How much power do I need?

Kemal · Jun 19, 2005, 01:55 AM

First, before I get to my question, I'd like to say thanks to all of those who have helped with my numurous tech problems here over the past few years, I generally will post a problem, figure it out myself, and then forget about the thread withotu saying 'thank you' to those that took the time to reply. So, thanks to all of you that have replied to my threads and offered suggestions to my problems

My new question is how big of a PSU do I need for my computer? I'm asking this because today I installed a 12" Blue Cold Cathode light, which promptly burnt out in about two mintues resulting in the smell of "burning" to fill my room.

This is what I've got plugged into my PSU.

2x hard drives
1x DVD drive
1x SB Augidy 2
1x Radeon X800 Pro
Athlon XP 3000 w/ Thermaltake Volcano 11
Netgear Wireless PCI-G Network Adapter
5x 80x80x25 case fans
2x 80x80x25 Blue LED Case fans
Thermaltake Xaser III Case

I have a Nspire 430W PSU, of which the specs can be seen here - http://www.nspirepc.com/nspire_ps_desktop.htm , its the 5th one down from the top.

Thanks in advance for your help

e v o · Jun 19, 2005, 02:47 AM

ok try this calculator
http://extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp

i threw your stuff in, and got little over 300w. The amps on your 12v rail for your psu may be kinda low@20a. The cold cathode may have been defective itself. Check your rails via bios, and see if theyre ok.

any other problems with your computer/hardware?

Ben

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jun 19, 2005, 03:08 AM

There are a lot of well know and decent makers Nspire isn’t one I’ve ever herd of before today not a good sign). Not that they may or may not be of decent quality. What power supplies are rated for and what power they deliver are two totally different things. They are often over rated or rated at it what it will run at an absolute max as in for a matter of a few minutes before it dies. As opposed to what it will handle as an average / everyday/max constant working load. Some of the better PSU’s are even under rated. Could it of just been a bad tube but it also could be a problem with your power supply. Only thing I can sugest Useing a digital votage meter and check the readings to help find out.

If replaceing get a more well known 450w or better
with a 12V rail of 22-24A or better

Geminiwave · Jun 19, 2005, 04:43 AM

question: How heavy is the PSU? does it feel very light or is it reassuringly heavy. Basically, if you dropped it on the carpet, would it sorta roll a bit or something or would it drop with a solid "THUNK"

the heavier it is, the better the quality. This is true across the board.

Matth · Jun 19, 2005, 03:46 PM

An aluminium cased (or "crystal" windowed) PSU can be a little lighter, but "weight is good" is a rull that will often serve you well in judging PSUs - ans the 12v rail does seem to be the measure of a good, well balanced PSU, since most parts of the system use it...

The CPU and Graphics draw a lot, the drives 1.5-2A each, the fans are not a huge amount each, but it adds up.

Another approach you may see is dual 12V - one will drive the graphics, the other the CPU and motherboard, and the reamining stuff needs to be spread out between them, depending on the expected balance already

brutusmaximus · Jun 19, 2005, 04:28 PM

Id say get the best PSU you can afford. and dont be fooled into buying a cheap high rated PSU, they frequently have poor delivery to the rails. a high quality 350W for example quite often outperforms a bargain basement 450w model.

Matth · Jun 20, 2005, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brutusmaximus

Id say get the best PSU you can afford. and dont be fooled into buying a cheap high rated PSU, they frequently have poor delivery to the rails. a high quality 350W for example quite often outperforms a bargain basement 450w model.

Absolutely!

I've seen a cheap and nasty "600W" model with lower ratings on the critical 12v than the OEM Fortron FSP350-60MDN (Medion special) in my current box.
They must have uprated the 12v heatsink, as 19.5A at 12v is massively high for a 350W.

Of course, if you GET tha ratings (and I would never buy a PSU without seeing the quoted, per rail figures, AND those ratings are honest (now that's questionable for some cheapies!), then you can judge by those ratings - the cheap ones are normally weak on 12v power.

toddsmack2k · Jun 20, 2005, 07:22 PM

I would go with a Antec 480w or PC power 510w or better PSU. The power supply is the heart of your system so it is not an area to go cheap on. Also if you look at upgrading sometime in the future it might save you some money then if you spend a little extra now.

