Will my PSU support the new graphics card?

[GeorgeF4783]

My PSU is a Inter-Tech Energon 650W and I don't know wheter it can support my graphics card. I'm planning to buy a Gtx 760 or even 770 with 2GB of RAM, 256-bit, GDDR5.

My PC specs are:

Inter-Tech Energon 650W
Asus P8P67-LE motherboard
Intel I5 2500K 3,3ghz
Corsair XMS3 8GB DDR3, 1333mhz
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Two HDDs: WD Black 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
3 adittional fans, 2 120mm fans and one 80mm fan.
And a Asus DVD reader/writer but I don't know the exact name of it.

My current graphics card is a Asus nVidia EN9500GT 1GB DDR2

Maybe you could recommend me a graphics card, up to 370$ or 250£.

 

[Zooshooter]

It probably can, but I've never heard of that brand before so I'd be really hesitant to put a higher dollar card on that PSU. FWIW, the wattage appears to be fine.

 

[tom19j]

yes the gtx 760 or 770 should be ok.....if u want a full gaming performance i would recommend to upgrade the psu too at that budget....like r9 series or other......

 

[GeorgeF4783]

Why do I need to change the PSU if the wattage is ok? Can it damage my GPU? What could happen to it?

 

[Zooshooter]

Why do I need to change the PSU if the wattage is ok? Can it damage my GPU? What could happen to it?

Not all PSU's are created equal. Some have much more consistent power delivery than others, some of those others fluctuate in how many volts they're delivering by a large enough margin that it could cause problems. Think of an undervolted computer like someone having a stroke. The brain isn't getting enough oxygen so parts of it don't function quite right and might experience power surges or areas just fizzle out. Since the brain actually runs on electricity it's a lot the same. An undervolted computer component might not "burn out" but it can be damaged enough that it stops working.

Here's an excerpt from an article here on Tom's from last year:

After many tests and inspections of budget models (by us, our readers, and friendly computer stores), we would advise you to steer your piggy banks clear of the labels Rasurbo, Inter-Tech (Sinan Power, Coba), Tech Solo, LC Power, RaptoxX, Tronje, Xilence, Ultron, World Link, Q-Tec, etc.

Lack of protection circuits, low efficiency, and bad build quality were major points of criticism. The lowest of the low was a European label called Hardwaremania24, targeted at OEM PCs. While still in standby mode, the PSU heated to about 176 degrees Fahrenheit, spent the next six hours billowing smoke, and finally made what might be described as a trumpeting sound before dying. The host computer was never even turned on. After analyzing the PSU, we found no protection at all save for a single slow fuse.

Taken from: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913.html

 

[Tradesman1]

Your PSU should be fine w/ a 760 though for a 770 I'd want a higher wattage PSU, the 760 needs about a good 500 Watt PSU, this Inter-Tech Energon 650W is rated up to 650W at PEAK, it only runs 550 on the 12 volt rail(s), for a 770 I normally recommend at least 600 watts

 

[GeorgeF4783]

Can you also specify some good PSUs that would work without any kind of trouble? The price tag being somewhere between 70-100$ (can slightly go beyond that limit).

By the way, my case is a Thermaltake V3 Black Edition.