Should i buy a larger power supply?

[wookiewarrior07]

So i have a gtx 470 and amd phenom II x4 965 be and 6gb ddr3 ram... i want to use the cpu but im not sure a 500w will support that.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

If it's a decent 500w it will be plenty.

 

[atomicWAR]

Your build is very low power. 500w PSU is plenty. Did you already have a PSU or one in mind?

 

[Rookie_MIB]

Well, it's not a -super- low power build. The GTX 470 is a pretty power hungry card overall at about 220w draw. The Phenom 965 is also a 100w CPU. Add in some overhead and you could be around 400w draw if everything is full tilt. If you have a -good- 500w PSU, you'll be ok, even though the PSU will be on the downslope of your average efficiency curve.

If you have a no-name PSU, I wouldn't hold my breath that it would last a long and healthy life. If you have a no-name PSU, I'd start looking into getting a good brand PSU, and up the power to a 600w supply so you're in the sweet spot of the power efficiency curve.

 

[arossetti]

A good 500 PSU is more than enough. If you are really hesitant, use a PSU estimator for total wattage used. A really common mistake is using a PSU that is too large for your needs. The idea is to get a PSU that will run at it's optimal level most often. That saves power, generates less heat, and is more efficient. If you are using a large PSU for a small demand, the PSU never has a chance to get to its optimal range.

 

[wookiewarrior07]

If it's a decent 500w it will be plenty.

I believe its a 500w cooler master psu but not sure which one.

 

[atomicWAR]

If it's a Cool Master PSU there is a decent chance it is not a very good PSU depending on the model. I would check the model of your PSU especially if it is older. It may not be worth putting it in your build and endangering your components. Some Cool Master PSUs are excellent, some are decent but the rest leave much to be desired. So I would make sure what you do have is worth using. you can always check your model against the PSU tier list. If it is a tier 1 or a tier 2 your fine even a tier 3 can be ok. If it is 4 or lower I would reconsider using it at all.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/631048-psu-tier-list-updated/

 

[wookiewarrior07]

If it's a decent 500w it will be plenty.

Instead of the phenom II x4 965 i decided to get an athlon x4 760k because it fit my mother board is that any better?

 

[Rookie_MIB]

Ummm... those two are NOT compatible. The Phenom II x4 965 is an AM3/3+ socket. The Athlon x4 760k is a FM2 socket.

 

[wookiewarrior07]

Ummm... those two are NOT compatible. The Phenom II x4 965 is an AM3/3+ socket. The Athlon x4 760k is a FM2 socket.

I have both motherboards 😀

 

[Rookie_MIB]

Ummm... those two are NOT compatible. The Phenom II x4 965 is an AM3/3+ socket. The Athlon x4 760k is a FM2 socket.

I have both motherboards 😀

Oh, well you didn't mention THAT! I was just trying to save you from a $130.00 mistake. 😉