Power supply advice

[sehuiroto]

I've visited this website quite often in the past, but this will be my first post, so I hope someone will be able to assist me. I've decided it's finally time to upgrade my video card. The GeForce 9800 GT is what I have decided on. Reviews of the card have stated that it is best to upgrade your power supply before installing it. My PC is now a few years old. It's a Dell Dimension E510 and comes with the standard 305w power supply. A 450w to 500w is what is recommended by people that have purchased this card. PC gaming has never really been at the top of my list, but I do want to be able to play the great games that do happen to come out on PC; games like Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 to name a few, are the reason for this upgrade. What would be the most cost effective PSU to purchase for my needs? Which will work with my current PC? I appreciate any help that I can get. Thanks.

 

[mamw93]

Get the Ultra LS600.

 

[theAnimal]

Get the Ultra LS600.

Do you get paid by Ultra?

Either way stop recommending this POS PSU.

 

[theAnimal]

I've visited this website quite often in the past, but this will be my first post, so I hope someone will be able to assist me. I've decided it's finally time to upgrade my video card. The GeForce 9800 GT is what I have decided on. Reviews of the card have stated that it is best to upgrade your power supply before installing it. My PC is now a few years old. It's a Dell Dimension E510 and comes with the standard 305w power supply. A 450w to 500w is what is recommended by people that have purchased this card. PC gaming has never really been at the top of my list, but I do want to be able to play the great games that do happen to come out on PC; games like Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 to name a few, are the reason for this upgrade. What would be the most cost effective PSU to purchase for my needs? Which will work with my current PC? I appreciate any help that I can get. Thanks.

How many amps does your PSU have on the 12V rail? What resolution is your monitor?

 

[Xenonvector927]

I would first find out the dimensions of the card. There are a lot of threads around on people not being able to fit their 9800gt in their Dell cases.

 

[sehuiroto]

Well, from what I can decipher from the label on the side of the PSU, I believe it's 18a. And I run my monitor at 1680 by 1050. I have a 19" widescreen LCD.

I did take a glance at the specs of the card as well. It supposedly has a length of 8 to 9 inches?! That is huge. Is there a comparable card out there that's a bit smaller? I sometimes read the articles on this websites about the best cards out there around for this time frame, but they all seem to be about 9in as well.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Xenonvector927]

Well, from what I can decipher from the label on the side of the PSU, I believe it's 18a. And I run my monitor at 1680 by 1050. I have a 19" widescreen LCD.

I did take a glance at the specs of the card as well. It supposedly has a length of 8 to 9 inches?! That is huge. Is there a comparable card out there that's a bit smaller? I sometimes read the articles on this websites about the best cards out there around for this time frame, but they all seem to be about 9in as well.

Thanks for the help.

18a isn't enough. I think that 22a is what Nvidia says. Pretty much all high performance cards have a long length. And I think that the 9800gt is dual slot. I'd know - I've been doing a lot of research in the last while because I plan on purchasing it too. And by dual slot, I don't mean that it takes up more than one PCI-E slot, I mean... well, see this: http://www.got2haveit.com.au/images/11m-9800gt-1gboc.jpg it takes up the space in the port next to it. It's hard to explain... You may need to reshuffle your PCI card to make room for it's back vent.

 

[jsc]

9800GT needs about 10 amps. So the nVidia 22 amp estimate is pretty good.

 

[Xenonvector927]

In regards to your question about power supplies, Corsair is probably the best brand for power supplies out there. For your system either a 450W or 550W would suffice, although if (like me) you want to upgrade to i7 someday, a 650W is a good idea for future proofing.