Power Supply Question

[zellix]

Hey, I got some new hardware lately and still have a 250w PSU. The parts havent all arrived yet so I wanted to know if 250w is enough (I really doubt), and if not what would be a good wattage. I also want to keep it as cheap as possible. Here will be the final specs:

CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2200+/266
MoBo: ABIT 8X ATX nForce2 5P1A4D NF7-S
Mem: 256MB Kingston PC2100 DDRam (1 Stick)
VidCard: Radeon 9500 128MB
CD-Rom: ATAPI 52X
CD Burner: Polaroid BurnMAX48

Thanks,
Z

[Imperion1]

At the very least a 350w PS. Antec and Enermax are good brands.

[zellix]

Ah, thought so. Guess I'll get an Allied 400w since they are only ~$34. Thanks Imperion1.

Another Question:
I bought my Athlon XP 2200+ as OEM, so it didn't come with a Fan/Heatsink. So I looked around and found one that is cheap and says it supports the CPU. It's a "Speeze CPU Fan Model 5F263B1M3 for AMD/Intel Socket A/370". Any ideas on if it is good enough or not would be appreciated. And will I need a Thermal Paste also?

Thank,
Z

[Sterling_Aug]

After spending that kind of money why would you go cheap on the heatsink?

If you can't find a decent heatsink here, then it can't be found anywhere!

http://www.2cooltek.com

[zellix]

Ya I agree that I thought it was a cheap cooler at first, but the 74 reviews (http://www.newegg.com/app/Viewproduc...hFor=5F263B1M3) it has kinda convinced me otherwise. But thanks for the site. But still would I need thermal compound for the fan/heatsink?

Z

[BargainBin]

Have you bought your Allied Power Supply yet?

I have one and it makes me nervous. There is a really good link if I can find it, if you want to research PSU before you buy.

[zellix]

Ya I went ahead and bought it, but if it does turn out to be nervous inducing, I'll return it. Either way, I would be interested in that link.

Z

[ahzl]

I think a 250 W power supply should do fine. Shouldn't it?

My system is running all on a 250 W PSU, and the config is similar... jsut diff processor... specs below:
- PIII 667 MHz
- 384 MB RAM
- 36x CD-ROM
- 16x burner
- ATI XPERT graphics
- 20 gb IDE hdd

[lptech]

zellix-

A 250-watt PSU (Power Supply Unit) is underpowered for what you have as far as hardware requirements is concerned. Please take a look at the following link in order for you to get a better idea of the power demands on the PSU with the individual components!

http://www.pcpowercooling.com/maxpc/index_cases.htm

You have to add up all the components' power draw and then multiply by a factor of 1.8 times in order to get at what your exact power demands are going to be! This is a very important guide to go by. Hope that the info is helpful. Good luck.

lptech

[zellix]

Well, my processor is 1.8GHz so it is almost 3 times as much as yours, and I've looked around and the suggested minimum for that CPU is a 300w PSU. Then the motherboard is pretty new, but I don't know what kind you have. Mine is a ABIT which are good for overclocking so the more power the better. And the Radeon 9500 128MB I have is softmodded to a Radeon 9700, dunno if that itself increases power demand, but the 9500 alone requires more than most as far as I have seen. In the end I got a 400w just incase. But ya 250w is good for your system, as the one I'm replacing was like ures with a P3 ~800MHz CPU.

Response to lptech: (We posted at the same time) So if I were to take out components I don't need, it'll save Wattage correct? Like since i have a 48x24x48 Burner, I don't need a 52x CD-Rom (52x and 48x aren't that big of a difference to me), plus I have a modem in there that I don't need since I use DSL on NIC Card. Thanks for the link, it's a good reference.

Z

[lptech]

ahzl-

Just to let you know that running the components with an underpowered PSU could easily damage them. You have to remember that if you use a PSU that has a lower rating than what you need, you're basically subjecting the components to dirty power output which easily damages them. It is better to run with PSU that has alot of power reserves than to run them on something that is barely getting by! Also less frustrating since alot of the gremlins that people talk about experiencing is due to the inadequate power output! When you overtax the PSU, you run into problems like poor power regulation to the drives (HDD fails to run properly and gets errors)! I know that most of the people on this forum are picky about what they build their system out of but they sometimes fail to see how the PSU is a more critical component to be concerned about since it powers everything!

There are many examples that I've seen of early component deaths due to inadequate power supplies! The best example that I could point out is all of the RMAs that HP and Compaq have to replace due to component failure. This could be attributed to fact that they install underpowered PSU for their systems!(I've personally seen 150-watt PSUs in them) And you know that it is barely getting by!

Imagine when the end user decides to add more components inside like CDRW, DVD-ROM, Zip Drive,etc. It is a disaster waiting to happen! I've seen my share of burnt-out components inside systems (thought that they were holding a BBQ inside). LOL. Just have to get that one in. But honestly, the component failures could be traced back to poor power regulation because they are running the PSU beyond their design parameters! So my advice to all who build is to never compromise on the PSU! Good luck.

lptech

[BargainBin]

Originally posted by zellix
Ya I went ahead and bought it, but if it does turn out to be nervous inducing, I'll return it. Either way, I would be interested in that link.

Z

Try this for good reading:



here

And has anyone answered your question about thermal paste? Sometimes when you buy new, the thermal paste will be on either the CPU or heatsink already, can't remember which.

[BargainBin]

Let me try that link again.

psu

If that doesn't work just go to

http://forum.oc-forums.com

It'll take you into another forum.

Scroll down to section: "cases and power supplies"

Choose the thread: "Will a xxx watt power supply run this?"

Good luck.

[omega31]

Here's a good article:
Choosing The Right Power Supply

[Imperion1]

Yep, you'll need thermal paste. Get Arctic Silver III. What sometimes comes on the heatsink is a thermal pad. This is adequate, but, its better to scrape this off and use thermal paste.

Instructions about putting on the thermal paste.

http://www.arcticsilver.com