Is my PSU adequate?

[rocks911]

I own an HP desktop, specifically the HPE-519C.

Mostly I use the PC as a server for my home. The CPU is an AMD Phenom IIx6 1065Tprocessor@2900 MHz
with 3 internal HDD's all at 7200 RPM and its close quarters in the case so they get warm. I dont run games and I dont watch much in the way of videos on my PC so my video card has light duty. I have a couple of TV's that are networked into my PC through a CAT6a ethernet cable. Pretty light duty stuff, but I was thinking about adding another HDD and I started to wonder if my Bestec model ATX0300D5WC - 300 watt PSU will be enough.

Also I have an external Blu Ray plugged in that I never use. and the original compliment of internal fans.

I'm not at all familiar with power supplies, mostly because I've never had an elaborate PC so what came with the PC has always proven to be reliable. But now I wonder....Is this a sufficient power supply for the way I use the PC?

 

[Raiddinn]

Hard drives don't use a lot of power. You should be fine. If it worked without any problems before just adding one hard drive should be no problem.

 

[$hawn]

I own an HP desktop, specifically the HPE-519C.

Mostly I use the PC as a server for my home. The CPU is an AMD Phenom IIx6 1065Tprocessor@2900 MHz
with 3 internal HDD's all at 7200 RPM and its close quarters in the case so they get warm. I dont run games and I dont watch much in the way of videos on my PC so my video card has light duty. I have a couple of TV's that are networked into my PC through a CAT6a ethernet cable. Pretty light duty stuff, but I was thinking about adding another HDD and I started to wonder if my Bestec model ATX0300D5WC - 300 watt PSU will be enough.

Also I have an external Blu Ray plugged in that I never use. and the original compliment of internal fans.

I'm not at all familiar with power supplies, mostly because I've never had an elaborate PC so what came with the PC has always proven to be reliable. But now I wonder....Is this a sufficient power supply for the way I use the PC?

Thing is most PSU's aren't even 80% efficient....so a 300W PSU is actually able to provide only say 240Watts.
When your CPU itself can draw upto 125W at full load, that leaves little spare power to use.

Although HDD's don't consume much power, maybe 10W at the max, its always better to have a higher rated power supply, atleast a 450W one in your case, so that the PSU doesn't have to strain near its full capacity

 

[Raiddinn]

Thing is most PSU's aren't even 80% efficient....so a 300W PSU is actually able to provide only say 240Watts.
When your CPU itself can draw upto 125W at full load, that leaves little spare power to use.

Although HDD's don't consume much power, maybe 10W at the max, its always better to have a higher rated power supply, atleast a 450W one in your case, so that the PSU doesn't have to strain near its full capacity

Your understanding of efficiency is wrong.

If a 300w PSU sucks and it can only deliver 240w then it should really be labeled a 240w PSU.

That has nothing to do with efficiency.

A 300w that is labelled correctly will be able to do 300w regardless of what its efficiency is.

A 70% efficient 300w would pull 300w / 0.7 = 428.5w from the wall to give 300w to the components.

An 80% efficient 300w would pull 300w / 0.8 = 375w from the wall to give 300w to the components.

A 90% efficient 300w would pull 300w / 0.9 = 333.3w from the wall to give 300w to the components.

The excess in each of those figures (128.5w, 75w, and 33.3w, respectively) would be turned into heat inside the PSU which would put strain on the PSUs internal components, essentially making it die faster.

 

[$hawn]

Thanx for clearing that up for me mate