Need new Power supply

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Turvs

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Jul 17, 2008
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Well my last powersupply died and needing a new one. But i dont know a thing about powersupplys.

My current specs:

2x1GB Ram
7600GT graphics card
2.4ghz dual core processor

I will be looking to upgrade my graphics card to something like 8800GT. What will the specs of the powersupply need to be like to run that.

Also where can i buy PC cases without a PSU with it so its cheaper.

Thanks
 
well im getting a job very soon 😀. So depending on what i make, but it should be between something like £80 - £150 but i am willing to spend a bit more.

Thanks
 
A quality 500W PSU can run any almost any single video card, and all in that price range. Unless you're going to save up and get a HD5970, that's all you need. Choose a model with full range active PFC (no little voltage switch) that is 80+ certified for efficiency. Antec, Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, Seasonic, and Enermax are among the better brands.
 
Thanks a lot, i will probably buy either the Antec or Corsair if i cant find any better. Both a similar price but which one is best?
 
Gigabyte i-solo cases are cheap and the airflow and size along with quality and simple looks make it a case worth having for at least 5-7years!

A good power supply to have considering that you are going to upgrade soon is a coolmaster 600 or 550real power SLI 80plus. It is only about $60-70 and can hold cards up to the 5850 or gtx275. If you are planning on SLI however the 700Watt corsair or coolmaster is easy to find as well.
 
With a few exceptions (some newer models, including some 80+ silver) Coolermaster is not that good, at least not in the competent technical reviews I've read. They're a lot better than generics, but not in the same league as Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, or Enermax. Antec Earthwatts are nice on a budget.
 
That corsair 550w that you linked is major overkill. You would be fine with the corsair 450vx or even with the 400cx to run most single graphic card setups.
(GTX 260 and up, or 4870/4890 would require at least the 450w)

Also you need to upgrade your ram. 3.5-4gb would be ideal. (depending on if you are 32 bit or 64 bit OS)
 
The general rule of thumb is a high quality 500 to 550 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can easily power a system with any single video card made. A high quality 700 to 750 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can power a system with two video cards operating in dual mode. There are a few exceptions like the new ATI Radeon HD 5XXX series cards which use less power due to their energy efficiency.

A high quality 500 to 550 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 40 amps. A high quality 700 to 750 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 60 amps.

In addition the power supply should be at least 80+ Bronze certified for energy efficiency. There are some models available which have achieved 80+ Silver and 80+ Gold Certifications.

Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, and Seasonic are some of the brands that have a reputation for high quality power supplies that consistently earn high marks in technical reviews. They are reliable, stable, and come with a 5 year warranty. Some of the newer models come with a 7 year warranty. Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units. One example would be the Antec Earthwatts series which is a major improvement over Antec’s older psu’s like the Basiq models.
 
Thanks a lot everyone, you have been a great help.

Firstly

liquidsnake718: The Gigabyte Isolo case is a bit much than i expected between the £20-£40 at most but if it really is worth the 5-7 year life time then it might be best to invest in that.

deadlockedworld: I saw the 450W version at £58 (around cheapest i could find) but the 550W version was i think £62 so i just though that extra £5 for anoth 100W would be worth it.

And everyone else thanks for the info and i would only ever use two graphics cards when i get higher paying job and still have the time to get the most out of them. So should be sticking with just one card for now.

Also i will be upgrading my Ram because atm its 2 1GB stick but very low speeds but i current have XP and not upgrading to vista or 7 so would i be best getting a high quality 2GB and HQ 1GB or two 1GB sticks (4GB is too much).
 
I dont actually know much about windows 7 is it another vista fail or is it actually worth getting it, im just worried about the compatability issues with it and other stuff like that.
 
Yes Windows 7 is good. Its quite stable, and fixes a lot of vista issues. It is, however, a lot more Mac-like in that it does many drivers/setting/etc for you--giving you a little less control.

When you upgrade your ram you are best off upgrading the sticks evenly if at all possible.

(Before someone calls me out --I say this as an owner of Mac OS 10.5, 10.3, Vista and Windows 7)
The single thing I hate most about Vista is how my multibutton logitech mouse isnt fully programmable because vista wont let me install the drivers...
 
I was in your same exact situation, my psu died then I purchased a thermaltake 430 Watt psu but I purchased it because it looked awesome in my case, which was stupid of me but it still works out alright, If you are on a budget and don't need to power too much stuff just get a good quality 400-500 watt psu but make sure it supports any video card you plan on getting.

You shouldn't need to spend a lot
 



You should really only need 700w if you are planning to get 2 graphic cards. A graphic card in the 8800GT range like you suggested will only need a quality 400-450w PSU to run. While I think 550w watts is nice to have--700w is just overkill.

I looked around on that site-- it has a lot of good options(as long as it is a vendor you trust) The OCZ 500w, The Corsair 450vx, Several Antec models. You could even run this system fine on the Corsair 400cx if you wanted to get out cheaply.
 
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