I think my computer crashes because of power supply

[SteveSmith1980]

I noticed that my computer often crashes and refuses to power on a few minutes afterwards. My CPU temperatures are very low, because I have a good heatsink. So I started to think the power supply is the problem.

I noticed that my computer no longer crashed when I removed the side panels.

So I decided to make the following test : (Do not try this at home!). I blocked the power supply fan in the back of the computer with sheets of paper. I used tape so it could not move. Result : my computer crashed in less than 5 minutes with side panels removed! And this is the same type of crash I had before.

Conclusion : I think my computer crashes because of my power supply is overheating. I need a new one. I would like one that is good at dissipating heat especially. I am running a Pentium 4. So basically I need a quality power supply that won't overheat. Is it a bad thing to use high wattage if you are not using most of it? Are there things I should check for better computer stability? Thanks.

 

[SteveSmith1980]

By the way, my current power supply is a cheap one : a MIOS 450 watt. Model number : KY-450ATX. I paid 25$ for it brand new.

 

[GhislainG]

Buy a high efficiency PSU and it won't get very warm. If your system requires a 380W PSU, it doesn't really make sense (for efficiency at normal loads) to buy an 800W PSU. You could read http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3487 for more info.