Psu sizes?

[zahn97]

hey! how am I supposed to determine what size the PSU is. like I saw Mini-ATX and ATX do those have much to do with anything?

I am adding some new hardware to my computer, and I need a better pc. I can drop links to show the computer and psu.

 

[kulmnar]

Please drop the links. To determine the size of the PSU, look at the dimensions in the product specifications.

As for standards, most PSUs come in standard ATX sizes however, some powerful ATX PSUs tend to be longer than some ATX PC cases can support. For example, the Corsair 1200AX is 200mm long and is also an ATX standard PSU. Some silverstone cases that claim to support ATX PSUs can only support a PSU that is up to 180mm long, so therefore the 1200ax would not fit even though it should.

Look for a PSU that is a good quality brand, with the right standard (usually ATX for gaming PCs) and with the right dimensions.

 

[zahn97]

Its walmart, and Acer, just bare with me.

PC: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=19714387&findingMethod=rr
PSU: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coolmax-V-500-Series-500W-120mm-ATX-Power-Supply/8245532

And I'm putting a EVGA GTS 450 into it.

 

[ko888]

Its walmart, and Acer, just bare with me.

PC: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=19714387&findingMethod=rr
PSU: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coolmax-V-500-Series-500W-120mm-ATX-Power-Supply/8245532

And I'm putting a EVGA GTS 450 into it.

Does this mean that you already own the Coolmax V-500?

For a system using a single GeForce GTX 450 graphics card NVIDIA specifies a minimum of a 400 Watt or greater power supply that has a combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 22 Amps or greater and that has at least one 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector.

The Coolmax V-500 claims to have a maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 31.7 Amps but it doesn't have any 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors.

Any reputable brand (e.g. Antec, Corsair, Enermax, Seasonic, XFX) 500 Watt power supply has at least one or two 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors.

 

[kulmnar]

Well, coolmax is a bad brand for a psu.

 

[zahn97]

You're saying it will not work?

 

[InvalidError]

You're saying it will not work?

It probably will work, the questions are how well and for how long.

Some cheap PSUs may work well enough to let you boot Windows and run programs but cause crash/reboot/shutdown when you hit a spot in a game where CPU+GPU load spike simultaneously.

Some cheap PSUs may be able to handle the above load fine at least initially but premature aging from cheap design may cause the symptoms to appear after a while, anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Good PSUs will easily last many years.

 

[zahn97]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Corsair-Builder-Series-CX-V2-430W-80-Plus-Certified-Power-Supply/16685885

This would be much better?

 

[InvalidError]

This would be much better?

The CX430V2 is a good budget PSU and it has 80+ certification. It would almost certainly be a substantial improvement over a $25 affair.

 

[ko888]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Corsair-Builder-Series-CX-V2-430W-80-Plus-Certified-Power-Supply/16685885

This would be much better?

Definitely.

The warranty period is three times longer than the Coolmax warranty.

The Corsair Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) has sufficient +12 Volt continuous current rating of 28 Amps and has one (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector.

It also has Active PFC and automatic AC input voltage detection that the Coolmax doesn't have.