Question Can i use non-80+ power supply for my PC?

[MA Axior]

so i've been planning this upgrade for November 2023
i5-4690 > i3-10100F/i5-10400F
2x8gb ddr3 1600Mhz > 2x8gb ddr4 3000Mhz/3200Mhz
H81 Mb > H410M Mb
GTX 750ti > GTX 1650
a new cooler

i already have good ssd and hdd so i guess i dont need to upgrade it.

so after i do some math, i find out that my budget isnt enough to buy a new Power Supply.
i need to wait like 2/3 month so i can get a better Power Supply, since im still a highschool student and my small job doesn't give me very much money.
so can i use the power supply for 3 months with upgraded specs without fear that my PC will blow up?
my PSU is Power Station PS2-450NF2

 

[rgd1101]

blow up

 

[MA Axior]

blow up

nooooo 😭😭😭

 

[Math Geek]

it's good to have an idea what you might upgrade to, but honestly it is a bit too early to commit for such a purchase.

the closer you get to actually buying is the time to evaluate what you can get and at what cost. you may find you can get something better for the same money by then, or that prices on the older gen stuff has gone up during the time.

you just never know. but i'd def factor in a decent psu before building it. those junk, no name psu shaped objects is just an accident waiting to happen. it might work and might even last a few months, but the risk is just not worth it knowing the potential for a fireworks show inside your pc case!!

 

[MA Axior]

it's good to have an idea what you might upgrade to, but honestly it is a bit too early to commit for such a purchase.

the closer you get to actually buying is the time to evaluate what you can get and at what cost. you may find you can get something better for the same money by then, or that prices on the older gen stuff has gone up during the time.

you just never know. but i'd def factor in a decent psu before building it. those junk, no name psu shaped objects is just an accident waiting to happen. it might work and might even last a few months, but the risk is just not worth it knowing the potential for a fireworks show inside your pc case!!

Hmm with this budget, how about upgrade to like second i5 6th gen? Second asus motherboard and 2666mhz ram? With that i can buy an 80+ bronze power supply, but ill keep buy the GTX 1650. It is good idea?

 

[Math Geek]

what is your goal for the pc? for office apps and browsing and video streaming it would be plenty. for modern AA gaming you'd start having trouble with playability.

you're asking the right questions but if you are not buying until november, you'll not want to make any firm decisions until then when you know what it will cost at that moment. prices change all the time and who knows what you can get by then. keep saving and as november gets closer revisit prices and availability to get the best for your money.

 

[MA Axior]

what is your goal for the pc? for office apps and browsing and video streaming it would be plenty. for modern AA gaming you'd start having trouble with playability.

you're asking the right questions but if you are not buying until november, you'll not want to make any firm decisions until then when you know what it will cost at that moment. prices change all the time and who knows what you can get by then. keep saving and as november gets closer revisit prices and availability to get the best for your money.

I play single player games like RDR2, GTA5, and RE7. Sometimes play Ready or Not and Roblox with friends, running just fine. But my main goal is making games in Unity and Unreal. My pc works fine with it, i just feels like i need new graphics card but yeah maybe i just need to save money, maybe in 2024 we have new good n cheap component fit for my pc work. And if my game success and gain money to upgrade my pc, it will be better haha

 

[DSzymborski]

I don't see the point in upgrading to sixth-gen. The incremental gains from the Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge era until AMD became a serious competitor again with Ryzen are very small.

If you're on a budget, just keep the CPU you have now and upgrade to the 1650 and a good budget power supply. And *exact* power supply is important; 80 Plus is just an efficiency rating. There's some relationship between quality and efficiency -- for example, there are no good PSUs being sold today that aren't at least 80 Plus Bronze -- but the exact PSU is important. There are a lot of Bronze-rated PSUs that are nearly as horrifying as your current PSU.

 

[MA Axior]

I don't see the point in upgrading to sixth-gen. The incremental gains from the Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge era until AMD became a serious competitor again with Ryzen are very small.

If you're on a budget, just keep the CPU you have now and upgrade to the 1650 and a good budget power supply. And *exact* power supply is important; 80 Plus is just an efficiency rating. There's some relationship between quality and efficiency -- for example, there are no good PSUs being sold today that aren't at least 80 Plus Bronze -- but the exact PSU is important. There are a lot of Bronze-rated PSUs that are nearly as horrifying as your current PSU.

Yeah ill keep that in mind. Maybe i need to focus on gaining money first, then upgrade or buy a new PC that i want. And dont worry the 80+ bronze i meant is EVGA 450W power supply so its okay. Thanks for the advice

 

[Math Geek]

keep in mind a better gpu means more psu needed. 450w is not that much once you get past the 1650 type cards.

you may need to plan on 650w or so if you plan on a mid range gpu. just something to keep in mind as you look at possibilities for a gpu down the line. we are pretty good at picking parts so as you get closer we can look at the parts you want and quickly give you some options for what psu is needed.

 

[DSzymborski]

Yeah ill keep that in mind. Maybe i need to focus on gaining money first, then upgrade or buy a new PC that i want. And dont worry the 80+ bronze i meant is EVGA 450W power supply so its okay. Thanks for the advice

What *exact* one? There are a lot of junky EVGA-sold units on the low end.

It would make more sense to spend some of the savings in *not* upgrading the CPU to getting a quality budget one that can support future GPUs.

 

[ajohnson30]

90% of computer crashes can be traced to power issues. Don't skimp on the PSU!