PSU tools

[thedocta45]

Are there any tools that can allow me to see the amount of power my PSU is using?
I have a feeling that my system is hanging due to insufficent power.

 

[Sphere]

What psu are you using?

 

[young boy]

Why not list out your hardware (incl. fans, sound card, HDDs, RAM)? That'll give us a rough gauge of what power draw you have.

I heard of "kill-a-watt" that measures the power drawn off the wall and then factor in the efficiency. This is not that good though. The more direct and better method will be to measure the 12v, 5v, 3.3v rails.

 

[thedocta45]

CPU: Q6600 no-oc
HDD: 320GB @7200
GPU: 8800GTS 512
RAM: 4g DDR2-800
Optical: One DVD-RW and One BlueRay/HD combo drive.
Sound Card is onboard
Fans one 120mm and one 80mm both low flow.
Wireless card, and a firewire card.
The computer is a Dell so the PSU is only rated at 375W. They sell a 425W one now which im thinking of getting. I would just buy a mod. one off new egg but I can't find one that fits the right dimensions.

 

[thedocta45]

So like I said Im quite sure Im really far over the limit on this PSU. Im just wondering what sort of side effects this will cause.
And Im not too sure that even a 425 will fix my problem.
I have been considering saving the Q6600 and the 8800gts for a later build and going back to my E6600 and 8800gts 320mb.

 

[Superdemon]

A good 375 should be able to power that system without any problems. Dell's PSUs will vary wildly so it is impossible to say if it is up to the task. You might want to do yourself a favor and get a new case and a quality PSU.

 

[jonnyGURU]

I would just buy a mod. one off new egg but I can't find one that fits the right dimensions.

What are the dimensions you need?

Depth can vary, and since some housing meaurements are converted from inches to MM and back, it's not unusual to have two units, 5MM apart in "size" and still be the same size unit.

 

[thedocta45]

I have had plans to upgrade to a new case and new mobo and new PSU, however I am in school still so money is a bit tight.
That might sound silly considering I have a new CPU and new GPU in my system, but I got an amazing deal on them so I couldnt pass it up.
Hopefully by the end of the summer I will be finishing my upgrade project.

As for the PSU dimentions:
W: about 15 cm.
H: about 10 cm.
L: about 14 cm.

 

[larrymoencurly]

The computer is a Dell so the PSU is only rated at 375W. They sell a 425W one now which im thinking of getting.

You can measure the voltages to see if your PSU is sufficient. Just compare the voltages between idle and full load (high CPU while a computer gams is running, make the HDDs run a random read diagnostic, and burn a DVD), and if the voltages don't droop more than about 3% AND stay well within specs, all while the PSU is running kind of hot, then the PSU should be OK.

A 375W Dell is probably more powerful than almost any other 375W PSU, but if you find that you need more power and Dell is offering a 425W, consider getting it. If you're given more than one choice of brand (common with Dells), choose Lite-On or Delta over Hi-Pro.

 

[jonnyGURU]

As for the PSU dimentions:
W: about 15 cm.
H: about 10 cm.
L: about 14 cm.

Ah... so it's standard depth, but standard height is usually only 8.5 cm, not 10 cm.