Concenrs about my PSU

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musicmelody

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Nov 5, 2012
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Okay, as of current, this is my system:

HP a6203w desktop, AMD Athlon x2 4400+ processor, 2.3ghz (I have a Phenom II x4 965 black edition and a new gigabyte motherboard with 4 gigs of RAM to install in it as well, just listing that old processor because it is the current one I have in it)
Stock HDD
Stock Optical Drive
It has an HP Pocket Drive bay but I never use it and I disconnected it
Same goes for the Media card reader slot, I never use it either and disconnected it, both this and the above cords are hidden and tucked away but the drives are still installed in case I ever want to use them again, just hook them back up.
One 90mm Case fan
ATI 5450 1Gig VisionTek GPU
Thermaltake TR2 430w PSU with dual 12v rails http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023

I am wanting to install a new GPU, nothing hardcore, my choice right now is an ATI 7750, doesn't require a PCI power cord, much like my current card, so I would assume it should run fine, correct?

I know this isn't a gaming PC, and I'm not trying to make it one, I just wanted to make some minor upgrades to the guts of it to keep it somewhat up to date. I do a lot of photoshop and art work on here as well as some video playback. The most graphical demanding game I play right now is Skyrim, which I'm fine with it on ultra low settings, at 30 fps, which is what the current card is doing.

I'm just growing concerned after all the negative things I've heard about this PSU and Thermaltake. Right now I don't have a budget to afford a new PSU and a new card, along with the money I just spent on the CPU/Mobo/Ram.

I know some will say buy a new pc, build a new pc, don't worry, I am when taxes come back. This is still my daily comp that I use for school and art stuff. So please stick to the subject matter.

Will my PSU handle an ATI 7750 card?

What to expect out of this PSU in the future with the above upgrades I mentioned (CPU, etc)
 
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While it may or may not be true that the TR2 430w is "shaky", it still should be more than
adequate to run your system, not to worry, no need to spend more $$.

Tom


 
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Thank you both for the quick reply, but I am curious, what is so bad about this PSU?

I've heard all the stories about the one with the single 12v rail, but not much about the one with the dual rails, like mine, and when I do purchase one in the future, what is the best brands to look at? I do all my shopping on newegg and only got this one due to the reader's choice awards. ....

Sigh, but thank you again for the quick reply and answering my question. Is there anyway or site to go on to measure what my wattage draw is with current items on my PC?

Sorry for all the questions, I just would rather learn and know more about the technology running my PC.
 
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Hi again - not sure it is bad. Didn't see a test from a "responsible" review site.
But, here are some of the issues with a few Thermaltake PSU's:

Thermaltake
MODEL WATTS PROBLEMS AND ISSUES REVIEWS
Smart-M 1,000 Ripple well over spec at full load, cold or hot. Hot ripple at mid range loads is absolutely terrible Overclockers
TR2 RX 750 Cannot deliver 750 watts at high temperatures. Ripple and noise are way above maximum allowed. Hardware Secrets
Smart 430 Could not achieve efficiency rating. Ripple and noise were high on the smaller outputs. AnandTech
Purepower 430 NP 430 Not 450 watts as advertised. Could only deliver 350 watts. Old ATX12V 1.03 design. High noise level at 350 watts. Hardware Secrets
Purepower 500 Not 500 watts as advertised. Could only deliver 400 watts for a few seconds. +12 voltage lower than minimum allowed. Could not achieve efficiency rating above 300 watts. Hardware Secrets

Tom
 
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Hi again - no need to apologize for the questions, that's what Tom's Hardware Forum's is all about.

For ref in the future to upgrade PSU, the quality brands (not all) to consider:

Seasonic, Corsair AX, HX, TX series, Antec, PC P&C, XFX, Enermax, Rosewill Capstone series, Enermax.

Yes, there are sites that estimate power draw, Newegg has one, and here's a couple that I've used

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

http://support.asus.com/PowerSupply.aspx?SLanguage=en

 
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Without legitimate reviews, such as from HardwareSecrets, JonnyGuru, HardOCP it is unlikely you will get a recommendation for a PSU here. Those sites test every aspect of the PSU and, for the most part, we rely heavily on their knowledge and experience (and test equipment most cannot get their hands on)
I would recommend researching any power supply you are interested in getting through a site like this one http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page541.htm where you will find reviews by the above listed reviewers (and a few more)
There are web sites that offer that information but be aware at those that the numbers may not match between different sites as they are approximations and some sites will give you an (near) actual power draw number where others will give you a PSU power recommendation (which can be twice as much)

That's what Tom's is here for... keep asking questions to broaden your understanding
 
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yeah, using http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine and giving myself two extra fans, the new CPU, motherboard and ram, along with the 7750, and one extra HDD more than I have now, it still only rated my necessary wattage at 364W, so I should be good, considering I won't necessarily add the HDD or extra fans. Thank you all very much.

Now, just for sh!ts n giggles, I've heard you can crossfire the 7750, is that true?
 
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Ah okay. As for the HP Pocket Media Drive Bay, and the Media Card Reader bay, I don't use those, and like I said in my original post they are dc'd from the MoBo/PSU. Is there anyway to remove those? Like you would remove an optical drive? It would give my PC more breathing room for cooling. The PC is an a6203w desktop, HP. Thanks again.
 
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The "HP Pocket Media Drive Bay" can be removed - seen here in your service manual http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manualCategory?cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=3554326& I don't know about the memory card reader - it may be riveted into place - of course if you're willing to remove all the components and drill out a few rivets...
 
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I was able to find in the upgrading and servicing manual, the media card reader is held in by screws as well, so I can take both it and the media drive bay out as well. I just need to find out about covers for the front, or something, because those open front gaps can't be good for airflow, and look bad lol.
 
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The card reader one might be a little tricky since it appears to be a non-standard size. The 'pocket media bay' looks to be a standard 5 1/4" bay so something like this should work http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16011/ele-1086/Akust_525_Universal_Mesh_Bay_Cover_-_Black_CM02-0001-AKS.html?tl=g44c143s308
For the card reader bay, you could cut down the above part (if it is a shorter size) or you can even fabricate your own out of aluminum screen material (from your local hardware store) or something similar
 
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The part appears to be made from a plastic frame with a metal grill overlay. I would remove the metal overlay and use tin snips to cut it and a razor knife to cut the plastic. Although a little harder to cut a straight line, a Dremel tool with cut-off wheel could also work.
 
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