 watt power supply. Most of the power coming out of that unit is on the 3v/5v rails that are not heavily utilized in current systems.

Now check this one:

http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-vx-450w-power-supply/q/loc/101/205466485.html

That has 33 amp on the 12v rail, so its 396 watts out of a rated 450 watts for the important suff.
 
Just wait a while then, most of Corsair's PSU line has nice AR deals quite often at most of the online retailers, like buy, Newegg, ClubIT, and so on...

froogle.com's a good place to search if you have something particular in mind...Just remember to stick w/ a legit dealer.
 
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