[SOLVED] Is it an easy task to replace a PSU?

[TJS1986]

I have a 500 watt PSU currently and because of the power needs of the GPU i want to get i need a new PSU. How hard is it to replace? Could i do it myself?
Thank You!

 

[R_1]

its not that hard, its held in place with 4 screws typically. open, remove screws, remove unit, replace.
there are videos on youtube that will go through the process, watch a few to familiarize yourself with the procedures, more than one video as no one gets it all right.

open the case.
ground yourself.
unplug the power from the PSU and remove all power cables from the motherboard, drives and fans.
insert the new PSU, secure with the 4 screws, plug in the power cable to the PSU, ground yourself, and connect the power cables to the devices.
close case
turn on the computer.

Canned Grounding Rant-
shut down system and remove side panel. with the power cable plugged into the PSU touch a bare unpainted metal area of the case. (my favorite spot is an unpainted screw securing the PSU) once you have grounded yourself you can unplug the computers power cable from the PSU and can touch the system.
if you move your feet, or shuffle in your chair, plug in the cord, reground yourself and unplug again.
end canned rant-

 

[Corwin65]

For a novice I always recommend taking pictures as you disconnect so that you can remember where everything goes. It's not that complicated but for a novice the anxiety and nervousness can be eased somewhat by referring to a few pics on the phone.

 

[King_V]

It's generally a straightforward process, as others have mentioned. Sometimes, with certain cases and layouts, it can be awkward.

My experience with a Dell XPS 8700 caused me to run into two points of difficulty:

• The optical drive didn't give me a lot of open space between the PSU and the drive
• The case itself had these two retaining "bumps" that getting the PSU back in correctly very tedious

Those are unlikely to happen on a more mainstream case, though, and I doubt many people are dealing with an internal optical drive these days.

 

[TJS1986]

It's generally a straightforward process, as others have mentioned. Sometimes, with certain cases and layouts, it can be awkward.

My experience with a Dell XPS 8700 caused me to run into two points of difficulty:

• The optical drive didn't give me a lot of open space between the PSU and the drive
• The case itself had these two retaining "bumps" that getting the PSU back in correctly very tedious

Those are unlikely to happen on a more mainstream case, though, and I doubt many people are dealing with an internal optical drive these days.

The PSU is pretty much separated from everything else, so there is a good amount of room for me to work with. That being said, are all PSU's the same dimension wise? Will it fit in my case? My case is an Acer Nitro N-50, it's more of a compact design. Finally, would a Quality 850 Watt PSU be enough to run any of the RTX 2080 variants? eg. Super, TI?

 

[R_1]

that is a compact design, mATX to be specific, but the PSU is standard ATX size. most of the consumer PSUs are in this size spec and should fit in the system chassis.
more than enough, if its a Quality PSU, do not skimp here.

 

[R_1]

that's a good unit but its cheaper from corsair
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categ...z2OMXEsxyOWMtwUx0Mo36DUkiQqN0lLTn8yE0&irgwc=1

also worth consideration
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jW...fied-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-850fx

wattage, warranty, quality, price are on par with the other unit.

 

[TJS1986]

that's a good unit but its cheaper from corsair
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Power-Supply-Units/Power-Supply-Units-Advanced/RMx-Series-White/p/CP-9020188-NA?utm_source=PCPartPicker_79301&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=497986_CORSAIR US Product Catalog Ad&utm_content=Content&clickid=y8z2OMXEsxyOWMtwUx0Mo36DUkiQqN0lLTn8yE0&irgwc=1

also worth consideration
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jW...fied-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-850fx

wattage, warranty, quality, price are on par with the other unit.

Thanks, you saved me a good bit of $!!! I appreciate that! I'm gonna go with the SeaSonic one.

 

[silvanet]

I like the advice. After having replaced a good number of these and built a bunch of my own systems over the years, I'd recommend an anti-static bracelet. You can get one on Newegg for under two dollars. Not necessary, but a very inexpensive helpful little gadget.

I also got in the habit of mounting my phone camera and recording the removal and building steps. Soon enough many of them become second nature to you, even troubleshooting and tweaking.

In the old days many instructions were in Chinese and often translated into unclear, hard to understand English. So, never be afraid to ask. This is a great forum.