Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: United on November 06, 2004, 01:05:42 PM
-
I am going to buy a new video card sometime in the near future, but I am not sure what my power supply is putting out.
I was wondering how I can check the wattage that it is supplying. I know there is a sticker on it and heard that its listed on said sticker. But, I looked at it and could not read anything on it.
Being as computer illiterate as I am, I can't find anything out.
So, how can I check the wattage of my power supply?
-
I'm not sure from your post if you can't read the sticker literally because it's damaged, or because you can't decipher what it means.
If the latter: The wattages are split out on the sticker depending how many amps are available to various "rails" which are simply the various voltages on the different types of connectors. Some connectors supply 12v, some 3.3v, or 5V ect. It should say Peak Load XXX watts on it.
Volts x Amps = Watts. If you multiply the amps times the volts on your sticker for each "rail" you will likey find they don't add up to the rated wattage!
A few rules of thumb :aok :
Rule#1: You can't believe the "rated" power on most power supplies. There is a reason a "450 watt" supply from one manufacturer costs $24 and from another costs $95.
Rule#2: If you are buying in person, pick up the power supplies and feel the weight. The heavier one will inevitably be higher quality and cost more.
Rule#3: In general generic cases that come with a power supply use inferior PSs. However some cases have excellent PSs, such as Antec.
Rule#4: Buy a quality PS, not a cheapie.
Rule #5: Be sure to check that the PS you are contemplating has enough power on the rails that need it for your intended system. Some MOBOS need more 12V juice than others. Some vid cards and CPUS need more juice on other rails . So take your intended system in total and add up how much juice each compnenet needs on each rail, then find a quality PS that fulfills that need.
And finally, in general you can't go wrong with Antec True Power or Smart Power PS. The True Power is a step up over the Smart Power, but the Smart Power is good too.
-
Most "modern" computers, excepting the newest ones or those sold specifically for gaming, will have 350W power supplies. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but if yours was just an off the shelf computer or even a doityourself case that came with a power supply, its probably a 350W. Some of the labels they put on the outside can be a little confusing if you dont know what you are reading, but usually there is one that tells you the rating. As MOSQ said, not all of them really put out what they say they are rated at, but it will be close.
The new video cards need a BARE minimum of 400W (to reliably power a video card AND everything else), and need it to be steady. Thats why you'll want a quality PS. Put a load on a cheap one and that 350W rating doesnt mean a thing. The load will fluctuate all over the board depending on what is drawing at that second. The quality ones will maintain a solid current at each terminal all the time. IMO you really need at least a 450W PS, I went with a 500W myself. Of course I have a CD-ROM, a DVD/CD-RW, 2 hard drives, a GeForce 5900 video card that requires plug-in to the PS, a 3 1/2 in floppy and a floptical drive. Plus I know that as long as I keep it clean it is good enough to power the Athlon 64 system I plan on building next year.
-
:aok Yes, just last year people were asking, now what the heck do you need a 500 W power supply for, all you need is a 350. IMHO the PS is a neglected element of many systems.
A good 500W doesn't cost all that much more, but you can be sure that it'll do the job.
-
Just bought this one through Newegg.com
Thermaltake Silent Purepower 480W for $56. Its got a front 5.25" drive bay control panel and a rear control for the fan speed. Also it has SATA hot swap power connections for the SATA drives as well.
-
United,
Here's a great explanation of power supply stickers:
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20040122/index.html (http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20040122/index.html)
and
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20030609/index.html (http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20030609/index.html)
And
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html (http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html)
-
Great. Thanks for the replys!
-
Here is a good calculator for how much power you need...
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/