Do I have enough power for this build?

[Learjet]

Here is the original build.

CASE CM|RC-912-KKN1
MB ASROCK| 870 EXTREME3
VGA SAPPHIRE| ATI HD6870
PSU CM|RS-700-AMBA-D3 700W
CPU AMD|PH II X4 965 3.4G AM3
MEM2Gx2|GSK F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ
HD 1T|SAMSUNG HD103SJ
DVD BURNER LITE-ON


I just built it and the PSU died after boot. It smelled like a fuse blew or something.

I pulled the 550W Corsair out of my old system. Is that enough to power this build?

If I did not have enough power, what would be the symptoms; how would I know?

 

[arges86]

http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html

i use this PSU calculator for everything

i think your 500 PSU should be enough
never use the PSU that came w/ the case. I think the power supply is the most under appreciated piece of a good PC.

 

[Learjet]

http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html

i use this PSU calculator for everything

i think your 500 PSU should be enough
never use the PSU that came w/ the case. I think the power supply is the most under appreciated piece of a good PC.

And the symptoms?

 

[wortwortwort]

Corsair is usually pretty good for power supplies. It should be enough to power that.

 

[eloric]

Probably. Capacitors age - how old is your Corsair, and how much was it used? I used this PSU calculator and came up with 388 Watts.

Here are my assumptions: no overclocking, 6870 has same power draw as 5870, the old power supply is about two and a half years old (25% loss).

If the power supply is inadequate, the system will not start, or be unstable when under stress (BSOD or spontaneous reboots)

 

[Learjet]

Probably. Capacitors age - how old is your Corsair, and how much was it used? I used this PSU calculator and came up with 388 Watts.

Here are my assumptions: no overclocking, 6870 has same power draw as 5870, the old power supply is about two and a half years old (25% loss).

If the power supply is inadequate, the system will not start, or be unstable when under stress (BSOD or spontaneous reboots)

The system has started and hasnt given my problems with 3D applications (StarCraft2). Is it safe to say that this is enough power?

The unit is 3 years old but has not had much use over the past year.

I just want to know what to look for if there are signs that I am not fully powered.

Will the system not perform as well? or are the systems more "all or nothing?" In other words - will I see hindered performance or just BSOD/reboots?

More directly,
could I get an increase in performance with more power?


note: I do plan to RMA the 700W Cool Master power supply.

 

[eloric]

Even a 3 year old supply should do just fine. Don't worry unless you see problems. No extra performance from a bigger power supply, just extra capacity. You might see marginally better efficiency with a newer system, but nothing you should notice unless you measure it soemehow.

The signs are simple: your machine will stop working, either momentarily (bsod), intermittently (reboot) or completely (it will go dark)

Corsair makes good products, so if you are on the edge, you will probably not have great fluctuations or cause harm if it gives out.

 

[Learjet]

Best answer selected by learjet.

 

[Learjet]

Even a 3 year old supply should do just fine. Don't worry unless you see problems. No extra performance from a bigger power supply, just extra capacity. You might see marginally better efficiency with a newer system, but nothing you should notice unless you measure it soemehow.

The signs are simple: your machine will stop working, either momentarily (bsod), intermittently (reboot) or completely (it will go dark)

Corsair makes good products, so if you are on the edge, you will probably not have great fluctuations or cause harm if it gives out.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I appreciate your time. Thanks