Jun 19, 2005, 01:55 AM	#1
Kemal DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 166 Rep Power: 0	How much power do I need? First, before I get to my question, I'd like to say thanks to all of those who have helped with my numurous tech problems here over the past few years, I generally will post a problem, figure it out myself, and then forget about the thread withotu saying 'thank you' to those that took the time to reply. So, thanks to all of you that have replied to my threads and offered suggestions to my problems My new question is how big of a PSU do I need for my computer? I'm asking this because today I installed a 12" Blue Cold Cathode light, which promptly burnt out in about two mintues resulting in the smell of "burning" to fill my room. This is what I've got plugged into my PSU. 2x hard drives 1x DVD drive 1x SB Augidy 2 1x Radeon X800 Pro Athlon XP 3000 w/ Thermaltake Volcano 11 Netgear Wireless PCI-G Network Adapter 5x 80x80x25 case fans 2x 80x80x25 Blue LED Case fans Thermaltake Xaser III Case I have a Nspire 430W PSU, of which the specs can be seen here - http://www.nspirepc.com/nspire_ps_desktop.htm , its the 5th one down from the top. Thanks in advance for your help __________________ ASUS A7N8X Rev 2.0 AMD Athlon XP 3000+ 1gb PC3200 DDR (512mb PC3200x2) + 256mb Radeon X800 Pro Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Windows XP SP 2

Jun 19, 2005, 02:47 AM	#2
e v o HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,037 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	ok try this calculator http://extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp i threw your stuff in, and got little over 300w. The amps on your 12v rail for your psu may be kinda low@20a. The cold cathode may have been defective itself. Check your rails via bios, and see if theyre ok. any other problems with your computer/hardware? Ben __________________

Jun 19, 2005, 03:08 AM	#3
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	There are a lot of well know and decent makers Nspire isn’t one I’ve ever herd of before today not a good sign). Not that they may or may not be of decent quality. What power supplies are rated for and what power they deliver are two totally different things. They are often over rated or rated at it what it will run at an absolute max as in for a matter of a few minutes before it dies. As opposed to what it will handle as an average / everyday/max constant working load. Some of the better PSU’s are even under rated. Could it of just been a bad tube but it also could be a problem with your power supply. Only thing I can sugest Useing a digital votage meter and check the readings to help find out. If replaceing get a more well known 450w or better with a 12V rail of 22-24A or better __________________

Jun 19, 2005, 04:43 AM	#4
Geminiwave I Have lovely Breasts Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: In the closet... Posts: 5,395 Rep Power: 64	question: How heavy is the PSU? does it feel very light or is it reassuringly heavy. Basically, if you dropped it on the carpet, would it sorta roll a bit or something or would it drop with a solid "THUNK" the heavier it is, the better the quality. This is true across the board. __________________

Jun 20, 2005, 07:22 PM	#8
toddsmack2k It Never..... Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,173 Rep Power: 0	I would go with a Antec 480w or PC power 510w or better PSU. The power supply is the heart of your system so it is not an area to go cheap on. Also if you look at upgrading sometime in the future it might save you some money then if you spend a little extra now. __________________ [color=blue]*Bleeding From the Inside Pouring Out, The* *DriverHeaven* Spiral, We Shall Never Let Go Of.[/color]

Jun 19, 2005, 03:46 PM	#5
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	An aluminium cased (or "crystal" windowed) PSU can be a little lighter, but "weight is good" is a rull that will often serve you well in judging PSUs - ans the 12v rail does seem to be the measure of a good, well balanced PSU, since most parts of the system use it... The CPU and Graphics draw a lot, the drives 1.5-2A each, the fans are not a huge amount each, but it adds up. Another approach you may see is dual 12V - one will drive the graphics, the other the CPU and motherboard, and the reamining stuff needs to be spread out between them, depending on the expected balance already

Jun 19, 2005, 04:28 PM	#6
brutusmaximus DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 520 Rep Power: 76	Id say get the best PSU you can afford. and dont be fooled into buying a cheap high rated PSU, they frequently have poor delivery to the rails. a high quality 350W for example quite often outperforms a bargain basement 450w model.