PSU upgrade for HP s3500f slimline

jrhilsch

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Mar 16, 2009
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My brother bought one of these comps, and not wants to play a few games with me online (l4d2 and borderlands). I bought him a new asus 4650 low profile so he wouldn't have to play with onboard gfx any more. After I bought him the card, he then checked his psu. I don't live with him, he happily didn't let me know that he has 1U form factor 160w psu. The 4650 calls for a 400w psu, although I could probably get away with a smaller one being that everything is his tower has low power requirements.

I looked into finding a new 1U psu, but they are stupid expensive and highest I could find was 250w. He's getting kind of desperate at this point. My idea for him is to buy a normal atx psu, and take out the 1U psu that he has installed now. I realize that it won't fit in the case, but is there an issue with having an external psu? He has little to no money (college student) to even buy a new case and pull the guts out of his current tower and install in a new one.

Besides being ugly as sin, are there any issues with having an external psu? Also, will any atx psu be compatible being that it's an hp?

I hate upgrading a comp like this, but like I said, he is kind of desperate to play.
 

jrhilsch

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Mar 16, 2009
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I'm not sure a mini-ATX will fit. I haven't seen one in person, but 1U form factor is a server sized psu. It's VERY skinny and long. If a mini-ATX will fit, that would be great, and I could begin shopping for those?

Any experiences with 1U and mini-ATX form factor PSUs?