MSI N430GT Graphic card on 240w power supply HELP!

[barron14]

Hi,
during the week I was looking up on the internet the best low profile graphic card that would play battlefield 3 on a 240w power supply. I was recommended that a radeon 5450 or a Geforce 430GT would be the best for the 240w power supply. So during the week I decide to purchase the 430GT and today it arrived in the post. I noticed when I opened it up that it did not say 430GT instead it said N430GT. That was the only type of 430GT that the website was selling and I do not want to send it back. I knew something was different when it had the the (N) infront of the 430Gt on the box so I began looking up on the internet about the N430GT and I noticed that it was slightly better than the 430GT

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/MSI-N430GT-MD1GD3-OC-LP-Video-Card-Review/1144

Then I looked up on google about the card running on a 240w power supply and one person had run it the N430GT on a 240w power supply and he said that his sound card on his computer was disabled due to the N430GT graphic card using too much power on the computer. You need a minimum of 300w power supply to run the N430GT.

So now I am thinking about getting a new power supply (something I was not planning on doing) and I dont know a think about them.

My PC Specs are :
HP Compaq dc5800 Small Form Factor PC
Intel Core 2 Duo 3.00 GHz
240w PSU
4gb DDR2 800mhz
500 GB sata hardrive
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit

I dont know the different types of power supply's as I have never bought one before and I am just looking for a cheap enough one to run the graphic card. I need a minimum of 300w. I have a small form factor pc (slim) and I need help in buying the right one. Can anyone help ???????????

 

[AM2A]

Is there a size restriction on the power supply (physical dimensions)? Given that it's a small form factor I'm guessing there is. If you don't know what form factor you need, you can just measure the current one and provide the details.

 

[13thmonkey]

actually cards needs amps not watts, so find out how many 12V amps your card needs and compared that to what your power supply can provide, all PSU's are different in this respect, hence some 350W's might struggle where a 250W copes.

 

[popatim]

n430gt is just msi's model number. It still just a 430gt and will use about 60w under full load. You will be pushing a 230w supply but it should handle the load. I have an 5670 radeon running on my grandsons Compaq with probably the same 230W supply you have. I do have a Seasonic sitting here for when it dies but its been at least 6 months now and still running fine. I say go for it.

 

[barron14]

actually cards needs amps not watts, so find out how many 12V amps your card needs and compared that to what your power supply can provide, all PSU's are different in this respect, hence some 350W's might struggle where a 250W copes.

It says on my power supply +12v = 7.5a , and it says on the graphic card box minimum 300w or greater ( with a minimum 12v current rating of 22a ) Would it still work do you know ?

 

[barron14]

n430gt is just msi's model number. It still just a 430gt and will use about 60w under full load. You will be pushing a 230w supply but it should handle the load. I have an 5670 radeon running on my grandsons Compaq with probably the same 230W supply you have. I do have a Seasonic sitting here for when it dies but its been at least 6 months now and still running fine. I say go for it.

So would you say it will work ? I actually got it for christmas and I have been looking up power supplys for my hp dc5800 small form factor and Hp only make one power supply for that computer and its the only one that will actually fit in it as it as a weird shaped power supply ( The part where the plug goes in is slightly away from the fan to the right of it ) shown here http://www.pc-macedonia.com/product_images/d/404796_001__29155.jpg

I just want to make sure that it does not blow the power supply as Hp charge over 100 dollars for a new one which is still a rubbish 240w

 

[mildgamer001]

honestly i would say just to be safe get a slightly better power supply, i guess people have experience with them working, but, you really want to risk it? you could end up frying something or just not working at all. you woul dbe better off buying a 70 dollar 300 or 400W just to be safe, as barron said, hp will way overcharge you if it fries.

 

[davcon]

SeaSonic SS-300TFX Bronze 300W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-151-090&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=3
Really don't see why your present psu wouldn't run a 50W gpu though.

 

[popatim]

the 430gt runs off of pcie bus power, it doesnt use external power, so the max it can draw is like 5.5 amps from the 12v supply. The 300w recommendation is just to cover crappy psu's that can't meet their load.

 

[barron14]

honestly i would say just to be safe get a slightly better power supply, i guess people have experience with them working, but, you really want to risk it? you could end up frying something or just not working at all. you woul dbe better off buying a 70 dollar 300 or 400W just to be safe, as barron said, hp will way overcharge you if it fries.

But the only bad thing about my computer , there is only one type of power supply for that computer and Hp only make it and its the same 240w power supply

 

[barron14]

SeaSonic SS-300TFX Bronze 300W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-151-090&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=3
Really don't see why your present psu wouldn't run a 50W gpu though.

But the only bad thing about my computer , there is only one type of power supply for that computer and Hp only make it and its the same 240w power supply. I have showed a link already in one of my posts on this topic showing what the power supply looks like

 

[AM2A]

Yeah it's a very odd shape, oems will get crazy with the design in small cases. You might just have to go with a mATX PSU and get a little creative with how you mount it. Think "Mcgyver".

 

[davcon]

You're at the point where transferring your components to new case and psu might be the best option.
It's doable for under $100.

 

[mildgamer001]

@AM2A or think "power drill"

if it has somewhat the right dementions, but just not the right screw holes, power drills will do the trick nicely, just make sure you clean out the shavings before turning the computer on, just to be safe, dont want metal shavings flying through your new PSU fan and frying the internal components or some wierd crap like that.

 

[ltMason1]

i also have a dc5800

I am very curious to know if your 430GT card works and is fine?

 

[mildgamer001]

i have a compaq evo with pentium 4 1.9ghz, 1.5gb ddr2, windows xp pro 32 bit. if i could find a decent pci video card (no pci-e slots) and some thermal compound i would upgrade it but.. never thought of the PSU in it but i think its a 300W, not totaly sure though. but i bought the thing for like 25 bucks and (stupid me) spent 40$ on a 1gb RAM upgrade (had to take out one 1/4 gb stick) but it didnt help, sometimes just getting a totaly new computer is the best choice.