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Worth keeping this PSU?

P

PumpkinCrook

n00b
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
7
Specs:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+
Gigabyte GA-M55SLI-S4 Rev. 2.0
4 GB (4 x 1024 MB) of Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800
Sapphire Radeon x1950 GT 256 MB
Enermax 350w PSU
two SATA HDDs
two DVDRWs
Windows 7 Professional x64

So I was planning on upgrading my graphics card to one of the new Radeon 5-series, but because my current PSU is only 350w, I bought this to power the new card. Turns out the card is incompatible with my motherboard, so I'm returning it. I'm wondering though if I should keep the PSU or not, because a friend of mine is giving me an Nvidia 9600 GSO that he has sitting around, and I'm not sure if the minor upgrade would be enough to push me past the limits of my Enermax. According to the Newegg PSU calculator I'm way past 350 watts already, but my system has been running just fine for years with the Enermax, except for some GPU instability which was the reason I wanted to upgrade in the first place. Basically, I just don't want to return the thing and then have to buy it again in a few weeks when my friend gives me the 9600. I'd rather just cut my losses, keep my old PSU if possible, and buy a more powerful PSU when I have the time and money to build a new computer.
 
Enermax made (and still makes) some excellent power supplies, but that power supply has to be what? 7 years old? Or more?

I'd say it's time to retire it due to old age, just to be safe. The Earthwatts 500w unit isn't the greatest power supply ever made but you can do a lot worse. It'll do its rated wattage at 45*C ambient, as evidenced by this review, and it'll handle the system that you're running now (with or without the 9600) without a problem. I'd keep it.
 
Wait folks, he is talking about THIS LOL sometimes I read too fast too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007&Tpk=antec earthwatts 500

Newer Antec earthwatss 500W unit.

I am not up on the quality of the newer Antec units.

Me personally, I would return it and go with this (forget the rebate, add a ten to the $79 bucks you have in the Antec and you have a supply that should give you ten years of not having to worry about a power supply and would even support the very latest video cards. )

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Now that is what I would do since you are already returning stuff but that Antec may not be undesirable/junk I just do not know/have not kept up, but I know the Corsair is decent and thats a heck of a deal. 650W solid watts for about what I paid for my 550W Corsair 4 years ago.
 
Whoops. If you are talking about the Antec, keep it. It's a good Delta-built PSU.
 
Shipping and restocking (15% if I remember correctly) would make it not worth returning.
 
BillParrish said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Now that is what I would do since you are already returning stuff but that Antec may not be undesirable/junk I just do not know/have not kept up, but I know the Corsair is decent and thats a heck of a deal. 650W solid watts for about what I paid for my 550W Corsair 4 years ago.
Click to expand...

I was considering this one myself after seeing the Newegg promo today, but you definitely convinced me! Thanks!
 
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