PSU:430W not enough?

[Elem7]

I just recently built a new machine and Ive been wrestling with some instability issues surrounding my radeon 9700 pro.My machine works flawlessly when Im not running anything graphically intensive but as soon as I run a 3d application I start having problems from crashes to desktop to BSODs and reboots,occasionally winxp comes up with crash reports saying the problem is with my display adapter. Ive tried flipping out my radeon for my geforce3 from my old machine and everything works fine with the geforce3 so Im pretty certain its not something else thats bad. Now if I unplug my chasiss fans my 3rd HD and my cdrom I can boot up and run any 3d program for hours with no problems so I dont think my radeon is bad,I doubt my radeon is having issues with any of those components,so the only thing I can figure is that its just the extra power thats freed up thats fixing the problem. Heres my system specs:

Koolance PC-605 Case with liquid cool(2 pumps,an LED display and 3 fans)
Enertec 430watt PSU
p4 2.8g
ASUS p4t533 mobo(850E)
2x512mb 32bit rimms
2xWD800BB 80gig HDD's
1 WD1200JB 120gig HDD
radeon 9700 pro
sound blaster audigy
d-link 10/100 nic
2 chassis fans
54x cd-rom

Now I thought 400w would be enough but I thought Id go with 430w to be safe but now Im not so sure thats enough so Id like someone elses oppinion,is 430w is just enough or did I just end up with a bad PSU?

 

[HammerBot]

430W is enough. Its more likely a driver/software problem.

<i><b>Engineering is the fine art of making what you want from things you can get</b></i>
<A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=655" target="_new">My systems</A>

 

[svol]

It should be enough... but everything is pointing towards an power problem. Or the third HD should contain programs and drivers the card could get conflicted with.

My CPU runs so hot the arctic silver undergoes nuclear fusion .

 

[Elem7]

The 3rd hard drive doesnt have any programs installed on it at all,just backed up data,nothing thats actively interacting with the OS.
Edit: Er forgot to mention to that if I dont have both the cd-rom AND the 3rd hdd unplugged I still have problems.

Unless its some driver issue with the cd-rom which I find kinda hard to believe I dont think its anything else with software/driver issues since if I do unplug those 2 components I can run my machine for hours without a crash.
(and if they are plugged in but I have a less power hungry board like my old geforce3 installed I have no problems either)
I guess I just got a bad PSU.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Elem7 on 11/30/02 01:34 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[jihiggs]

enertec or enermax? do you have the water pump running off the psu also? if so it is possible that you are draining too much from it.

how do you shoot the devil in the back? what happens if you miss? -verbal

 

[Elem7]

Yes,its all off the same PSU,and its an enertec truepower PSU.
I went out and got a new PSU,same model,same problem,back to the store it goes I guess...need to find me a 500watt PSU I guess

 

[jihiggs]

or maybe a different brand? never heard of enertec, maybe you mean antec?

how do you shoot the devil in the back? what happens if you miss? -verbal

 

[Elem7]

lol er yah antec,my mistake bleh.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Its possible that the cooling aspect is drawing more power than what it can handle... do you have any doccumentation regarding the cooling system power consumption?

<b>Just because someone's a member of an ethnic minority doesn't mean they're not a nasty small-minded little jerk. <i>Terry Pratchett</i></b>