Which power supply?

[compcomp]

Hi! Heres the deal. I first asked my question in yahoo answers and got really good answers to my question, but the power supply they suggested I buy was a bit too expensive for me. So I was wondering will this power supply from Amazon work for me? My hard drive and dvd drive are sata, and graphics card is pci express16. Presario CQ5210F. Thank you for any help.

---Link to all original info---
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnmqCG07Q8uP74qwwIEGyyPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091204212823AATfpxO

---Link to Power Supply I want to buy---

http://www.amazon.com/Diablotek-400-Watt-Power-Supply-PSDA400/dp/tech-data/B0009MIP8I/ref=de_a_smtd

 

[rodney_ws]

I personally wouldn't trust a $19.99 power supply to run my system. Here's the thing...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822011&cm_re=diablotek-_-17-822-011-_-Product

If those specs on NewEgg are correct (I'm assuming they are) ... then you'll need a GPU that's happy running on 12 amps. At no point have you told anyone what graphics card you intend to use. Also, some HPs do not use standard ATX PSUs... make sure yours does before you buy ANYTHING.

 

[hunter315]

This is the lowest that i would go with a power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008
With no mention of the 12V amperage it is safe to assume that it is an older design and is likely an utter POS for a modern system. You never want to skimp on a PSU, a good PSU will cost you more now, but you will also be able to keep it for many years, a cheap PSU will cost you more in a few months, and you wont even be able to use your system when you are done.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

WHOA! Wait just a darn minute. There is a major problem here.

compcomp - I followed your links. There is quite a bit of missing information. I understand that you want to upgrade the power supply. What's missing is why. The only thing I saw in the link is that you say your video card needs a 300 watt power supply and nothing more. A little more explanation is in order. Are you installing a better video card? Whether you are or aren't, we need to know the brand and model of the video card in order to make a valid recommendation.

In the meantime......

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.

Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, and Seasonic are some 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. An example would be the Antec Earthwatts series which is a major improvement over Antec’s older psu’s like the Basiq models.

 

[TheDraac]

You could try this.....

http://www.antec.outervision.com/

 

[Onus]

Oh hell no. That $20 PSU-shaped-object is not for use in PCs, maybe just for a few light bulbs.
JohnnyLucky basically has it. I'd add most of the rest of the Antecs (even the 500W Basiq got an excelent competent technical review over at HardwareSecrets.com), and current/recent Enermax to the list of good brands.
If you're adding a HD4650, 4670, or 4770 to your system, either the PSU hunter linked or an Earthwatts 380D (same price, but doesn't include a power cord, which you should already have) would be suitable replacements.

 

[compcomp]

Hi, thanks for helping, I'm adding an ATI Radeon HD 2400 Pro graphics card. The current computer only has 250 Watts and the card says to use 300w or higher.

I do not understand how to figure out the 12volt amperage, you mentioned?

And one of you said "some HPs do not use standard ATX PSUs...", how do I find out that information? I am now more fearful of replacing this power supply.

Thank you

 

[sonic-boom]

THe point is not how much watts it uses, its that that PSU is only good for fireworks as said above. Your first sign should be the arrow pointing to the cord that reads "power cable".

The 12v rail amp is listed on the sticker on the psu, which on this one is 12 amps.

 

[jsc]

---Link to Power Supply I want to buy---

http://www.amazon.com/Diablotek-400-Watt-Power-Supply-PSDA400/dp/tech-data/B0009MIP8I/ref=de_a_smtd

Junk.

hunter's recommendation is a good one. The Corsair 400 is one of the best under 500 watt PSU's around.

 

[compcomp]

Thank You, all, for your help.

 

[obsidian86]

ocz 400 watts also not too bad or antec ea380