Dell dimension 9200 power supply problems

[vlxvcalq]

hi! I bought a dell dimension 9200 with a graphic card NVIDIA 880 GTX. As per the fabricant, this card requires a minimum of 450 watts to properly function. however, the kit came with a 375 watts power supply only! Could this affect the functioning of my pc and could this be the reason my graphic card let me down after only 3 years? It was replaced at nocharge but i`m afraid it happens again?? How big should a new power supply be for my pc?
pleas someone help!

 

[WR2]

Hello vlxvcalq;
It's true the 8800GTX has a 450W PSU minimum recommendation.
The full recommendation is for a Minimum of a 450 Watt power supply +12 Volt current rating of 28 Amps.
The 450W part of the recommendation is to get that +12V 28Amps and it covers everything from a lightly loaded system to one more heavily equipped.
It's certainly possible for a good 375W with a strong +12V rail and not loaded up with extra HDDs, case fans, etc, to adequately power a 8800GTX video card.

It's true that PSUs 'age' over time and loose the ability to output it's full rated power.
If you want a good deal on a PSU with enough power: Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W
$45 before a $10 rebate. And a $5 off promo code till Sept 8th. Also free shipping.
That could take your final cost down to $30 for a strong 400W CPU with 30Amps of +12V power.

 

[jsc]

HMMM. Think this is good enough to be the replacement for the now gone Corsair 400CX?

 

[WR2]

Looking that way to me at the moment. It would be nice to have a couple good reviews to confirm it's as good as I think it might be.
Right now it's only the Antec reputation, the fact that it's a Seasonic built unit plus that excellent price is all there is to bolster a recommendation that this is a really quality PSU.
Also waiting for reviews of that Corsair 430CX (CWT OEM), but it's 2 year warranty, 28Amp +12V rail and higher price makes it hard to suggest ATM with the Antec Neo Eco @ $30 a/r.

 

[DaveBG]

I have a Dell Dimension 9200 myself.
Love it, flexible, upgradeable, inexpensive & very capable PCs.
Dell sold the Dimension 9200 from new with the option for a 8800GTX card so the PSU is perfectly capable of handling that card.

My own one runs a Q6700 quad Intel CPU, 4gb of RAM (2 x 2gb sticks), an Nvidia 9800GT graphics card, 2 x 1tb Western Digital HDDs, 2 x DVD burners, a Soundblaster Audigy SE card, a floppy drive unit & a card reader.
All on that standard 375wt Dell PSU.

The thing about Dell PSUs is that they measure the output honestly.
Lots of other manufacturers have a habit of quoting a briefly held peak output as if it is the rock solid dependable sustained 100% maximum.
It often is not.
Briefly held peaks just exaggerate the specs for the spec-sheet number obsessed.
So graphics card makers, so as not to end up with loads of angry ex-customers, usually tend to err on the side of caution and quote required specs & numbers which make the Dell look as if it doesn't stand a chance of meeting.
But they often do.

I reckon my own is pretty much maxed out & I want to dump the floppy unit which I never use & replace it with another 1tb HDD & I'd like a much more up to date graphics card (the Nvidia 460GTX looks great value right now).
My solution?
Another Dell PSU.
750wt this time.
It'll keep me going for quite a while yet I reckon.

Your original card could have failed for any number of reasons but a weak PSU is not the most likely cause
(you'd get all sorts of obvious PSU-related problems before that - things like sudden & repeatedly rebooting being the obvious symptom & parts of your rig operating but not others, fans slow or failing to operate).

I'd just add that you haven't mentioned the rest of your spec but I guess if things were added that were not initial standard fit & your PC was running a couple of hard drives & a high spec CPU it might be pushing things but I'd certainly expect the usual PSU problems to be apparent than just having things work normally and then experiencing a graphics failure after 3yrs.

 

[delluser1]

I have a Dell Dimension 9200 myself.

Too much in there, didn't want to waste the space quoting it all.
A few months late, but nicely done.