Win Power? Good/bad? Root of problem?

[badwolf13]

Ok, so after a nice quick reply to my previous thread, here's another!

Just checkout out my PSU, it's a WinPower brand, Max output 400W
If this is a really cheap PSU, could it be the problem with my GPU? I've got a Inno3D 8600GT 1GB card, can't find out anywhere what the minimum power supply is...

Any help much appreciated.

 

[delluser1]

The card has a rated max power draw of 43 watts.
Nvidia reccomended a 300 watt psu.
Your psu gets a thumbs down for quality.

 

[Henry Chinaski]

Take a look at this.

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=8

It seems that your problem is not the power consumption of your graphic card because is very low and a generic 400w psu must be enough to move it.

 

[badwolf13]

Thanks for both replies

So, it's not the PSU, it's the GPU.

But would you still recommend a change of PSU at some point? (delluser1's comment makes this likely!)

I'm thinking of getting a GT240 for a replacement, and according to henry's (awesome) table, it'll use 125W, with the nvidia site recommending 300W PSU.

I know the maths adds up, but just to get your opinion.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

The general rule of thumb is a high quality 500 to 550 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can easily power a system with any single video card made. A high quality 700 to 750 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the +12 volt rail(s) can power a system with two video cards operating in dual mode. There are a few exceptions like the new ATI Radeon HD 5XXX series cards which use less power due to their energy efficiency.

A high quality 500 to 550 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 40 amps. A high quality 700 to 750 watt psu will have a +12 volt rail rated at 60 amps.

In addition the power supply should be at least 80+ Bronze certified for energy efficiency. There are some models available which have achieved 80+ Silver and 80+ Gold Certifications.

Before purchasing a new psu you will need to decide whether you will eventually have a pc with one or two video cards.

Corsair and Seasonic are two of the brands that have a reputation for high quality power supplies that consistently earn high marks in technical reviews. They are reliable, stable, and come with a 5 year warranty. Some of the newer models come with a 7 year warranty. Lately we've been seeing a few other brands offering some high quality units.

 

[shovenose]

What about antec? Arent they quit good? I used to swear by them!?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

The newer models like the Earthwatts series and the Truepower New are very good. Some of the older series were not that good.