[SOLVED] I'm trying to help my friend with upgrading a PSU in a dell inspiron so he can put a 1660 ti in it

[logibeak]

The computer he has is a Dell Inspiron 3847 with an i7 in it. I don't know which 4th gen i7 so I believe at most it will sip 95w.
The graphics card he plans to buy is a 1660 ti, which I think consumes like 225 w.

he originally planned to use a 450w PSU until I found this forum post
and now I'm confused about which power supply he needs to get for everything to work correctly.
Any help is appreciated.

 

[Darkbreeze]

The connector and form factor, based on that thread, are standard in that Dell unit. ANY ATX power supply that is DIMENSIONALLY compatible, should work. I say "dimensionally" because some ATX power supplies are longer than others so you will want to measure to see how long of a power supply your case can support and not get one that is longer than that. Probably, MOST modern ATX power supplies that are 750w or less will fit your case.

For the 1660 ti I would not recommend a 450w unit unless you are getting an EXEMPLARY model. Something that is very outstanding, which you probably don't need for that configuration. All you need is a "good" 550w unit. I mean, you CAN get by with a good 450w unit, but you are probably cutting it close and are likely going to be running near enough to it's upper capacity that it is going to run both hot and loud. 550w units are generally priced similar and would afford you a bit of well used headroom.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[logibeak]

The connector and form factor, based on that thread, are standard in that Dell unit. ANY ATX power supply that is DIMENSIONALLY compatible, should work. I say "dimensionally" because some ATX power supplies are longer than others so you will want to measure to see how long of a power supply your case can support and not get one that is longer than that. Probably, MOST modern ATX power supplies that are 750w or less will fit your case.

For the 1660 ti I would not recommend a 450w unit unless you are getting an EXEMPLARY model. Something that is very outstanding, which you probably don't need for that configuration. All you need is a "good" 550w unit. I mean, you CAN get by with a good 450w unit, but you are probably cutting it close and are likely going to be running near enough to it's upper capacity that it is going to run both hot and loud. 550w units are generally priced similar and would afford you a bit of well used headroom.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

So would you recommend like a 650w psu?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Not unless it's more readily available, or cheaper, or you plan to upgrade to a graphics card that requires more than the 1660 ti does in the near future. Otherwise, I'd stick to a 550w unit, which is already going to have plenty of headroom. 450w, won't. It will be enough, but won't afford much headroom for spikes or thermal overhead.

Getting a very good 550w unit is the correct option.

 

[logibeak]

Not unless it's more readily available, or cheaper, or you plan to upgrade to a graphics card that requires more than the 1660 ti does in the near future. Otherwise, I'd stick to a 550w unit, which is already going to have plenty of headroom. 450w, won't. It will be enough, but won't afford much headroom for spikes or thermal overhead.

Getting a very good 550w unit is the correct option.

Alright, thanks

 

[thinkwired]

Getting a very good 550w unit is the correct option.

I don't want to hijack but, if that is true, why do the manufacturers recommend a 450w power supply? They don't even say "minimally viable" they say "recommended" which is true of every graphics card I've looked at. if its truly an issue, why don't the GPU manufacturers seem to care?

This is a serious question. I am not questioning you, I am questioning why its so damn confusing when every other PC component is so relatively easy to pair together.

I feel like this should be its own thread but, I fear no one would care... even though they should.

 

[DSzymborski]

I don't want to hijack but, if that is true, why do the manufacturers recommend a 450w power supply? They don't even say "minimally viable" they say "recommended" which is true of every graphics card I've looked at. if its truly an issue, why don't the GPU manufacturers seem to care?

This is a serious question. I am not questioning you, I am questioning why its so damn confusing when every other PC component is so relatively easy to pair together.

I feel like this should be its own thread but, I fear no one would care... even though they should.

Buying a power supply is quite easy so I'm not sure what's confusing about it. And in the end, they're not building your rig, they're offering a product and they'd rather you be paying them rather than paying less to them so that you can buy something else. They're only concerned to the extent that it doesn't cause them more RMA'd GPUs; the health of your rig overall is your thing, not theirs.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I don't want to hijack but, if that is true, why do the manufacturers recommend a 450w power supply?

Might as well ask why do Ryzen processors come with coolers that aren't capable enough to keep them cool without driving you insane with the constant ramping up and down, up and down, up and down.

Might as well ask why do hospitals and doctors send people home telling them they are fine and to simply get bed rest, and then those same people die of any number of conditions the next day.

Or why dealerships and tire shops tend to under-inflate tires.

And, as DSzymborski alluded to, because the more they influence you towards buying or having a more expensive power supply, by recommending higher capacities, the less you have to spend on their product OR the less likely you are to buy their product in the first place knowing that you really ought to have a more capable PSU before doing so. As I said, you can run any number of graphics cards on power supplies that minimally cover the requirements of the card, but does that make it a good idea?

I mean, technically speaking, you can drive around for months on the temporary doughnut tire that most vehicle manufacturers include with the vehicle, but it's a REALLY BAD idea to do that, or to leave it on for any longer than it takes to get somewhere where you can get a reliable replacement. Manufacturers primarily concern themselves with two things. Profits and liabilities. Saying you need a 450w unit only when a 550w unit is an obviously safer, saner and overall long term better option, covers any liability concerns because technically 450w is enough, even though it might not be based on the specific unit in question. That part however is not the manufacturers problem. If you choose to get a unit that isn't good enough, that's your problem, not theirs. Same thing if you have to live with a fan that is constantly running at high speed because you are running near that capacity on a regular basis. It works, and they don't have to hear it, so it's your problem.

 

[bignastyid]

Thinkwired if you want to more information create your own thread don't hijack one.