upgrading-will my 400watt generic PSU be enough?

[Giraffe]

Hi

here are my current specs

Athlon64 3000+ s754
2*512MB DDR400 Generic
160GB WD 8M IDE
OC'd 256MB 9600pro
Gigabyte K8VT800
400watt Generic PSU
1xCDRW
1xDVD-ROM

extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp shows me 235watt for my current system and with 299watts with the 7900gs. but im not sure how accurate this site is and i know the PSU will have some loss in power.

I plan on upgrading to the Foxconn NF4K8AB-RS MB and a 7900gs. will my current psu be enough?

thx

 

[mrmez]

From what i hear PSU requirements are often heavily overstated.
Id say 400W is plenty. Especially since those amd's are fairly good with power, and ure not running sli or 20 HDDs

I run way more junk + OC heaps, any my sys says it needs 400W

 

[Giraffe]

i dont know much about PSU's and only sort of get the PSU101 guide.

i dont know how many amps or watts or rails or anything my PSU has though.

 

[Giraffe]

ok ill check for a sticker soon.

do u think this is a good enough PSU:
Thermaltake 430watt
or
Coolermaster 430watt extreme
or Shaw 550watt.

I dont really want to have to spend more to get an antec or similar expensie brand

 

[Giraffe]

i cant find those PSU's here were i live(Aus).

what about this. a bit more than id like to spend(over double the TT's 39$)
its only 380 but i think that should be enough for me if it has the right amps and stuf. its an Antec TruePower II-380 Watt PSU. 89$ AUD
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=93_74&products_id=18108

or perhaps
SilverStone ST405 400 Watt Power Supply (70$)

 

[Giraffe]

ok thx

is the antec much better than the Silverstone ST405? is it worth the extra 20$?
so 380watt will be enough for my system thats in my signature excelt with a 7900GS as the GPU. i will probably OC the GPU aswell.

also is the Antec a 24pin power plug type?

 

[Giraffe]

ok then i guess i will have to open up my wallet and buy the antec.

I have never seen a FPS or Enermax here in AUS so i assume they arent sold here. Very few Seasonics aswell.

Most common is Antec or ThermalTake 600watt+ PSu's here.

thx for all your help mate

 

[Giraffe]

Ok 1 more question.

what is better for me.
The antec mentened above(380watt True power 2)
or
Antec 400watt Smart power 2

the SP is 4$ cheaper BTW

 

[Doughbuy]

Silverstone Zeus series has proven to be a stable reliable PSU, don't hate on Silverstone... not sure how their budget line is though... but I would trust Silverstone in my computer.

True Power is a better series, I would go with that, but tell me, would you upgrade to DX10 cards in the future? Or keep what you have now... your not leaving much headroom for additional upgrades...

 

[Giraffe]

True Power is a better series, I would go with that, but tell me, would you upgrade to DX10 cards in the future? Or keep what you have now... your not leaving much headroom for additional upgrades...

I probably wont upgrade this systrwm any more after this GPU upgrade. perhaps only another GB of ram down the track.

i will keep this until i can get a whole new system. probably 6-12months at least

 

[Rugger]

If you're strapped for cash, then try out your current PSU. Monitor and log voltages while stressing the system graphically. If the PSU doesn't spike up/down and can remain within +-5% of the rated volts on all the rails, then use it. If not, then upgrade the PSU.

If you can spend the extra cash, then go ahead and upgrade. You might want to consider one of the Antec NeoHE. I'm running a X2 3800+, (2) Samsung Spinpoint HDDs, DVDRW, 2GB RAM, X1800XT, FDD, and Audigy 2 ZS. Both the GPU and the CPU are OCed by about 10%. Never had the first stability issue, even when adding 1-2 external HDDs.

 

[Giraffe]

But if i try my old generic PSU and it isnt enough isnt there a good chance of it blowing up or damaging other parts?

 

[Rugger]

Most likely is that it simply won't boot. Make sure that your current PSU has all of the power connections that you need for your new equipment.

If you are not comfortable running the old PSU, then you can upgrade the PSU. Sometimes peace of mind is worth a few dollars. Me - i'm a frugal bastage and don't like to spend money without a real reason.

 

[Giraffe]

My current PSU doesnt have the connecter for GPU's.
it also only has a 20pin MB connecter. my new MB im getting strongly recommends a 24pin. not sure how important that is but thas another reason to upgrade.

also if the NeoHE are better quality than the TP2 series then i could possibly get 1 of them
but only a 380watt.

so what is better for me - 430watt True Power 2 or 380watt NeoHE?

also is a silverstone a good brand? i think it is?
i can get the SilverStone ST405 400w PSU

 

[Giraffe]

so Neo is better but will the 380watt be enough? or am i better with the 430TP. i cant afford more than the 380watt NeoHE

 

[Rugger]

I'd get the NeoHE 380W.