Need new PSU w/ new Vid Card?

[Dark119]

Hi, I recently purchased a Leadtek Geforce 6800 gt, but I just now found out my Dell Dimension 4550 only has a 250 watt PSU. The card requires 300-350; do I need to upgrade or no? and if so I heard only dell PSU's work in dells? Any feedback appreciated, thanks.

 

[Crashman]

I'd try it: Dell uses amazingly hearty power supplies. I think they're rated at continous, rather than peak load.

PIII and earlier power supplies from Dell were proprietary. Most P4 Dell's are on the ATX12v standard (aka, P4 ready power supplies). Sometimes retail supplies don't fit right because the power plug is in the other position (one's high, the other's low, and Dell blocks that part of the hole).

I'd open it and see what you have for connectors, if it's a P4 and uses the 20-pin plus 4-pin plug, a standard unit should work fine. Then I'd find a standard unit that fits, based on the position of the power cord socket.

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[Dark119]

Thanx, I had RMA'd my card after trying it on two systems and getting the same result. Characters screwed up on start up, artifacts galore, etc. Card was defect I think, but I was just making sure that PSU wasnt the problem, the other system I tried it in had a 350W PSU, so im pretty sure its not that. From what ive read, dell's power supplies can handle the new gen vid cards so I'll hope for the best, thanx for responding.

 

[Pavelow]

OK, this is different from what I was told about my Dell 8250. I've got a 250w PS with a P4 20-pin connector and also a 4-pin connector. It is rated at 200w continuous. Will a standard ATX PSU for P4 be OK (given size equal)? So I don't have to pay for a specially made PSU at PC Power & Cooling?

Pavelow

Dell 8250, i850e 4xAGP 2.4ghzCPU 512mbPC1066RDRAM 120gbATA
GeF4MX420 SBL5.1 SamSung 48xCDRW LiteOn 851S DVDRW
RJ-45 to Compaq 9660 233mhzCPU 104mbFPRAM 12mbVoodoo2 Win95a

 

[Crashman]

20-pin 4-pin is standard. The power supply should be standard size as well. So a standard power supply should work so long as you can mount it. The sticking point here is the power cord socket: Dell's mounting hole has provisions for 1 of the 2 positions, the other position isn't cut out on Dell cases. So a photograph of the power unit you're considering should be good enough confirmation of where the power cord socket is located.

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<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>