Question Rx580 and PSU?

GalFed9339

Prominent
Dec 31, 2020
7
0
510
Hi there, forgive me if this question has been asked before, I searched and found lots of similar threads and pertinent info, and that's moved me along in my search a bit, but at this point I'd like to ask advice directly. Forgive me as well if my questions are obvious, I'm new to most of this.

So, last year I bought one of those prefab cheapo gaming PCs everyone tells you not to buy if you can afford better, because I couldn't afford better, and anyway for me it was still a huge upgrade. That would probably be my first mistake. Then, just lately I decided I wanted to upgrade my graphics, so I bought an XFX Radeon Rx580, 8GB. It asks for a 500W PSU, mine is 600W, and I thought nothing more of the requirements than that. That was my second mistake, then. Once the card arrived I found myself with a power adapter I didn't understand--the card has an 8-pin PCIe, and the adapter makes it into two 6-pin PCIes. This is when I discovered that my computer has a 4-pin cord, and for awhile I putzed around looking for an adapter for that combination, but then read somewhere that, if my computer has a 4-pin, it's probably because my PSU is inadequate for the card, even though it's 600W, apparently because cheap PSUs are made with less-than-ideal components, and that's likely what mine is. Does all this check out so far?

Now what I want to know is, is that assessment right? Do I need a better PSU? If so, the next question is, what's recommended for the Rx580? But also, is there anything other than the PSU that might prevent me from using this card?

Essentially, I don't mind upgrading my PSU if it means my machine will be substantially improved, and if that's all I need to use this graphics card. But if it's going to be much more of an investment than that, I don't know if I can justify the expense, and I may just have to return the card and hobble along on my old one (Rx240--it does the job, but I was glad at the prospect of an upgrade). I can't imagine what else I'd need beyond the PSU, but then I didn't imagine I'd need a new PSU either.

So, have I got this all wrong, or is that about what's going on? Half of why I'm asking is just for confirmation--I'm doing all the reading I can but much of this is new to me, so I don't have much confidence in my conclusions. I also don't want to buy a new PSU if I don't need to, or if I'll need to buy much else besides that. I'm also curious if my choice in graphics card was a decent one for my system, PSU snafu aside.

Thanks to anyone who can help me out.

Because I don't know what might be relevant, full specs of my machine are below:

Cyberpower PC Model GMA8840CPG
Quad-core Ryzen 3 2300 x 3.5/GHz
8GB RAM, 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD (plus an external 2TB SSD)

and just for reference, the card that came with the computer was a Radeon R7 240 2GB.

Any and all, thanks again.
 
Hi there, forgive me if this question has been asked before, I searched and found lots of similar threads and pertinent info, and that's moved me along in my search a bit, but at this point I'd like to ask advice directly. Forgive me as well if my questions are obvious, I'm new to most of this.

So, last year I bought one of those prefab cheapo gaming PCs everyone tells you not to buy if you can afford better, because I couldn't afford better, and anyway for me it was still a huge upgrade. That would probably be my first mistake. Then, just lately I decided I wanted to upgrade my graphics, so I bought an XFX Radeon Rx580, 8GB. It asks for a 500W PSU, mine is 600W, and I thought nothing more of the requirements than that. That was my second mistake, then. Once the card arrived I found myself with a power adapter I didn't understand--the card has an 8-pin PCIe, and the adapter makes it into two 6-pin PCIes. This is when I discovered that my computer has a 4-pin cord, and for awhile I putzed around looking for an adapter for that combination, but then read somewhere that, if my computer has a 4-pin, it's probably because my PSU is inadequate for the card, even though it's 600W, apparently because cheap PSUs are made with less-than-ideal components, and that's likely what mine is. Does all this check out so far?

Now what I want to know is, is that assessment right? Do I need a better PSU? If so, the next question is, what's recommended for the Rx580? But also, is there anything other than the PSU that might prevent me from using this card?

Essentially, I don't mind upgrading my PSU if it means my machine will be substantially improved, and if that's all I need to use this graphics card. But if it's going to be much more of an investment than that, I don't know if I can justify the expense, and I may just have to return the card and hobble along on my old one (Rx240--it does the job, but I was glad at the prospect of an upgrade). I can't imagine what else I'd need beyond the PSU, but then I didn't imagine I'd need a new PSU either.

So, have I got this all wrong, or is that about what's going on? Half of why I'm asking is just for confirmation--I'm doing all the reading I can but much of this is new to me, so I don't have much confidence in my conclusions. I also don't want to buy a new PSU if I don't need to, or if I'll need to buy much else besides that. I'm also curious if my choice in graphics card was a decent one for my system, PSU snafu aside.

Thanks to anyone who can help me out.

Because I don't know what might be relevant, full specs of my machine are below:

Cyberpower PC Model GMA8840CPG
Quad-core Ryzen 3 2300 x 3.5/GHz
8GB RAM, 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD (plus an external 2TB SSD)

and just for reference, the card that came with the computer was a Radeon R7 240 2GB.

Any and all, thanks again.
A 600 watt PSU doesn't tell much. Look at the label on the power supply and get the brand and model number. We need to know exactly what you have.
 

GalFed9339

Prominent
Dec 31, 2020
7
0
510
Thanks--It's a Thermaltake Smart 600W, I can't see any more identifying text without digging it out of the case (it's under a bit of internal casing), but from googling I believe this is the model number: PS-SPD-0600NPCW-W. Let me know if that's not enough information and I'll see about removing the internal casing.

Full product name from the site: Smart SPD-0600P – 600W 80 PLUS® Standard Certified APFC PSU
 
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