Question Underpowered Core i5 Machines?

[startropic1]

I am lead tech for a local tech-based non-profit. We recently received a donation of 8 prebuilt Core i5 business PCs (mini desktop towers), which we are refurbishing and repurposing for community projects. To my surprise, the first machine I checked had a 240W power supply. I have never seen a Core i5 PC with such a low wattage PSU. I would expect at least 500W! Granted, these are integrated graphics/APUs and not using any beefy GeForce cards, but still is 240W enough for a Core i5 PC? One machine does have a 255W PSU, but to my horror, I found one with a measly 180W PSU! We are also planning to add WiFi adapters to all the PCs, which I realize aren't exactly power hungry, but these machines seem rather underpowered.

All the PCs are Core i5 (quad core), originally built for Windows 7, but have all been upgraded to Window 10. They all have 500GB SATA drives and DVD burners, (some are even Dual Layer.)

Here are a few models for reference (All the PCs are basically 1 of these 3 types):
Lenovo ThinkCentre M92P
HP Compaq Pro 6305
Dell Optiplex 3040 (This one has the paltry 180W PSU)

Any second opinions are appreciated!

 

[Order 66]

It would help to know exactly which i5 quad core cpus you are referring to because they have a wide range in terms of power consumption. For example the i5 7600k (I know that these machines probably don't have overclockable CPUs, but I am trying to make a point.) has a TDP of 91W.

 

[Crazyy8]

OEM PC makers shave off cost by using PSUs that barely meet the power needed in systems. As long as you don't put any GPU or and high power stuff in the systems, they are fine for use.(No overclocking, no GPU, no better CPUs, no older CPUs, no RGB, no AIOs, etc.)

 

[DSzymborski]

Pretty much all prebuilts using i5s, especially ones that aren't of the last few generations, will have PSUs around this size if there's no GPU. For most of Intel's history, their i5s have been sub-100W CPUs, usually by a significant margin, and there's no reason for an office machine to have a 500W PSU with one of those.

 

[startropic1]

It would help to know exactly which i5 quad core cpus you are referring to because they have a wide range in terms of power consumption. For example the i5 7600k (I know that these machines probably don't have overclockable CPUs, but I am trying to make a point.) has a TDP of 91W.

Looks like a range of i5-3470, i5-3550, and i5-3570, probably APUs.

OEM PC makers shave off cost by using PSUs that barely meet the power needed in systems. As long as you don't put any GPU or and high power stuff in the systems, they are fine for use.(No overclocking, no GPU, no better CPUs, no older CPUs, no RGB, no AIOs, etc.)

Not crazy, but would the dual layer DVD burners be pushing it? They do seem a little excessive for business machines. We'll also be adding WiFi adapters, but those aren't really power demanding.

 

[Crazyy8]

Looks like a range of i5-3470, i5-3550, and i5-3570, probably APUs.

Not crazy, but would the dual layer DVD burners be pushing it? They do seem a little excessive for business machines. We'll also be adding WiFi adapters, but those aren't really power demanding.

Not really, but if you want security you can get cheap 600-650 watt PSUs on amazon or Newegg for 70-80 USD. 600-650 watts is unnecessary for the machines, but if you are worried, that's your best option. The PSUs may also be old, and you may want to replace them if you want to.

 

[Order 66]

Not really, but if you want security you can get cheap 600-650 watt PSUs on amazon or Newegg for 70-80 USD. 600-650 watts is unnecessary for the machines, but if you are worried, that's your best option. The PSUs may also be old, and you may want to replace them if you want to.

That may not work considering a lot of these prebuilts have non-standard PSU.

 

[Crazyy8]

That may not work considering a lot of these prebuilts have non-standard PSU.

The HP one is OEM, and thus cannot be upgraded. The Lenovo can be upgraded with a better external PSU. The HP one uses SFF(I think) and thus can be upgraded with any standard SFF PSU.

 

[startropic1]

That may not work considering a lot of these prebuilts have non-standard PSU.

A couple of them, (both Optiplex), definitely have proprietary (elongated) PSUs. The rest are just regular micro-ATX PSUs. (I happened to notice that one was a LITEON PSU.)

Based on the feedback here, I figure 300W PSUs would be sufficient. Either way I'm going to first have CPU temperature tests done on all of them, (and verify all fans spinning properly), to be safe.

 

[DSzymborski]

Looks like a range of i5-3470, i5-3550, and i5-3570, probably APUs.

Not crazy, but would the dual layer DVD burners be pushing it? They do seem a little excessive for business machines. We'll also be adding WiFi adapters, but those aren't really power demanding.

DVD burners are fine. It's likely that the PC is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100W at load right now.

Now, there are edge cases, but the real power consumers are CPUs and GPUs. And with a sub-100W CPU and no GPU, pretty much anything can handle that load. And this is coming from someone who is quite the PSU snob; if I even suspect a PSU problem, I will retire it from an important rig and only re-use it after I run it through load tester and oscilloscope.

 

[jayjr1105]

OEM PSU's are better than they used to be and 200w is plenty for an office machine with a single i5, no GPU other than iGPU, Some RAM and a SSD or HDD. It will idle at 25w and under a heavy office load like 90w tops.

 

[stonecarver]

Dell Optiplex 3040 (This one has the paltry 180W PSU)

I knew it would be the Dell with the lowest Power supply at 180w. Throw a Vintage 7800 GT on there and that power supply just shuts off computer.

 

[USAFRet]

Any second opinions are appreciated!

They work as is....
Leave them as they are.