Need PSU Advice

[istari675]

I got an hp a while back and I have decided to upgrade the graphics card on it. It came with a Radeon HD 7450 and I am upgrading to a GeForce GTS 450. When I purchased the card I didn't see a PSU requirement so with my lack of hardware experience I assumed that my semi new computer would be able to handle it. Now that I received it I read that it requires 400W and my PSU only got 300W. I would like to know my options for this problem. Will using the card anyway be a threat to my computer? If so could I possibly just underclock the card to reduce its energy consumption. I cant be buying a $150 power supply so that's out. I am 99% sure this is my power supply

http://www.circotech.com/hp-replacement-power-supply-model-number-fh-xd301myr-part-number-633189-001.html

My CPU is an AMD FX-6100 Six-Core Processor

I tried using a PSU calculator but my Radeon in all its glory is not even listed on the calculators I have come across.

 

[Raiddinn]

You can probably get a Corsair CX430w for about $20 here in 2 days, a far cry from $150.

- Edit - Typo

You might be able to make it work with the PSU you have now, but I wouldn't even if you can.

 

[hunter315]

Ah the joys of HP power supplies... They are always the bare minimum of connectors for the system they ship with.

The GTS 450 requires an auxiliary PCI-e power connector which means it needs more than 75 W of power, the power supply in your system does not have an auxiliary connector, or the appropriate connectors to use for an adapter. The easiest fix is to get a good little power supply to replace it with, something like a CX 430 V2 has a PCI-e power connector and enough power to run the new graphics card while not costing a ton.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

 

[istari675]

I cant find the psu that Raiddinn suggested anywhere at all but the suggestion that hunter315 made feels too good to be true as well. I have been under the assumption that if it is that cheap that it is indeed too good to be true.

 

[Raiddinn]

Sorry, I typod, I meant CX 430w. It is a very common one, you should have no trouble finding one.

- Edit - BTW, in the tech domain it isn't hard to find a too good to be true deal on Black Friday. You just have to know which ones are actually good and which ones aren't. Some 430w PSUs put out more actual power than some 700ws do. You don't know that till you do the research at Hardware Secrets or JohnnyGuru. If you are just going by price tag, anything that is $1 per 20w is complete garbage most respectable PSUs will be $1 per 10w or even less sometimes. That is just a rule of thumb and doesn't substitute for real research.

 

[hugh117]

look at the corsair builder series, have some good PSUs for a decent price and they are all 80 plus bronze aswell

 

[istari675]

Thank you for the help and thank you for the research websites. I only came here because this usually comes up first when I type a problem into Google.

 

[istari675]

Best answer selected by istari675.